The Glide

Beginning a 40 mile downhill glide.  Note the large smile.

September 30 Rockwood to Connellsville.  Our B&B hostess provided us a breakfast of local fare – eggs, sausage and maple syrup all produced in the area. Everything was good but we do miss West Coast coffee.   And then we pushed off for a 46+ mile day.  Thanks to Rob’s rain avoidance strategy, we had a dry run, except for a few misty miles mid-morning.  (Shortly after we had arrived in Rockwood the night before it began to rain and continued well into the night – sometimes coming down in  torrents.  So riding that short day yesterday to stage ourselves in for a fast run to Connellsville really paid off.) 

 

Zippy-dodah, zippy-day.  Mister Bluebird singing on my...........

The ride today was super.   We were concerned that all the rain would leave the trail sluggish, but it was reasonably fast. The storm from last night had littered the trail with broken branches, but they were simple enough to dodge.   

The river was swollen and powerful, and we followed it downstream throughout the ride.  On the other side of the trail were stone ledges and wonderful rock formations,  waterfalls, coal bearing rock strata, and beautiful foliage.  Occasional deer, chipmunks and one rabbit graced us with their presence.  And along the way we were regaled by bird songs.   As we flowed down hill, we met several  cyclists going the other direction - all wore happy smiles and offered friendly greetings. (Yeah we know this sounds like a Disney family flick… but it is all true.) 

As we took a quick stand down along the trail a couple rolled up going our direction - Jim and Mary, who had driven from their home in Grand Rapids, MI to Cumberland, to ride the GAP.  They have never done an overnight bike ride, and they were tickled their first ride was so proving so easy. They are staying at the same B&B tonight and we are currently sharing a washer and dryer.

The Trail crosses the river in a number places via wooden viaducts

Tomorrow’s weather looks good. Our plan is to roll into a town just south of Pittsburg some time before sunset.  

This way Pittsburg..........

Vindicated and Fingers Crossed

September 29 Meyersdale to Rockwood.  Staying at the Levi Deal Mansion B&B with hosts Michael and Jan was the way to go.  We slept well, notwithstanding the frequent rumble of trains and their whistle blasts throughout the night.  The Mansion was fully booked, mostly with cycling spouses (one of whom is a recently retired USDOJ Assistant Attorney General).  She and Diane had a good time extolling the virtue of retirement.  Breakfast was in two shifts, and since we had a very short day, we took the second shift and had a relaxing morning, including spending quality time at the local Laundromat. 

We then embarked on our quick 12 mile ride to Rockwood, and not caring about the light drizzle.  The ride was scenic with hillsides beginning to boast their autumn colors.  

One of the treats of this short ride was traversing the Salisbury Viaduct  over the Casselman River, a 100 feet high, 1900 foot long bridge.  The original bridge was a Western Maryland Railways trestle, built in 1912 and used until 1975.  In the 1990's, the Allegheny Trail Alliance acquired the bridge, and built a concrete deck in place of the former railroad deck. The bridge opened to trail users as part of the Great Allegheny Passage in 1998.

Two photos on the viaduct

 

Our B&B (The Rockwood Trail House) for the night was easy to find.   You just pull off the trail into the yard.  And it is tranquil.  We have the whole place to ourselves.  Even though we called to say we would be arriving early in the day, the host was welcoming, and told us he wouldn’t be there, but that he would leave the door unlocked for us, and told us which room was ours.  He also provided fresh baked cookies, assorted teas and hot chocolate.  (We’ll see the host come breakfast time.)

The beasts of burden in for the evening.

We walked downtown for a light lunch, stopped at a country store to buy comestibles for dinner, and have settled into our B&B for the evening.  

Many of the small towns have wonderful murals - all reminiscent of works commissioned by the WPA in the 1930s 

It started raining constantly at 2pm today but tomorrow's forecast is just for overcast skies. Fingers Crossed!

Over the Eastern Divide

We are now on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP)

September 28 Cumberland to Meyersdale.  Change of plans due to the threat of heavy rain.  We planned to take a day off in Cumberland, but a low front promised at least scattered rain on Monday, and the likelihood of even more substantial rain on Tuesday. So we hedged our bets, cancelled our Fairfield room, and arranged for B&B accommodations in Meyersdale, 35 miles up the GAP.  Our hope was that we could stay ahead of the rain, but that hope was soon dashed and we rode in light rain most all day.  But at least it was not pounding rain, and there were some breaks where we thought maybe we had out ridden the rain.

The surface on the GAP is crushed stone,  and when it’s wet, it slows you down about three miles an hour.  That, and the fact that we were making a 23 mile climb to the eastern continental divide,  made for a long day.

23 miles of uphill at 1.5% doesn't seem like much until realize you never glide. Below is what that looks like on a map.

 

(Remember we started in Cumberland and ended in Meyersdale, so Diane was smiling has she pedaled over the divide)

 We were averaging only 6.1 mph.  But when we reached the top of the divide we hustled the last ten miles into Meyersdale at about 12 mph. 

  
Once at the Levi Deal Mansion, we were very well pampered!  And Diane declared that while we had not out run the rain she had at least outrun her cold.

We rode through 3 tunnels this day. The Borden Tunnel is not lighted.  It was so dark you could only orientate yourself with the other end of the tunnel and hope to ride a straight-line.  Above is the Big Savage, the longest, well lite but the slight up and down of the floor made you feel like you were riding over light swells on the ocean.

Fall at the top of the Eastern Continental Divide. (This pic proves that it did not rain every minute of the day. Rob)

Walking the Paw Paw Tunnel

September 27 Little Orleans to Cumberland.  Steve our host served us slow cooked thick bacon and eggs, blueberry pancakes for Rob and gluten free toast for Diane, with good strong coffee, and OJ.  He gave us a brief history of the Lodge (originally a one-room school house) and took Rob on a quick trip to check out an alternate route back to the trail (which we decided not to take). Then we were off on our last day on the C&O trail and eager to traverse the Paw Paw tunnel. 

Diane runs the single track and the boardwalk to the tunnel

   Built in 1912 this 3118 feet long unlit tunnel burrows through solid rock and is faced with brick. 

 We walk in the dark along the canal separated from the water by only a board railing.     

The photo flash lights up the total darkness of the Paw Paw tunnel.

The tunnel did not disappoint, but the remaining part of the 45 mile ride was almost anticlimactic.  As we approached the 186 mile marker, i.e., the end of the C&O  trail, the canal just disappeared, an ignoble end to a noble idea conceived of by the father of our country, George Washington.  And as for Diane’s withholding judgment until that part of the ride was complete, it turns out that Rob had accurately described the trail.  This was a great ride!

As we entered Cumberland, the  Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) began were the C&O ended.  And our home for the night, the Fairfield Inn was adjacent to the trail.  It was a welcome sight after the long day’s journey.

The End of the C&0 Trail... now Diane is a gravel grinding pro.

Let's Go To Buddy Lou's For Lunch

 C&O Trail speed bumps (tree roots)

September 26 Williamsport to Little Orleans.  Another good day of biking.  About 20 miles on the C&O, 2 miles of highway/city streets and 22 miles on the asphalt Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT), which parallels the C&O.   

 

We  were on the bikes by 8am after a quick Waffle House breakfast, and at our home for the night, Little Orleans Lodge, by 5pm.  Sights for the day included Dam #5, several canal ruins, beautiful black & blue butterflies, white tail deer, squirrels, but no turtles.  The trail was an easy ride, but since the WMRT fits within Diane’s bucket list to traverse (asphalt and 20 miles or more), we decided to do it now. 

We had a great lunch at Buddy Lou’s in Hancock, a very bicycle friendly community.   

 

Rob had a Cuban sandwich and fries, and Diane had a lobster roll (yes!) sans roll, grilled Brussels sprouts, tossed with bacon chunks and slivers of Granny Smith apples, and a mixed greens salad.  MmmGood.  The serving portions were substantial, and we still had 16 miles to cover, so we packed up leftovers and ate them for dinner!  

The C&O canal company used the Potomac River in some places. Now in those areas the trail sometime literally hangs over the river.  Below Diane cautiously enters a blind corner caused by the trail  abutting the River.

 And then rolls along a short concrete stretch along the bank. (And yes, I can ride my bike with one hand.)

(Each lock had a keeper, usually single men, lived in these small houses.)

Little Orleans is a very tiny village, and Bill’s Place is the only restaurant/ grocery store/tavern.  We stopped in for drinks (chocolate milk for Diane and ginger ale for Rob), and then headed out to the Lodge, about a half-mile out of town.   

 Looking down the C&O Trail from the WMRT.

 PS.

We thought we were settled in for the night, when we discovered Diane’s bicycle computer was missing.  Neither of us remembered removing it from the bike.  Diane searched our room and Rob searched the area where our bikes were parked in car port, to no avail.  Our host even drove Rob slowly back to Bill’s Place to see if it was on the road. A quick search where we had parked the bikes at Bill’s was futile.  Before we went to bed, though, Rob looked in the last place – the sofa bed on which he had been sitting.  Voila!!   Diane had lifted the sofa pillows, but Rob did the necessary deep digging! (Not sure how I am getting blamed for this one? Rob)