The Great Alleghemy
The past few days have consisted of plenty of flat riding. Not due to the surrounding area, there are plenty of hills as I weave through the Appalachians, but because of the Greater Alleghemy Passage or GAP trail. It’s a rails to trails trail combined with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath (C&O) that runs all the way from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. Unfortunately, the way the schedule works, I’m actually headed to Baltimore before D.C., but I still get to ride the trail for a good portion of the time. The trail weaves the land, and does take off of my average speed, but that’s not a problem when it allows me to avoid the hills and climbs.
Coming out of Pittsburgh I was joined by my host Ryan for almost 85 miles of the ride. It was SO much fun to have somone to ride with and talk with along the ride. I’ve talked to myself so much that I was starting to think I was crazy. Thus, Ryan, despite wearing an Ohio State cycling kit was welcomed company. It was a smooth ride filled with great views of the river below. Raft trips galore scattered different segments of the rapids, and towering bridges shot across valleys offering magical views of the canyons below. I couldn’t complain about the ride one bit.
My hosts for the night were Don and Audrey who had completed a cross country ride previously themselves. They spoiled me with so much good food that I was stuff full. Trust me, when I bike 90 miles in a day, that mission is next to impossible. They did it though. Nice job.
With their two grankids, I had a fun time staying in their gorgeous Log Cabin home atop a hillside overlooking the mountains. It was really an unbelievable view that was surreal as the sunset. Don was a big college football fan. BIG. He loved the sport, so I dished my Badgers trivia and sparked up conversation with his favorite teams. See mom? You always said all that ‘useless’ sports trivia would never come in handy. Nope. On this trip, my knowledge about all sorts of different sports teams from across the country has come in handy. BIG TIME.
I took off in the morning with more riding to do along the trail. Trail riding is easy. You don’t have to worry about traffic, and you just let your mind wander. Water is every few miles, you can hit up a local restaurant, and there are often bike shops in these small cities as well. What more could you need? It’s perfect.
It’s fun talking with all the different touring cyclists that I’ve seen on the trail. From families with the five year olds riding tandem with their parents, to groups of old time friends, there’s a ton of riders taking on the stretch. I hadn’t seen any touring cyclists since the KATY trail between KC and St. Louis. That’s over 3,500 miles! The GAP and C&O is perfect for beginnering touring cyclists who are just getting their feet wet. Believe it or not, this is the first self supported tour I’ve ever done. I just jumped into the deep end and hoped I could swim!
I ended up in a campsite along the river, the C&O Path was muddy, and a lot more bumpy than the GAP, but it got the job done. Sharing my campsite were Matt and Cecelia who were on a bicycle tour to Pittsburgh from DC. That’s not where the similarities stop. Matt had driven to all 30 MLB Ballparks, and had also, like myself, lived in Kenya for sometime. Woah. That’s scary, but awesome. It was great to talk with them throughout the night and here of their adventures. I didn’t have a shower, but the gorgeous river was perfect for a nice swim. Can’t complain about that.
Oh and they had a lighter. Which means I could find surrounding wood and kindling and we could have a campfire! I never get to have campfires. Mostly because I’m either too tired, or I’m stealth camping. So, when I have the opportunity to have a campfire, count me in! Despite the lack of marshmellows and hershey’s chocolate bars, I sufficed with the smell of smoke in my hair and the crackle of the flames. It was perfect.
Today was a nice day of riding. A shorter day, less than 90 miles. Which in the past month has not happened very often. I cranked out the miles and eventually parted ways with the trail to begin riding the roadways once again. I’ve been impressed with the roads in Maryland initially on the ride. Big shoulders, well marked signs. Just wonderful to bike on. I had one big pass to do over some of the mountains of the Appalachians, and then I descended onto Frederick where my hosts were awaiting.
After talking some baseball, feeding me with some Famous Daves, taking me for a ride in a convertable, and allowing me to watch some evening baseball, I am ready for bed. Yet another slate of great hosts. I’ve got a short ride tomorrow, and can’t wait to hit Baltimore and ballpark 19! I’ll be sure to fill you guys in with the details.
Keep on pedaling.
Matt