Monday, September 28, 2009

332 Miles Brought Us To Here

Day Six: Friday, Sept. 11, 2009

After 332 miles and six days we had come to this. The very beginning of the C & O Towpath.

mile 0, georgetown, 9.11.09


Rosy and I had been patiently waiting for over an hour to see this:

jack, mile 0, 9.11.09


It's Jack! They had made it. We're over here, boys! They all had made it and here they come!

jack, dave, chris, mile 0, 9.11.09


Jack sure does look happy. I bet he's glad Chris stopped him from riding back to Pittsburgh this morning.

jack, dave, john, chris, mile 0,9.11.09


One more bridge, boys. It's not the highest nor the longest bridge of the week but I'm sure it will be the most memorable one you cross during this trip.

mile 0, georgetown, 9.11.09


Pittsburgh

mckeesport, pa, 9.06.09


to D.C. I see a lot of happy faces.

jack, john, dave, chris, georgetown, 9.11.09


The official portrait.

jack, john, dave, chris, georgetown, 9.11.09


Contrary to what Rosy and I had been told earlier that morning, the guys hadn't encountered any rain. That twelve mile head start that morning had made all of the difference. They didn't run into rain but they did have to deal with the mud.

georgetown, 9.11.09


At least my brother isn't wearing his old man socks.

chris, 9.11.09


georgetown, 9.11.09


There was one more bit of business to attend to before their ride was official. When Rosy and I were at the visitor's center we had gotten some certificates commemorating their achievement. Since this trip was a celebration of Dave's fiftieth birthday and he was the one who put this whole trip together, we thought it only appropriate he hand out the certificates.

john, dave, chris, mile 0,9.11.09


Congratulations, Jack. Aren't you glad you aren't riding back to Pittsburgh right now? I have no words for my brother's face.

jack, john, dave, chris, 9.11.09


It's now official!

jack, john, dave, chris, 9.11.09


Once the congratulations were over and many photos taken it was time to head to Arlington. That could only mean one thing. Get out the maps.

chris, 9.11.09


rosy, john, dave, georgetown, 9.11.09


Jack decided to wash some of the mud of the morning off of his bike while the guys figured out how to get where they were going next. It's probably just as well.

jack, georgetown, 9.11.09


Congratulations, guys. Job well done. It was a trip of highs (standing on the Continental Divide) and lows (landing on one's head). It was a trip of the expected and the unexpected. It was a trip of old friends and newly made friends. Would we do it again? Stay tuned and find out.

to be continued...

5 comments....porters always have something to say!:

Unknown said...

I think I am more tired from reading these posts than the actual trip. I know it took longer to write these posts than than the actual trip took.

carriegel said...

Trust me, I feel your pain.

Anonymous said...

I had that thought myself when I read the last one. She's got way more time and energy into the re-telling of tales! Oh, and I can't explain the look on your brother's face either.

carriegel said...

I am running out of time and energy.

megawatt miler said...

hahahha. he looks like he just got his kindergarten diploma!

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