This year marked twenty years that the MtLCCC has participated in and raised money for the National MS Society. Unfortunately like so many other events in 2020, this year was “virtual” in that the official ride to State College, PA, was cancelled so we replaced it with our own routes closer to home. Did that stop us from raising money for MS research and advocacy? Of course not!
Thank you to all our donors who helped us raise over $8,000 this year!
Recap
Day 1 found us bright and full of energy as dawn broke at our Starbucks rendezvous point. We even ran into Matt and Ed getting ready for their own daylong adventure north of the city. The quiet country roads led us out to Canonsburg then up to Hickory and out to the West Virginia state line with a refueling stop for coffee and pie at the oasis of Cherry Valley Organics in Burgettstown. The temps were climbing fast, so luckily we arranged a final rest stop in Cecil with our Corvette support vehicle that brought cold water, snacks, and ice socks to drape over our necks. That was smart planning!
We were pretty fatigued beginning Day 2, which was another hot and humid one. We left at 6 a.m. to ride into the city then down the Great Allegheny Passage to McKeesport. Staying south along the Mon River, we followed a surprisingly quiet river road to the Monongahela Bridge. Crossing west over the river, we headed to meet our support crew at Mingo Creek park. The hardest (and hottest) part of the weekend was still to come climbing back to Mt. Lebanon on mostly unsheltered roads with the heat index in the upper 90s by 12 p.m.. Brutal! Our team worked well together and got each other home with some well earned beers and ice cream waiting!
Again, we could not have completed these 150 mid-summer miles without our donors and support crew. Huge thanks to Dave B, Lois, Barb, and Rona for taking the time out of your weekend to keep us cool and fueled (and even bringing the B-bike!).