And I'm Off! Days 1-5

Day 1
I didn't manage to leave until around 4pm Tuesday afternoon, but even with the late start, still managed to get 30 miles in. I found a nice wooded area along the road, and set up camp. The combination of being too close to the road and coyotes howling in every direction left me with very little sleep. I now know that there's really no need to worry about coyotes, but at the time every noise I heard through the night was perceived as a pack of coyotes circling for the kill.

Day 2

I managed to make it through the night alive, and was on the road by 9. Rode through some nice small towns and a lot of farm country. Not a whole lot to see in mid-East Ohio really. The sun was starting to set so I was looking for a place to camp for the night, when I came across a nice woman named Jen on an atv. We got to talking and it turned out she was a Presbyterian Minister who owned a 200 acre farm. I ended up pitching a tent in her back yard by some flowers which was a much more pleasant place to sleep. Covered 55 miles today.

Day 3
Woke up around 7, had some oatmeal and coffee with Jen and was off. Jen was a joy to talk to, she runs the farm on her own now that her husband died and her two daughters went off to college. I was only 5 miles from the Pennsylvania border, so I crossed that and headed toward Pittsburgh. It was a pleasant ride, but as I neared Pittsburgh my back tire started to feel funny and soon after it popped. It turns out since I didn't get new tires, the old tires disintegrated and were essentially useless. The nearest bike shop was in the city about 5 miles away so I started pushing. The sun was again setting, I was again unsure where I was gonna sleep, when two blocks from the bike shop a guy from warmshowers(a website that gives cyclists a place to sleep) saw me and asked me if I need help. I decided to stay with him. He was hosting another cyclist and was very generous to the both of us. He made us chicken stir fry for dinner and then drove us around the city to see the views. Covered 60 miles today and was happy to find a place to sleep.

Day 4
Got a slow start today. Had breakfast and chatted about cycling, then headed to rei to get a solar power charger for my cell phone. From there I got on the Great Allegheny Passage which runs from Pittsburgh to DC. Had tire problems again, but made it about 40 miles to a nice campsite. Met three couples in their 20s from Pittsburgh who I ended up talking to into the evening. Really enjoyed that, then got to bed.

Day 5
Had breakfast with the group from last night. My right Achilles tendon isn't feeling so good this morning. It seems my seat was slightly too high, so adjusted it and rode out. This trail runs alongside the Yougiogheny River, which made for some very scenic riding today. Overall feeling a little sore, but still managed 50 miles. Planning on camping at a campground tonight that is closed due to the government shutdown.