Month: October 2019

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Start: Hancock, Maryland
End: Hagerstown, Maryland
Mileage/cumulative: 36 / 902
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 1,680′ / 18,875′
Weather: Sunny, 40º at start; sunny, 60º at finish;Winds: light
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 5

After spending four complete days on the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath, this was the day we got re-introduced to automobiles. The first 11 miles were on the peaceful Western Maryland Trail before we popped back out on roads for the rest of our ride into Hagerstown, Maryland. Fortunately, most of it was on country backroads with beautiful panoramic views of farmland and fall foliage. It was a “history-free” day but that’s not to say we didn’t see lots of old buildings and landscapes that haven’t changed much over the years.

Continue reading “Chicago to NYC – Day 18”

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Start: Cumberland, Maryland
End: Hancock, Maryland
Mileage/cumulative: 60 / 866
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 128′ / 17,195′
Weather: Cloudy, 42º at start; cloudy, 59º at finish;Winds: none
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 5

This was the one day on the itinerary that the entire group worried about. With the Great Allegheny Passage in the rear view mirror, the route for Day 17 would begin with 48 miles on the C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio) Canal Towpath, a dirt and stone path that runs along the C&O Canal from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington D.C. The towpath was originally built for the mules to walk beside the canal as they “towed” the boats through the waterway. Though construction began in 1828, the canal wasn’t completed until 1850, several years after the B&O Railroad had already reached Cumberland. The canal couldn’t compete with rail in terms of speed or capacity, and so it was nearly obsolete from the time of its opening, although it was operational until floods irreparably damaged it in 1924. What was once an active transportation link between the coalfields of the Allegheny Mountains and the urban markets at the upper reaches of the Chesapeake Bay is now a rugged path used by cyclists and hikers.

Continue reading “Chicago to NYC – Day 17”

Wednesday, October 9 – Friday, October 11, 2019

Start: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
End: Cumberland, Maryland
Mileage each day/cumulative: 61-58-31 / 806
Elevation Ascended each day/cumulative: 535′ – 1,115′ – 390′ / 17,067′
Weather: Each day… Sunny!!! High 40s at start; low 70sº at finish;Winds: gentle
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 5

If you’re in a mall, the GAP is where people younger than us buy clothing. If you’re in London and a sign reads “MIND THE GAP”, you should watch your step when boarding the Underground train. If you’re in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the GAP means only one thing – Great Allegheny Passage, a 150 mile trail that extends from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland. It is an iconic trail for bicyclists, pedestrians, and in some sections, the occasional horse. We spent three days riding the entire GAP and rather than posting about the daily rides, I’ve combined them into one post. 

Continue reading “Chicago to NYC – Days 14, 15, and 16”

Monday, October 7, 2019

Start: Wheeling, West Virginia
End: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mileage today/cumulative: 64 / 646
Elevation Ascended today/cumulative: 1,841′ / 15,027′
Weather: Rain, 54° at start; Rain, 54º at finish; Winds: none
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 3 / 5

In their song “Rain”, the Beatles sang “I don’t mind”. Sorry, Paul McCartney, I do mind. And no, Rupert Holmes, I don’t like pina coladas or being caught in the rain. Especially on a bicycle.

We departed Wheeling, West Virginia in the rain. We arrived in Pittsburgh in the rain. Somewhere along the way we crossed into Pennsylvania, our fifth state. It was a cold, dreary, and very wet day on the bike. Fortunately, nearly two-thirds of it was on trails, beginning on the Wheeling Heritage Trail, a paved path that ran along the Ohio River for about 14 miles. That later joined the Brooke Pioneer Trail, part of which had sustained heavy damage, possibly from a landslide or large trees downed. This portion of the trail was closed with signs warning “Danger – Do Not Enter”. When you’re riding a bicycle to New York City and the only way to get from here to there is on the closed trail, there’s only one thing to do. We walked right around the barriers and kept riding. It was slow going with a few rough spots that forced us to walk our bikes around obstacles and over chewed up asphalt, but otherwise the trail was passable. It was just very slow going as we concentrated on remaining upright.

Continue reading “Chicago to New York City – Days 12 and 13”

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Start: Belmont, Ohio
End: Wheeling, West Virginia
Mileage today/cumulative: 29 / 582
Elevation Ascended today/cumulative: 1,319′ / 13,186′
Weather: Cloudy, 60° at start; Cloudy, 68º at finish; Winds: mostly favorable
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 1 / 2

Day 11 was a short one  due to logistics. We began the day 94 miles from Pittsburgh, which was just a tad too far to ride with shrinking daylight hours and more climbing. So, our itinerary took us to Wheeling, West Virginia, the most logical stop for hotel accommodations.

Continue reading “Chicago to New York City – Day 11”