That Wheeling Feeling III

May 29, 2023

Wheeling Heritage Trail Spur

May 29, 2023 ~11 Miles

Memorial Day Tribute

I'm often on a bicycle excursion during this time of year. While riding, I think about many things. This year, Memorial Day has some extra significance for me.

In the USA, Memorial Day is a time to remember those military personnel who gave their lives for the country. What was a one day affair when I was a child has morphed into a long holiday weekend.

Last year, 80 years after the fact I found a monument with my great uncle's name on it. Lieutenant Robert E. Schneider lost his life during a battle, somewhere in Belgium, during World War II. The monument is located in Beechview, a Southern neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The finding brought some closure for our side of the family who didn't quite know whether or not Great Uncle Bob had been honored in his home town. My dad is the only one of the family elders who is still alive and knew Uncle Bob personally. He was an adolescent when it happened. Although he always spoke about Uncle Bob with great admiration, he couldn't quite remember all of the details of exactly where he was from and what may have been done to remember him. We knew he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery but were unsure if any sort of local honors had been bestowed. I had been riding around to different areas of town and eliminating possibilities until one day, I hit pay dirt. I suppose one could have accomplished this mission through means other than a bicycle but finding it that way made it a bit more special for me.

* Schneider, Robert E. - Killed in Action, Belgium, 1942.

Wheeling Heritage Spur Trail

We had ridden the spur trail during the big tour yesterday. During that part of the ride, there were a lot of cyclists bunched together. Since I was also riding and conversing with a police officer, I wasn't able to stop on multiple occasions to poke around and take photos. So, early in the morning on Memorial Day, I set out to find the 17th Street trailhead and explore the spur at my own pace.

West Virginia broke away from Virginia, stayed with the union, and was quickly accepted as a state in 1863. The first state capitol was in Wheeling, at this site.

After meandering through the deserted downtown, I found the trailhead at approximately 17th and Jacob Streets. The spur is flat and follows Wheeling Creek out to a terminus in Elm Grove. The surrounding area is more wooded, except where it crosses Washington Avenue, at grade. Along the way, it crosses the creek on the Hempfield Viaduct and then goes through the mountain via the Hempfield Tunnel, which is lighted.

The beginning of the Wheeling Heritage Spur Trail, at 17th and Jacob Streets.

Currently, the trail runs out to a terminus, which is in a park and recreation area in a small town called Elm Grove. Not much was going on when I was there, except for a few users pulling up into the parking lot to begin their workouts. There is an open area called the J.B. Chambers Community Recreation Facility. There are fields and a skate park. Nearby are Uncle Pete's Restaurant and a sports rehabilitation facility. Here, I turned around and had a pleasant ride back to Wheeling.

The Chambers Youth Recreation Area lies adjacent to the trail, in Elm Grove.

Including the spur, the trails system in Wheeling consists of approximately 17 miles of mostly dedicated trail. Getting to the spur from the riverfront requires riding for a mile or so on city streets. There are enough parallel options to the main streets to keep a careful cyclist out of danger. At the Northern end of the "mainline" trail, near the Pike Island Locks and Dam, the Brooke Pioneer Trail (BPT) begins. Right now, the BPT is still closed, due to construction of a bridge that will pass over the Ohio River and connect the Mountaineer and Buckeye states. But when construction is finished, another 7 miles of trail will take a rider into the town of Wellsburg. In town is the Yankee Trail and the option for a few more miles of riding. In all, a roundtrip ride can include close to 40 miles of trail, if one is looking for a longer workout.

City steps leading down from 8th Street, in Wheeling, to the trail and the river.

As I hope you can conclude, this long weekend of riding in and around riding in and around The Nail City was very cool. There are many sights to see, good cuisine and brews to sample, some history, and enjoyable riding to be done. I definitely got some of That Wheeling Feeling!

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Today's ride: 10 miles (16 km)
Total: 235 miles (378 km)

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