Ian Mackay

October 1, 2022

GART Day 10 - Almost to Ohio

Ian Mackay

October 1, 2022

The day started before it ended. That’s pretty standard for days here on planet Earth. I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know. But here at Ian’s ride we like to mix things up. We zig when you think we’re going to zag, bob when you were expecting a weave, drink when you thought we would eat. In the case of today’s blog, I’ll be writing about our experience in reverse, beginning with the ending and ending with the beginning. What else would you expect when a brewery is being highlighted for supporting us today, and there was a little more beer drinking than usual? We’d like to thank Alestake Brewing for the swag and all the beer donations to our bellies.

We finished our ride in West Virginia, at the west end of the Panhandle Trail which was our passage from Pennsylvania into West Virginia. Our original goal was to continue from this point about six more miles and enter Ohio, but we did our research and determined those six miles were too dangerous. Within these six miles there was a combination of roads with narrow shoulders, dilapidated sidewalks, a section of highway, and a slippery narrow metal bridge with no shoulder. With the help from Dr. B, Jimmy and other trails goers along the way I have made it through some pretty difficult sections of trail since we left DC. However, this journey has been about being on trails and being safe, and I’ve had to let go of the EFI (every f---ing inch) mentality I have had during past Ian’s Rides.

The second half of the Panhandle Trail was rough and unpaved, and brought back memories of the C & O Trail. Jimmy, Dr. B, and I were reminiscing about how much we loved the C & O. The transition from paved to unpaved was abrupt and took place at the state line between Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Not too far from us a street ran parallel to the trail where half the homes were in West Virginia and half in Pennsylvania. Most people don’t know this about me, but I am a card-carrying member of the United States Postal Service Fan Club (USPSFC), so I amused myself with thoughts of how the mail was delivered to one end of the street versus the other. Do the West Virginia and Pennsylvania postal carriers have to enter this street from different directions? I have so many questions for my fellow “Ponies.” That’s what we call ourselves in the USPSFC.

Golden Rod and Purple Asters. A match made in heaven!

The Pennsylvania section of the Panhandle trail was paved and very smooth. It allowed for Jimmy and I to talk more than we can when trails are rough. We love talking about the plants we are seeing along the trail, plants we don’t get to see back on the west coast. All along the route we have seen Golden Rods, but today in particular there were many Late Purple Asters sprinkled among the yellow Golden Rods and the two together were very beautiful. Dr. B commented how it reminds him of the Lupines and Poppies during springtime in California. Robin Wall Kimmerer points out in her book Braiding Sweetgrass that there are evolutionary reasons purple and yellow flowers grow together in meadows and on hillsides, in fact Golden Rods and Purple Asters were her motivation to study this relationship.

While on the Pennsylvania portion of the Panhandle we came across a Ring-Necked snake which was quite beautiful. It was a cold day and we were concerned it wouldn’t be moving much and may get hit by a trail user so Dr. B helped him/her off the trail. Nature was calling for Jimmy, so Dr. B and I found a sunny spot on the trail to relax while Jimmy tended to his immediate needs. Just before Jimmy emerged from the bushes, a murder of crows flew overhead announcing Jimmy was done taking care of business. It’s scenes like this that keep the legend of Sasquatch alive in local folklore. However, I don’t ever recall stories of Sasquatch carrying handy wipes.

The Panhandle was our second trail of the day. We had transitioned to the Panhandle from the Montour Trail where we left off yesterday. About a mile or so before this transition we came across an obstacle that presented some problems. Trail workers were laying a fresh layer of crushed limestone, or as Dr. B likes to called it, calcium carbonate. This was a big operation with hella big equipment involved. We arrived at a point in the trail where a large tractor implement used to spread the limestone was covering the entire trail. There was also a steam roller to help compact the limestone once it had been laid down. If I was to get around this I would have to ride off of the trail (which was elevated about 4-6 inches above the surrounding ground) into soft wet dirt and then back up and onto the trail. The space between the implement and the trees/bushes lining the side of the trail was narrow and would require some careful driving, not to mention some work by my team to make sure I didn’t sink and get stuck.

Dr. B laid down the 2 x 6 boards we had been carrying ever since the “Great Stair Incident of 2022” back on the C & O. The intention was to have these boards act as a rail for me to drive on so my tires would not dig into the ground and get stuck. Before I attempted this dare-devil maneuver we discussed everything we were going to do with the three trail workers (Larry, Andy, and Steam Roller Guy) operating the equipment. Steam Roller Guy (his preferred, not legal name) compacted the newest limestone down even more, to ensure I would not get stuck on the trail itself before the Evil Knievel move I was about to attempt. With the help of Jimmy, Dr. B, and our three new friends making sure I didn’t tip over I went for it. I grabbed my sip and puff and said “yee-haw.” I blew once to start my engine, and then blew as hard as I could. There is some debate amongst the crew if the boards Dr. B laid down were helpful or as useless as those insignificant twigs he used to “help” get me up the stairs on the C & O. In the end it didn’t matter because we’re badasses and we made it! We thanked everyone and were on our way.

We arrived at the Montour trail where we left off yesterday. As we were unloading and getting everything ready to begin the day on the trail a cyclist, Ryan, stopped by to see what we were all about. We told him a little about our journey, he helped take some photos so we could get my mom and dad both in some pictures. He was out on the trail training for a ride of his own. He will be riding the GAP trail to Cumberland and back over a series of four days. Hopefully he’ll enjoy the GAP as much as we did. He gave us some local insight into the trails we were about to ride today and then headed on his way. Shortly after, so did we.

Proud Partner Of

Ian Mackay

September 30, 2022

GART Day 9 - Pittsburgh!

Ian Mackay

September 30, 2022

Well, we finished the Great Allegheny Passage!!! Just as when we finished the C&O Trail, we didn’t have much time to celebrate because we had to jet off to the next thing. After a very busy day, during a celebratory dinner with some beverages, we let it all soak in and we reflected on what we have accomplished. But let’s back up to the morning to see how the GAP ended for us…

We had to contend with Pittsburgh traffic to get to the day’s start in McKeesport. There were at least two bridges at the start, a modern blue suspension bridge for vehicles that was next to an old steel trellis bridge for trains. Pittsburgh is known as the City of Bridges, and man, they are everywhere! We were by them, on them, under them, and over them all day long. We made our way north from McKeesport toward downtown Pittsburgh, and let me tell you, it was a day of transitions. We transitioned into a major metropolitan area. The trail varied greatly. One moment we’d be on a surface street, the next we’d be back on hard pack crushed rock. One moment we’d be between industrial buildings or along a rail yard, the next we’d be on a relatively quiet path along the Monongahela River (which we’ve taken to calling the Hella River, even though it’s pronounced Muh-non-guh-hee-luh).

A note on what’s happening with the rivers in the Pittsburgh area relative to our journey: you’ll recall that we were traveling along the Casselman River a couple of days back. The Casselman led into the Youghiogheny River at the appropriately named town of Confluence. The Yough flows northwestward before merging with the Monongahela River, which flows northward to Pittsburgh. Today we rode along the Monongahela to the point that it meets the Allegheny River that comes into Pittsburgh from the east-northeast. At this point the Monongahela and the Allegheny become the Ohio River, which is kind of a big deal. From Pittsburgh, the Ohio River flows for almost a thousand miles before emptying into the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinois.

Back to the transitions of the day. From sidewalks to railroad crossings to wood planked bridges, we bounced along all kinds of surfaces. At one point, we waited while a construction crew put down asphalt and compacted it to form a ramp so that I could get back up onto a sidewalk in a construction zone. We wanted that construction crew back at the two-step bridge on the C&O Trail. They would have put a permanent end to that obstacle in no time!

The Port Perry Bridge over the mighty Monongahela River

We thought of our friend Kenny the Hot Quad when we passed Kennywood, a local amusement park. We’d go from grey, rusty urban scenes onto short sections through woods where the white snakeroot, mugwort and pale jewelweed made us feel like we were back in the hills of the preceding days.

Navigational challenges are our specialty.

The GAP was well marked up to mile marker 147, the last marker we saw. Then navigation became more tricky. At this point we were in the heart of Pittsburgh, among the skyscrapers and stadiums and criss-crossing streets. There were some vague signs pointing out the GAP, but we found ourselves on streets and sidewalks wondering where the hell we were. I don’t know how many bridges we crossed, but it was a lot. Eventually, we kind of stumbled into Point State Park looking for my mom and dad. Unbeknownst to us, we actually rode past the 0 mile marker (or from our perspective, the 150 mile marker) while looking for my folks. They were chatting with Mick Stinelli of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette when we found them. We all ate lunch while Mick interviewed me.

After the interview, we backtracked a short distance to the rather discrete end/start of the GAP, took some pictures and briefly celebrated finishing the GAP before loading up into the vehicles to shuttle over to the Montour Trail where people were waiting for us.

Right off the bat I’d now like to thank Rebecca McTaggart for everything she did today. She is with United Spinal, and she orchestrated this afternoon’s meet ups and this evening’s celebratory dinner. Said otherwise, she was the lightning rod that brought people together this afternoon. Rebecca was at the trailhead when we rolled up, along with Karen Mansfield (a reporter from the Washington Observer-Reporter) and Phillip Torrez (Vice-President of the Montour Trail Council). While we were preparing to hit the trail, Jared Quinteros arrived to join the party. He sustained a spinal injury and lost use of his legs in a tragic accident in which he also lost his beloved wife. A tree branch crashed down onto them while they were hiking in June 2021. We were all touched by his story and were happy to have him along with us. I thanked him for making it so that I wasn’t the only one in a wheelchair out there on the Montour.

Dr. B, Jimmy and I have a great time together when we are out on the trail for hours on end, day after day as we cover these long distances. But our tribe is much bigger than that. It’s when others join us on the trail and for post-ride gatherings that we feel most fulfilled, when we feel like we are accomplishing our mission to bring people together, to get outside in the name of community and friendships. From all the people who participate in Sea to Sound to the people who meet up with us at various points on the long Ian’s Rides, we feel unity and inspiration.

We covered about 12 miles on the very nice, smooth and accessible Montour Trail. After that, many of us who met at the Montour trailhead reconvened at the Industrial Public House to relax with some beverages and good food. Jared joined with his sons Oliver and Owen. Lester DeLioncourt of Laurel Medical Solutions (and a long time wheelchair user) joined us. Again, Rebecca did a great job of getting a nice group together. We shared stories, had some good laughs and finally really celebrated completing the GAP.

Jared joined the Vans shoe party not with checkered Vans but with sweet custom Vans with badass wheelchair emblems blazed across them.

At the end of the evening we exchanged a bunch of gifts and swag and got some nice pictures. We went our separate ways, but felt great satisfaction in our coming together as we did.

We had talked about taking a rest day tomorrow. We are all tired after 9 days straight on the trail. However, the remnants of Hurricane Ian will be bringing moisture to our region on Saturday, so we are going to hit the trail tomorrow and get into West Virginia before finally taking a break on Saturday.

Proud partner of

Ian Mackay

September 29, 2022

GART Day 8 - Edging Toward Pittsburgh

Ian Mackay

September 29, 2022

When we left Washington D.C., we left a major metropolitan area. Obviously, our nation’s capitol is a bustling region, surrounded by supporting cities and bedroom communities. I remember looking across the Potomac at the high rises of Arlington, VA when we started off on Day 1. It was busy, busy, busy but then we left that behind and enjoyed the quietude of the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal Trail along with the majority of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). For a week, our trail rides were quiet. For days, we never went into any towns while on the C&O. We would go by small towns, but often we’d never even see so much as a house or a small shop. The C&O is more isolated than a glance at maps would suggest. Things got even quieter and more remote on the GAP after we passed through Cumberland. Nothing near as vast as the remote wildernesses we have in the American West, but quiet nonetheless, with small quaint towns here and there nestled in the woods and rolling hills.

Today that changed as we dropped further down the Youghiogheny River into its lowlands via an old P&LE (Pittsburgh and Lake Erie) railroad path that was retired in the early 1990s. How did the 90s become so long ago?

The last two nights we stayed in Connellsville. All night long we heard the rumble of trains going by, accentuated by the squeals of brakes and metallic wheels. Lately, as we’ve ridden the trails we’ve seen a lot of train traffic go by. I speak now of the active railroads. There are those such as the P&LE that have been retired and then converted to trails for people like us.

Day 8 begins from the Comfort Inn of Connellsville

This morning was damp and dreary. We left straight from the hotel in Connellsville, which was right by the trail at mile marker 89. Jimmy went on an expedition to get gloves for him and Dr. B. It has been chilly. Throw in showery weather and hands and feet get cold quickly. Both yesterday and today I was well bundled up in my trusty Arc’teryx jackets and pants. Over my pants and checkered Vans we set up my Diestco checkered Van chaps. On my hands I’ve had wool gloves, over which we put plastic bags when it rains. Finally, on my head I had my hella warm Alestake Brewing hat. Once again, thanks to all who have provided the gear to make this trip possible! Today Dr. B and Jimmy wore wool socks which provide a little more warmth than their checkered Van socks, but they needed more for their hands. Jimmy had to visit a few stores, and he finally caught up with us at mile 10 for the day (GAP mile marker 99). He got Dr. B a nice pair of insulated biking gloves from a bike shop and for himself he found a pair of cold weather leather work gloves from a hardware store. They add to the interesting looks that these guys have been cultivating for themselves.

It rained a few times on us. At one point we retreated under a picnic area overhang to wait out the heaviest shower of the day. Dr. B and Jimmy’s feet got soaked, but all in all it wasn’t too bad. Later, Dr B really helped me out by wringing out my sopping dreadlocks.

Mile 100 of the GAP! We love to celebrate the milestones!

At mile marker 100 we met Nancy from Kentucky, who was also sporting an Arc’teryx rain jacket. We immediately clicked and chatted for a little while.

As we passed through urban-wildlands interfaces today, we saw a fair amount of wildlife. We passed by two flocks of turkeys (native to this area!), a coyote, a baby black panther that Jimmy insists was a black domesticated cat, a ruffled grouse that Dr. B insists was a chicken, and a lot of deer. Chipmunks and squirrels darted across the trail and risked gruesome deaths beneath our wheels

At one point, we passed an acid mine waterfall that is a direct result of Ocean Coal Company’s Ocean No. 2 mine established in 1900. We could smell sulphur. Jimmy saw a sign about pyrite and Dr. B speculated that pyrite must consist of iron sulfide. We looked into it, and sure enough, Dr. B was right. I guess he is qualified to teach chemistry. Every once in a while he’s actually right.

We could tell that we were getting closer to Pittsburgh, which has a history of industrial power. The home of the Pittsburgh Steelers was once the pinnacle of American steel production, and extraction and manufacturing once made it America’s eight largest city. The Pittsburgh coal seam, the largest and most lucrative coal bed in the eastern US, played a big role in this as well. This is what Ocean Coal Company and many other companies over the centuries have exploited.

Things turned really urban as we approached McKeesport, the finish line for today. We were on roads for a bit, then back to trails. Tomorrow we go from there to Pittsburgh. Then we’ll shuttle to the start of the Montour Trail on the west side of the Pittsburgh area. It should be fun!

Approaching McKeesport. Things are getting urban.

Proud Partner of

Ian Mackay

September 28, 2022

GART Day 7 - Allegheny Glimpses

Ian Mackay

September 28, 2022

We had mostly blue skies at the start of the day with brisk fall air streaming in from the northwest, down from the Great Lakes.

The bikes were loaded up in the red Dodge Ram pick up truck being driven by my dad, who was accompanied by Jimmy. They followed my mom, me and Dr. B in our converted white Dodge minivan up and down Allegheny ridges on our way to the day’s start, which was Rockwood, so named because those were the area’s two biggest economic commodities. All of us were sporting Here and Now Project shirts showing appreciation for their support and work to connect the paralysis community of the Northwest, and for always reminding us to “Do Life” to the maximum extent that we ever can, here and now.

We had gradually thickening clouds as we started rolling on the trail along exposed sandstone and shale and siltstone. Dr. B photographed water falling off one of these rocky protrusions.

At times coal veins were visible between stone layers. Moss, ferns, forbs and trees protrude from the rock. Tree roots squeeze through rock fissures and move stone. Rock and wood.

We saw more old and hella sweet railroad bridges that were repurposed for this bike trail. At one point, we crossed a bridge over Casselman River, went through a tunnel, then immediately went back over the Casselman. Riverine meanders. The bridges and tunnels are a fun part of this trail.

A red-spotted admiral flitted by me and Jimmy as we soaked up some sun in an open section.

Shaggy soldiers, wild basil and late purple asters along the trail.

We had lunch with my mom and dad at Confluence, where the Casselman River merges into the Youghiogheny (pronounced Yack-oh-gain-ee), which is the badass river that we followed for the rest of the day today and that we get to go along tomorrow as well.

We had a bit of rain right after we started again after lunch. The weather turned colder.

Passing a bunch of kids as we rolled into Ohiopyle, a girl exclaimed “Oh my gosh, look at those guys and their outfits!” Dr. B and Jimmy both looked immensely satisfied upon hearing this.

At Ohiopyle we met up with Jack from WTAJ, our news leader. Ohiopyle was a nice trail town to take a little break and enjoy the amazing scenery. Jack interviewed me, Jimmy and Dr. B. Jack set his tripod up to max height for Jimmy, then dramatically lowered it for his subsequent interview of Dr. B.

I was too cold in Ohiopyle at 95.3 degrees Fahrenheit. After my interview with Jack, I sat in the van for a while with the heater on full blast. A shower passed while I was doing so. Dr. B and Jimmy just stood outside shivering under a small overhang. In about 20 minutes, I warmed up enough to get back on the trail.

We really enjoyed the smoothness of this trail. Anybody using any sort of mobility device can do any part of the GAP in terms of surface conditions. Some sections are long between access points/potential SAG spots. For instance, we had a 17 mile section after the interviews in Ohiopyle in which there was maybe one marginal access point. Essentially, between Ohiopyle and Connellsville there were no access points.

We ran into Dennis Hess after leaving Ohiopyle. We saw him way back on day 1 on the C&O. He is up this way for some work related business, and has been able to put miles in on the GAP over the last couple of days. Lo and behold, there he was again, quite a lot of miles away from our original meeting.

We had more cold rain on the final stretch to Connellsville, where our hotel was. Jimmy started circling ahead and back at higher speeds to warm up.

My front right caster failed on the final stretch. I kept going, but interesting noises emanated from the blown bearings. My dad and Jimmy replaced the caster later in the hotel.

At 4:41 PM Eastern time, we passed the midway point of the GAP. Dr. B took my picture at the 75 mile marker. Trip total as of the end of today: 298 miles.

In short, it was a lovely and smooth day, the only buckles to which were my getting too cold for a short while and some root heaves in some asphalt sections leading into Connellsville. It was nice to hit the trail and cover 48 solid miles straight through beautiful country.

Proud Partner of:

Ian Mackay

September 27, 2022

GART Day 6 - Final Goodbye to the C&O

Ian Mackay

September 27, 2022

As we headed up the first miles of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) yesterday afternoon after the deluge led to changed plans, we immediately missed the Potomac River ceaselessly flowing to our left and the canal carved into earth to our right. For days we travelled with these stunning features astride us, and then they were gone. We moved on into the Cumberland Narrows and started heading up toward the Eastern Continental Divide in the Allegheny Mountains. Gone were the locks, enduring ghosts of the C&O Canal’s heyday, and the towpaths, heavily stepped upon by many decades worth of indentured mules. Hours and hours of greenery and woods would suddenly be broken by a splash of white as we came upon a canal house. We missed the way the river and the canal and the locks wrapped us and carried us along in a new sense of time that we settled into pretty quickly after we left Washington D.C. and slipped into the Potomac lowland wilds of western Maryland.

This morning, however, we got to revisit the C&O Canal and the Potomac one more time as we filled the gap that the deluge had created. Yesterday we left the trail at Lock 70, Mile 166 in the interest of sparing my wheelchair from likely water damage in the many puddles that the grey clouds left behind. Yesterday afternoon we picked up the GAP at Mile 0 (which is also the end of the C&O Canal Trail, Mile 184.5) and headed northwest from there. So we had about 18.5 miles to fill in order to complete the C&O Canal Trail, and we set out to do that in reverse direction this morning starting at the end. So the canal was to our left, and the Potomac to our right as we headed southeast toward Mile 166. We were all motivated to finish the C&O, but we didn’t know what trail conditions we’d encounter.

My morning pep talk at the confluence of the C&O Canal Trail and the GAP once again led to a Dr. B and Jimmy chest bump. I guess that I’m a rousing speaker. Dr. B absorbed the impact a little bit better this morning. Those clowns are now rocking new checkered skate helmets in what seems to me to be an unflagging effort on their parts to look ridiculous.

At the end of the C&O Canal Trail there is a restored canal boat called The Cumberland. Dr. B, Jimmy and I stopped and pondered the boat for a little while, each of us impressed with its size given that these boats- filled with coal or wood or other goods- would be pulled by mules over great distances. We could envision the boat sliding into one of the many locks that we’ve passed, and could imagine the lock doors in operation, raising and lowering water levels.

Fortunately, a lot of the water on the trail had receded in the 17 or so hours since the heavy rainfall, and we were able to roll forward. Or should I say backward. Sometimes we’ve got to to go backward to move forward. As much as puddles had receded, there was still a lot of water on the trails, and a lot of mud. I had to weave and veer and maneuver through and around mud and water of unknown depths. Dr. B and Jimmy had to do the same. When I had to go through water, I’d slow down a lot, which minimized splashing and reduced the risk of water reaching my motor controller, one of the parts of my chair most susceptible to water damage. The lower part of my chair got shit show dirty again. Mud compacted between Jimmy’s rear wheel and his rear fender, and he had to clear that all out a few times as we made our way along. There was a team of cyclists that we leapfrogged a bit, and at one point when they were ahead of us they stopped to clear a small downed tree with me in mind. They were just finishing up as we came up and we all expressed our gratitude for their efforts. This was another example of the help that we’ve gotten from all kinds of people along the way.

After a lot of maneuvering, we came upon Lock 70 and its canal house, and we rejoiced in completing the 184.5 mile long C&O Canal Trail. We couldn’t celebrate for too long, however, as we needed to get back to Frostburg, where we had ended the day yesterday on the the GAP. So we bid the Potomac River and the canal one final adieu, cleaned up my chair and the crew’s bikes as best we could, loaded up into the Minivan and headed to our starting point on the GAP.

From Frostburg we continued up slope on the GAP toward the Eastern Continental Divide. From Mile 0 (which, again, is at the end of the C&O Canal Trail), the GAP has been smooth and completely accessible. After all of the puddles and rocks and steep detours and makeshift ramps and overheating motors of the last few days, the GAP felt so smooth it was almost boring. Due to all the hardships of the last few days my confidence in my chair was shaky. However, by the end of the day today my confidence in my chair was fully restored. For all I’ve put it through lately, it performed like a champ much to my gratitude and relief!

The GAP is a beautifully maintained trail that goes through gorgeous country. 20 minutes after going through the Borden Tunnel (we went through a number of tunnels and over a number of bridges, only some of which I’ll call out now) that was built in 1911, we arrived at the Mason-Dixon Line and therefore crossed into the state of Pennsylvania. Not long after that we went through the 0.62 mile long Savage Tunnel, and it was cold in there. Shortly after that, we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide, which separates watersheds that flow into the Atlantic to the east from watersheds to the west that ultimately flow into the Gulf of Mexico. At 2,392 feet, I believe that this will be the highest point of our whole trip. The fall foliage again stepped up a notch, now with more splashes of orange and red among the yellowing leaves. From the Divide, it was a gradual descent to the day’s finish point in Rockwood, Pennsylvania. We went over a number of bridges, some short like the Bollman Bridge, an 1871 iron railroad bridge that was moved in 2006 to serve as a bridge for the GAP; and some long like the Salisbury Viaduct, a trestle bridge that spans almost 2000 feet. This bridge was built in 1912 to hold 2 tracks. Only one track was ever built on it. It was decommissioned in 1975, and fortunately it became part of the GAP in 1998.

These bridges and others from this afternoon spanned Casselman River, which we found ourselves riding along at the end of the day. We enjoyed the brisk fall air and were thankful for another beautiful day along two sections of this mind-blowing rails to trails system.

We finished in Rockwood for the day, and after our celebratory photo, we had the pleasure to be joined by Barb Zablotney. It was nice to meet her and visit for a while.

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