Masontown, PA to LaVale, MD

July 28, 1996

Cherry cider, broccoli, cherries and cashews

Dad drove us back to Masontown. It was difficult to leave Mom while she's still recovering.

Youghiogheny River Lake. Rhona's Dad remembers standing on a small bridge in the 1930's (in what is now the bottom of the lake) watching as the bridge we are riding on being built. One year during a severe drought (the same year Yellowstone burned) the water level dropped so far that the bridge he was standing on was visible again.

The climb up the Uniontown hill took us 49 minutes (3 miles) and we took two breaks. It really wasn't an extremely difficult climb, it's just that the remainder of the day was up and down which is so tiring.

(2015 Edit) The picture we took almost at the top of the Uniontown hill disappeared from the photo album I was using to prepare the journal. I spent an hour looking through digital picture archives and also clawed my way through photo albums stored in a back closet. I finally remembered Rhona had used the picture to make a mousepad. I searched for only 15 more minutes before realizing the lost mousepad I was searching for was the one underneath the mouse I am currently using to edit this journal. It might be time to take a short break. The grainy picture is the result of scanning a 15 year old mousepad.

Had such a surprise climbing one of those mountains. A vehicle passed us and then stopped up ahead. It was Tom, Mary Jane and Nick D.! It was so wonderful to see faces from home; even as friendly as people have been along the way, this was the best yet. Mary Jane couldn't believe it was us, since they'd just gotten our Illinois postcard.

God bless Tom and Mary Jane. Something to drink and a lighter load!

They gave us some cherry cider and better yet, took the panniers home for us, so we got to ride an empty bike up the remaining mountains! Later, Dave had the nerve to complain because I bought some broccoli, cherries and cashews.

AFTER TOM AND MARY JANE LIGHTENED OUR LOAD BY TAKING OUR PANNIERS, RHONA VISITED A ROADSIDE MARKET AND BOUGHT POUNDS OF BROCCOLI, CHERRIES AND CASHEWS TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T CLIMB UP THE REMAINING MOUNTAINS TOO FAST. WE WERE PASSED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TOWING A TRAILER. THE DRIVER DID NOT QUITE COMPLETE THE PASS BEFORE SLIDING OVER BACK INTO OUR LANE FORCING US OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE MOVE WASN'T MALICIOUS, PROBABLY JUST INCOMPETENT. OUR SON PETE MET US IN LAVALE AND DROVE US HOME TO OUR HOME IN KEYSER. WE ARE GETTING SPOILED BY FAMILY CONTACTS AND SLEEPING IN OUR OWN BEDS.

Today's ride: 85 miles (137 km)
Total: 3,346 miles (5,385 km)

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