Cyclists stop in Connellsville during 335-mile journey
CONNELLSVILLE – A day of rain wasn’t enough to keep 87-year-old Bill Grun from continuing an eight-day cycling journey of the Great Allegheny Passage, especially since he’s been doing it for the last six years. Grun, of Bucks County, was one of 500 cyclists and the oldest to participate in the 335-mile trek of the Greenway Sojourn that included a brief stop in Connellsville Friday afternoon whey they grabbed a bite to eat before heading out again to Cedar Creek Park in Whitsett where they ate dinner and camped overnight.
The sojourn ends today in Pittsburgh near Station Square with cyclists taking to the road at McKeesport and receiving a police escort to finish the last seven miles of the trail that still need completed.
In Maryland, the trip also included the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Canal Towpath following the Potomac River, which featured canal locks, lock houses and aqueducts.
At the towpath’s western end in Cumberland, Md., the Great Allegheny Passage consisted of a nearly level route through the mountains of Maryland and southwestern Pennsylvania, where cyclists got a glimpse of the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle and the dramatic engineering of bridges, tunnels and viaducts.
As one of 500 participants from 31 states, including the District of Columbia, Grun said he’s an avid cyclist and rides his bike at least three days a week not to mention working out at the local gym, gardening and reading – that is when he’s not teaching.
Grun, a World War II veteran and a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, said he just celebrated his 60th year of teaching.
With the nearest trail to his residence 12 miles away, Grun said he couldn’t get enough of the Great Allegheny Passage. “It’s magnificent,” said Grun, who was impressed with the slopes and material on the trail making for a smooth ride.
Steven Hatleberg of Hagerstown, Md., said this was his first sojourn as well as his vacation.
Hatleberg, who has cycled various segments along the Connellsville section of the trail, said the sojourn was too good to pass up with the amenities it offered in providing food and baggage handling.
Hatleberg said his knowledge of the Great Allegheny Passage coincides with being a volunteer on the C&O canal.
“I wanted to do this for a long time and I’m pleased to be spending my vacation here,” said Hatleberg.
Throughout the trip, sojourners averaged about 45 miles per day and camped along the way, before reaching their next destination.
Hatleberg noted the cyclists also took part earlier this week in watching the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy present its first Rail-to-Trail Hall of Fame award to the Great Allegheny Passage in Cumberland, Md.
The recently completed section of trail there enabled the passage from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh, the full route of the sojourn, by connecting six well-established pathways to form the 150-mile trail.
This sojourn was also a first for Terry Healy and her son, Joe, of Summit, N.J.
Terry Healy said she and her son enjoyed exploring caves in Maryland and watching a lock work at a dam in the nation’s capitol.
“It’s been educational, and I’ve learned a lot of things,” said Healy.
For second-time sojourners Ellen and Jay Minnicks of Philadelphia, the various stops throughout this year’s trek were memorable.
“I’m glad we did this and be a part of the (celebration),” said Jay Minnicks.
The Minnicks added they spend a lot of time riding their bicycles at home by involving their grandchildren as well as the neighborhood children with short excursions.
“It keeps us in shape for ski season,” added Minnicks.