My wife & I rode the section between Dilltown & Nanty Glo as well as the Rexis Branch August 14th & August 16th. Even though it rained quite a bit on Monday, there was no standing water Tuesday. The trail was only a bit damp. We especially enjoyed the furnace and mining exibits at Vintondale. We put the uphill at the beginning of our rides. It's not too steep, but it is a constant uphill grade. The ride down was a great relief. We stayed at the Dillweed B & B in Dilltown. This is probably the finest, cleanest place we've stayed at. The trail is next to their trailside store. We expect to go back next year to ride the rest of the trail.

This is an amazing trail. Like many trails in Pennsylvania and Maryland, it is rich with history. I would like to explain our previous experience for the sake of understanding how it fits in.

We have been on the Great Allegheny Passage from the continental divide to Cumberland. For me, the unforgettable highlight was the the Big Savage tunnel, with its unending interior and its magnificent ending view. We have been on the York Trail, and I will not forget standing on the train platform where Abraham Lincoln awaited the train to Gettysburg. We have been to the Lehigh Gorge, where the trail is pure rich scenery, but the terminal town of Jim Thorpe is pure rich history. Unforgettable highlight?--the gallows where the Molly Maguires were hung, and the jail that contained them.

These are all trips taken since my daughter was old enough to ride a trail-a-bike, in December 2009. Needless to say, I am just so happy that Rail-Trails exist, and create such great experiences.

So what about our experience on this trail.

We rode the trail from Ebensburg to Saylor Park/Blacklick in the course of two July days of 16 miles each. The midway point is Wehrum. We were two families, with two five year olds tagging along, and so we could self shuttle, and make the trip entirely "downhill."

I am very haunted by the things I saw, and think this trail must be extremely unique in the rail trail system. Just for example, one vivid memory is the sign that says that there are 300 different sources of coal mining pollution that are dumping into Blacklick Creek and its drainage. A biker will see plenty of slag heaps that leach poison into the stream. And will also see orange creek beds, with water coming from slag heaps out of sight.

What is most stunning to me is that this damage is 100 years old, or so. The damage is not going away soon, folks. The whole trip could be a reminder to the consequences of not thinking about the world our children and grandchildren live in.

Near the middle of the trail is Vintondale. This is a place where humanity and hope breathed deep and said, "We can start to undo this damage." There is a park there that is also an attempt to mitigate Acid Mine Drainage (it is referred to as AMD repeatedly, so remember this acronym). There are settling ponds, to get the iron red and the toxic aluminum out of the water. There are community fields for sport, and a pavilion. And a very quiet, very elegant memorial. The first part of the memorial that you see is next to the trail. It is a large mosaic map showing how the scene before you looked in coal mining days. A busy place, with hundreds of workers instead of settling ponds.

And then the most ghostly experience. There is a mural, etched in black granite, of nine coal miners emerging from the mine shaft, placed against the canyon wall.

We continued downstream. Right after Vintondale, Blacklick Creek turned a dark orange, and the clarity of the stream was lost for a while. I suspect that a major, polluted tributary had entered there.

Beyond these stark reminders of our history, I think the highlights were the two iron furnaces along the way. I particularly liked the explanation of the furnace workings at Eliza Furnace. These from an earlier era than the coal mines, and the damage to the earth is less obvious.

I hope I am not scaring people away from a truly outstanding rail-trail. For me, the big story were the lessons about the relation of man to the world. On the other hand, if you are not interested in this, the trail is very well maintained, and a joy unto itself. Other than the human scars, the stream is beautiful as it wends its way down into Blacklick.

Rode this trail last weekend in two days. First day was from Heshbon to Vintondale the grade is almost flat and the scenery is awesome seen many deer and other small animals. The history along this trail is also great. The second day we rode from Vintondale to about 2 miles past Nanty Glo at the bridge of the south fork of the Black lick creek. The second days ride was an up hill climb for 3.6 miles out of Vintondale to Twin Rocks then it seem to become more flat. The best part of the second day was the ride back down the mountain to Vintondale. This Trail has ample bathroom along it at trail heads and has alot of benches everywhere. I would have to place this trail at the top of my to do list for a fall ride, but make sure you wear bright colors as it does go thru some PA state game lands. On last thing is don't forget your bug spray and camera.