Festive 500 GAP + Montour Slog Century
The weather gods were looking upon the week of the Festive 500 (between Christmas and New Years) quite favorably and I had designs to knock off a number of the required miles (310) with a century. Rather than duel with drivers on the rural roads of Washington County, I wanted to try a century along the quite and car-free tails of the GAP and Montour trails. In October I had done 82 wonderful miles on them, and figured an extra loop around McKeesport would help round it up to 100 miles. However, despite the local rumor mill that reported the recent warm and freeze-thaw conditions had turned the trails into “quicksand,” I still stubbornly set off one morning to get ‘er dun.
The first 60 miles were perfect and pleasant, but also mostly paved. My goal was to be home by 4 p.m. before it was completely dark, but once I got onto the Montour around Hendersonville, I realized that the hardest part was still ahead and that the day was getting short. I didn’t have confidence in the daylight as clouds had started to set in. My trusty Light and Motion bike light had unexpectedly decided its life with me was over. I knew from experience that the last 40 miles would be long and I needed to think about getting home in the dark. Luckily the Tandem Connection was open and had just received a shipment of bike lights. The owner was generous in opening a new box for me as well as giving me some trail conditions - yep, quicksand. With a few Cokes and bag of chips I was mentally ready to finish this ride off.
The Montour trail around Southview is always deep with sand and this was no different, albeit wetter and heavier. Heading north towards McDonald and the highway construction, the trail was still heavy and slow going, often ripped up by the truck crossings. The paved McDonald trestle was the last bit of respite for a long while. The trail going up to Steubinville Pike was just awful: deep, loamy, wet limestone; huge tracks from the pipeline trucks that made the trail even more heavy and uneven. My tires are 40mm, but like I had been warned, even a fat-tire bike would sink and have issues with these conditions. My heart rate was through the roof and I was barely going 5mph. What would Lael (Wilcox, accomplished ultraracer) do? Smile. Look around and be thankful for how beautiful it is. How lucky she is to be out on her bike. I tried to summon her will power, knowing this would be over at some point. Even the downhills were slogs, I was going absolutely no where fast, and the daylight was nearly as empty as my motivation.
But then the trail ended. I intersected at Cliff Mine Road and knew the way back as well as anything. The clouds parted enough the give me some extra daylight and the evening was settling into a beautiful winter sky. My energy returned and spirits rose knowing I had made it and just needed a few extra circuitous miles to turn over 100. The last century of the year, knowing a little more than when I began this morning.
The Route
In addition to the GAP, Steel Valley, and Montour trails, the loop from McKeesport to Boston and back along the Youghiogheny adds almost 15 miles. Zak’s Bike Shop is just off the trail in McKeesport, too.