Mosquito Beemers: Photos

2005 Mason-Dixon Line Tour

Another elite group met in Uniontown, Pennsylvania for our Mason-Dixon Line Tour this past weekend. Tom Fear and Rose Morris, Dick Beyerle, Ernie and Susan Conover rendezvoused late on Friday the 10th of June at the Heritage Inn. Susan and I had taken Ohio 534 south to 14, then 7 south to the Ohio River. At Liverpool we crossed over to the West Virginia side and then dropped down to Alt 27. Alt 27 was a wonderful twisty road that put our RT to its paces. From Washington PA we rode old Route 40 to Uniontown. It was super hot and we were glad of an air conditioned room and a cold shower and the safe arrival of the group. After a couple of beers, walked downtown for dinner and had a great meal at Titlowes Tavern. Once back at the motel we gathered in the Conover's room for talk about all things motorcycling. About 10:30 PM our newest member Bob Ziccardi pulled in on an R1150 GS. Leaving downtown Cleveland at 3:00 PM he had ridden through rain and hail. After getting Bob settled and agreeing to ride at 9:00 AM sharp, we all turned in.

The next morning saw ready to roll of at something like 8:50. We rode East on 40 through Uniontown up a winding road to Summit, PA, which is on a mountain overlooking Uniontown. Further east at Chalk Hill we branched north for Ohiopyle over truly alpine terrain. In Ohiopyle we enjoyed a great breakfast at the civic center. A wonderful buffet was laid out by volunteers in an "all you can eat for six bucks" feast. We then road straight north to Rout 40 and stopped at a great outdoors store, Woodlands World, for a 30 minute shopping break. Susan and Rose picked out clothes while the guys looked at Guns and GPS units. From there we rode south over winding roads to the Mason-Dixon Line (Literally we turned west right beside it), then headed back north over twisty roads to a stop at an old iron furnace which is a PA park. Leaving the furnace we rode further north to Route 40 then back south on Skyline Drive from Summit. This time we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line into West Virginia and stopped for ice-cream in Bruceton Mills. We then took about five miles of super slab west to head north back across the Mason-Dixon Line picking up PA 857. Just inside the Pennsylvania border we headed West to Friendship Hill, the beautiful mansion of Albert Gallatin, a Swiss immigrant, who has the distinction of being the longest serving Secretary of the Treasury. He served under both Presidents Jefferson and Madison. Friendship Hill is now run by the National Park Service. After a tour of the grounds and mansion which includes a spectacular view of the Monongahela River we rode north-east back to the Heritage Inn. The total distance was only 120 miles but given the alpine nature of the roads 30 to 40 miles per hour average was par for the course. Gravel and debris in the road, changing pavement surfaces, reverse cambers, deer and turkey also par for the course. Very difficult riding and everyone did great! It had been very hot and humid and given the nature of the roads we all wore riding gear. Tom had thoughtfully chilled beer and we all drank bumpers to our combined good health. During our celebration the heavens parted and it rained prodigiously. We stood in the rain and got soaked and all agreed that we had hoped for this eventuality during the ride. We stood soaking wet and marveled at the ingenuity of the early Pennsylvania road builders. They never let anything stand in their way, thy just went around it. There legacy makes for great riding.

Fact about the National Road-Old Route 40. It was our first super slab. The building of a “national road” from Cumberland, Maryland to Wheeling, Virginia (West Virginia was then part of Virginia) was championed by Henry Clay and authorized by the Federal Government in 1806. The first part of the road (the part we traveled) followed Braddock’s Road, which was blazed by General Braddock in the French and Indian War. Braddock was killed during the campaign and was buried in the middle of the road (to prevent desecration by Indians) just east of Uniontown.

The cost of the road by the new Federal Government was immense. In 1835 Pennsylvania agreed to administer its section of the road and authorized the building of six toll houses. Only two of the original houses remain, one being Searight Tollhouse located 7.3 miles west of our motel. At each tollhouse the way was blocked by a pike across the road. Once the toll was paid the toll collector would “turn the pike”—hence the root of the name for our modern super slabs. Pikers were scofflaws who rode around the tollhouse rather than paying.

There were triangular mile markers the length of the National Road. Hitch hikers were a couple of gents with one horse. One would ride to the first mile marker and tie the horse to the same and start walking. The second would walk to the first marker collect the horse and start riding. At the second mile marker he would tie the horse and start walking. Hitch, hike-hitch, hike; leap forging down the road.

On Sunday morning Dick left for home at the crack of dawn without waking us. Bob had gone to visit friends the night before. Tom and Rose, Susan and I took 40 west to the Ohio. From there we took West Virginia 2 north to Liverpool and then north on 170 to Youngstown and Parkman. A great ride with great friends that we will tell our grandchildren about.

Ernie Conover
Parkman, OH
June 13, 2005