ST. THOMAS LUTHERAN CHURCH
"Let the little children come to me," Jesus said, "and don't keep them away." -Matthew 19:14
The Mileposters are tandem cyclists, based at St. Thomas Lutheran Church.
City kids enjoy a taste of the country and the wonders of God's creation
as they learn cycling skills and care for each other in Christian love.
Since 1997, over 60 of them have ridden the network of trails around
Pittsburgh, PA, on trips from 20 miles to over 300, three times
to Washington, DC, raising over $10,000 for St. Matthew, St. Thomas, and Deaf
Mission in Western Pennsylvania, led by Lutheran educator Mark Shields, who
has trained ten tandem captains; two of those have also qualified on a triplet.
SCROLL DOWN for more information and pictures (movie at the bottom), or click on a link:
WASHINGTON, DC 2005 -
WASHINGTON, DC 2006 -
CUMBERLAND 2007 -
GROUP HISTORY
2008 RIDE TO WASHINGTON, DC COMPLETED
First Mileposters uniforms, Milepost 22, Youghiogheny River Trail
(Great Allegheny Passage), September 15, 2007
After a successful winter with new off-season activities (scroll down
for pictures), we began preparation for our third ride from Pittsburgh
to Washington, DC to benefit Deaf Mission in Western Pennsylvania,
a PALM mission, which was completed June 22; above are links to pictures of all three DC rides,
as well as the 2007 effort to Cumberland, MD.
April 4: first training ride for our 2008 trip from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC,
crossing the new through truss span over Second Avenue leading to the
recently-opened bicycle side of the Hot Metal Bridge.
May 25: two-day, 42-mile camping trip to raise money for kitchen repairs
at St. Thomas, as well as to practice for Washington, DC--individual
camping area at Cedar Creek County Park, Milepost 37, Yough Trail
(Great Allegheny Passage); the ride went from Milepost 27 to Milepost 58.
Last September, we began a new program for younger captains,
training them to take the helm of a tandem.
After a break-in period of riding the tandem alone, usually from 10 to 20 miles, each
trainee gets a chance to ride a similar distance with a carefully selected stoker. If
the ride goes well, the new captain has qualified. On the September 15, 2007 qualifying ride,
the new student captain took turns with two stokers--pictured below at the Boston, PA trailhead
of the Youghiogheny River Trail. A week later, on September 22, the first junior captain
(one of the stokers from the week before) qualified--pictured at Milepost 25. Two days
later, on September 24, the third younger captain joined them, very quickly qualifying
on the Butler-Freeport Community Trail with the same two stokers alternating as on the 15th.
She could have qualified on the 26-inch tandem, but chose the smaller bike as more
comfortable for her. Experienced stokers usually make very good captains, since they
are thoroughly familiar with the procedures. Special thanks to tandem@hobbes
member Bill Connors of Philadephia, who facilitated the acquisition of the 20-inch tandem
in the second and following pictures--it is a critical piece in the new program.
Four St. Thomas riders, September 25, 2007, Woods Run
Junior captain training ride, Montour Trail, Imperial, PA
August in October! The month was seven days old when this picture was taken, with four
Mileposters in Ohio, braving the heat and glaring sun at Milepost 50 on the
Byesville Scenic Railway. No trail is planned here, but the kids enjoyed the ride
to the music of Ohio Central Railroad steam engine No. 1293, learning about coal
mining from volunteer docents aboard the train.
Lingering summer, Youghiogheny River Trail, Boston trailhead, October 21, 2007
Arrival of fall, Cedar Creek campground, October 28; experimental warmer uniform
First junior captain with her first three stokers; Movies and McDonald's, November 17
Mileposters Christmas caroling, December 16, 2007
First ride over Hot Metal Bridge, Pittsburgh, January 2008
Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum, January 2008
First Mileposters offseason Games Night, St. Thomas, February 3, 2008.
We ride tandems, triplets (straight and articulated) plus an articulated quad and quint.
The first ride with the articulated quint was in May 2006.
First ride, articulated quint, Sarver, PA, May 29, 2006
Articulated quint and stokers, Dravo Landing, Yough River Trail, October 21, 2006
Pumping water
Articulated quad at Smithton Beach, Yough Trail
The Mileposters got their name from the triangular concrete mileposts which the
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad placed beside the track between Pittsburgh and Connellsville.
This is the right-of-way used by the Youghiogheny River Trail (now part of the Great
Allegheny Passage) between Dead Man's Hollow and Connellsville. In the beginning, riders
had to regroup at each milepost; now, thanks to tandems and better-trained riders, they typically
travel four or more miles before resting. Milepost 7, pictured below, is not actually on the trail,
since the railroad track beside it (now owned by CSX) is still very busy; the trail at this point runs on
the other side of the Waterfront, an extensive commercial area built on the site of the
former Homestead Works of U. S. Steel, the largest steel mill in the world. In the background: the
former Pennsylvania Railroad station for Homestead, PA.
Salisbury Viaduct, Allegheny Highlands Trail, August 11, 2007
Big Savage Tunnel, Allegheny Highlands Trail, August 11, 2007
Familiarity with the Connellsville/Uniontown area helped us discover the
operation of an original Baltimore & Ohio Budd RDC (Rail Diesel Car) car on the
Fayette Central Railroad (former Baltimore & Ohio track). The point where our
rider is standing in the photo below will be occupied by the Sheepskin Trail
(rail-with-trail) some day.
B&O Budd RDC-1 at Dunbar, PA, on Sheepskin Trail R-O-W, August 4, 2007
The Sheepskin Trail currently runs only from the Bowest Junction trestle on
the Youghiogheny River Trail to Dunbar. It will continue beside the track to
Smithfield, and without track to the West Virginia state line, joining the
Monongahela River Trail to Morgantown and Fairmont. Bowest Junction was a
connecting point between the Western Maryland Railway (right-of-way for
the Yough Trail from Connellsville to Cumberland) and the Baltimore & Ohio
THREE WASHINGTON, DC RIDES COMPLETED
PAGE FOR 2008 RIDE TO WASHINGTON, DC
Lake Artemesia, Maryland, two miles from the finish line, Day 10, June 28, 2006
MORE 2006 DC TRIP
PICTURES
2005 recordholders (47 miles/day, loaded), Fletcher's Boathouse, Washington, DC--their ninth consecutive day
MORE 2005 DC TRIP
PICTURES
2007 RIDE PITTSBURGH-CUMBERLAND
Training for the 2007 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
Dad, Mom, and five children, triplet/tandem and tandem, Dravo Landing, Yough Trail
Polar Bear ride, Yough Trail, December 2005
New triplet captain with stokers, qualifying ride, September 24, 2006, Eliza Furnace Trail
Group leader with stokers, articulated quad, September 24, Eliza Furnace
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.
Jim and Lula Shields, the group leader's parents, Asheville, NC
CLICK HERE FOR A MOVIE
of Mileposters in action, coming out of Enlow Tunnel on the Montour Trail. When
you are finished, please use the 'Back' button in your browser to return to
the Mileposters site. (You will need a high-speed [DSL or cable] connection
plus video software on your computer in order to see this.)
MORE
Mileposters pictures
The Allegheny Trail Alliance Web site has maps
and many links
to information on trails in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and West Virginia.
Messages: mjshields AT totalusa DOT net