Here we are in Homestead Pa, milepost 139, getting ready to ride. The GAP is headed to Pittsburgh to the right of the cars and Cumberland to the left. Presently, there is a one mile uncompleted section just north of Homestead which prevents rides into and out of Pittsburgh. We started about 8:45 in the morning for a 52 mile day to Connellsville.
The main reason for starting in Homestead was to see the industrial side of this part of Pennsylvania. The 6 mile ride into McKeesport, although along the Monongahela, also followed a set of active Railroad tracks with both active and closed industrial buildings. A you can see from the bridge above, much money has been spent on this trail.
Not far from McKeesport, the trail follows the Youghiogheny River and the industrial setting gives way to forest. Sometimes you see the same scene for miles. The river is still a flatwater waterway at this point.
As we approach Connellsville, we go under this glass archway. One of many art pieces along the trail. Connellsville was once the coke capital. Coke being the purified state of coal. There were 35,000 coke ovens in this area at one time. We saw several along the trail. many of the ovens were owned by Henry Clay Frick, a millionaire by 1881.
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