Rollin Thru the Mountains on I-68

I just had my longest home break to date, 4 1/2 whole days. I managed to get a good bit done in the way of doctor visits, car inspection, etc. The good part was I was able to get in some quality visiting time with all the mountain folk. The high point was the 1st birthday party for Addyson Greene. This was also my first visit to the Greene compound in Prince Gallitzin State Park. I must say the park can't quite live up to the glory of Ohiopyle, but it does have the largest campground in the system. PGSP is also conveniently located in the middle of nowhere somewhat between Altoona and Ebensburg.


The birthday party was the standard type of event for a child that isn't old enough yet to really comprehend what's going on. To Addyson it was a busier than average day with a lot of relatives and of course a fist full of cake to the face. This was also her first meeting with Reese DiCasolo, another of the less than 365 day crowd. The grand introduction left her... well, crying. Oh well plenty of time to get acquainted later. I gave the impressionable lass an assortment of They Might Be Giants children's albums. I was unaware that her favorite song (The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme) was on one of the albums. Wait, I mean I painstakingly researched the entire music department at Borders to find just the right CD, yeah... that's the ticket. Regardless I recommend the albums for strange adults and children destined to be strange. Go find Here come the 123's, Here Come The ABC's and NO! Best track for outdoorsy types, C is for Conifer (my kind of trees).



















We all went out to a local restaurant the night before the party. The meal was good, but even better was the place mat. There was a little story about the local coal mining history from an area newspaper. The writing was quite interesting. One sentence was a whopping 62 words long. I really wish I could find where I put that place mat to share it with all of you as the short 4-5 paragraphs kept us occupied for quite a while. The best way to describe the grammar is confusing. I guess that story didn't make it to the editors desk.

























I spent quite a few hours At Speedgoat going over the final details of the new Ms. Kitty. I really hadn't anticipated all the little details that went into the build. For instance, it is more aesthetically pleasing if you can match component brands on items like the seatpost, stem, and handlebar. It gives the bike a more cohesive look at the end. OK, that is a bit much, but all I can say is my rims are going to match the color of the frame and I think that's really neat. Those wonderful bastards will be taking a significant portion of my paychecks over the next few months. I've already restricted myself from buying anything else when I go to pick it up at the end of the month. Maybe, to be on the safe side, I should just have them ship it to me. You can get a $6500 dollar bike FRAME there. Too cool.


I've been hanging out in Ohio a lot lately. After working in the whitewater industry in Ohiopyle (no relation) you get a certain contempt for the Buckeye State. Put a bunch of flatlanders in the Appalachians and the air will be thick with the smell of burning brakes. While smoking wheel wells were not only on the cars with Ohio plates it just seemed that when it was a real gem of a Touron (regional dialect tourist + moron; aka turds) you just knew where they were from. That being said, whenever I call back home and I say I'm in Ohio I always get offered a reassuring condolence. My only legitimate beef with the state is the 55 MPH truck limit. I feel that having highway traffic go separate speeds is going to cause more problems than it's worth. In reality you will see few trucks going 55 unless there is an officer around.
























I have however longed for the Ohio flatness on theMaryland roller coaster highway. I'm torn when it comes to I-68, It's a bastard with the hills, but it's just so damn beautiful you don't mind dragging 40 tons up one of em' at 25 MPH. I-68 also connects with PA-40 which is a little road that takes me home. I had originally planned to move from the area due to it being off major truck routes, and I thought I could save on state taxes in WA, but I have decided that home (officially) will always be in or near Fayettenam. If you're going from I-70 to DC, Baltimore or I-81 south the short route is across 40 from Uniontown to I-68 at Keysers Ridge. Hopefully you have a light load cause while Yough Lake is nice the westbound climb royally sucks. I have enjoyed a little extra home time due to routing across 40, and if you gotta take that 10 hour break why not do it at home. For the driver without a parking spot already I recommend the dirt lot just west of Rt 523 on the south side and the old burnt bar about a mile west of Keysers Ridge on the north side. Just remember you can usually find a Trooper at the state line and the ones from the Garrett county barracks aren't known for their sense of compassion.





















The real elevation fun starts on the western side with Sideling Hill. If you aren't in a big truck you can check out the exhibition center. I'm into geology and this is a fantastic place to see bedding layers of sedimentary rock. Igneous and metamorphic?, not here buddy they sent them off with the truck drivers to lands far far away. Since you'll be crawling up all those mountains, you might as well get to know them by name. Between Sideling Hill and Keysers Ridge you'll find Polish, Meadow, Haystack, and Big Savage. The PC award goes to... none other than Negro Mountain. I'm sure there is an old USGS map out there with the original name.






















The only city along the route is Cumberland which is now an arts and tourism destination. You'll drive (40 MPH if you know what's good for you) right over the center of the land of Cumber. You might want to stop for a steam locomotive or C&O canal boat ride, as long as your vehicle weighs less than 10 tons. Cumberland is the first Heritage site in the Maryland, and no, I have no clue what that means. But, if you like architecture and art this is a great little town. Be sure to stop at the pedestrian mall if you want a local cafe.


I have enjoyed good weather lately. There was a ball of heat parked over the Midwest when I was there earlier this month, It has been much nicer back east. Last night in Somerset Pa (let me get a shout out for the Laurel Highlands) I actually got a bit cold. There have been perfect little rainstorms. Just long enough to knock the dust off the truck and let you wash the bugs off the windshield. I was treated to a double rainbow a few days ago, although those things always look better in person than in pictures.



















And finally, as promised, a little dose of roadside religion. This ties in with my earlier statements on the fine state of Ohio, where this sign was found.























Someone needs to put a sign right after this one that says...
YOU ARE HERE

Yeah, probably shouldn't have come out of the gate with the fetus sign. I don't think I'll ever top that one.