Tunkhannock Viaduct-

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Gypsy Stats: 364 mi

13 hrs 6 min Elapsed time

8 hrs 41 min Riding Time

41.9 Ave mph

Gas Pump: $20.92 for the R1200R burning 93 Octane

47.9 MPG

$2.88/gal ave for 93 Octane

6.04 cents/mile for gas

Tim: ’96 BMW R1100RS

Dave: ’04 Triumph Sprint ST 955 Triple

Lindsey: ’07 BWM R1200R (grin)

Labor day weekend with incredible early September Pennsylvania weather, Zoe wanted the day to go to the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show without interference, no other real obligations for the day – what to do? Go long!

Back at the end of July we had set out on a long day intending to have a look at the Tunkhannock Viaduct. We were thwarted not so much by an overwhelming rain storm as by our underwhelming attention to proper rain gear and wound up turning tail and running home like the pack of wet dogs we were. Today was the chance to make up for it.

Setting out to form-up point a few minutes after 7, the temperature was a mere 50 degrees. Sun was just up on a beautiful, clear day but it was might chilly. The LD long underwear with a second layer under the RevIt suit with liners turned out to be just the ticket. I was using the Gerbing electric jacket liner for the intermediate layer without needing to plug it in yet. Turns out it’s a pretty warm jacket in its own right. It was as cold at 47 in the low dips down by creek where the cold air settles, so I was glad for the warm gear.

We were jonesing for firehouse breakfast at Kutztown, it being the first Sunday of the month, but no luck. The parking lot was plumb empty, so we moved along to Letterman’s on Main Street in Kutztown. Letterman’s is an original Silk City Diner where the meals are large, the room is small and crowded, and waitresses are friendly, so we found we could make do.

After breakfast, we headed north with temperatures now in the low 60’s. It was about as nice an end-of-summer day as Pennsylvania can dish up. As usual we made the most of crossing the valley and ridge province, finally getting to Nicholson, PA around 1 pm, just in time for a soft ice cream cone in the shadow of the Tunkhannock Viaduct.

The Tunkhannock Viaduct was built in 1915 to carry the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad across the Tunkhannock Creek. It is nearly half a mile long, crossing the valley 240 feet in the air. At the time it was the largest reinforced concrete structure of its kind ever built. We couldn’t just look from below, of course, so we found our way up to the railroad bed at one end of the structure. Seems the Canadian Pacific Railroad is still using the roadbed and takes a dim view of track walkers. We had to ignore 3 or 4 signs walking over to the tracks from the road where we parked the bikes. The view was worth the effort.