Montour Trail-Letter

Volume 13, Issue 3

May/June, 2002

No, that is not the lead-in to a joke. However, since I recently had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand upon the Great Wall and behold its magnificence, I wondered what drove the ancient empire to build such a structure. Which led me to contemplate how an abandoned railway is turned into a multi-purpose trail for all to use.

Of course, the differences between the Great Wall and the Montour Trail are obvious, not the least being that no one has ever seen our precious Trail from the moon. The Great Wall was built with the blood of those forced into constructing it, whereas the only thing that soaks our trail is the sweat of many volunteers and the joggers that use it. And unfortunately, I am forced to admit that while the majority of people on the planet have at least heard mention of the Great Wall, there are still some people in southwestern Pennsylvania who remain oblivious to our Trail.

Despite the obvious differences, there are similarities between the two. Each path was conceived in disbelief. Can't you just hear the emperor's brother? You want to build what?!?! Yet years later (in the case of the Wall, it was hundreds, whereas with our Trail, it is closer to a dozen), progress was tangible and people who walked along did so in awe at the magnificence of what a few forward-thinking people had accomplished.

Sure, the importance of a nearly 18-mile-long stretch of uninterrupted Trail may pale in comparison to the grand scheme of the Great Wall. However, for us in Washington and Allegheny counties, the fact that the trail has grown so long in a relatively short period of time is miraculous in a microcosmic sort of way.

So, the next time you walk along our marvelous Montour Trail, take a moment to appreciate the historical and architectural significance of where you are. Most of us never will walk on the Great Wall of China, but you needn't go half way around the world to appreciate the wonder of what ingenuity and hard work can achieve in shaping the world around us.

Enjoy the spring. Enjoy your Trail.

Astrid