E-Mail: nick.hein@verizon.net
Route Type: Multi-Day Tour
Starting Point: Morgantown, WV
Starting cross-streets: High street, Pleasant street
Destination Point: South Pittsburgh suburbs
Destination cross-streets: Montour Trail, Arrowhead Trail
Miles Estimated: 70 miles
Difficulty (Approx.): 8
Rating Explanation: big, steep hills, two-lane US highway, no paved shoulders
Cities along route:: Morgantown WV, Mt. Morris PA, Washington PA, McMurray/Hendersonville PA where you can pick up the Montour (West) or Arrowhead (East) rail-trail around the Pittsburgh Metro area. At the North end of the Montour trail you can continue along US19 all the way to Buffalo NY (but I haven't ridden that part.)
Misc. helpful tips: Hwy 100 from Morgantown to US 19 in Mt. Morris where it becomes the Pennsylvania "A" bike route. There is one diversion near Kirby to avoid a hill and from there it continues on 19.
Hill Profile: Difficult
Excess Traffic: Some heavy traffic during commuting hours. Coal trucks on Hwy 100 weekdays. US 19 parallels Interstate 79 and most motorized traffic uses that.
Roads: Road surfaces mostly in good condition
Shoulder: No paved shoulders. Some gravel shoulder for most of route
Bike Lanes: None
Sights to See: Every hilltop has a great view of the surrounding hills
Camping locations: None known
Lodging locations: None known
Shower locations: None known
Drinking water locations: Small towns every 10 miles or so. The route occaisionally crosses the Interstate at interchanges and there are usually stores at these locations also.
Food concessions: See above
Bicycle type: Recumbent
Last time taken: July 2004
How often taken: Once
Thoughts or comments: Work is underway to develop a rail trail from Morgantown to Connellsville, PA which will then lead into Pittsburgh from the East. Completion is several years away due to funding shortages.
Links:
Pennsylvania A route: http://www.bikepa.com/images/routeamap.gif
Pittsburgh Metro area rail-trails: http://www.montourtrail.org/maps/maps.html
Sheepskin trail (under construction): http://www.cooksway.com/railtreasures/html/sheepskin_trail.html