BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Mick, as per (2) the trail (I call it the Lower Nine Mile Run Trail) itself is in pretty good shape, but I will admit most will be searching for a minute or two (from either end) to be sure they've found it. Keep in mind that there is still ongoing construction as I have seen heavy equipment working on the Old Browns Hill Road end of it, but you should still be able to use it. So from the Duck Hollow end, look for the construction equipment, on the Frick End look for something that resembles an old service road (two dirt tracks).

Also, if you want some real bushwacking, try your hand at that Sylvan Ave ROW path between Hazelwood and Greenfield. I almost got stuck and ready to pass out from the heat and dehydration last week (I had no cutting tool nor water). I still think that could be a great trail, it's just that right now it looks like a Vietnamese jungle.

The trail into Frick Park from Duck Hollow is totally passable now, I did it on Sunday. The entrance from Duck is a little hard to find, but there is a metal gate on Browns Hill Rd after a really short climb. You go through that and it runs parallel with the slag heaps for a bit, then down over 9 mile run. From there you can connect to Commercial/Forward. The trail ranges from packed gravel to loose gravel. I was on my mountain bike but it's passable on a road bike.

Duck Hollow <-> Frick Park is now pretty nice, with brand new beautiful bridge! Improving month by month. I went to see the bridge last Tuesday. I think you must have missed the right trail, as it's been pretty passable (imo!) for quite a while, years and years.

w.r.t Whitaker to Duquesne, I don't think there's been much change in the last year. I also think 28's would be perfectly fine, again imo.

@impala26, I might be up for a ride into the city some weekend morning to help with said bushwhacking. Maybe in an hour or so we can hack out a path. What would be needed, other than mosquito repellent and a pair of big clippers? If all we put in is an hour, it would give us an idea how big the project really is.

Then maybe we can ride over to Frick and try that path. I've never been over through Frick.

I have a couple pairs of big clippers, saws and other implements of destruction.

On Monday I got to Hazelwood for my meeting early, so I explored the Sylvan Ave trail from the Hazelwood side. They have annoying jersey barriers blocking the entire entrance, so you need to hike-a-bike over those. I stopped when I flatted from a rusty staple.

It was pretty overgrown, but there was a trail there for sure.

Hmm. I would be interested in this. I have some pretty large clippers and a small tree saw as well as a shop broom. Bet I could transport most of that by bike.

I would love to get duck hollow connected somehow to the jail trail. Would be such a nice way to get downtown or the south side from regent square.

I live up the hill from Sylvan. I'd be glad to supply some after bushwhacking refreshments. Pretty much any weekend late-morning works for me.

I am intrigued about this Whittaker Metals ghost road…

I assume this is the small road next to the tracks below kennywood, but does it go all the way to the waterfront/homestead? And how legal/scale fences is the whole thing?

I had never looked that close before because I assumed nothing was down there, but satellite view on gMaps seems to suggest otherwise.

Whitaker Metal Ghost Road - goes from Monongehela Blvd/ Kennywood Blvd just east of the Rankin bridge down to the Railroad tracks. Maybe more like a "Ghost driveway" than a ghost road.

There is at least a rough railway road next to the tracks towards Duquesne. When I did it two years+ ago, it was coarse railway ballast I don't recall that much of it, but after scouting it, I rejected it in favor of Kennywood Blvd for traveling with a BOB trailer.

The Whitaker Metals road -you can see, but probably not read, the sign.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2653+Monoghela+Blvd,+Homestead,+PA&sll=40.402516,-79.881248&sspn=0.05438,0.106258&ie=UTF8&ll=40.402386,-79.881248&spn=0,0.106258&z=13&layer=c&cbll=40.402536,-79.881258&panoid=BP5O_DtOYIHE9OD4tCjQqw&cbp=12,90,,0,5

Aye, that is what I spotted as well. Is it easy enough to navigate the RR interchange down towards Duquesne?

There is a road from behind the storage place in the waterfront to this point too…but it would require crossing 5-6 tracks, half of which are quite active and rather high speed.

Well I have some fun exploring to do on a weekend!

I think they're installing the two GAP bridges over the tracks next week, but the bridge approaches and connecting trail will take a few more months.

Some old articles about the bridges:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10121/1054802-140.stm

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailynewsmckeesport/s_677295.html