The village of Boston, also known as "Little Boston," is one of the most popular trailhead towns along the Great Allegheny Passage.

It has a large parking lot that overlooks the Youghiogheny River and provides easy access to the Elizabeth Township community that has welcomed visitors since colonial times.

Bicyclists en route to Connellsville enjoy riding on the smooth, crushed limestone trail surface as they pedal by a number of small towns, including Buena Vista, Sutersville, West Newton, Van Meter and Dawson.

But the ride from Boston to Connellsville was anything but smooth in 1991 when Tim Banfield of the Pittsburgh Wheelmen led a hardy group of determined cyclists on the 39-mile journey.

Dan Piesik, a participant of that memorable ride, wrote about it in the fall issue of The Milepost, the newsletter of the Mon Yough Trail Council.

The ride began comfortably enough in Boston, where scores of bicyclists rode under a canopy of balloons and past signs marking the beginning of the Yough River Trail.

"There was much excitement and enthusiasm that day," he said. "A few people had negative comments" because the right-of-way would be rail-banked and they wouldn't be getting the strip of land abandoned by the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. "Almost everyone else was in good spirits and excited over the idea that a bike trail would be built."

Piesik said the trip became difficult as cyclists encountered "fresh ballast churned up by the removal of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad tracks, standing pools of water and, of course, mud -- gooey, sticky black mud [that] had to be maneuvered around."

The less-than-ideal trail surface slowed down the riders, some of whom decided to pedal through the muck. The obstacles along the right-of-way included downed trees, brush, briars and debris. Banfield rode sweep to make sure each rider was safe and accounted for.

Piesik said the riders' spirits were buoyed by a large crowd when they arrived in West Newton. "There were hundreds of well-wishers [that cheered] the group on while they took a much needed break."

When they arrived in Connellsville, the riders were muddied, sweating, hungry and thirsty, but then "the thrill of completing the journey set in." They received purple T-shirts and lined up for group photos. They joked they were ready to ride back to Boston but gratefully accepted a ride in a van.

"This determined, young, enthusiastic bunch were leaders," Piesik said.

"They made history as the first riders [and] were an example of what was to come down through the years." The Yough River Trail "was initiated and recorded as one of the 500 bike trails in the nation."

For more information on the Mon Yough Trail Council, go to http://mytc.topcities.com. For more information on the Elizabeth Township Historical Society that has a large variety of artifacts and publications, including all of the back issues of the council's newsletter, call 412-754-2030.

The 15th annual Connellsville Yough River Trail Fall Foliage Ride will begin at 1 p.m. Oct. 17 in Yough River Park in Connellsville.

The Yough River Trail Council said the goal of the ride is to enjoy the trail and the day. Helmets are required for children 12 and under, and the council encourages everyone to wear helmets when biking.

Janet and George Pushkar, the Lions Club of Connellsville and the council will have a family picnic in the park beginning at 3 p.m.

The $18-per-person registration fee includes the picnic and a raffle ticket. Proceeds benefit Lions Square and the council.

For more information, call 724-628-5500.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.