CAPTAINS- ACTIVITIES- WASHINGTON, DC 2005- 2006- 2008- 2010- CUMBERLAND 2007- 2009- 2011- ROLLER SKATING- HISTORY- TRIPLETS PLUS- 3-D PICTURES- MORE
12-5-2024
WASHINGTON, DC 2012
CUMBERLAND 2012
CUMBERLAND 2014
CUMBERLAND 2014 ROUND TRIP

CUMBERLAND 2016

Based at Grace Lutheran Church on Troy Hill, the Mileposters tandem cyclists ride trails out of Pittsburgh, PA, to destinations as far away as Washington, DC (five times), as well as Cumberland, MD (seven times), and enjoy other activities during the winter, such as roller skating. Fundraising events for Lutheran charities have brought in over $60,000 since the events first started. For 2023, seventh straight year for supporting LCMS relief efforts in Puerto Rico, the campaign was to support LCMS partners in both Puerto Rico and Ukraine, with a total of 3,547 miles ridden by all participants.
SCROLL DOWN for more pictures.


Thanksgiving dinner on the Youghiogheny River Trail, with a new cat rider in training, November 28, 2024


Ride through Howard Tunnel, Kokosing Gap Trail, September 30, 2024


Roller skating at Grace Lutheran Church


Bowling, Grace Lutheran


New 20-inch tandem trainer at the Brighton Heights Lutheran Church picnic, September 13, 2024


Test trip--revised attachment for very small riders, at Milepost 23 on the Youghiogheny River Trail, August 14, 2024; a few weeks later it served the youngest Mileposters rider ever, two years old.


Trail mom on practice ride at the Branchport fish pond, June 27, 2024


Indoor ride on the new 26-inch tandem trainer, Grace Lutheran Church, February 25, 2024


At the Outpost in West Newton, PA, July 27, 2023


Along the Ohio River near the West End Bridge, July 16, 2023


First Mileposters roller skating in seven years, Grace Lutheran Church, June 24, 2023


Swings near Milepost 29, Youghiogheny River Trail, June 17, 2023


Quad ride on the Eliza Furnace Trail, April 4, 2023; a trail mom is "tucking in" the tail gunner prior to starting.


Kick bike ride on the Riverfront Trail, across from the Branchport Boat Club, December 30, 2022


Articulated quad entering Enlow Tunnel on the Montour Trail, September 24, 2022


Articulated quad on the Youghiogheny River Trail, August 7, 2022




Ukraine riders at the Branchport Boat House July 15 and 26, 2022 and Eliza Furnace Trail July 31--after aiming for a thousand miles for Ukraine we completed 1,296. Soli Deo Gloria.


Hot Metal Bridge ramp, August 22, 2021


Riders getting acquainted with a kick bike in Citizens Park on Troy Hill, May 30, 2021


Mileposters riders on Pittsburgh's Harpster Street steps on June 24, 2020, at a house located on the steps, not a street, complete with mailbox


Large group at the Branchport Boat House, Riverfront Trail, July 24, 2020


Human riders with a unicorn, Milepost 25, Youghiogheny River Trail, September 20, 2020


Articulated quad arriving in Boston, PA after a 12-mile ride on the Youghiogheny River Trail (Great Allegheny Passage), June 28, 2019


The quad stokers with a new (2019--his qualifying ride) tandem captain and stoker at the ride destination, Milepost 25 (Dravo Landing)


The youngest stoker showing the others how to get water out of the pump


2018's new adult captain and youth captain (his daughter) with other riders, Western Penitentiary, September 2, 2018


Two triplets! Kickoff for the Braunstein Team's (red triplet) five-day, 150-mile ride from Pittsburgh's Point to Cumberland, Maryland, for the Unrestored Disaster campaign for Puerto Rico, August 25, 2018


Milepost 25, Youghiogheny River Trail (Great Allegheny Passage), June 15, 2018

PITTSBURGH-CUMBERLAND 2016

2016 Cumberland practice ride, Great Allegheny Passage, a few miles from Ohiopyle, PA, June 25, 2016
MORE 2016 CUMBERLAND TRIP PICTURES


Kick bike ride, Riverfront Trail, May 30, 2017


Fundraiser, June 10, 2017, with our blind stoker and her captain


Playing Jenga at the community Thanksgiving dinner, November 12, 2016


Playing Jenga at the community Thanksgiving dinner, November 20, 2015


Our five newest riders as of August 12, 2015, Milepost 24, Great Allegheny Passage (Youghiogheny River Trail)


Our powerful youngest stoker, five years old, with other riders, Milepost 28, August 15, 2015


Narnia on the trail! Lamp-post at campground, Buena Vista, PA


Our seventh trail mom with her kids, Great Allegheny Passage, near Glenwood Bridge, captain qualifying day, August 7, 2015


Our first blind stoker with her son, Milepost 25, July 23, 2015


Group ride at Adelaide, PA, Milepost 55, July 10, 2015


Our sixth trail mom with riders, on one of the Quint Rides to support campus ministry at First Trinity Lutheran Church, taking a break at West Elizabeth, PA, July 5, 2015


Five intrepid riders after an hour-long soaking on the muddy Ohio & Erie Canal towpath, Independence, OH, June 12, 2015; another of the Quint Rides


First of three fundraising rides for U. S. tornado victims, Dravo Landing, Youghiogheny River Trail (Great Allegheny Passage), May 17, 2014


Second of three fundraising rides for U. S. tornado victims, Milepost 26, Youghiogheny River Trail (Great Allegheny Passage), with two Washington, DC veterans, May 23, 2014


Third ride for U. S. tornado victims, at the Waterfront, May 25, 2014


Tandem ride with our most experienced youth captain and our newest and youngest stoker ever, only four years old; Branchport Boat Club, April 17, 2014


Scooter test ride, beneath bridge to Brunot's Island, April 10, 2014


Winter roller skating at Neville Roller Drome, January 5, 2014


"Booster" roller skating event to support campus ministry at First Trinity Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, Romp'N'Roll, November 26, 2013


Loading stokers on the triplet for one segment of a two-day, 109-mile trip West Mifflin-Connellsville-Ohiopyle-Confluence (the longest for 2013, with six riders total) in support of campus ministry at First Trinity, Ohiopyle, PA, August 18, 2013


Second fundraising ride for St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Hot Metal Bridge, July 30, 2013


First fundraising ride for St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Enlow Tunnel, July 13, 2013


New riders with two veteran youth captains, Hot Metal Bridge, July 26, 2013


New riders with veteran youth captain, Enlow Tunnel, August 4, 2013


At Kennywood on the Steel Valley Trail (Great Allegheny Passage), August 5, 2013


Veteran rider flanked by two first-timers, Milepost 25, Youghiogheny River Trail (Great Allegheny Passage), June 8, 2013


New trail dad with his tadpole trike, Riverfront Trail beneath the railroad bridge to Brunot's Island, May 18, 2013


New trail family with two veteran riders on the Steel Valley Trail (Great Allegheny Passage) at the Waterfront, May 25, 2013


"Booster" ride to follow up the 2012 trip from Pittsburgh to Cumberland Maryland, to benefit the Campus Ministry at First Trinity Lutheran Church, with two Cumberland riders plus our newest Mileposter, three years old, at the Carnegie Science Center, on the Riverfront Trail, October 28, 2012


Second new trail dad in a month, with two new stokers, Milepost 9, Montour Trail, June 10, 2012


An entire family in the first of two fundraising rides for U.S. tornado victims, Stavich Trail, Lowellville, Ohio, May 26, 2012


Trail dad (new captain--incredible record qualifying ride of one mile/ten minutes) and his kids, Buena Vista, PA, Great Allegheny Passage (Youghiogheny River Trail), May 19, 2012


Mileposters friend, author Frederic Durbin, at Dravo Landing, July 17, 2011


Articulated quad and tandem with second trail mom and riders, Milepost 35, Youghiogheny River Trail (Great Allegheny Passage), September 7, 2008


At the Eliza Furnace, Ghost Town Trail, September 6, 2009, with our second and fifth trail moms


Original articulated quint with riders of the day (trail mom at left, group leader at right), September 5, 2009, Cedar Creek County Park, on the Youghiogheny River Trail, part of the Great Allegheny Passage (photo by Jim Ference)

FIVE WASHINGTON, DC RIDES COMPLETED


Final 2012 DC practice ride, Enlow Tunnel, Montour Trail
2012 DC RIDE PAGE



Lockmaster's house at Pennyfield Lock, on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, where we spent our last night on the trail during our 2010 ride from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC
2010 DC RIDE PAGE


2008 DC practice ride, crossing the new through truss span over Second Avenue leading to the recently-opened bicycle side of the Hot Metal Bridge, April 4
MORE 2008 DC TRIP PICTURES


2006 DC practice ride, South Side Trail, by the Birmingham Bridge
MORE 2006 DC TRIP PICTURES


2005 DC practice ride, Yough Trail, Milepost 40
MORE 2005 DC TRIP PICTURES

FOUR RIDES PITTSBURGH-CUMBERLAND (2012--fourth ride--link at top of page)


The 2011 (third) ride from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD was made to benefit the campus ministry at First Trinity Lutheran Church. Our new tail gunner joined veteran riders for practice, Milepost 25, Youghiogheny River Trail (Great Allegheny Passage) on August 11.
MORE 2011 TRIP PICTURES


The 2009 (second) ride from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD almost didn't happen. Scheduling became impossibly snarled with several other fundraising rides on the list of commitments, but suddenly it became apparent that the G-20 summit was going to provide a window of opportunity. The principal riders were already in shape, so little practice was necessary. Illness caused cutbacks in personnel, but the ride was done in four days as scheduled, with a fifth added later. The first day set a record to Connellsville, and ended at Wendy's there.
MORE 2009 TRIP PICTURES


Training for the 2007 (first) ride from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD started March 30 with a ride on the Arrrowhead Trail and the Montour Trail from McMurray, PA to Bethel Park (Logan Road). The longest training ride was 40 miles, and there were back-to-back 20-mile days.
MORE 2007 TRIP PICTURES


Bridge past the east portal of Greer Tunnel, Montour Trail, August 4, 2009


Bridge coming out of the west portal of Greer


"Booster" ride for St. Thomas building repairs, Arrowhead Trail, July 30, 2009, with our new trail mom


On Saturday, April 18, the Three Trails in Three Days, 50-mile continuing effort to raise funds for building repairs at St. Thomas Lutheran Church concluded on the Arrowhead Trail, using straight and articulated triplets and the convertible 20-inch tandem.


Officials of the Allegheny Trail Alliance worked hard with local government and private interests to finish the last nine miles of the Great Allegheny Passage, from the marina in McKeesport to the Point in Pittsburgh. In a breathtaking move in 2008, the Union Railroad donated the Riverton Bridge over the Monongahela River from Duquesne to McKeesport, surrendering the daily rail traffic on the route, and in less than five months, the rails were removed and the bridge was decked and fenced for bicycles and a new ramp was built on the McKeesport side, opening October 4. The Mileposters made their first ride across the bridge on October 19, starting from Boston. [Second picture takes longer to load.]

Riverton Bridge approach from the Duquesne side of the Monongahela, October 4, 2008


Riverton Bridge, from the Duquesne-McKeesport Bridge, in twilight, October 4, 2008

The group leader's favorite place is just beyond Connellsville,
along the Youghiogheny River Trail.


The pictures below were taken in Maryland, south of Paw Paw Tunnel,
and at Swain's Lock, on the C&O Canal.


Various kinds of wildlife are encountered along the trails;
the butterfly and baby rabbit below are on the Yough Trail.


2023

CAPTAINS- ACTIVITIES- WASHINGTON, DC 2005- 2006- 2008- 2010- CUMBERLAND 2007- 2009- 2011- ROLLER SKATING- HISTORY- TRIPLETS PLUS- 3-D PICTURES- MORE
The Allegheny Trail Alliance Web site has maps and many links
to information on trails in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and West Virginia.
Messages: carolinaivy AT juno DOT com