GAP 2015 by the numbers

Here are some fun numbers from my bike ride on the Great Allgehany Passage...

Total miles : 157.2

Total riding time : 15 hours 59 minutes and 53 seconds

Average speed : 9.8 mph

Maximum speed: 22.8 mph

Hottest daytime temperature : 89 deg

Coolest daytime temperature : 55 deg

Starting elevation : 605 ft

Ending elevation : 725 ft

Highest elevation : 2392 ft

Water consumed on trail : approximately 220 oz

Calories burned : approximately 7680

GAP 2015 day four - Boston to Pittsburgh

MStart time 7:45am

End time 11:00am

Mileage 22.4 (157.2 total)

Well I made it!

I started out this morning with a light breakfast at the B&B and was on the trail early... The Yough Shore Inn is located up a busy hill so I was careful to ride as much in the shoulder as I could for the two blocks of decidedly bike unfriendly traffic ...

Once back on the trail I noticed how quickly the trail scenery changes from woodsy bike path to industrial backlot ... The last truly wooded area of the trail is near Dead Man's Hollow ... A 440 acre nature preserve reclaimed from the shadows of what was once a sewer pipe plant... 

Once you hit the bridge into McKeesport you're never out of sight of active train tracks or warehouses or city traffic... There are some lovely parts of this section but you're always fully aware that you're in a city area ... The trail takes you through the edges of McKeesport along the marina

and several housing areas before crossing the river and continuing up north to Duquesne ... 

At some point along the trail the backside of a roller coaster at Kennywood amusement park is visible...

Then you're back to running alongside the train tracks ... Several bridges take you over the tracks which means a series of quick climbs followed by a brief opportunity to coast..  I took a brief rest at the Pump House near the waterfront area ... 

Just before Homestead you pass the edge of the waterpark Sandcastle

which is on the small side but might be al nice diversion if you were able to stop ... At this point the GAP runs parallel with the Three River Heritage Trail... And it's mostly running along side streets or tracks or chain link fencing ... You cross the river again on the Hot Metal Bridge ...

So named because it was originally used to transport crucibles of molten steel from the blast fun aces on one side of the river to the rolling mills on the other side ... The last few blocks are on the mean streets of Pittsburgh and then you are in the Point State Park ... Here is where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers merge to form the Ohio River... And the official Western Terminus of the Great Allegheny Passage... 

With the full 157 miles of the trail behind me it was time to meet up with my family and enjoy some good food ... 

GAP 2015 day three - Connellsville to Boston (PA)

Start time 8:05 am

End time 3:00pm

Mileage 40.7 (134.8 total)

Today started out with a small but delicious breakfast at the Connellsville Bed and Breakfast ...

The trail was still in good shape and the slight downhill grade made the peddling more manageable... The trail gets pretty thin in some spot especially near the less popular trail towns ... At some points it really nothing more than two dirt tire tracks... But even with the evidence of recent rain the trail was in good shape

Most of the trail in this section was still under a heavy wooded canopy which meant between the natural cover and the mostly cloudy skies it was cooler riding ... It was 55 degrees when I set out and only got into the upper 70s all day... I have to say I'd didn't mind not dealing with the sun today ... As you travel the trail towards Pittsburgh you start to see the complexion of the trail towns change and the old train depots are replaced with plaques about the coal mines and the miners... There were a couple of monuments dedicated to mine explosions... 

Lunch at the Trailside was good ... I had wings... I love wings ... I was afraid I was going to eat too much to be comfortable on the trail but I was fine after lunch... I started to tire a bit after lunch and skipped getting ice cream at the Yough Twister because I was still full and didn't want to slow my momentum ... I also got my tires air "topped off" at the local bike stop ... My pace slowed a little on the last 14 miles of the day ... 

I saw more and more bikers who looked like they were "through biking" in the opposite direction (which is standard) ... Including two large groups with matching jerseys... I also saw a couple of riders going my way as well ... But they were passing me and moving much faster ...

When I arrived in Boston I had to climb a small hill with a lot of traffic to get to the bed and breakfast... I was greeted by Lin, the innkeeper, who showed me around the Yough Shore Inn... 

The inn is a converted senior living facility with each guest room decorated in a fun whimsical style ... I was in the Flower room ...

I asked for dinner recommendations and she offered to take to see a band playing in the next town over... Elizabeth PA closes a section of Plum St. Every Thursday for a free concert... 

I also had supper at a restaurant on the town square...  When the band took their first break I decided it was time to call it a night and Lin gave me a lift back to the Inn... The band was quite good and did several covers of songs I like.. As well as a few original tunes ...

I am sharing the inn with five couples traveling together ... So far we've not really engaged in any conversation... It's a shared bathroom situation so that could be interesting ... 

Tomorrow is my last day on the trail and I plan to have lunch with my wife and daughter in Pittsburgh...

GAP 2015 day two - Rockwood to Connellsville

Start time 8:35

End time 4:35

Mileage 48.1 (93.1 total)

I woke early today .. The steady early morning train traffic outside my window served as my alarm clock ... I took advantage of the early start and did some quick laundry ...

I had a lite breakfast at the coffee shop at the Rockwood Shops and got on the trail about half an hour early.. The fog that greeted me at 7:30 was completely cleared away by 8:30...

The morning temps were in the mid 60s...

The trail section was a bit rougher than the section from day one ... The farmlands and sweeping vistas on the lower section of the trail gave way to a fairly dense wooded area... In fact I was under a canopy of trees for almost the entirety of the ride today... This meant that there was more debris on the trail surface from the trees overhead... The surface was still in great shape but there were more noticeable ruts and rough sections than I experienced on day one

I encountered three different work crews improving section of the trail on my ride today ... It was nice to see the trails being activity maintained... Sadly the Pinkerton Tunnel was not open to traffic yet ...

The completion date of end of July seems to have come and gone... I was chatting with a couple from Annapolis who said that they just stopped working on the tunnel a few weeks ago ... They were working on it today but it looks like it's still a good while til it's done...

I had a pulled pork sandwich at a little BBQ joint called The Smoke House in Confluence ... and they filled my water bottles with ice and water... The place is just to the left as you get off the bridge ... Worth a stop if you're on the trail and hungry for lunch...

I was making good time and decided to press on and have dessert in Ohiopyle... I had a chocolate shake from Kickstands ... 

It's right across the street from the welcome center so it's easy to find ... I spent some time wandering around the little town before getting a fresh squeezed lemonade from the Firefly Grille.... And with that I was back on the trail...

As the miles wore on my legs started to tire ... So I took more breaks and slowed down my pace a bit ... There is also a little bit of a climb the last 2 miles into Connellsville ... Surprise! ... Even with the delays and the slower pace I was into Connellsville about an hour early and checked into the Connellsville Bed and Breakfast before dinner...

I met the inn keeper and she got me settled in to my room ... The French Room is actually in the front of the building with a separate entrance ... Nothing fancy just two beds and a bathroom ... I did some laundry before heading out for supper ... I tried a little sandwich shop near the bed and breakfast ... Not bad but I was really craving more meet... 

Tomorrow is a slightly shorter travel day ... And it's a part of the trail I've never been on before ...uncharted territory so to speak ... 

GAP 2015 day one - Cumberland MD to Rockwood PA

Start time 10:10am

End time 6:45

Mileage 46.0 

I started my ride at Mike zero in Cumberland MD... And after saying my good byes to my family I headed north... The first bit of the trail is really part of the parking lot and you have a busy road to cross ... From there you run alongside the river for much of the trip... 

The trail is in fantastic shape and the riding was pretty smooth the entire time ... I ended up going much slower than I planned because of the steady climb... This put me about 90 minutes off my schedule by the time I reached the Great Continental Divide ... I was able to make up about 15 minutes of that time by the end of the day's ride

About five miles from the Cumberland area on the trail is the Cumberland Bone Cave ...

The story is that this cave was discovered when clearing the way for the train tracks and when it was inspected they found fossil bones from 41 species including several that are extinct... Some of the reconstructed skeletons are on display at the Smithsonian Museum... 

About five miles further I stopped for a bit and had a nice conversation with a man doing an out and back from Cumblerland ... There are nice little rest stops along the trail where you can sit for a bit and eat a snack or catch your breath ... Many of them are also covered so you could sit out a brief rain of you had to...

The next major stop was to be for lunch in Frostburg MD... However that was not to be ... The Trail Side Cafe was unstaffed when I arrived for lunch ... I was informed by the B&B care takers that "they didn't show up today"... I had to settle for gift shop snacks and a banana for lunch ... There are some restaurants up the hill in the town of Frostburg proper but my legs begged me not to climb those steps... On the weekend the area is very active as there is a train that makes excursions from Cumberland and one of the highlights is the engine turn around ... There is also some bike centric public art on display on the path leading up from the trail 

There are the major tunnels on the trail .. The first tunnel is just outside Corriganville and is shared with the train that takes you into Frostburg... The next tunnel is the Borden Tunnel and it is a few miles after Frostburg and the the longest tunnel is the Big Savage Tunnel ... It is 3294 feet long and wel lit and most importantly a blissful 58 degrees ... The view right before the tunnel is stunning and there are several benches for riders to enjoy the view ...

A brief photo op at the Mason Dixon line and on my way ... It was finally back in Pennsylvania... 

My next stop would be about six miles further where I reached the highest point of the trail ... At 2392 feet above sea level the eastern continental divide is the boundary between the Atlantic Ovean and the Gulf of Mexixo watersheds... 

From this point the ride will mostly be slightly downhill... I chatted briefly with a rider going the other way who was as excited about the downhill portion as I was... 

By the time I reached Meyersdale it was too late for lunch and too early for supper ... However it was just the right time for a rest and a root beer float at a new ice cream shop that had opened just a couple blocks off of the trail...Meyersdale has a welcome center at the trail that is a converted train depot... There is a retired caboose that you can tour ...

I didn't eat there this time around but I highly recommend GI Day Room ... But be warned the hill back up to the trail is steep...

A few miles later I crossed over the nearly 2000ft long Salisbury Viaduct... It's over 100 ft above the roads, rails and fields below and affords a spectacular view of the valley ...

Around Garrett PA the surrounding area becomes more farmland and less woods... Train stations give way to barns and the fields of corn and other crops are on either side of the trail ... I took my last rest break was at the trailhead at Garrett... Not much to see here but a welcome rest for my tired legs..

When I pulled into Rockwood for the night I passed a very large group of campers who were headed to their sites for the night ... There must have been about 20 or so .. Husky Haven runs a campground that is literally trailside and has free firewood for the campers and cheap rates ... More importantly they also have a guest house across the river ... It's basically a three bedroom house that they have set up the basement as an office /game room for the campers to use and the rent the bedrooms for travelers ... 

After checking in and getting a shower I headed out to find supper ... My first choice is not open on Tuesdays so I get supper at the Rockwood Mill Shop ... I had a steak sandwich and fries and a root beer ... I also had a nice chat with a father and daughter who are riding the trail on a tandem bike...  I walk the town a bit and head back to the guest house to settle in for the night ...

Off to bed and to rest up for day two ...

Welcome to the Great Allegheny Passage 2015 edition

The next few blog post will be an effort to share my big bike ride on the Great Allegheny Passage... I will be posting initially from the trail as wifi and time permits... And when I get home I'll enhance the original posts with more detail and more photos...

The GAP is a trail that goes from downtown Pittsburgh to Cumberland MD ... It then connects to the C and O Rail Trail to go all the way to Georgetown outside DC... The last connecting section to bring the trail all the way to Point Place Park in Pittsburgh was just completed in the last year or so... I rode the GAP from Connellsville PA to Cumberland MD in 2012 ... But with the full trail complete I thought it was time to revisit the trail...

Most people ride West to East starting in Pittsburgh and going East... This is preferred because the climb is more gradual... I went the opposite direction this year which meant I start with a significant uphill section but get it out of the way earlier...

I will ride unsupported and will carry my supplies on my bike... I'll be staying in bed and breakfast or other lodging on the trail... I could have camped but I thought that biking 150 was enough of a challenge... I will carry clothing, toiletries, snacks, electronics and anything else I need on my bike... I tried to keep the weight of my gear to under 25 lbs

T minus 24

In about 24 hours I will leave my family trailside and start my big bike trip... 150 miles in 3 1/2 days... The beef jerky is packed, the tires are inflated and I'm ready to go... Wi-if willing I'll be posting from the trail...

Tomorrow...

I'm in New York City a day before my first big ride of the season... The Five Boro Bike Tour...if you don't know what this ride is, you should... Imagine riding on 40 mikes of New York City streets and bridges with no cars, trucks and buses... Now imagine you're joined by 31999 other bicyclists... All on a day that weather wise is shaping up to be the best I've e dr seen in NYC... 

this is my first official ride (I volunteered last year) and I went down to Basketball City to pick up my registration packets... The Bike Expo was packed but the packet pick up was done in no time ... There were vendors and tour operators and bike shops showing off the latest gear or the coolest trips ... There were food truck outback for lunch ... I gave in to my baser need and had a #5 from Gorrila Cheese ... It was delicious... 

After the expo I went for a walk ... Around Chinatown and across the Manhatten Bridge into Brooklyn ... 

Tomorrow is going to be a good time ...

30 days and counting ...

In 30 days I will be riding on the car free streets of New York City ... I will be joining 31999 other cyclists and about 2000 volunteers at Bike New York's 5 Boro Bike Tour... All the proceeds go to fund Bike New York educational programs ... I volunteered last year and had a good time ... 

My bike is in the shop for its yearly spring check up... Hopefully it'll be back soon ...but I'm so busy at work that I won't really have any time to ride before that weekend ... Here's hoping that 40 miles doesn't kill me ...

I've ordered a custom t-shirt for the event and my new bike bag will be in before the ride ... 

I may live blog the event ... 

75 days and counting...

Looking forward to the start of bike season... In 75 days I'm riding the 5 Boro Bike Tour ... 40 miles on traffic free New York City streets ... All five boroughs ... 32000 cyclists...

I volunteered last year and rode about half the route ... So this year I'll do the whole tour ...

Hopefully the spring will provide me with plenty of opportunities to train...