Today’s adventure was straightforward, but we still discovered a pleasant new trail. Crazy kids on quads and the messy trail surface had turned us off to the O&W trail in the past, but we decided to give it a try today as part of a loop with a section of the D&H Rail Trail that we ride frequently. Hey, the kids were supposedly in school, and we could certainly wash any black dirt or mud off the bikes after our ride!

Taking the chance was worth it. The O&W was quiet, for once, and not muddy at all. The surface was slightly more challenging and fun than a typical rail-trail, although I missed the sharp dips (“whoop-de-doos”) that make the Archbald—Jermyn section of the River Trail so much fun when ridden really fast. There is also a rocky little hill rising from the D&H to the O&W, just before the Route 171 bridge, that’s a lot of fun to climb with near-slick tires.

When we returned to Forest City, John and Rich spotted a truck that they thought belonged to an old co-worker of theirs, Bernie, parked near the gate of the southerly section of the D&H. Apparently, Bernie is such a character that I have to meet him! We rode back down that section of the trail not quite to the crossover point, and never saw a soul. But when we returned to the gate, the truck was gone. I guess Bernie is a slippery little character … who had probably been wandering some of the side paths rather than the main trail.

Lunch was pizza for Rich and me (John had a sausage-and-peppers hoagie) at Eleganté (or Elegante’, as their sign reads) Restaurant and Pizzeria. The pizza was fair; I would have preferred less cheese and a much crispier crust. It’s certainly not Rosalie’s, Joe’s, or Angie’s! But nearly anything tastes good after a decent ride.

Later that afternoon, John retraced our exact route, going south from the Forest City parking lot to the southerly D&H/O&W crossover, then back north up the D&H to where we hopped on the O&W, riding it back toward Forest City. I guess one time around just wasn’t enough for him!