ARE YOU BIKING THE GAP THIS YEAR?
NEW TRAIL OPENS: HOMESTEAD & DUQUESNE CONNECTED
Four miles of new trail were completed last Fall which extends the trail closer to Pittsburgh. The new section is paved with smooth asphalt and flows along the hillside below Kennywood Park. This new section is one of a few that was not a converted railroad bed. Because of that, the elevation changes are a little more dramatic than the typical rail-trail. The short
rolling hills add some character to the terrain and there's a couple bridges which climb high enough to allow trains to pass underneath. The ramps climbing up to the bridge decks are the steepest grade on the trail and are a little challenging with a bike fully-loaded with gear.WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT BIKING THE GAP?
On a rainy night in Ohiopyle, I shared a B&B with a couple who were riding the trail from DC to Pittsburgh. They had spent ten days exploring the country along the trail as they journeyed north. Each day they planned small side trips and the following day they were headed to Fallingwater, which is an amazing house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1936.
The couple had traveled from Louisiana to ride this trail which marked their seventh "through trip" (GAP & C&O Canal together). They looked forward to this trip all year and explained that the beautiful scenery, the interesting Trail Towns, and the abundant wildlife kept them coming back.
They traveled half way across the country to ride a trail that's in my backyard. It made me take a step back and appreciate what Western Pennsylvania and this trail had to offer. It was this trip in 2009 that inspired me to start this website and share my trail adventures with others. Having this trail in my backyard also made me happy that I don't live in Louisiana.
WHO CAN RIDE THE DISTANCE?
When the renovation of the Big Savage Tunnel completed in May 2006, local Pittsburgh media gave the milestone considerable exposure. The tunnel was one of the last obstacles which linked two sections of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail together. It was a big deal because now you could bike 300 continuous miles of trail from Boston, PA to Washington DC.
In an effort to capitalize on the media blitz, Pittsburgh's mayor, Tom Murphy, pedaled his bike from Pittsburgh to DC just after the tunnel grand opening. The mayor was a wee little fella who was athletic but didn't strike me as much of a marathon cyclist. When I saw that he was able to complete the ride to DC, I was inspired. I thought that if he could go the distance so could I. As it turns out, you don't have to be a hard-core cyclist to do this ride. Though it does help to have a good pair of padded bike shorts.
Over the years I have explored many different sections of the GAP on short day trips but I had never ridden the entire trail. That changed in the Fall of 2009 when I finally had a chance to ride the GAP in it's entirety on my first multi-day trip. I had ridden many multiple day mountain biking trips but they were different. I would ride one location the first day and another location the following day...this trip was totally different. Riding for eight hours a day traveling on bike across the country makes for a pretty cool adventure.
Each year I push myself with some sort of physical endurance challenge. This year I plan to ride from Pittsburgh to DC (and possibly round trip) but rather than carry a toothbrush and a credit card, I plan to sleep under the stars an
d transport all of the necessary equipment on my bike. This is breaking from my typical cycling vacation which involves hot tubs and martinis.
My challenge for 2010 was to set a new personal distance record. The goal was to ride from Cumberland, MD to Boston, PA in a day. It was a long day indeed. After one bag of beef jerky, one Buffalo Chicken wrap, several bottles of water, nine hours of peddling, and 130 miles of traveling, my fatigued body rolled into Boston. I'm glad that I did it but I won't be doing that again anytime soon.
THE TALE OF TWO TRAILS
The bike trail to between Pittsburgh and Washington DC is really a combination of two trails which intersect in Cumberland, MD. The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) connects Pittsburgh to Cumberland and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (C&O) connects Cumberland to Washington DC. The 150 miles of the GAP are converted railroad tracks that wind it's way through the mountains of Pennsylvania while the C&O Canal trail was once a towpath used by merchants to pull barges full of freight from the Chesapeake Bay to customers up the Potomac valley. The C&O is a little longer at 184 miles and is filled with history.
Be prepared because the trail surfaces are completely different. The GAP is paved in a few spots but most miles are covered with a smooth crushed limestone surface. The C&O is more rugged. There are some crushed limestone sections but the majority is basically a dirt road with roots, potholes, and a strip of grass growing down the middle. The combination of the two trails provide over 330 miles of continuous car-free riding. Click here to learn more about the trails and trip planning.
