"Every mile has something special for you to see!"
"Unparalleled beauty. Uncommon hospitality. Unmitigated joy. Soaring bridges and winding tunnels. Lovely trail towns. And memories that last a lifetime.
"You’ve experienced all these along the Great Allegheny Passage!
"I love the Pinkerton Shoefly and its bend along the Casselman River. I love the Salisbury Viaduct crossing high over roads, trains and water headed into Meyersdale. I love the spinning windmills above the Keystone Viaduct. I love Confluence and the River’s Edge Café. I love riding into Connellsville during peak leaf season. And I love spying the secret waterfall near Duquesne.
"You love these places, too, I’ll bet on it.
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"As a life-long Pittsburgher, I grew up playing in Ohiopyle State Park. And when news of a bicycle path being built there became reality, I was one of the first to ride between Ohiopyle and Confluence. Today, people like you and me bring vitality in our saddlebags. We make 1.5 million visits a year to the GAP, and our generous spending along the way – all the ice cream cones, each shuttled suitcase, every overnight stay – makes a $121 million annual impact.
"My first thru-trip on the GAP was with my son Peter after his college graduation. We made it to Cumberland in just two days – an achievement! Then a few years later, my wife Barbara and I rode from Washington D.C. back to Pittsburgh over a more leisurely seven days. We toured every trail town, enjoyed excellent accommodations, and made great memories riding into the city during a spectacular thunderstorm. This trip was a highlight of our marriage and a perfect shared experience – pure joy!
"I ride the Great Allegheny Passage every day here in Pittsburgh on my bicycle commute to work. I bike out to McKeesport and back most Saturdays. Sometimes I’ll keep going out to West Newton, or take the Montour Trail out to my mother’s house, each about 35 miles one way. I also love riding down to Point State Park and talking to bicyclists who are all geared up for long-distance trips. Maybe you’ve told me your story!
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"Then, almost four years ago, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The medications that I’m on sap my strength. Some days, when I previously would have ridden 50 miles, I can only do 15. I don’t like the change, but now, every trip I am able to take brings me joy. I’ve found ways to make my favorite trips possible. And I KNOW I have to get in at least one more Pittsburgh-to-D.C. trip in while I still can. Every time I get in another good GAP ride, I believe I am winning against my disease. This takes the “achievement” to a new level for me.
"Over the decades, I’ve logged tens of thousands of miles on my bicycle. And I’ve never pedaled as effortlessly through impossible geography as I have on the Great Allegheny Passage. It’s a 150-mile gift we’re leaving for future generations!
"You have stories of achievement and joy along the GAP, too! You’ve savored incredible views, pedaled extra miles, and very likely braved the rain. Maybe you’ve faced your own troublesome diagnosis and have kept going.
"Because of this, will you join me in making a generous year-end gift to support the GAP? It takes many hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to clear ditches and resurface worn sections. It’s largely dependent on local labor. Trail town businesses – and travelers like you and me – depend on wayfinding signage, updated maps, and enhanced amenities.
"I still envision being on a bike every day in retirement. If my cancer makes me go slower than I’d like, I’ll count on you to call out “passing on the left!” May I also count on you to give back?
Sincerely,
David R. Brewton
Board Member and Lifelong Bicyclist
P.S. Please pitch in today with a tax-deductible, difference-making gift along the Great Allegheny Passage!
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