You play in your own yard!
Since the Canadian border is still closed due to COVID-19, we postponed our Great Divide ride to Summer 2021 and instead opted to ride the C&O Canal Towpath and Gap Trail. Thanks to our friends Dan, Christie, Dave, Kathleen, Paul and Terri for the ride intel. You were spot on.
You can learn more about the C&O Canal Towpath and Gap Trail here. We figured that in a relatively short bike tour we could knock out four more states and DC on our 50 state cycling quest while enjoying spectacular scenery, laid back riding and continue to physically (not socially) distance ourselves from others during the pandemic.
Cyclists can ride all or part of either trail but the big question is how to get back to where you started if you don’t want to cycle back. We opted to drive to Pittsburg, park our car and ride the Amtrak train to Washington, DC with our bikes on board the train. Once in DC, we’d ride bikes back to our car in Pittsburgh.
We’re so grateful when a plan comes together. It seems like cycling back to our car always works for us on linear routes since there aren’t any time constraints. We used the same logistics on the Natchez Trace, Katy Trail , Appalachian Gravel Growler and Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET). On the Michelson Trail and Nebraska’s Cowboy Trail we did, yoyo the ride and ride back to our car. More bike riding? We had the time to do it so I’m not complaining. Plus riding in the opposite direction on the same trail offers a different perspective.
Where did we stay? What did we ride? What did we pack?
We planned on camping every night but we always weasel into at least one or two inside stays for a hot shower and since this was my birthday week… well I wasn’t going to argue about choosing to stay at a hotel in town rather than camping at the YMCA in Cumberland.
For a list of daily mileage and where we stayed all week, click here.
Our go-to bikes for touring are our Salsa Cutthroats and we pack the same thing every trip whether we’re going to be gone for two days, two weeks or two months. About the only optional items are based on the season. Obviously we didn’t pack our puffy coats. And yes I know, the amount of electronics we carry is ridiculous.
I’ll tell you what we’re not schlepping around anymore – a stove, cookset and groceries. We can most always find a c-store or restaurant. Doing this saves a lot of time in the morning when packing up and it’s less weight (for me) to carry. And yes, Tom still has to carry the Big Agnes tent.
So here’s how it all went down. It’s something we can look back on a year from now when I hope we’re riding Koko Claims on The Great Divide.
Day 1, Thursday: Washington DC to White’s Ferry, MC | 41 miles
We woke up in Pittsburg at 3:30 am and rode our bikes to the Amtrak station. After a seven hour Amtrak train ride from Pittsburgh to DC, we put our bike bags back on the Cuttys and began riding at 3:45 pm to get a jump start on the route. And…. it started raining. However, we saw immediately, the towpath is home to a lot of deer, turtles, and blue herons. We even saw an osprey and a beaver!
Rain on the C&O turns the towpath into a quagmire with lots of puddles, mud and ruts. We’re good though! That’s what these bikes are made for.
Amidst the downpour and getting close to the end of the day’s ride, a trail angel at White’s Ferry offered to let us camp under his pavilion to get out of the storm. Since we planned to take the ferry across early the next morning, it was the perfect stop. Plus there would be coffee in the morning. Remember? We aren’t packing a stove.
Tom slept soundly in the tent while I nervously monitored the Weather Channel and noticed that the storm cell was not moving on. For over three hours there was intense lightening, thunder and wind. Was this our version of the Midwest delrecho? The severe storm cell hovered causing so much rain and wind. What would the towpath be like the next morning?
Day 2, Friday: White’s Ferry, MD to Harper’s Ferry, WV | 59 miles
We woke up to sunshine (and coffee at the ferry landing). It was a beautiful morning for a ferry ride over to Leesburg, Virginia for breakfast and exploring 20 miles of the Old Dominion Trail. Midmorning we returned to Maryland and continued on the C&O confronted with many downed trees and debris on the trail from storm.
A mile before we reached Harper’s Ferry, the C&O intersected with the Appalachian Trail – kinda cool! Once we arrived to Harpers Ferry where we were staying for the night, we had to take the footbridge (aka stairs with loaded bikes – ouch).
Day 3: Saturday: Harpers Ferry, WV to Hancock, MD | 66 miles
The third day brought more debris on the towpath. A rider cycling the opposite direction told us that at mile post 88 the trail was impassable and to turn around. Ummmm just no. We pushed on and climbed over, ducked under or plowed through the obstacles.
Later in the afternoon, we met a cute family of four stopped along the trail. They were riding with their two sons age eight and ten. The Pringle cannister actually caught my eye. This family is bike touring one section of the C&O at a time. They carry everything they need, use the free hiker/biker campsites and homeschool the kiddos. (even before COVID). Grateful to see families out and about sharing time together and enjoying the outdoors.
We hit Tony’s Pizzeria for an outdoor lunch. It’s a family owned business that’s been serving up food to locals and hungry cyclists for over 35 years. I highly recommend! Be sure to try the garlic knots with homemade Ranch dressing.
Another tip from a cyclist going in the opposite direction told us about the Bicycle Bunkhouse in Hancock, MD. Since Hancock was our planned stopping place for the evening, we decided to check out the bunkhouse.
We had the bunkhouse to ourselves except for Dave (a former state prosecutor) who was bike touring with his pupper named Ozzer. Prosecutors, hair stylists, bartenders and teachers have the best stories. Sit next to them at dinner or at the campfire and you’ll share a few laughs. In town, we again dined outside at Buddielous, where they specialize in fried green tomatoes and ruebens. They were quite tasty!
Day 4, Sunday: Hancock, MD to Cumberland, MD | 61 miles
Cumberland is the end of the C&O Towpath and the beginning of the GAP Trail.
Today we rode through the Paw Paw Tunnel which is considered the greatest engineering feature of the trail. We’d been looking forward to seeing it on bikes. Wouldn’t you know it? At the same time we were riding through it, a boy scout troop (travelling with 30 or so cyclists) rode the opposite direction as us.
The Paw Paw is over 3,000 feet long and the scouts thought they might be able to ride the whole thing instead of dismounting and walking their bikes as was recommended. They tried to ride it, without bike lights and one scout even had his sunglasses on. We giggled. God bless them and their leader. They were all having a good time, had face coverings on and also reflective vests. Gotta admit though, we did feel like a couple of spawning salmon swimming upstream through the Paw Paw.
Day 5 Monday: Cumberland, MD to Ohiopyle, PA | 74 miles
We started the day with a 25 mile, mild uphill grade. It wasn’t really difficult with one earbud to listen to music, scenery to enjoy and a railroad track to follow. We both actually enjoyed this quite a bit.
It’s pretty much biking nirvana here on the GAP where the surface is even and trail towns are every 15 miles or so if we need to resupply. The hiker/biker campsites are immaculate and even come “stocked” with split campfire wood, weenie roasters for hotdogs and smores, plenty of picnic tables and three sided shelters.
Both Tom and I believe that God puts people, places and opportunities in our paths for a reason. It’s not always evident what the reason is and it might take a while to figure it out but we met Marie Bartoletti near Rockwood, Pennsylvania. Marie is 62 years old, has completed well over 450 marathons and several triathalons (including Kona) and she is a retired teacher. She is also a stroke survivor. She came out of nowhere and introduced herself and invited us to her home to retrieve a book she’d written entitled Perseverance.
While Tom was on a conference call for an hour or so, Marie and I chatted it up and soon she was off cycling four houses away for one of her books. I can’t wait to read it. I know this special lady has something for us to learn.
We cross into Pennsylvania, crossed the Mason-Dixon Line, and reached the Eastern Continental Divide (ironic we would have been riding along the Western Continental Divide had COVID not come along). Plus we cycled through the Big Savage Tunnel (even longer than the Paw Paw). It mighta been my fave day of the trip.
Finally the ten miles between Confluence and Ohiopyle, was just about the most perfect section of riding all week. Downhill. Sunny. Scenic.
It’s all rainbows and unicorns until you get to the access trail to Ohiopyle State Park. Ever done it? You don’t wanna. It’s steep, rocky and not what you want to tackle when you’re approaching the 80 mile mark and you’re tired, hungry and thirsty. Not only did we get ‘er done, we set up our tent and then walked back down the ratchet trail into town for an outdoor dinner and bevvie. Of course that meant we had to walk back up it again. In the dark. But at least this time we weren’t pushing loaded bikes.
Day 6, Tuesday; Ohiopyle, PA to Pittsburgh | 78 miles
On the last day of riding the GAP trail (and the last day of our trip), it was just about getting back to Pittsburgh to our car and we took our time.
For those of you who followed along on social media, it was nice having you with us. We’re grateful for so much, even if we are restricted to playing in our own backyard. It’s a most beautiful yard in which to play.
And even though our country may seem divided at times with its warts and imperfections, she’s still evolving and we’re grateful to rock our way through the USA.
Click on the image below to view the trip vid:
Keep Calm and Pedal On 