I Cycled the Pa Turnpike and Lived

Saturday was a beautiful and balmy day, much more like Summer than late Autumn. It was a great day for walking, running or hopping on a bicycle. So I joined a group of adventurous souls from the Jim Thorpers Bicycle Team for a ride on the Pennsylvania Turnpike  We all survived, too. 

Before you send the Iranian drones to bag me, let me explain that we rode the Abandoned Pa Turnpike near Breezewood in Bedford County. Built in 1940, it was known as the tunnel highway. PennDOT soon realized that the two-lane tunnels originally built by South Pennsylvania Railroad were causing a bit too much congestion. The turnpike was expanded with newer and wider tunnels, and a 13 mile stretch was simply abandoned. Since that time, the tunnels have been used to train highway workers, test emission levels, train soldiers for combat in Iraq and even shoot a movie. 

Cyclists with helmets and lights are permitted to ride the highway. 

I first learned of this ride from Pathfinder (Ken Laudenslauger),one of my readers. He did it two years ago, and was kind enough to invite me for a trip with Jim Thorpe's cycling team so long as I promised to keep quiet about politics. So on Saturday, I hooked up with Pathfinder and four other "Thorpers" for the trip to Breezewood. 

They all sported their retro Jim Thorpe jerseys, complete with shamrocks and references to Molly Maguires. Michele served as official photographer. Ray was the pacesetter. Ken was the rear guard, where he often encountered me trying to sneak away. 

Unfortunately, the ride turned out to be only about 17 miles total. Moreover, the pavement has degraded badly over the past two years. But the tunnels were awesome. One of them was over a mile long. 

Tania and I both saw a group at one of the tunnel entrances  preparing for what seemed to us like a movie scene. I stopped and offered my services, but was spurned because they already had cast a vampire. Unfortunately for them, I was a bit parched.  

There were several walkers inside the tunnels. Most of them had lights as well. 

After our ride, we had dinner at the Jean Bonnet Tavern, which was one of the meeting places for the Whiskey Rebellion that George Washington himself put down in 1794. 

Other nearby bike trails beckoned, but we woke up to rain on Sunday and headed home.

I'll pick up tomorrow with more stories about what is happening locally.