GAP - C&O Canal - Day 3

 Wednesday, 14 October 2020

Ohiopyle to Meyersdale, 41 miles

The fall colors continued to intensify as we rode up the trail and gained 800 ft in elevation today. While we went by several small towns (notably Confluence and Rockwood), today's riding was in the heart of the remote (for Pennsylvania) and rugged Laurel Highlands. Tunnels and bridges/trestles/viaducts are the highlights of most rails-to-trails, and the GAP does not disappoint.

The Pinkerton Tunnel was only recently reopened (2015), eliminating 1.5 miles of the trail with an 849 ft long tunnel. The tunnel had been closed since 1879(!) when a fire destroyed its wooden timber supports.

The tunnel is flanked by bridges over the Casselman River on either side.

The bridges gave a superb view of the river. Fall colors were at their peak.

The tunnel appears to be very short, but riding through it took longer than I expected.

More fall color along the Casselman River.

Typical trail scene.

Once we got tunnels on our mind, we kept on seeing "fake tunnels" along the trail. It looks like there's another tunnel ahead, but it's just a dark background against an arch of sun-lit trees.

Just before reaching Meyersdale, the trail goes over the Salisbury Viaduct. The bridge is 1908 ft long and offers an impressive view of the Casselman valley.

A closer look at the wind turbines along the ridge-top behind the Salisbury Viaduct. This area of Pennsylvania has tried to transition from coal mining to wind energy. A number of the high ridges have wind farms.

GAP - C&O Canal - Day 2

 Tuesday, 13 October 2020

West Newton to Ohiopyle, 42 miles

We had a beautiful ride along Youghiogheny River today. The fall colors were at their peak, the trail was smooth (for the most part), and until we got near Ohiopyle, we pretty much had the trail to ourselves. The first part of the trail, from West Newton to Connellsville passes a number of very small mining towns, but after Connellsville the route is remote.

Cedar Creek Park is only a few miles upriver from West Newton.

Just a bit downriver from Connellsville an old railroad bridge has been transformed into the Youghiogheny River Overlook. It goes half-way across the river and ends in a nice viewing platform.

Selfie at the observation deck.

Typical trail scenery between Connellsville and Ohiopyle.

Overlooking the Youghiogheny Gorge near Ohiopyle.

The falls on the Youghiogheny at Ohiopyle.

Fall color just upstream of the falls.

GAP - C&O Canal - Day 1

 Monday, 12 October 2020

Pittsburgh to West Newton, 34.5 miles (+ 2.5 miles to the start)

We're on our way to ride bicycles from Pittsburgh to Washington DC on the "GAP-C&O" trail -- a rails-to-trails trip that combines the Great Allegheny Passage (149 miles) and the C&O Canal towpath (184.5 miles). The combination makes a great bike path between the two cities over the Eastern Divide.

The trip starts at Point State Park in Pittsburgh where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers converge to become the Ohio River. Amos is the background looking at the fountain.

David and Amos joined us for the start - from the Point to the Hot Metal Bridge.

Crossing the Monongahela on the Hot Metal Bridge.

Crossing the "Mon", again, at McKeesport.

Fixing a flat tire after riding through broken glass on the trail in McKeesport.

Acid mine drainage gives the runoff waters along the trail a distinct reddish hue.

I tried to add this image nearer the top, but the new interface from Blogger won't let me do it. (Sometimes "new" is not "improved".) Regardless, Lon liked this photo of three generations of bicycle riders.

Tinker Cliffs

This week's Monday Morning Hike was to Tinker Cliffs, a half-mile-long stretch of the Appalachian Trail along the top of Tinker Mountain near Roanoke. Tinker Cliffs, along with McAfee's Knob and Dragon's Tooth, make up the "Triple Crown" hikes in Virginia.

There are two approaches to Tinker Cliffs - the Appalachian Trail or the Andy Layne Trail coming up from the Catawba Valley, meeting the AT at Scorched Earth Gap less than a mile from the cliffs. (The distance is in dispute. The signs say .5 mile, hiking web sites say .7 mile, our "Map My Hike" app measured .9 miles.)

In a photo, these steps don't look very steep, but that's deceiving! After a relatively flat start through a cow pasture and over two creek crossings, the Andy Layne trail ascends steeply for about a mile before getting to switchbacks that make the trail grade much gentler.

We had a pleasant walk through early-fall woods.

A bent tree provided a rest "bench". It reminded us of a bristlecone pine (but it isn't!).

Mushrooms growing in a hollow stump.

As the trail gets near the summit, it goes beside/beneath small rocky cliffs.

Tinker Mountain has a flat top, with a set of cliffs on the western side.

The view up the Catawba Valley. McAfee's Knob is the closest mountain, at the left.

The cliffs have a 180° view to the west.

USGS benchmark marking the summit.

We made it to the top! It was breezy and much cooler up here, so we had to put our jackets back on.

Rocky ledges are favorites of timber rattlesnakes. We left it alone, and it left us alone!

Recent Wildlife

There's plenty of critters in the woods.

Even coyotes (eyes, background) stay away from skunks!

This coyote has become a regular visitor to the far end of our "meadow" (aka septic drain field). It becomes particularly vocal when Dakota (our aging dog) gets near. We suspect it is protecting a den. I don't know if it is the same coyote we saw down there about this time last year.

This edge between the forest and the meadow is also popular for deer. This four-point buck has eluded hunters for at least three years.

Quite a Year for Mushrooms (Fungi - Part 2)

 More of this year's Fabulous Fungi.

Bracket or Shelf Fungi

There are several species (or perhaps, subspecies) of brightly colored "sulphur shelf" fungi, Laetiporus sulphureus. 

Cinnabar-Red Polypore (Pycnoporus cinnabarinus).

"Turkey Tail" fungus has been vigorously attacking logs and stumps for the last two months. I think these are mostly Trametes versicolor - complete identification would require a close examination of the pore surface, and these are just too beautiful to pull apart for a look. (The background in the photo is shale ridges in a stream bed. The fungus is so dense that the log it is growing on is barely visible.)

Some of the "tails" get up to 6 inches (20 cm) wide.

A closer look at the multi-colored bands.

Tooth Fungi

The shaggy Lion's Mane fungus (Hericium erinaceum) was a startling find. Its Latin species name means "prickly" or "hedgehog-like". It does somewhat resemble a hedgehog!

Club Fungi

The Elegant Stinkhorn (Mutinus elegant) is unmistakable. Sometimes it has other names, courtesy of its resemblance to mammalian reproductive parts - the botanical family is Phallaceae. The smelly slime layer (it is a "stinkhorn") attracts insects for spore dispersal.

Swamp Beacons (Mitrula elegans) love to grow in wet areas in spring.

Coral Fungi

It seems that this year featured a larger than usual number of coral fungi. Normally I see an occasional coral fungus. This year many trails were lined with coral fungi.

In late August and early September, the Straight-branched Coral fungus (Ramaria stricta) was everywhere. Clumps like this stretched for 20 or more feet along trails.

Crested Coral fungus (Clavulina cristata).

This large fungus is called the Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis crispa). When young, it is a prized edible (but I didn't try).

Jelly Fungi

Witch's Butter (Dacrymyces palmatus - because it's on conifer wood) infests our deck rails - even though they are supposed to rot-resistant western cedar. We'll be replacing our deck railing sometime in the next year.

The fruiting bodies pop up whenever it rains, but hide during dry days.

Cup & Bird's Nest Fungi

Common Brown Cup fungus (Peziza badioconfusa)

These are much older photos, but Bird's Nest fungi (Cyanthus spp.) are so different that I couldn't resist adding them here.

When we first tried to landscape around our house, we got lots of shredded wood mulch. These tiny fungi (about 1/2 inch, 1 cm) grew abundantly, but were only visible if you looked for them. They start out entirely enclosed (puffball-like fungus), then open up into the "nest" with "eggs" inside. These are most likely Cyanthus stercoreus. (2012 photo)

A different species, most likely Cyanthus striatus. (2011 photo)