BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Last year when I moved from Pittsburgh to Philly (miss yinz!) I biked out and took the Ghost Town Trail for its length. Here's the route I took btw:

Most of the trail has a slight grade traveling eastward, as you head towards Altoona and the Allegheny Mountains. The furnaces are really cool sights to see. I blogged along the trip, here is the section with photos from the Ghost Town Trail: http://bikepa.tumblr.com/page/8

(Hit 'older' at the bottom to see more from the trail)

The trail west of the Blairsville is really amazing to see, as it goes above the Conemaugh River only by a few feet, as the river is damed up there. There was a detour that you had to go over a hill for, as the trail wasnt yet completed and it was a bit more rugged, but pretty neat. Also along this part is a closed railroad tunnel, that was part of a never-completed railroad due to the Panic of 1857 (http://bikepa.tumblr.com/page/10).

Overall, I really enjoyed that part and the furnaces. Throughout the trails, it's a peculiar combination of natural beauty and mine waste that has tore up patches of land.

Last year when I moved from Pittsburgh to Philly (miss yinz!) I biked out and took the Ghost Town Trail for its length. Here's the route I took btw

Most of the trail has a slight grade traveling eastward, as you head towards Altoona and the Allegheny Mountains. The furnaces are really cool sights to see. I blogged along the trip, here is the section with photos from the Ghost Town Trail: http://bikepa.tumblr.com/page/8

(Hit 'older' at the bottom to see more from the trail)

The trail west of the Blairsville is really amazing to see, as it goes above the Conemaugh River only by a few feet, as the river is damed up there. There was a detour that you had to go over a hill for, as the trail wasnt yet completed and it was a bit more rugged, but pretty neat. Also along this part is a closed railroad tunnel, that was part of a never-completed railroad due to the Panic of 1857 (http://bikepa.tumblr.com/page/10).

Overall, I really enjoyed that part and the furnaces. Throughout the trails, it's a peculiar combination of natural beauty and mine waste that has tore up patches of land.

Jake, sorry, i had to take that google link out. it broke the thread.

please try reposting it, and use html code if possible

Jake, you are talking about the West Penn Trail west of Blairsville (with the Conemaugh River, the tunnel, and the dam), just to clarify that there are two different trails that don't currently connect (yet).

Thanks for your blog Jake. More cool stuff to explore that I wouldn't have known about.

was riding this trail friday morning and encountered a black bear it was 250 to 300 pounds i was less than a mile from the dilltown trailhead kinda nice to see

bear meets bear -- seems fitting

I missed seeing a bear in Storybook Forest, adjacent to Idlewild Park, a few years ago, merely by not looking the right way. It was in the paper the next day that it was right where I was, right when I was there.

Yikes.

I have pepper spray, I don't think bear spray isn't too cycling-jersey-pocket-friendly. There's always holders though...

Thanks for posting about this, something fun to do over the summer!

black bears wont hurt you they run away as long as its not a female with cubs then you better run away fast

I'd take the PBR, just in case. Then you would be bear with beer with bear

You out there Buffalo?

@bear, what time of day? I've taken that trail in its entirety at least 100 times and was never so fortunate (or unfortunate depending on the bear's mood?). You are blessed!

For the most part, the wild life always seems to be active in the twilight hours.

it was around 830 am i drove up friday morning from pittsburgh i have a trailer near strongstown i parked at dilltown and waent even a mile out toward vintondale when i went around a bend in the trail and saw the bear he was walking away from me and veered into the woods toward blacklick creek i dont think the bear knew i was there i saw it for maybee a total of 15 seconds i stoped i dident want to ride up on it from behind i figured that would not be a good move.

I couldn't agree more!

> You out there Buffalo?

You rang?

(What sort of surface do these trails have? Sadly I currently only have a road bike with tires which are a bit narrow for anything other than pavement and that fine gravel on the Strip trail behind Cork Factory...)

its crushed limestone it not bad with narrow tires as long as the trail is not wet but the limestone dust does get all over your bike and gears. Im pretty much a trail rider im afraid of riding with cars.

^^ hey I was just trying to start the bear/beer linguistic thing to see how far we could go.

I like beer. (Although I question whether PBR is beer...)

beer is good gives you an excuse to go for a 10 mile ride to burn it off

and something to refresh you after that 10 mile ride!

yes drink a few beers and watch the cycling channel