Getting Ready - Introduction

2008-03-14T13:40:00.003-05:00

Those pictures there on the right:

That's the Pine Creek Gorge- (aka the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.)

Over there along the left center of the picture from above, along the creek there at the bottom, is the old New York Central/Penn Central/Conrail right-of-way. The trains haven't run there for years and the rails are gone. It is now part of the Rails-to-Trails program. It is a biking/hiking trail that runs from Ansonia at the north end of the gorge near Wellsboro, PA, to my hometown of Jersey Shore, PA, about sixty miles away.

I have wanted to travel that Gorge from one end to the other since I was a kid. In the old days I wanted to do it in the head engine of a NYC train. But the Gorge is just as awesome- and perhaps more pristine- over the handlebars of a bicycle. It is my plan to do that in August, ending in Jersey Shore on my birthday.

Sixty at Sixty.

And I tell you this so it is out there- public- for all of you to keep me honest and on track. (Or on trail as the case may be.)

Don't worry- I will keep you posted. But think of me as the numbers there on the right count down to Zero.

By the way- that's also the Pine Creek Gorge and an old railroad bridge (The Black Bridge) in other picture. See why I can hardly wait?

AND, the title for this Blog- Rolling Through Sixty- is based on the title of a poem a good friend wrote about this past year for himself as he turned 60 this year as well. I liked the image along with the rolling water of Pine Creek and rolling along the path on a bike. I'm easily amused.

Rolling Through 60

Getting Ready - Introduction