Ride Report: 2013 Ride2CW on the Great Allegheny Passage

On Thursday, June 6, I spent twelve and a half hours in the saddle riding the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh, PA to Frostburg, MD. Twelve. And a half. Hours. It was 125 miles. It was hard. It was wet. It was rainy and windy.  And it was, uh, uphill.

Here's what I'm talking about:

http://www.atatrail.org/tmi/elevation.cfm

See Pittsburgh there on the left? and see Frostburg 119 miles from there, near the peak of that big pointy bit? The tippy top of that pointy bit is the Eastern Continental Divide, marking the point where rivers West of the divide drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River and various tributaries, while rivers East of the divide drain into the Atlantic Ocean.

That was a great moment, riding through that tunnel. After spending all day riding uphill, it meant I could go downhill for the first time. I nearly shed a tear. Shortly after that, I crossed the Mason-Dixon line into Maryland.

I did not imagine this ride would take me quite this long.  But the wet conditions made this a much tougher ride in the second 2/3 or so of the trip. The trail itself is crushed stone and is quite well-maintained. Apart from a stretch in Homestead, PA and a few small sections here and there, there's not much pavement. And when stone dust gets saturated, well, its' slow going.

I made great time in the first 40 miles or so to Connelsville, averaging a little over 18mph. But as the track got slower, I also got a bit more tired. The elevation was not epic - there are no steep sections at all except for a bridge or two - but combined with a mushy trail it means that there is no end to the pedaling. Ever. Must pedal.

As with all epic rides (you can't plan an epic ride, they just have to happen to you), I learned a lot. Here are a few things I'd pass along:

1. Everybody else I saw was riding the GAP trail the *other* way. See elevation chart for details. Getting the climb out of Cumberland, MD out of the way early in the ride, I can imagine it would be a pretty nice trip down to Pittsburgh. If you can arrange that, give it a thought.

2. Ohiopyle State Park in PA is amazing. Hands down, the most scenic part of the trip. If you want a picture for your mind's eye, this is the area where Frank Lloyd Wright's famous house Fallingwater is located. The bike trail goes through the cliffs all along the Yough river(s), Upper and Lower. Fantastic.

Photo by Mike Mcleod @mcleodm3

3. Trail miles are not the same as road miles. I knew this in the abstract, of course, which is why I brought my 'cross bike. But this trip brought it home. In dry conditions, I think this ride is feasible in 8-9 hours counting stops to fill bottles, etc. It would help to have someone to ride with too. I did it alone. Though I had a friend up the road who I was hoping to meet up with (he did an out and back from Frostburg) we never quite made the connection.

4. The Homestead trailhead area is a fine place to overnight. It is suburban, near a big mall complex, with several hotels nearby. I got dropped off here and rode to the trailhead the next morning to start. After a long day in the saddle, I was very much looking forward to a shower and a bed. In Frostburg, mine were waiting for me in a dorm at Frostburg State University. Not quite the Holiday Inn Express. But the rooms there are available to riders who need a place to stay.

5. A few of the towns really cater nicely to riders on the trail. West Newton, Connellsville, Ohiopyle (the town), and Meyersdale all have nice stopping places where you can fill bottles, grab food, and rest near the trail. Because this is a converted rail trail, these town had stations that are now converted to trail visitors centers and most seemed to be staffed during working hours (9-4).

6. When you ride with an extra 20ish pounds of gear on your back in a backpack, a corresponding pressure is applied to the sit bones, altering ever so slightly but in a manner that is culumulatively consequential the otherwise well-seasoned touch points on one's saddle area. For the first time in years, my backside was sore during a ride. That started about halfway in. No lasting damage, but man was I glad to get out of that backpack. I don't have panniers, but I'd recommend them to anyone doing this trip.

All in all, it was a ride I'm happy to have done. It was for a great cause...we raised over $3000 for the Ride2CW supporting graduate students and fixed-term faculty grants. Apart from the weather, it was fantastic. The route was great. Kudos and thanks to the folks in Pennsylvania and Maryland (the GAP trail goes to Cumberland, but picks up another and continues all the way to D.C.) for this fantastic resource!