My father-in-law over the years has cycled from the west coast of Canada to Pittsburgh. On this trip we would be completing his coast to coast by riding from Pittsburgh to Washington DC via the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP).
The GAP is a disused railway line that runs from downtown Pittsburgh to Washington DC although it changes name along the way to the C&O trail.
Travel and 1 day in Pittsburgh
Our travel day went pretty smooth given it was going to be a long day. 3:50 start. Kelowna to Calgary. Calgary to Detroit. Hire a car and drive to Pittsburgh. The one hiccup was I managed to do my back (in an unusual way) walking from the car to check in. So while I was, in a pretty bad way, on the floor of the airport Rob had to lug around the bikes and sort check in. This was exactly the sort of job I was being brought along for! It was also a bit of a concern for the trip although we had time in Pittsburgh to recover. I also managed to get through customs in Calgary without even showing them my passport (it is even meant to be stamped) so not sure what’s going on there! Beyond that not much to report about travel.
We stayed at the Travelers rest, a cute hostel style lodge close to the start of the trail. It is very much a bike themed place. The owner, Paul, was super helpful with pointers and anything we needed.
Our day was spent putting the bikes together, returning the car to the airport (long way away) and then heading into the center for an explore. There wasn’t a huge amount to see but it turned out there was a baseball game (Pirates vs Braves) so decided that was a good thing to do as I have never been to an MLB game. Rob is into his baseball so could explain everything but it still seems a slow boring game. And the $17 (US) beer seemed excessive!
A great day and now rest up for the bike trip. 560km over 6 days.
Day 1 – Pittsburgh – Connelsville
6:15 departure along the trail straight out of the city. Not much to report, the trail is tarmac and for the most part very good although some root bumps here and there. We made great time out of the city.
You just follow the river out of the city until you reach the Youghiogheny river, which you cross and then head up. This is the point where you move to limestone crush but it is immaculate so the cycling conditions are crazy good.
The weather was absolutely perfect for cruising along enjoying the scenery, with birds singing and lots of wildlife to be seen. The scenery reminds me quite a bit of parts of Devon and southwest England. Very green quite high banked rivers. But like everything in America there is more of it and it’s bigger.
We tried to stop in West Newton for food, but it was too early, so carried on with the snacks we had. Shortly after we pulled over for a break and a snack so I could have my my first crack at fishing. No sign of fish.
The trail just follows the river which is very windy so your point of direction is very confusing, we spent a lot of time heading west when trying to go east!
Onwards we went making great time. At our next stop not far from our destination I had another go at fishing. No fish but at least a sign as I saw one jump! Progress!
We came into town and our hotel, the Comfort Inn, is perfectly placed next to the trail close to the start of the town. As a bonus it was right by the river and lots of people were fishing. After a quick shower I headed out for some wet wading to see if i could have some success. I had a nibble and the guy next to me caught two. So I was getting closer. The sun was getting pretty strong though so I retreated inside for a rest. A long few days ahead and didn’t need to over do it on day 1.
Day 2 – Connelsville to Rockwood.
Wet wet wet! Setting off the forecast was for rain, some more rain and then even more rain later in the day. Dressed from head to toe in wet weather gear we set off for an uphill day towards Rockwood.
The first few hours went better than hoped with the rain and pretty good conditions. We followed the river along but never really close enough to fish although it was starting to look a little fishy. The woodland was beautiful with some waterfalls and streams thrown in.
The first town we came to was Ohiopyle which became a coffee break even though it wasn’t raining at this point. Morale was high.
As we restarted with 29 miles to Rockwood the rain started and the slow ebb in morale commenced. It was just raining harder and harder and we were getting wetter and wetter. The shame was we were passing some quality looking fishing water between Ohiopyle and Confluence but with the rain it was not the time to be stopping. I even managed to speak to a couple of fisherman but they both said waders were probably required.
By now we were just getting wetter (if possible) and muddier as the trail was throwing up a lot of dirty water. Morale continued to deteriorate and we couldn’t even find a covered place to stop for a snack. When we did stop, not covered, my bagel and muffin hadn’t survived the rain and were very soggy!
As Rob said shortly after resuming… ‘This Sucks!’.
We kept going to Rockwood and checked into our B&B. After washing the bikes and each other down with a hose we got a shower and warm clothes and morale returned. It increased further when we discovered we had the B&B to ourselves. Perfect!
We popped to the local store which also doubles as the local restaurant (pizzas) and took one back with some beers for a game of cards. While we had been recovering the river had been going up and up and up. Trees were coming down, flood alerts were issued and it had turned completely brown. A local said they have never seen the river so high. The forecasters got this one really wrong. Lets hope they do better on the rest of the trip.
It was a good end to a soggy wet day that couldn’t have been more different from the first day and on we go!
Fishing update – unfortunately the fishing kit has been put away as with the river so high and brown it is going to be days before any fishing is possible. Real shame today as there was some quality water and one of the guys I spoke to had caught 14 so pretty sure I could have found one.
Day 3 – Rockwood to Cumberland
We woke to a gray but not raining morning and after breakfast got moving. The river was still running hard but had come down a bit since last night. The day before it had gone up 10 feet in 12 hrs which is pretty insane.
The trail continued upwards and as we approached what I assured Rob was the top we moved into a cloud and things started to get quite wet, again. Despite my assurances, it wasn’t anywhere near the top. As we climbed further into the cloud we had to put our wet weather gear on as the mist turned to rain. We encountered our first section of flood damage but luckily we able to work our way around it. There was going to be quite the tidy up mission from the floods.
The river at the top looked like it would have been perfect for fishing but was a muddy blown out mess. Amazingly there were signs all along saying “private land but allowed to fish, please don’t litter”. Not often you see that and a shame I couldn’t take advantage as it was the first bit of small water I had seen which is my favourite.
Every time I pointed out a good fishing spot to Rob he was pointing out how a bridge was or wasn’t slanted for the train. It was clear we had very different priorities in what we were looking at!
At the peak you cross the Eastern Continental divide. This marks the change of the watershed from the Gulf of Mexico to Cheseapeake Bay. Shortly after you cross the Mason Dixon Line and enter into Maryland.
Having summited we then had a very long and cold descent through the cloud until we reached Cumberland. For the most part it went smoothly but in places the trail had washed away and we had to walk our bikes through the rubble.
Given most of the day was downhill we arrived in great time. Found some lunch, did some work and even squeezed in a run.
For dinner I had catfish which I think was a first. The sauce was lovely but not sure catfish is my favourite fish! Then early to bed as tomorrow was going to be a big one!
Day 4 – Cumberland to Williamsport
Oh boy what a day. We knew this was going to be hard as it was our longest day (84 miles) and it lived up to expectation.
Rob set off in the dark but I hung around for breakfast and then set off at high pace to chase him down. At that time in the morning there was so much wildlife it was great, deer, opossum, even a goose got a bit shirty with me! Later on in the day there were also a crazy number of butterflies around which was lovely to see.
I caught him about an hour in and things were going swimmingly. We were aware that further down the road the trail was flooded and we would have to take a detour but for now things were great.
We had a few obstacles we had to find a way through, trees fallen down and muddy patches. The trail runs along the old canal (76 locks) and so wasn’t that exciting. Trees all around and a muddy stagnant stretch of water next to us.
At Old Town things started to turn for the worse. The trail was closed due to flooding, but the sign just said closed, it didn’t provide a detour or even where the trail was closed to. So we moved onto the roads and and had to make our own plan.
This started with a hill and within 50m of going up my chain got caught and I couldn’t get it out, I then couldn’t change gear. To us it looked bent so after 20 mins of playing around we had got it so I could use 1 gear. For 3 days having one gear would not have been a problem but this 5 mile stretch did nothing but go up and down and not in a gentle way either. This was savage on the legs!
We tried to rejoin the trail at Paw Paw and luckily this was possible as there were no signs. The first thing we had to do was go through the Paw Paw tunnel which is quite a cool tunnel. However the narrow path was uneven, had puddles and no light. So common sense prevailed (Rob) and we walked our bikes through.
For the next section (few hours) the trail was pretty good but very meandering along the river which meant we were not being as efficient as a crow and only having 1 gear was beginning to wear thin. The cycling was only broken up by having to go around/over fallen trees.
About 13 miles from Hancock we joined the West Maryland Rail Trail. However, it wasn’t well signed so we missed the first mile or so. This was annoying as it is beautiful tarmac which made a nice break from the trail. Once on it we were heading for Hancock and a much needed coffee break.
Arriving in Hancock we found out there wasn’t a coffee shop but there was a bike shop and in no time they had me fixed up so I had all my gears back! We were now only 17 miles from our destination in Williamsport.
The tarmac continued for about another 12 miles and then we were back on the trail and heading towards a much needed rest. Plot twist. Fallen trees 7 miles from home meant we had to venture onto the roads away from the river. Luckily this section wasn’t nearly as hilly as the first detour and was actually much more interesting as got to see the farmland and houses.
That is one observation of riding this rail trail. It has been a very good way through the mountains and lots of pretty trees and rivers. But it is only trees and rivers. I don’t think I have really seen what Pennsylvania and Maryland are like which is a bit of a shame.
One thing I have observed is the crazy amount of mowing that goes on! If America wanted to be great again they should just put the hours spent mowing to good use! Everything everywhere is an immaculate lawn!
As we came in to Williamsport the sun came out and it got HOT!! Luckily we were done for the day and after some down time we could go enjoy a beer with only two shorter days ahead of us!
Quick note Williamsport had to have the least inspiring choice of restaurants I have ever seen. We settled on Pizza and even with low expectations it did disappoint. The warning should probably have been having French Fries as appetizers. The beer was good.
Day 5 Williamsport – Leesburg
After the mammoth day yesterday we decided to ride on the road today. Slightly shorter with more hills, but the main reason was to actually see something of the country. I have been riding for 4 days and just seen river and trees.
Our first hour was rolling hills and nice countryside, really nice to enjoy the scenery and people here are very kind to cyclists on the road. Which makes a big difference.
Our first stop was a historical one at the battlefield of Antietam. I don’t know much about this and still don’t so will do some reading but wow it happened over a big area and from the little I have read was pretty brutal.
After this we returned to the trail but had to ford a stream to get onto it. Rob took a quick dip on route, luckily he only got wet feet. I nearly got bounced off my bike but did make it through mostly unscathed!
The trail took us down to Brunswick where we had to dodge the fallen trees, washed out trail and muddy patches which made it slow progress but we made it. Highlights were encountering a giant terrapin on the trail and seeing a heron standing on a log drifting down the river. The downside was if you stop the bugs find you in no time and I took a few nibbles!
At Brunswick we stopped for a snack (sugar cinnamon bun) and drink at a nice cafe (Maple & Rye), before heading south into Virginia.
The countryside is really nice and green rolling hills. I have no idea what happens here. Everyone seems to live in a massive house well spaced apart. No farming apart from a few people with horses, just more immaculate mowing. I really don’t get it.
We did cross a couple of nice streams that looked like they could be fishy but the water is still a bit murky and really that part of the trip has gone. Oh well, I now know I can easily bike pack with my fishing kit.
It would almost be a beautiful place to live but the heat and humidity is brutal. After arriving in Leesburg I went for an easy run and nearly died. It’s savage and apparently this is about as good as the weather gets here.
We had by far the best dinner of our trip at the Wine Kitchen. Properly good food which was a nice change from the rubbish we had encountered everywhere else.
Day 6 Leesburg – Washington DC
Our final day was meant to be a downhill cruise to the center of DC on a paved trail. It didn’t turn out that way. I think tired legs, more up and down than down and a head wind made for a serious slog. It didn’t help that there wasn’t much to see and the trail started to get pretty busy with cyclists, triathletes and runners. The only thing of note was we went through a nice park near Arlington.
One great thing with the trails though is they took us right into the center of the city without having to ride on roads. We were also arriving on Saturday morning and the majority of the city was completely dead so no issues with cars when finding our hotel.
We located our hotel, changed, had some lunch and discussed how to spend the afternoon. I will point out here I had done zero planning on this trip (apart from booking a couple of hotels) and had just been a passenger on a very well organised expedition. So when Rob chose a hop-on hop-off bus tour I wasn’t convinced but went along for the ride.
Even Rob agreed it was a disaster and one of the worst things either of us have ever done. The audio sets barely worked and didn’t say anything interesting. The bus was so hot downstairs and no cover upstairs. We did see most the sights but it was such a round about route that we eventually just got off, got some water, and walked home. We missed the White House but were just happy to be off the bus!
We found a good place for dinner and then got an early night as the next day we were cheating and getting a train to New York for some R&R.
New York
I have been to New York once before and enjoyed it and this trip reinforced that.
- Central Park is pretty special park for a city center. Great to run around. Saw a lot of birdwatchers but don’t know what they were looking for.
- The Met is such a good museum but has too much to see in one go. The musical instrument and arms and armour section were my favourite.
- Compared to most of what Canada offers, and 100% anything we have had on this trip the food was so good and proper sized (small) portions.
- Good shopping. We spent quite a bit of time walking the shops and again compared to rural Canada this is a little different!!
- We went to the Lion King. I love musicals a lot but wouldn’t put this as one of my favourites. Visually and production wise it was absolutely amazing. However, you can tell its a movie that has become a stage production and there is limited depth to it and even acting I would say.
I’m sure we will go back at some point but I am not sure it’s somewhere I will go out of the way to visit again. Now back to Canada for the summer!
As I have now been quite a few states here is a brief summary of those I’ve visited:
- Alaska – One of the most special places I have ever been. 100% worth a visit.
- Arizona – No thanks. No idea what all the fuss is about in Canada.
- California – Only been to SF and will do more but has never been a priority
- Delaware – Went through on a train and that was enough.
- Florida – No need to go there again. Twice was too many.
- Hawaii – Beautiful but very very expensive and don’t see why you wouldn’t go to Mexico.
- Idaho – Mostly driven through, but I like it and has good fishing.
- Maryland – Liked the scenery as reminded me of the UK a bit, but so humid!!
- Montana – Stunning state with great fishing and so much outdoors.
- Michigan – Didn’t really see but is somewhere I have wanted to explore, so would go back.
- New Jersey – Trained through. Not as bad as Delaware but don’t think I will be back.
- New York State – Really enjoy New York and also the north of the state (Adirondacks)
- Nevada – Cool scenery and Vegas is quite fun. Very empty.
- Ohio – Only drove through it but doesn’t seem like there is really anything there.
- Oregon – Beautiful scenery with awesome fishing. Want to see the coastal region.
- Pennsylvania – I liked it. Not sure what I would do but think I could spend time exploring
- Utah – For some reason I keep finding myself racing there. I like it, but just seen it.
- Virginia – Same as Maryland really liked the area but too humid to want to be there.
- Washington – Haven’t explored much but is the same as BC really.
Adventures of a fishing triathlete 