Day 7

For once, I am the early riser.  Between the intensely loud trains passing at least every hour and the various animal noises that kept me alert all night, I didn't sleep very well, but I still wake up around 8:30.  I get up an make some oatmeal, pack my things, and say goodbye to my camping neighbors, making Drew's day by giving him a pack of instant coffee.

Duquesne

I hit the road around 10:30, making just a brief stop after a couple hours to scarf down what remains of the final PBH (six was the right number after all!) and make a call to the (not) hostel guy with my ETA.  I continue on and when I get close to McKeesport, the trail feeds me onto a road for cars.  I check my map to make sure I haven't gone off course, and just as I'm setting to take off again, a bandanna clad cyclist that sort of reminds me of Christopher Meloni's character from Wet Hot American Summer comes by and asks where I'm headed.  I tell him Pittsburgh and that I'm just on the last leg of my trip from DC.  Marshall knows all about the trail, having done it many times himself before it was completed.  I tell him how I was a little worried about the confusing part of the trail others had warned me about near McKeesport and he agrees that it is not obvious.  He tells me about a better way to go, but I say I kind of want to stay on the actual trail so I can legitimately say I did the whole thing.  He is obviously a better cyclist than me, but slows down to my pace and guides me basically the whole way, which is awesome.  Plus, he's from Pittsburgh and knows a ton about it, so I get a personal guided tour of the next 15 miles.  Most of the things on the tour are abandoned steel mills or parts of steel mills.  It's pretty cool.

Eventually we close in on Pittsburgh and he tells me where to go.  This end of the trail is not like the DC end at all; it basically goes through the city.
On my own again, I realize I am starving.  Marshall wasn't sure what the "bike cafe" on the trail was that someone had told me about, and suggested it could be OTB, "Over the Bars" on the south side (which I'm pretty sure now is what the guy had been talking about) but I didn't pass by it as it's not on the official trail.  I pull over at the first sandwich shop I see and get what is basically a cheesesteak sub without the steak.  It's not terribly good.  The inside of the shop is all Pittsburghed out, with sports paraphernalia and multiple signs alerting me to the fact that I am in Steelers country.  I have a feeling this is how every place around here is.

I get back on the "trail" following signs toward Point State Park, and it is really pretty as promised.  I look all over for the alleged mile 0 plaque, but it is nowhere to be found.  I give up and head to the hostel.

The other mile 0