Summer 2009
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We were blessed with several fine bike rides this summer. Our first, with friends Jan and Diane, was on a warm and pleasant June day along Penns Creek:
The bike path follows an old railroad right-of-way, complete with bridges and tunnels:
Of course, the payoff was a picnic beside the creek. What could be finer on a warm summer day?
This is the tunnel we passed through on the way out and on our return:
This end has had a “plug” added to it, probably for structural support. The rest of the tunnel is as rough-hewn (and dark) as it has been for a long time:
In July, Patty joined a friend driving from the Baltimore area to Minneapolis for a family reunion. Reaching the Chicago area, she joined up with her brother and stayed in Rockford IL for about a week before returning the way she came. The trip gave her a chance to visit with her brother, some relatives she rarely sees and, especially, with her mother (who subsequently passed away in November). In Patty’s absence, I did my best to stay out of trouble. To while away a few of those hours, I explored the Clarion-Little Toby Rail Trail, starting at the Brockway end:
During my 3 1/2 hours on the trail, 10 miles in and 10 miles back, I encountered only 6 other people! There are also no roads close by for almost the entire distance so it was a rather lonely ride. The most interesting sight along the trail is this suspension bridge over the creek. After walking across it, I can vouch for its stability --- good thing as there was no one around to rescue me if I fell in.
From mid-span on the bridge, this is the view along Toby Creek on this placid summer afternoon:
It is legal to ride a bike across the suspension bridge but I left that feat for the younger crowd.
August brought yet another enjoyable ride, this time with Jan and Diane on the Pine Creek Rail Trail, which has provided us many pleasurable hours in the past. The combination of beautiful weather and peaceful rural scenery are truly hard to beat:
In case you didn’t recognize those speeding bikers, here is a still:
The exercise, pretty surroundings and agreeable company had us all smiling.