Riding home June 12

 I rode right up to my back door and was greeted by many cheering neighbors and a chocolate cake.  What a wonderful homecoming!  The day’s ride was 60 miles from Brunswick to my house; total mileage for the trip was about 1600 miles   I led a group from the Capital Crescent trail through Georgetown to Rock Creek Parkway, then left them to explore the Mall a bit and ride out to their hotel in Arlington, while I turned north toward home.  I drove over to the hotel for our celebratory dinner, picked up my luggage, and said goodbye.  It’s the usual bittersweet feeling, tired and happy to be home and at the same time sorry the adventure is over.  

One of my favorite spots on the C&O is the Monocacy Aquaduct, where the Monocacy River joins the Potomac.

Arriving at my driveway

My welcoming reception made for a great homecoming. 

Savoring the day

 I rode 50 miles, almost all on the C&O, to Brunswick, Maryland.  It’s the second to last day, and I’m very much back in familiar territory.  The morning was rainy, so several people opted to shorten the ride by going on roads part of the way.  Six riders, including me, stayed with the canal route the whole way.  As we ride at very different speeds, Sharon and I didn’t see any of the group until we got to Beans in the Belfry, a wonderful coffee house in an old church in Brunswick.  Even with some rain, the trail wasn’t nearly as muddy as the other day, as much of the surface around here is crushed limestone.  We did one detour out on to roads for a couple of miles around some major reconstruction work on the towpath.  Fortunately today’s route didn’t involve hiking.

This photo is from yesterday, but I didn’t get it until this morning.  It was wonderful to see my friends Ziva and Susan on yesterday’s tide.

We were greeted by a gaggle of napping geese as we got on to the trail this morning.

This view greeted us as we returned to the trail after the detour.  It is a section of the river known as Big Slackwater.  For approximately three miles, the river is calm and the bank is lined with cliffs, making it impossible to dig the canal.  The answer was to enable the barges to enter the river, with just a narrow towpath constructed for the mules. Of course, this section was very vulnerable to floods, and for many years after the recreational trail was opened, this section of trail was impassable, requiring a long detour on roads.  The largest reclamation project in the park was undertaken to rebuild the towpath here,  requiring footing down into the river.  We were able to ride most of it, but one stretch is again being repaired, forcing our detour today.  

Looking down at the Potomac River from our lunch spot.  I love riding in sight of water, one of many reasons I enjoy the C&O so much. 

Just a nice ride June 10

 We rode 50 miles to Williamsport, lots of variety, easy rolling, good company.  Our BnB last night was up the mountain at an altitude of 1630 feet, so we had a nice descent back to river level.  Then we rode about 22 miles on the Western Maryland Rail Trail, which is paved, a nice change, as we have been on unpaved trails since Pittsburgh.  Also, there was no mud.  We stopped in Hancock to check out a bike shop and mourn the loss of a wonder bakery, than were back on the now dry towpath for another 18 miles.  My friends Susan and Ziva drove up from the DC area to ride with us, as they have done several rides with Ken and Nancy and knew most of the group.  They originally introduced me to this group, for which I am very grateful.

The towpath trail goes between the cliff and the river.  Where is the canal?

We usually picnic at a spot with tables, but today the convenient spot near the trail that the vehicle could access was just a clearing, so it was an old-fashioned picnic on the ground.

Our hardy group

Mud and fun June 9

 We rode 44 miles on the C&O Canal, I also hiked a 1 1/2 mile trail detour because the PawPaw tunnel is closed for some reconstruction, and I had about a 40 mile ride in the van so that I didn’t have to do a wicked 6 mile climb to the very nice BnB where we are staying.  Most of the group didn’t want to do the detour hike, as pushing a heavy ebike up a narrow trail would be a challenge and taking it down the other side even more difficult.  Consequently, Ken was shuttling riders and bikes in two trips, so when he picked me up 6 miles from the hotel, I had a round trip ride back to the lunch spot.  Crazy day, and lots of driving for Ken.  

Old log lock house on the towpath.  The first time I rode the whole C&O, I photographed every lock house; this trip I am just admiring them. 

It had rained hard the night before, and campers near this lock rigged up an ingenious clothesline. 

All the rain made the path very muddy, and my bike and I were real mud magnets. 

The views on my hike over the tunnel were spectacular, and the climb was a dramatic explanation for the need for the tunnel.

This view was from the drive up to the BnB.  The Vermonters among us were taken aback by the mountains of western Maryland.

Everything is green, even the water.  I love the canal.

Rolling down the hill June 8

 We literally rolled down the hill into Maryland today, with a 32 mile ride into Cumberland.  We climbed gently for about 8 miles to the Eastern Continental Divide, then did very little pedaling for the next 24 miles, as we gave up the altitude we had gained over the past two days.  Sweet.  We had time for a leisurely lunch in Cumberland, followed, for some us, with excellent ice cream at the Queen City Creamery.  Then our group managed to monopolize the laundry at the hotel for the remainder of the afternoon.  There are several other groups of bikers staying here; I hope they didn’t have as much laundry as we did.

This is a profile of the altitude changes as we climbed up to, and then descended from, the Eastern Continental Divide. The scale makes it more dramatic than it really is. 

At the Divide, then the spectacular view as we started the descent.

Next stop the Mason Dixon Line, where we posed on the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

We didn’t go into Frostburg, but we did enjoy the artwork at the path into the town.

Mile zero of the Great Allegheny Passage.  Now we head down the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to DC.

I love this statue, honoring the canal mules and the children who led them down the towpath. 

No girl germs at this table.  All the men ended up sitting at lunch together, with all the women at another table, mostly based on the order of our arrival.

Rainy day June 7

 We had a very short ride today, only 12 miles down the trail to Meyersdale. Nancy explained that complications in finding lodging for all of us contributed to the schedule. That was fortuitous, as today was gray and rainy.  We arrived in Meyersdale in mid- morning, explored a very good visitor center in the old train station, including watching an excellent video on the trail, exclaiming over places we had just seen, had a long lunch, and were very happy to check in early at our hotel.  

Not such a great view on a rainy morning, but still a very impressive trestle.

We secured our bikes in a gazebo to keep them dry while we had lunch.

Meyersdale is a quiet town.

The town has some nice murals, but it hasn’t done nearly as much to capitalize on its proximity to the trail as have other places.  It doesn’t even have a bike shop.

Sharon mugging it up in a second hand “treasure” store. 

Long, gentle uphill ride June 6

 Our 46 mile ride from Connellsville to Rockport, all on Great Allegheny Passage, was a consistent one percent grade, about 1000 feet of climbing for the day.  When I rode it in 2008, I didn’t notice the grade, but 14 years later, my legs were quite conscious that they had to keep moving.  Of course, my little bike computer now tells me the grade which psychologically doesn’t help. It was another beautiful day, with plenty of time to stop and play along the way, but the legs were still tired.  

The best pie of the trip, at least so far, was a homemade strawberry rhubarb I had at a country diner.  I was so eager to try it that the only pictures of it are in my mind.

Hope, Sharon, and I posed on one of many viaducts.  Out photographer had been staying at the same hotel the previous night.  This stretch of the trip is the first time we are passing or being passed by groups we recognize, as  doing multi day rides on the GAP trail is very popular.

Oops!

A cheery mural welcoming bikers to the small town of Confluence.  We ate lunch in the town square, noting that the bike shop seemed to be doing the best business.

Heading into the Pinkerton tunnel.  I like being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This isn’t a mural or a statue either, so I’m not sure what to call it, but it’s a great rails to trails depiction.

Counting down the miles 

Back in familiar territory June 5

 We headed south from Pittsburgh this morning on the Great Allegheny Passage, which will connect with the C&O canal and bring me right in to Washington.  We rode 58 miles, no hills on a rail trail!  When we are riding on roads, Sundays are usually peaceful, with lots less traffic.  Not so on a rail trail, especially on a day as nice as this one.  There were lots of family groups and hikers, and we encountered a couple of festivals along the trail.  I first rode the GAP trail in 2008, my first multi-day bike trip.  Now I’m enjoying picking out sights I remember.  We ate dinner tonight in a diner I had visited, and the ice cream is still great.

We didn’t have the trail to ourselves, especially in and around towns. 

These rock cuts were made more than 100 years ago when the railroad lines were laid.  They are so grown over that they look quite natural now, and the temperature is a few degrees cooler as you ride next to them.

I brake for waterfalls.

John, Cindy and Stan relaxing along the trail.

More bikes along the trail.

This festival was a fund raiser for trail maintenance.  I was happy to contribute, and to eat!

Into the home stretch.  I’ve bike about 1400 miles so far.

Another fine day