September 15, 2021
Good Bye Pine Creek...Hello D&L
Up and out to finish up the Pine Creek Trail and head east to Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.
Today started out like yesterday with low clouds and drizzle but by the time we arrived in Wellsboro Junction the sun was out. It was a quick 9 mile ride back to Darling Run. This section is not in the canyon and offered views of open field and the ever present Pine Creek.
Quickly loaded my bike and hit the road for White Haven where we would spend two nights. Our plan was to visit an outfitter in White Haven and schedule a shuttle for tomorrow morning to Glen Summit where we would begin a 37 mile down hill run into Jim Thorpe.
Eager to secure two shuttle spots I called and received bad news. There would be no shuttle enabling us to ride between Gen Summit and Jim Thorpe...a section of trail through White Haven was closed for construction and there was no good way around the closure.
Hmmm...there must be a way around this. With my trusty GPS, we were off to discover the one likely road ride workaround was also closed. We were eventually able to locate the other end of the construction at Lehigh Tannery. The new plan involved Laura shuttling me to Glen Summit's Black Diamond Trailhead. Picking me up just outside of White Haven, shuttling me around the carnage, driving to Jim Thorpe and biking out to meet me as I headed for Jim Thorpe 20+ miles down trail.
We checked in at our hotel and I logged onto the D&L website to see if there were any other construction issues along its 140 length. OMG!! I discovered the trail had been ravaged by hurricane Ida. Of its 140 miles only 60 were passable of which I would ride 31+ tomorrow and the balance was disjointed. The vast majority of the trail beyond Jim Thorpe runs along the Lehigh River which flooded large sections of the trail downstream.
To add insult to injury, I decided to check the 77 mile Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail in New Jersey. A significant section on the D&R runs along the eastern bank of the Lehigh River. Bingo...that section has also been ravaged.
The D&L and D&R combined represented 217 miles of riding. If things go well tomorrow, I will complete 31+. Certainly a disappointment.
Back to the drawing board to see what I can put together as an alternative.
Today's ride: 9 miles (14 km)
Total: 254 miles (409 km)
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