USNA 1973 Ride-2-Remember

Day 56, 28 September: Connellsville to Meyersdale, PA

The second SAG stop today was in Confluence, named for its location at the junction of Casselman River and Laurel Hill Creek with the Youghiogheny River. While grabbing a quick bite, a man working on an e-bike asked me if I was one of the Navy riders – evidently he had been chatting with Sally. I said yes and explained more about us and our mission. He introduced himself as Ed Galen, Army ROTC ’58 (I missed the school) and commissioned USAF. He started out as a logistics/air traffic management officer, deployed to Korea and got out when they wanted to make him a missile officer living in a silo. He went to the ANG and got activated and sent to Korea again when the USS Pueblo was captured. He is doing the full GAP Trail as part of a bucket list. He wished us well and took our card to follow us.

Later on Doug, Ron and I were pedaling together when a LARGE bird swooped low over our heads and up into a nearby tree to roost. The picture’s a bit grainy due to distance, but it’s either a very large hawk or possibly an immature eagle.

Just more people and sights on the trail.

Bill Montgomery