THE LAST MILE SCHEDULED TO COMPLETE APRIL 15 2013
“Today we are finally ready to build some trail at Sandcastle,” said Allegheny Trail Alliance president Linda McKenna Boxx. “We are finally getting close to the end.” Hats off to Linda and the many people who worked to develop the 150 mile trail between Cumberland, MD and Pittsburgh. When the Sandcastle section is complete, cyclists will have an uninterrupted trail between Pittsburgh and Washington DC.
NEW TRAIL SECTION OPENS NEAR PITTSBURGH
another step closer to connecting the trail to Pittsburgh. The new section is paved with smooth asphalt and flows along the hillside below Kennywood Park. The trail closures button has up to date information regarding the construction progress.
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.
CAN YOU 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.
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.
o 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. There's a long hill between Imperial and McDonald which may is probably the least traveled section. Most visitors to this area won't notice that they're passing through reclaimed strip mines; reclamation efforts have effectively restored the area to a green condition. After the crest of the hill, the trail descends to the outskirts of McDonald, and crosses over the newly restored McDonald Trestle. This impressive structure takes you over the Panhandle Trail which follows the valley below.
Learn more about the Montour Trail from their website here.
