Great Allegheny Passage Complete!!!
One hundred and fifty miles under our belts and that includes a SCI quadriplegic and a mentally and physically disabled veteran in our group- Team Todd. That is saying a lot. The rest of us did a great job cycling too but we had nothing to deal with compared to these boys. Todd had covered 65-70 miles in the past on two different cycling trips since his accident, but this was a lot farther. He had many concerns and we had some challenges, but everything worked out. Both boy’s bodies performed very well, despite the pain in Dan’s knees, and the stiffness in Todd’s body. Our helpers did an amazing job to make it happen.
First off, our shuttler and bike mechanic, Rod Mann, dropped us off and picked us up at the beginning of the day’s ride and the end of every day, meeting us half way at lunch and to see if anyone needed assistance. One time, Beth Ellen’s tire went flat and Rod came to the rescue. Another time, Todd’s battery ran out and after Danny pushed him with his arm while pedaling his own trike, Rod came to the rescue with another fully-charged battery. The girls, Beth Ellen and Leslie, did a great job coordinating food, creating a menu, shopping for it and cooking and cleaning it all up. They even carried it on their bikes. Walt, Leslie’ husband and Dan did every job we need a man to do- things like pushing Todd and his trike up step hills, and backing my camper up.
We averaged 25-33 miles a day which was good, averaging about 10-12 MPH. We stayed at friends’ homes so Todd could easily access toilets, keep comfortable in soft beds to prevent pressure sores, and stay warm at night as it got quite cold. This was a good shake down stretch and we learned a lot. We will return home for a few days to regroup, do wash, get Todd walking again (not enough time for long walks when you’re cycling long distance) and pack up for our next leg- the 187 mile C& O Canal Trail- Cumberland to Washington, DC.
Our hope for this adventure is to build awareness for the need for accessible trails for the disabled and we are already getting a lot of press. There was (or will be) an article in Cumberland Maryland’s Times News; the Johnstown Tribune- Democrat; Pottsville’s Republican Herald; Connellsville’s Daily Courier; Fredrick, Maryland’s News-Post, State College’s Centre Daily times, and today at Point State Park, we met with a photographer and a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Pretty good, I’d say!
If you’d like to help support our mission, go to http://www.cindyrosstraveler.com/road-to-recovery. We’ve already spent $100s on fuel!!!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/cyclist-overcomes-spinal-injury-rides-115200715.html,
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Cindy Ross 
Yahoo, team!!!Wh
Sounds like a gre