Southern End of the Salisbury Viaduct
The following day I rented a car and drove back to the Salisbury Viaduct started off along the snow path toward Garrett Pennsylvania some five distant. At the viaduct the path intersects and crosses over the Casselman River then follows the river to Garrett and then to Rockwood, Pennsylvania 7 miles further along. It was a nice sunny day; cold and clear but the 10 inches on snow on the ground made for slow going. The weather had been colder enough that the surface of the snow was frozen but wouldn’t hold my weight so I broke through with each step. I had to ‘posthole’ for several hours before reaching Garrett.
On the trail near Garrett, Pennsylvania
Since it didn’t look as though there would be any relief in sight from the snowy trail until I reached a little lower elevation I decided to walk the rural road from Garrett to Rockwood. This road led through Amish farm country and was therefore modestly more interesting then most road hikes. But it was had on the feet and by the time I got to Rockwood (milepost 44) I was ready to call it a day. I found a room at a small bed and breakfast and hired a car to take me back to pick up my car before returning for a home cooked dinner with the couple who ran the inn.
My fourth on the trail I got an early start intending to hike the 29 miles to Ohiopyle. I had lost enough elevation that the snow was gone from most parts of the trail. It still lingered in a few shady spots but overall wasn’t a hindrance to my usual 3.5 mph pace and I made good time. The path following the Casselman River past Markleton (5 miles) and then on to Pinkerton Tunnel which would have cut a mile off the hike had it been open. But the added distance wasn’t all that unwelcome as the trail along the river was pleasure and in good shape. After three hours I came to Fort Hill, a wide spot in the trail.
The Trail Along the Casselman River near Merkleton, Pennsylvania
An hour and a half further on I passed through Hamedsville and a half hour latter came into the town of Confluence (milepost 63).
Trail along the Youghiogheny River outside Confluence, Pennsylvania
Confluence gets its name from the joining of the Casselman and Younghiogheny Rivers which then flow as the Younghiogheny River to McKeesport where it intersects the Monongahela River. I stopped briefly in Confluence to find a ‘local’ who would be willing to help me with the logistics of repositioning my car each for the next several sections of my trip. I was lucky enough to find an out of work coal miner who was more then happy to help out and he agreed to meet me at Ohiopyle that evening and take me back to my car at Rockwood where I would spend the night.
Outside of Confluence the trail entered Ohiopyle State Park. This park was one of the most scenic spots along the entire route from Washington DC to Pittsburgh. The trail through the park follows alongside the Younghiogheny River which cuts through stacked shale cliffs lined with wild rhododendrons and hardwood forests. Since no roads run through the park it is wild and remote and a welcome relief from the roadside path I had so far followed. After about three hours I came to Ohiopyle (milepost 74), a small crossroads within the park. Here I enjoyed a hamburger and beer while I waited for my ride to arrive. By six that evening I was back at the inn in Rockwood.
At seven the next morning I drove to Confluence and met my shuttle driver and headed down the road to leave my car at Connellsville (milepost 91) before returning to Ohiopyle to start the day’s hike. From the parking lot I crossed over the River twice in the first mile and then continued alongside the river through the park for about five miles. Along the way I took a short detour and walked a mile or so off the path to visit “fallingwater,” Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous house designed around and built over a stream and waterfall. It was spectacular but I couldn’t help but think about the fact that it could never be built today because of the all the environmental rules regarding stream and such. Once on the trail again I continued out of the park along the river past Indian Creek and on the Connellsville, where I spent the night.