Day 44: Confluence to Bedford

I really liked last night's campground, under an earthen dam...just like Quabbin. I went swimming in the outflow beneath the dam (away from the current). It was cold like the Deerfield. It felt GREAT.

The weather today could not have been better. Temp was 75, low humidity, and sunny. It started by raining - the front moving through. The shower, though, was brief, and we all took off on our ride. We had an option today - either we could do "some hills" - including the highest point in PA, and we'd begin with a 14% grade, or we could continue on the rail trail. Since a climb like that didn't excite me, I took the easy option. Of course, it was all climbing. The people who had to go up that hill also got to come back down it. I was happy with my decision, however, because I got some cool pictures and I also pressed my fast button and hammered down the trail.

Although the trail will someday go all the way on that railroad bed from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, that project hasn't been finished. Our first town off the rail trail was Meyersdale. Our route also took us past the Flight 93 memorial in Shenksville. That was kind of interesting and very saddening. The chain link fence with all of the personal effects left in memoriam was REAL...hearing about it on the radio or seeing it on TV is not the same. The media numb us. Being there is a totally different experience that opened my eyes - it was more than just a news story. Just like going to Auschwitz made it real for me.

I caught up to Brian at the top of one of the hills, and we rode together for a while. He waited for me to catch up a bunch of times (on the uphills). That was cool. I'm still not fast on ascents (as my average indicates!). We had some awesome descents; one was a 9% grade for 6 miles. I only hit a disappointing 46 mph. Yeah...it was an awesome day.

Compared to some of the places we've been staying, this campground is a resort. It has beautiful bathrooms. There's a building with two washers and driers (yeah! for getting in early so that I could do my laundry). There's mini-golf and a store with hard serve ice cream and lots of flat places to pitch a tent. It's like moving from Kadoka, SD to New York City. We are truly living in the laps of luxury now!