While the rains continued from yesterday, I attempted to wait it out before the 11 am checkout time arrived. I started out east through the very busy beltway around Hazleton, a surprisingly large city, in the rain. After a lunch at McDonalds, I started down a a less busy highway that had a pretty good shoulder.
After passing through the highest borough in Pennsylvania, Freeland at an elevation of 1972 feet, the bike route started going down country roads again before getting to the Lehigh River valley. At Lehigh Tannery I jumped onto Highway 534 which took me through the large Hinkley State Park. After a massive descent and climb into and out of the main valley, I passed the empty campground that I would have stayed in for the night if my uncle Jason hadn't found me a connection through his church.
I gave Cliff a call outside of the Exxon station in Albrightsville at the junction of Highways 903 and 534. The shelter didn't do much as the wind drove the rain. Soon enough, he arrived, we loaded up the cart into his car, and drove south to his home in the woods outside of Jim Thorpe-a town named after the Olympic decathlete.
After showering and getting situated in their guest area in the basement, I joined Cliff for an amazing steak dinner and great conversation. I learned that he and his wife Erva, who was out at a Halloween parade, were originally from Idaho and that Erva was from the small town of Soda Springs, which is very close to where my grandma is from in Bennington. They moved out to Pennsylvania from Utah several years ago for Cliff's job with a foundry. One of their sons back in Utah was an ultramarathoner who has completed several 100 mile races.
After passing through the highest borough in Pennsylvania, Freeland at an elevation of 1972 feet, the bike route started going down country roads again before getting to the Lehigh River valley. At Lehigh Tannery I jumped onto Highway 534 which took me through the large Hinkley State Park. After a massive descent and climb into and out of the main valley, I passed the empty campground that I would have stayed in for the night if my uncle Jason hadn't found me a connection through his church.
I gave Cliff a call outside of the Exxon station in Albrightsville at the junction of Highways 903 and 534. The shelter didn't do much as the wind drove the rain. Soon enough, he arrived, we loaded up the cart into his car, and drove south to his home in the woods outside of Jim Thorpe-a town named after the Olympic decathlete.
After showering and getting situated in their guest area in the basement, I joined Cliff for an amazing steak dinner and great conversation. I learned that he and his wife Erva, who was out at a Halloween parade, were originally from Idaho and that Erva was from the small town of Soda Springs, which is very close to where my grandma is from in Bennington. They moved out to Pennsylvania from Utah several years ago for Cliff's job with a foundry. One of their sons back in Utah was an ultramarathoner who has completed several 100 mile races.
Crossing the Lehigh River
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