September 11 Trail Alliance Coming Through!

Blogger's Note: I rarely get a news release without feeling the need to edit it in some way. But I am sharing this county news release in its entirety. I am blown away by this 1,300 mile bicycle trip that simultaneously honors those who died on September 11 and draws attention to NorCo's growing trail system. I have cycled over portions of this trail myself, and imagine many of you have done so, too.

Lamont McClure is pleased to welcome the dedicated cyclists of the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance to Northampton County on their inaugural ride.

A group of cyclists will pass through the Lehigh Valley this month, raising awareness of the September 11th National Memorial Trail. They will begin their journey on April 11th at the Pentagon, peddle to the site of the United Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, PA, pass through Northampton County on their way to New York City, then return to Washington D.C. on May 3rd – a journey of twenty-three days and 1,300 miles in honor of all those who lost their lives during the 2001 terrorist attack.

This inaugural ride, the first-ever to connect the three 9-11 memorial locations, will be undertaken by a small group of board members of the September 11th Trail Alliance. The bikers plan to be in Easton, PA on the 22nd, and Andover, NJ on the 23rd. The multi-day ride is closed to outside riders for logistical reasons, but local cyclists will be able to join when the group passes through their communities.

The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance was formed in 2004 to establish a triangular path to link the three sites of the terrorist attacks. When completed, people should be able to hike, bike or drive the entire route. In Pennsylvania, planners are constructing the track by using existing trails and greenways. Northampton County’s Open Space Coordinator, Bryan Cope, is also a board member of the September 11th National Memorial Trail. “We looking forward to this event which showcases our extensive trail network already in place in Northampton County.”

Northampton County is becoming a hub for trail systems on the East Coast. Six major trails connect in the county, offering over 4,500 miles of land and water routes. For the September 11th Trail Alliance, the county is utilizing the D and L, Two Rivers, Liberty Water Gap, and the Northern Tier Trail. The Northern Tier Trail is currently being developed as a thirty-mile corridor which passes through the northern municipalities of the county to connect Delaware River to the Lehigh River. The Open Space committee estimates that work on that section will be completed by spring 2018. In 2017, the County of Northampton committed $5,000 to the memorial trail for signage.

Tim Brown, a member of the 911 Trail Board and a retired FDNY firefighter says, “After September 11th, in every firehouse around NYC, the words “Never Forget” became the mantra. These words have special meaning to us, but in particular they mean Never Forget the individual lives that were lost that day. Never Forget who they were. Never Forget their parents, their spouses, their children, their legacy. So when you ride or walk this trail, keep these people in your thoughts and prayers. Never Forget.”

Schedule for those Biking the Trail
Ride Schedule (w/overnights)
Day 1 (4/11): 10am Arlington VA, Pentagon, 11am CandO Canal Mile 0, (Lock House 28, mp 49)
Day 2 (4/12): Brunswick breakfast, Harper’s Ferry w/Canal Towns Partnership (10am), Williamsport lunch,
Four Locks (Lock House 49, mp 109) CandO Canal Trust (6pm)
Day 3 (4/13): Hancock breakfast (Park-n-Dine), Cumberland dinner, 6:30pm (Attiani’s), Inn on Decatur
Day 4 (4/14): Meyersdale lunch, Berlin, PA
Day 5 (4/15): 10am Flt. 93 Memorial, lunch 12:30pm (Lincoln Cafe), Johnstown (Holiday Inn)
Day 6 (4/16): Hollidaysburg
Day 7 (4/17): Canal Basin Park (9:30am), Huntingdon
Day 8 (4/18): breakfast (Top’s Diner, Mill Creek), Mifflintown
Day 9 (4/19): 3:30pm DCNR, Harrisburg
Day 10(4/20): Reading
Day 11(4/21): 9:30am, Schuylkill River trail clean-up, Weissport (Canal Edge Guest House),
Day 12(4/22): 10am Weissport event, Easton
Day 13(4/23): Andover, NJ (NJ Forest Fire Service HQ),
Day 14:(4/24): Andover Diner breakfast, lunch Chester Field House, Morristown (Best Western)
Day 15:(4/25): 9:30am Eagle Rock Reservation, Liberty State Park, ferry, 3pm NYC memorial
Day 16(4/26): Princeton Junction
Day 17(4/27): Trenton, Doylestown, PA
Day 18(4/28): Valley Forge, Wayne
Day 19(4/29): 12pm Conshohocken Brewery, Philadelphia
Day 20(4/30): 10am Schuylkill River Dev. Corp., Newark DE
Day 21(5/1): 2pm Perryville MD, MARC station, 6:30pm dinner, R House (301 W. 29th St.) Baltimore, MD
Day 22(5/2): breakfast (Handlebar Cafe), 9:30am 9-11 memorial, 3pm State House, Annapolis,
Day 23(5/3): 10:30am WBandA trail (Panera MLK Hwy), 12:30pm lunch (REI), 2pm Pentagon