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...