Talk about a conversation starter.

The Montour Trail Council has asked those attending the 20th anniversary of the beginnings of the Montour Trail at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott Hotel Nov. 1 to "supply short, one-line descriptions" of their relationship with the trail that will fit on their name tags.

It then provided an example of what it's looking for:

"Marcia Smith -- First rider across McDonald Viaduct."

They stole my thunder -- and lightning.

Although it does not comply with the council's brevity criteria, I was going to cite the McDonald Viaduct in my name-tag description:

"Set new span speed record on Aug. 27, 2003, while running across the 960-foot viaduct seconds before a sudden summer storm soaked everyone and everything in sight."

We all made it to the safety of our cars and pickup trucks, including Mark McDermott, Jamie Sawich, Steve Walter and Erin Zahradnik of Ironworkers Local Union 3. They were erecting a steel handrail when the storm began.

Dick Quasey, then the council's director of construction, George Gerben, Ken Gregory and Tex Ritter had just finished installing a trail sign at the far end of the bridge. They also reached the dry environs of their vehicles.

To be sure, there will be other stories initiated by the name-tag descriptions, including the devastation wrought by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan Sept. 17, 2004. The almost 6-inch rain storm dumped so much water into Montour Run that its banks could not contain it. The flooding scoured about nine miles of the trail.

The recovery from that disaster will be one of the major topics of conversation during the anniversary festivities. Within a month, a four-mile section of the trail was repaired and reopened. Other damaged segments took a while longer to rebuild.

When completed, the Montour Trail will extend 46 miles from Moon Township near Coraopolis to Clairton via the right-of-way of the old Montour Railroad. Multiple sections of the trail totaling 40 miles have been completed.

Bill Flanagan, executive vice president of the Allegheny Conference and executive director of Pittsburgh 250, will emcee the after-dinner program that will include "some spirited bidding on great prizes."

"Multi-Media Entertainment" will be provided by The NewLanders. They describe themselves as "the contemporary, urban, roots, twang, blues, harmony, industrial, Appalachian, oral history, a capella folk band."

That's also an apt description of the multi-talented members of the Montour Trail Council.

The $35 cost includes drinks and one of three entress-- chicken, tilapia or vegetarian Alfredo lasagna. To attend, send a $35 check made out to the Montour Trail Council's 20th Anniversary Committee, 304 Hickman Street, Suite 3, Bridgeville, Pa., 15017. Orders must be prepaid and postmarked by Oct. 23.

And don't forget to add a short description for your name tag.

For more information, go to www.montourtrail.org or call 412-257-3011.

A column I wrote Sept. 12 about the Ghost Town Trail prompted Jay and Judy Shock of Upper St. Clair to ride the new 11-mile section from Black Lick to Dilltown. It was not a pleasant experience.

As of Sept. 16, "a couple of hundred yards west of Dilltown were impassable except by walking your bike," he said.

"The trail was covered only by extremely coarse and pointy gravel, and the last mile to Dilltown was marginally passable only if you kept your eyes on the unfinished trail to avoid sharp rocks and gravel."

He also said the only food in Dilltown "is a selection of ice cream and packaged snacks at the local bed and breakfast."

Ed Patterson, director of Indiana County Parks and Trails, said the rough section of the trail now has a smooth surface, and acknowledged that the food selections in Dilltown are "pretty limited."

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