On Wednesday, May 11th, we drove from our home in Warren PA to Leeper PA, a distance of approximately 47 miles. Our destination was the Rail 66 Country Trail trailhead.
Rail 66 Country Trail Leeper Trailhead
We parked off Route 66 in the Car Mate parking lot next to the trail.
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper Parking
From the Leeper trailhead we rode our bicycles, south, to Lucinda. The photographs that follow were taken along the trail.
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda Discarded railroad ties
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda The flag on the barn caught my eye.
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda DB’s Smokin’ Bar-B-Q is located in Lucinda, along Route 66.
If DB’s Smokin’ Bar-B-Q had been open, we would have eaten lunch there. We have eaten there before, and the food is excellent.
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda We ate a snack of tuna salad, crackers and fruit at this picnic pavilion.
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda Bob is approaching the picnic pavilion.
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda Bathroom Stop
Rail 66 Country Trail – Leeper to Lucinda Former Lucinda Railway Station
We turned around about 1.25 miles south of the Lucinda Railway Station. Bob rode alone back to Leeper.
I stayed at the Lucinda Railway Station and waited Bob’s return by car.
This is a video that Bob took with our GoPro7 camera during our bicycle ride.
Total bicycle miles ridden: 8.37 miles.
This was my first time on the Rail 66 Country Trail, whereas Bob rode his bicycle on the northern part of the trail in September 2021. The trail is very well maintained. We plan to return one day soon and ride our bicycles from Lucinda to Marianne and back. We hope to see inside the Lucinda Rail Station at that time as well. On another day we plan to ride the northern part of the trail together.
Our wedding anniversary was this past Sunday, on September 26th. We decided to take an anniversary trip to Confluence PA, where we spent 3 nights at an Airbnb. We brought our bicycles with us.
Around 10:00 am on Monday, September 27th, we left on a bicycle ride. Entry to the Great Allegheny Passage was a couple blocks from our Airbnb. We rode from Confluence to Ohiopyle.
This is a video that Bob took with our GoPro7 camera during our bicycle ride.
I took several still images, while bicycling the trail.
Great Allegheny Passage I am looking across the bike/pedestrian bridge that we had just crossed over from Confluence.
The Great Allegheny Passage runs 150 miles between Cumberland, MD and Pittsburgh, PA. We rode the 10 miles between Confluence and Ohiopyle.
We rode along the meandering Youghiogheny River through a mostly forested trail. The trail surface itself was mainly crushed stone.
Youghiogheny River
Opposite the river on one part of the trail was a wall of rocks.
What a nice resting spot along the trail!
Ohiopyle, PA
We had a picnic lunch here. At this portion of the trail we were on our way from Ohiopyle to Connellsville. We did cross over the bridge, but rode no further.
I am very pleased with myself that I was able to complete the Great American Passage from Confluence to Ohiopyle. I have ridden very little this year. I may have been able to make the return trip, but I didn’t want to push it. My knee hurt, and the pain would undoubtedly worsen. Bob rode back to Confluence to get the car.
After Bob left I rode my bicycle downhill, just a short way back from where we had our picnic, to Ohiopyle State Park. I walked a short way along the Youghiogheny River, admiring the rapids and waterfalls.
This is the bridge that we rode across before Bob rode back to Confluence to get our car.
Youghiogheny River
Ohiopyle Falls on the Youghiogheny River
Overlook of Ohiopyle Falls on the Youghiogheny River
I found a shady bench near the Visitor Center. I could hear the roar of Ohiopyle Falls behind me. It was a pleasant place to await Bob’s return.
Bob returned to Ohiopyle shortly before 3:00 pm. He said it took him 45 minutes to make the return trip on the Great Allegheny Passage. His average speed was about 13 MPH. Bob took a shower at the Airbnb, before driving back to Ohiopyle.
On Saturday, September 5th, Bob and I went for a bicycle ride on the Pine Creek Rail Trail.
We began our ride around 11:40 am at Darling Run and rode 7.5 miles to Tiadaghon. We arrived at Tiadaghon approximately 1 1/2 hours later. We began our ride back to Darling Run around 1:45 pm. It took almost 3 hours for us to make the return trip. Why so long? I will explain at the end of this post.
This is a video that Bob took with our GoPro7 camera during our bicycle ride.
I took several still images, while bicycling the trail.
Parking lot at Darling Run; my bicycle in the foreground.
Darling Run Train Station
Pine Creek. Note the two trails. The raised, stone upper trail is for bicycles and hikers. The lower dirt trail is for horse-drawn wagons.
This is one of a few camps that sit alongside Pine Creek.
Suspension Bridge and a Camp
the Suspension Bridge
the picturesque Pine Creek
I am facing in the direction that we had ridden. The Turkey Path trail, which can be hiked up to Leonard Harrison State Park, is located to the right of this bridge.
A highlight of the Turkey Path trail is a waterfall. Very little water was falling the day we visited.
We must bicycle back to this location, when it is more likely that a noticeable amount of water will be falling here!
Sign Welcoming us to Tiadaghton
We ate a picnic lunch at Tiadaghton.
This was our picnic location.
This was our picnic view.
The Tiadaghton campground and picnic area is located in a very pretty place!
We are on our way back to Darling Run.
The lower dirt pathway, by the way, extends from Darling Run to Tiadaghton.
Gorge wall
Picturesque Pine Creek
Hooray! We saw two horse-drawn wagons on the trail!
I will now explain what happened on our way back to Darling Run from Tiadaghton.
The first couple miles back were without incident. During the last 5-6 miles, I made frequent stops. Bob says that some of my stops were as frequent as 1/10th of a mile. My legs hurt and were shaky. My arms were shaky too. My shoulder blades ached. A couple of my stops were made because I felt dazed and dizzy. I stopped and lied down on the grass two or three times.The first time this happened two women stopped to ask if I was OK.One woman gave me a few gummy bears (quick sugar).I don’t know what happened to me.Low sugar? Needed more water? Out of shape?The last is something I can attest to.I really am out of shape.
I am happy that I completed this segment of the Pine Creek Rail Trail.I wish I had been in better shape, though, to make the trip. An unexpected bonus from taking so long to make the return trip was the opportunity to see the horse-drawn wagons! I actually felt well enough to enjoy seeing the wagons too.
The Pine Creek Rail Trail is 62 miles in length, from Butler Road just south of Lower Marsh Creek Road (Wellsboro Junction) and Seminary St. between McClintock Alley and Fountain St. (Jersey Shore). We plan to ride the entire trail, in segments. This plan will most likely take a few years to complete!
This past Saturday, June 13th, Bob and I went for a bicycle ride on the Knox-Kane Rail Trail.We began our ride in Mount Jewett, at the Center Street trailhead, and bicycled the 3.8 miles to Kinzua Bridge State Park.
This is a video that Bob took with our GoPro7 camera during our bicycle ride.
I took several still images, while bicycling the trail.
Mt. Jewett Trailhead
The crushed-stone trail runs through a largely forested corridor.
There are two covered pavilions with a picnic table along the trail.
The Knox-Kane Rail Trail ends at Kinzua Bridge State Park.
Bathroom facilities, a food truck and picnic tables were available at Kinzua Bridge State Park.
Shortly before we left the park to begin our ride back to Mt. Jewett, we watched an airplane fly around and over the Kinzua Bridge.
See the airplane! How cool it was to see the airplane fly over the bridge!
The airplane flew right over us!
Kinzua Bridge State Park trailhead
We ate a light lunch at the first pavilion we came to on our way back to the Mt. Jewett trailhead.
We spotted this tree house on our way back to Mt. Jewett. We didn’t see the tree house on our way to Kinzua Bridge State Park.
This map was located at the Kinzua Bridge State Park trailhead.
The Knox-Kane Rail Trail, when completed, will stretch 73.8 miles between Kinzua Bridge State Park and Clarion. There are additional completed sections of the trail that we hope to ride one day.
On Monday, May 25th, we went for a bicycle ride on a portion of the Allegheny River Trail.
The Allegheny River Trail is 30 miles in length. The trail runs on asphalt between Franklin and Emlenton for 27.5 miles and on an isolated section between Foxburg and Parker for 2.5 miles. It meets the Samuel Justus Recreation Trail in Franklin, crosses beneath the Sandy Creek Trail in East Sandy, and passes through two old railroad tunnels.
As for the Allegheny River Trail, we are riding that trail in segments. In early May 2019, we completed our first segment — Emlenton to Rockland (6 miles). In mid-August 2019 we completed our second segment — Franklin to Belmar (5.1 miles). In September 2019 we completed our third segment — Rockland to Kennerdell (6 miles). We completed our fourth segment — Belmar to Kennerdell (10.4 miles) in October 2019. We completed our fifth segment — Foxburg to Parker — on Monday’s ride (2.5 miles).
We parked at Foxburg and rode south to Parker. We turned around at Parker and rode north, back to the parking lot in Foxburg.
This is a video that Bob took with our GoPro7 camera during our bicycle ride.
I took several still images, while bicycling the trail. All pictures are from the ride back to Foxburg from Parker.
Parker Bridge
The trailhead at Parker
There are a few benches located along the trail.
Allegheny River Overlook
According to a sign, the overlook is dedicated in honor of Fred McIlhattan for a lifetime of public service and his support of this trail.
The view at the Allegheny River Overlook
We planned to stop at the picnic table here to eat lunch. The picnic table, though, was not in great shape. Also, the location lacked shade.
We crossed over what used to be a train bridge. The Clarion River flows into the Allegheny River under this bridge.
We saw several padlocks on the chain fence, as we crossed the railroad bridge.
We saw several kayaks on the Clarion River.
Looking back at the railroad bridge; Allegheny River on the right.
We saw a small waterfall, along the trail, as we neared Foxburg. Click here for a short video of the waterfall.
Ride Statistics:
• Bicycle Miles Ridden – 5.5 miles
• Total Moving Time – 1 hour 4 minutes
• Maximum Speed – 8.5 MPH
• Average Speed – 5.1 MPH
We can now add Allegheny River Trail to our list of bicycle trails completed.
This informational sign is at the south end of the trail (Warren).
A second sign is located at the south end of the trail as well.
From the second sign I cropped this information regarding the Warren-North Warren Bike Trail.
This is what the trail looks like at the south end.
Approaching the north end of the trail (North Warren)
The bike trail ends here. There are plans to extend the Warren-North Warren Bike Trail an additional 8 miles from this point.
This trail is in my hometown, only a short distance from our house. I have written posts about rides on this trail a few times in this blog. The Warren-North Warren Bike Trail was our first “official” trail ride this year.
On Sunday, October 20th, we went for a bicycle ride on a portion of the Allegheny River Trail.
The Allegheny River Trail is 30 miles in length. The trail runs on asphalt between Franklin and Emlenton for 27.5 miles and on an isolated section between Foxburg and Parker for 2.5 miles. It meets the Samuel Justus Recreation Trail in Franklin, crosses beneath the Sandy Creek Trail in East Sandy, and passes through two old railroad tunnels.
As for the Allegheny River Trail, we are riding that trail in segments. In early May of this year, we completed our first segment — Emlenton to Rockland (6 miles). In mid-August of this year we completed our second segment — Franklin to Belmar (5.1 miles). In September this year we completed our third segment — Rockland to Kennerdell (6 miles). We completed our fourth segment — Belmar to Kennerdell — on Sunday’s ride (10.4 miles).
We parked at Brandon and rode north to Belmar. We turned around at Belmar and drove south, past where we parked, to Kennerdell and back to the parking lot.
This is a video that Bob took with our GoPro7 camera during our bicycle ride.
I took several still images, while bicycling the trail.
Allegheny River Trail parking lot at Brandon. We were the first car there, making our arrival around 10:00 am. We are parked in front of the trail. We began our ride by traveling north (past the white car).
I believe Sandy Creek is entering the Allegheny River here, with the Sandy Creek Trail crossing over the bridge.
In the distance is the Belmar Bridge.
I captured a short video clip of a boat going underneath the Belmar Bridge.
These stairs lead up to the Belmar Bridge. Bob is checking out the “bike path” alongside the stairs. We didn’t climb up to the bridge. The bridge crossing will be another day.
We are now riding south, making our way to Kennerdell. The Sandy Creek Trail crosses over the Belmar Bridge.
We saw birdhouses frequently along the trail. The birdhouses are the result of Nathaniel Sedlacek’s 2012 Eagle Scout Project, according to signs posted on the birdhouses.
The stairs lead down to a deck with table and chairs. The stairs continue down to the river’s edge. There are no houses anywhere near this structure. There wasn’t a sign indicating that this structure is private. I wonder if it is there for the enjoyment of anyone using the trail.
I LOVE how this picture of the trail turned out!
We made it to Kennerdell Tunnel!
Neither Bob nor I rode through the tunnel on this ride. Bob rode through this tunnel, as well as the Rockland Tunnel, in September. I rode through the Rockland Tunnel in September, not the Kennerdell Tunnel. I had no desire to ride through Kennerdell Tunnel during this ride.
We turned around at Kennerdell Tunnel and made our way back to the Brandon parking lot.
a River View
Allegheny River Trail is paved from Franklin to Emlenton, except for 3/4 of mile. The unpaved portion of the trail is gravel. I hated it! The trail detours here.
We look for eagles, whenever we are on our bicycle rides. We haven’t been fortunate yet to see an eagle, leastwise not a living, breathing eagle.
Allegheny River Canadian Geese
I captured a short video of the geese, in addition to the still image.
What a beautiful day it was for a bicycle ride on the Allegheny River Trail!
It was an enjoyable ride along the river.
Ride Statistics:
• Bicycle Miles Ridden – 18.32 miles
• Total Moving Time – 2 hours 33 minutes 41 seconds
• Maximum Speed – 11.1 MPH
• Average Speed – 7.1 MPH
27.5 miles down and 2.5 miles to go on the Allegheny River Trail!
Bicycling the beauty around us 