Day 2: Reintroducing many tender nether regions to bike seats on the trail from Confluence to Ohiopyle, Ziplining and Happy Bday to Rick!

August 5, 2017

Saturday's activities were spread across four groups:

The cycling group (John/Chris/Rick/Mike/Kathy/Dan/Larry) did a leisurely 11 mile ride on the GAP trail from our base at the Parker House in Confluence to Ohiopyle.

The Saturday biker gang setting out from the Parker House in Confluence for the ride to Ohiopyle. Oddly enough, they randomly arranged themselves in order of increasing height and bike size, from left to right: Larry, John, Rick, Dan, Chris

Dan hadn't done any cycling in many years and Mike and Kathy are lapsed cyclists - they were all feeling the pain of reintroducing their mid to lower body extremities to the oddly shaped contraptions commonly called bicycle "seats."

On the left, Chris is prepared if we see a dairy store and on the right Rick points to oddly shaped things he plans to actually put on his feet at some point in time.

Chris and Rick embarrassed the group by carrying a bright red milk crate and Crocs (whatever they are) on the back of their bikes.

This stretch of the trail has been open since long before there was a GAP trail. Back when my daughter Lauren was less than a year old (circa 1991) during a vacation at Deep Creek Lake, we put a baby seat on my old 10 speed Schwinn and did Confluence to Ohiopyle and back - which rejuvenated my interest in cycling, and led to me writing a book a few years later: "Family Bicycling in the Washington Baltimore Area."

The Ohiopyle Natural Water Slide was a bit too watery to attempt a slide.

The manly cyclists walked down to the Natural Water slide that Carole and June had done last year, but the rains had made the water level too high to attempt that.

Not quite hot tub temps in the river and the flow was well above average - they were only allowing boats longer than 8 feet to launch.

We walked to the Ohiopyle Falls overlook and tried to convince Rick to take a swim, but no luck. We had a fine lunch on the shady deck at the Ohiopyle House Cafe and then had did the return 11 miles back to the Parker House. At the biker/pedestrian bridge from the trail to Confluence, a local bike shop was giving out coupons for a free gift, which turned out not to be a free carbon bicycle. (Refrigerator magnet)

The ziplining group (Carole/June/Sue/Ken/Andi/Martha) drove up to Seven Springs and did the Screaming Hawk zipline course. It turned into a windy day, and June and Andy almost sailed off towards Ohio.

Jim and Jacqui made up the culture group and toured Frank Lloyd Wright's Kentuck Knob house.

The hiking group (Maggie/Felicia) hiked the Ferncliff trails that Martha had shown the others on Friday.

Maggie viewing the Ohiopyle falls during her hike in the Ferncliff area with Felicia. Their other pictures were too scary to include - they were being attacked by giant thumbs.

We had a group dinner with heaping helpings at the Stone House Inn in Farmington where Linze the waitress graciously took down her ponytail to allow many to get scavenger hunt points by taking a picture of her purple hair.

Linze the purple-haired Stone House Inn waitress

Back at the Parker House we had a group celebration of Rickie's 39th birthday with an enormous cake from the Ohiopyle Bakerye and Sandwiche Olde Shoppe.

Rick was surprised - you would think after celebrating his 39th birthday 21 times before he would be used to it by now...

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	1
Comment on this entry	Comment	0