Some of you have been following along on this journey through social media, but I wanted to put a record of this trip here. I biked the old Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal and the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), which follows old railroad lines from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, Union Railroad, and Western Maryland Railway. These trails are mostly gravel, although some parts are paved near the cities, and they are relatively flat or have very gradual elevation increases or decreases. Rail trails like this are so much less stressful than the highway rides I’ve done in the past. Some days, the riding was so smooth I had entire phone calls with friends and family while biking. I never really thought I’d get into long-distance bike touring, but it’s really a delightful way to see the world. Fast enough to actually see lots of places, but slow enough to notice what’s happening around you. One of my favorite part of these trails was the incredible amount of wildlife along the trail that I got to see — owls, herons, snakes, deer, turtles, groundhogs, and more.
Day 1: Washington DC to Brunswick, MD – C&O – 58 miles
What a wonderful day of wildlife along the C&O Trail. I saw 2 owls, at least 5 great blue herons, 1 snake, 1 great heron, at least 4 deer, and a couple woodpeckers. 🚲 58 miles
Day 2: Brunswick, MD to Williamsport, MD – C&O – 51 miles
Delicious breakfast followed by lovely forest riding before I stopped in beautiful and historic Harper’s Ferry. Took a hilly, hot detour to the Civil War battlefield of Antietam before heading back for a lovely afternoon along the Potomac. 🚲 51 miles
Day 3: Williamsport, MD to Little Orleans, MD – C&O – 46 miles
Slow, steady uphill grind today on muddy, gravel trails. Stopped to see Fort Frederick (built for the French and Indian War), a cement factory, as well as admiring all the tilted rock layers and cool reflections in the water. Lots and lots of deer today and one adorable turtle. 🚲 46 miles
Day 4: Little Orleans, MD to Frostburg, MD – C&O + GAP – 64 miles
After last night’s rain, it was a muddy mess of a ride this morning, but 2 turtles came out to play and I saw over 10 deer. The walk through the pitch black Paw Paw Tunnel was surreal. Finished up the C&O Trail at the 184.5 mile marker in Cumberland and then started a long grueling climb to Frostburg. Cool sculptures on the way into town but then I found a black widow in my shoe. Life is always exciting on trail. Onwards to the Great Allegheny Passage. 🚲 64 miles
Day 5: Frostburg, MD to Ohiopyle, PA – GAP – 58 miles
Foggy climb crossing the Mason-Dixon Line up the rest of the hill. Top of the hill is the Eastern Continental Divide and all the water on this side empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It was a long day of tunnels and waterfalls and an afternoon of riding in the rain. Very pretty. Very wet. 🚲 58 miles
Day 6: Ohiopyle, PA to Connellsville, PA – GAP – 34 miles
Highlight of the day was obviously my trip to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater but then everything started going downhill. I got a flat on my front tire and fixed it, but then after a nice ride through lots of waterfalls I arrived in town and got a flat on my back tire 2 blocks from a bike shop (that was unfortunately closed). Fixed it and started onwards to my original stop for the night before I got another flat and realized that my tire wall had actually busted. I was out of patches and out of tubes and very unsure about my bike making it another ten miles, so back to Connellsville I went since I knew there was a bike shop here. Found a cute B&B for the night and life is good. You never know what’s going to happen on a bike trip and it’s best to roll with the punches. It’ll be a long day of riding tomorrow after the bike shop opens at 11am, but for now I’m going to enjoy the cozy, lazy morning of sleeping in. 🚲 34 miles
Day 7: Connellsville, PA to Pittsburgh, PA – GAP – 61 miles
Spent my morning enjoying this working miniature railroad reproduction of the town inside a local canteen. I got a super late start after I bought my new tire and then still ended up with another flat 20 miles out. Got it fixed up and ready to go with the help of another biker and off I went. Plenty of waterfalls, lots of whimsy, and some cute groundhogs. Finally made it to the end of the GAP Trail in Pittsburgh at 8pm! So grateful to be able to do these intense and beautiful rides. 🚲 61 miles
Meandering Marbles 