I Walked (Part of) the GAP

Solvitur Ambulando. “It is solved by walking.”

This has been the case for me (and probably for you!) most of my life. Even when there’s nothing in particular to “solve” walking feels like the answer. That’s why I recently decided I wanted to take a long walk on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). By long, I mean 12 miles. I walked from the town square in Confluence to Ohiopyle’s High Bridge on Saturday.

A 75-minute bike ride stretched across six hours of quiet meandering.

I was looking to see what it feels like to walk a rail-trail for a good part of the day. Even though people use them in all sorts of ways (biking, walking, running, fishing, horseback riding, skiing, etc.), my brain normally registers them as places to bike. They are not my personal go-to spaces for hiking. But in watching the From Rails to Trails documentary, I learned about the early vision for the Illinois Prairie Path (the second rail-trail in the U.S.). And guess what? It was thought of as a space for walking. The trail’s visionary, Mary Theilgaard Watts, imagined a footpath that would wind through prairies and forests, cities and villages, like the ones she had seen in Europe.

So what was it like to walk a section of the GAP? It was both marvelous and repetitive. I had to let go of the thought of passing mile markers in quick succession and simply putting one foot in front of the other until I reached my destination. It was a beautiful spring day and the trail offered the benefit of nearly level walking. I got to enjoy the Youghiogheny River from various vantage points. I was treated with a warm start at Tissue Farm coffee shop/art gallery in Confluence, where I got to catch up with some old friends. Besides the coffee shop menu, Tissue Farm has a great book selection and local provisions. A savory gruyere scone would help round out my lunch. Walking the trail away from Confluence, I enjoyed an old Eddie Spaghetti mural and the view of where the Casselman and Laurel Hill Creek flow into the Youghiogheny, the “turkeyfoot.”

Most of the walk was through Ohiopyle State Park. I’ve never seen so many trilliums (mostly white, some red). They were everywhere, even at the top of the steepest hillsides. I also saw lots of mayapples and skunk cabbage, even more cyclists (I stopped counting at about 50), maybe 8-10 kayakers, and a number of Canada geese. Seeing (well, hearing) the geese reminded me that I’ve been wanting to memorize Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese.” I’m happy to report that hours on the trail afforded me that opportunity:

Will I do another rail-trail walk? I’m not sure yet. But I certainly treasured my time on the GAP over the weekend. If you want to read more about walking, check out Lauren Hall’s exploration of the topic. She wrote, “I’d walked myself empty.” May you do the same! See the end of the post for more photos and learn more about the GAP here.

I have long admired Rachel Sager’s writing and her work at The Ruins Project. When people ask me for tips on riding the GAP, a stop at the Ruins is one of my top recommendations. It’s a way to immerse yourself in the culture and heritage of the area through art. A guided tour showcases Rachel’s creations and those of mosaicists from around the globe. It’s really quite special. Lucky for us, Rachel recently published an e-book about disappearing places. Your Grandfather Worked Here: A Field Guide for Disappearing Places is an easy and inspiring read. Rachel writes about the sense of loss that we experience when places fall into a state of disrepair.

“People who have watched their places deteriorate often carry a low-grade unnamed grief.” But she is not asking readers to mourn, she says. She is asking them to ACT. Even in the smallest of ways. To mark that a place (a building, a wall, even a piece of left-behind equipment) matters. She is inviting us to intervene. “People who care are better protection than fences,” she writes. And they are keepers of place. Learn more and see my full testimonial in Rachel’s related post.

There’s loads going on this Spring, including:

• I’ll spend Earth Day keynoting the Alabama Trails Foundation’s Building a Trail Town Economy event.

• I’ll be attending the first PA Outdoor Economy Summit + Industry Expo (and speaking on a panel titled “The Next Big Thing”).

• The Parkersburg to Pittsburgh (P2P) Corridor master planning effort is still in progress. We’re hosting a series of Spring meetings beginning on April 29. Learn more here and also find info on upcoming Celebrate Trails Day events in Morgantown and Fayette County.

• Cycle Forward is collaborating with Fourth Economy Consulting to produce an economic impact and feasibility study for the Little Kanawha River Trail. See some photos from my recent visit here.