Rich was the guy who leased the shop. He was an old legendary Mr. Fix-it in his 60's. Made his living from doing anything he knew how.
The kind of guy who isn't much for talking, but if he did, he would have a lot to say. Rich took me out for breakfast that morning before helping his friend with his old vintage tow truck. Rich lived out of his shop with no running water. He got his water from the spring out back, and although the shop was simple it was surrounded with trinkets, none from the last twenty years---all older items, and signs like "It takes 1000 men to make an Army, but only one woman to make a home" and other odds and ends that made the place cozy, but still a bit out of place.
I didn't get Rich to share much, but I knew he was glad to help me and to host me the best way he knew how. I gathered he didnt get too many visitors coming through. He told me how he likes taking his three dogs out for ice cream sundaes, and that his daughter died within the year. He had a rough past, but probably because he's willing to stand up for what is right--which landed him in jail for a about decade. One thing I could tell for sure, after being hosted by him and sharing a coffee and a pretty silent breakfast at the Wagonwheel was that Rich, undoubtedly had a heart of gold.
After breakfast, I tried to make my exit, I could tell Rich was use to seeing people off, he let me go take off, but I knew he had a look of a father, who didn't want me to go but knew that it's what I needed to do.
So, I got on my bike and waved goodbye and got on the busy road to head towards the next town. According to the map, there would be a bike trail that should lead me up through the next couple towns. However, when I crossed the Connemaugh River, and through towns that were River folk, with rafts on their cars, and who you can tell enjoyed the access the River near Saltsburg, I saw a trail...and hopped on it. It wasn't much of a trail, but I followed it along the River to Apollo. As I continued following the path the, lovely bike trail...turned into a wild, unmanagemangable overgrown ATV trail that followed the tracks and would curve up and down steep hills. I continued to follow the trails knowing that the River would take me where I needed to be, but the trail became almost impossible to navigate...and slowly turned
into Railroad tracks, and then slowly to Private roads, and then slowly, I was lost. Close to the river, but pretty unsure of where I was.
After an hour or so of getting on and off my bike, walking it on and off the tracks, I ended up in Avondale. It was a slow town, with not much open, some kind of Italian Club, and most of the people (and by most I mean the one person) I crossed in the whole town was an elderly gentleman. The town seemed like it could have been in the 50's.
As I tried to find the supposide trail to take me more north to Apollo, it just took me through dead ends, private drives, rail bridges, and a couple hours, I realized I would just have to take a guess on what street would be best to get me out of the town. So I looked at the one little map I had and took a shot.
The road I chose, natually when straight up for quite awhile. When I got out, and shot me out into what appeared to be the middle of nowhere surrounded by farmlands and almost none around. I slowly meandered through the back roads. Going down hills and up them and down them again..plateauing everyone now and again...convinced that I there may be a chance I would not make it out...but I just kept biking and when I got frustrated as the hour got a little late, I took out my mandolin to distract myself from my frustration and to just enjoy the scenery and realize that I I would figure it out eventually.
So hours later, I somehow stumbled upon Apollo. Once again, a small River town, but the people in Apollo seemed a little more outgoing and use to faster-paced kind of life, there weren't many people out, but most were young and engaged with a decent variation of demographics.
So, when I go into town I stopped at Subway, got the largest sub I could eat, and tried to figure out where to go next.
Since I didn't have a map, I called my dad to see if he could figure out where would be a good stopping place. He told me, shockingly, there was a 20 mile bike path that was about ten miles north. So, though it was getting dark, I was determined to do the ten mile to get to the bike path.
Naturally, it was a difficult ten miles, the hills were large, and the shoulders were narrow...making it a very long hour or so of biking. When I reached Freeport, PA, it seemed like an Oasis: much larger than all the other town, with an epic entrance; having to cross the great Allegheny River. Though the city was lit up, there was no one out---though it still looked like a pretty lively place.
I immediately found the bike trail and tried to see if I could get some milage in, at this point I was feeling pretty exhausted and sick, and knew that getting to Cleveland so I wouldn't have to stay any more nights in the cold, would be the best thing for me. So I bike a couple miles, got a little uneasy about biking so late, and set up camp across the river from some people having a campfire.
There's something about hearing laughter from a campfire that is much more soothing than the silence of my imagination in the dark. I knew I would sleep better....or I thought I would sleep better. I fell asleep feeling safe, with the campfire across the river, and oldies blaring on the radio. It was a strange night listening to my neighbors...but I'd rather have strange than a nervous night and woke up the next morning glad to be on the trail and only one more day of riding before I would greet my old friend and have a warm bed to sleep in!
The kind of guy who isn't much for talking, but if he did, he would have a lot to say. Rich took me out for breakfast that morning before helping his friend with his old vintage tow truck. Rich lived out of his shop with no running water. He got his water from the spring out back, and although the shop was simple it was surrounded with trinkets, none from the last twenty years---all older items, and signs like "It takes 1000 men to make an Army, but only one woman to make a home" and other odds and ends that made the place cozy, but still a bit out of place.I didn't get Rich to share much, but I knew he was glad to help me and to host me the best way he knew how. I gathered he didnt get too many visitors coming through. He told me how he likes taking his three dogs out for ice cream sundaes, and that his daughter died within the year. He had a rough past, but probably because he's willing to stand up for what is right--which landed him in jail for a about decade. One thing I could tell for sure, after being hosted by him and sharing a coffee and a pretty silent breakfast at the Wagonwheel was that Rich, undoubtedly had a heart of gold.
After breakfast, I tried to make my exit, I could tell Rich was use to seeing people off, he let me go take off, but I knew he had a look of a father, who didn't want me to go but knew that it's what I needed to do.
After an hour or so of getting on and off my bike, walking it on and off the tracks, I ended up in Avondale. It was a slow town, with not much open, some kind of Italian Club, and most of the people (and by most I mean the one person) I crossed in the whole town was an elderly gentleman. The town seemed like it could have been in the 50's.
As I tried to find the supposide trail to take me more north to Apollo, it just took me through dead ends, private drives, rail bridges, and a couple hours, I realized I would just have to take a guess on what street would be best to get me out of the town. So I looked at the one little map I had and took a shot.
The road I chose, natually when straight up for quite awhile. When I got out, and shot me out into what appeared to be the middle of nowhere surrounded by farmlands and almost none around. I slowly meandered through the back roads. Going down hills and up them and down them again..plateauing everyone now and again...convinced that I there may be a chance I would not make it out...but I just kept biking and when I got frustrated as the hour got a little late, I took out my mandolin to distract myself from my frustration and to just enjoy the scenery and realize that I I would figure it out eventually.So hours later, I somehow stumbled upon Apollo. Once again, a small River town, but the people in Apollo seemed a little more outgoing and use to faster-paced kind of life, there weren't many people out, but most were young and engaged with a decent variation of demographics.
So, when I go into town I stopped at Subway, got the largest sub I could eat, and tried to figure out where to go next.
Since I didn't have a map, I called my dad to see if he could figure out where would be a good stopping place. He told me, shockingly, there was a 20 mile bike path that was about ten miles north. So, though it was getting dark, I was determined to do the ten mile to get to the bike path.
Naturally, it was a difficult ten miles, the hills were large, and the shoulders were narrow...making it a very long hour or so of biking. When I reached Freeport, PA, it seemed like an Oasis: much larger than all the other town, with an epic entrance; having to cross the great Allegheny River. Though the city was lit up, there was no one out---though it still looked like a pretty lively place.
I immediately found the bike trail and tried to see if I could get some milage in, at this point I was feeling pretty exhausted and sick, and knew that getting to Cleveland so I wouldn't have to stay any more nights in the cold, would be the best thing for me. So I bike a couple miles, got a little uneasy about biking so late, and set up camp across the river from some people having a campfire.
There's something about hearing laughter from a campfire that is much more soothing than the silence of my imagination in the dark. I knew I would sleep better....or I thought I would sleep better. I fell asleep feeling safe, with the campfire across the river, and oldies blaring on the radio. It was a strange night listening to my neighbors...but I'd rather have strange than a nervous night and woke up the next morning glad to be on the trail and only one more day of riding before I would greet my old friend and have a warm bed to sleep in!
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