Touring - GAP + C&O in two days..my itinerary and checklist, looking for suggestions.

Hello everyone,

On Thursday morning I am leaving for my 2nd solo tour. Going to go from McKeesport outside of Pittsburgh to DC. Wanted to share my plan and see if anyone more experienced could offer some advice.

Thursday:McKeesport - Confluence (71 miles)
Friday: Confluence - Pigmans Ferry Campsite (78 miles)
Saturday: Pigman's Ferry - Western Maryland Rail Trail - Williamsport Via Roads: 65 Miles
Sunday: Williamsport - Brunswick MD Via Roads -Horsepen Branch Campsite: 57 Miles
Monday: Horsepen Campsite to Union Station DC: 31 miles (Catching train back to Pittsburgh at 4pm)

My road directions are here. (http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/wv/morgantown/473125303016014290)

My packlist as as follows:

Bike:

Trek 7.2 FX
Jandd Expedition Rear Rack
Jandd Large Mountain Panniers (Back)
Jandd Removable Handlebar Bag

Camping Gear:

Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2
Big Agnes Lost Ranger Bag
Big Agnes Clearview Pad
Seedhouse Footprint
3 Water Bottles (2 in cages one in rear pannier)
Serfas SL-One Mountable Headlight/Flashlight
RavX Tailight.
Pocket Knife
1 Nylon Straps for Stack
1 Extra Bungee Cords
Maps
Microfiber Towel
25 Feet Nylon Cord
Cable Lock


Clothing:

Helmet with mirror
Gloves
Sunglasses
Cycling Shoes
2 pairs baggy bike shorts
2 T-Shirts
2 pairs socks
Pearl Izumi Arm Warmers.
Pearl Izumi Slice Jacket
Canari Leg Wamrers

Tool Kit:

2 Spare Tubes
Patch Kit
Multi-Tool
Topeak Morph Pump
Duct Tape
Extra Ties
2 Steel Cable Spokes


Cooking:
Big Ol' Bag of Gorp

Personal:
Toiletry Kit
Toilet Paper

First Aid Kit
Needle and Thread

Additional:

Digital Camera
Netbook
MP3 Player
Wallet
Cell Phone


If anyone has any route, planning, packing advice please feel free to advise. Thank you all for your time!

Horsepen to Union station is 31 miles? I didn't see that. Off to gmaps for some education I suppose...

Edit: my bad. Horsepen as in, White's Ferry in Dickerson MD About 14 miles from Brunswick, MD

Have a great time with that trip!

Horsepen to Union station is 31 miles? I didn't see that. Off to gmaps for some education I suppose...

Actually that might be an over estimate, Horsepen is at Mile Marker 26. The route I have from the Trail head to union station is says three miles. So 29 miles?

http://bikewashington.org/canal/canal_a.php

I figure I can do the trip early maybe have lunch on the mall and mosey up the Union Station around 2ish..

Ambitious, hope you have good weather :thumb:

Let's see. I don't like your pace for this trip, but if you must gallop through it, you must. My suggestions follow:

Thursday:McKeesport - Confluence (71 miles)

Cross at the first bridge and take the GAP through Dead Man's Hollow on the Boston side of the river rather than ride through McKeesport. Dead Man's Hollow is a nature area, and very pretty. Stop for a minute and see the graveyard at Dravo Cemetery. Have 'second breakfast' at West Newton. See Cedar Creek Park. Stop at the mine disaster markers south of West Newton. Have lunch in Connellsville - there's a Sheetz about three blocks from the trail as it goes through the city. There's a nice bench to have lunch on about a mile after you leave Connellsville.

BTW, you are now entering the dead zone for cellular service. Keep that in mind as you ride the 17 miles through Ohiopyle State Park. Stop at the scenic overlook - you'll know it when you get to it. See the falls at Ohiopyle, and then have dinner at the Lucky Dog Cafe before settling in at the US Army Corp of Engineers campground. Say hi to Sue for me at the campground - she should remember me.

Friday: Confluence - Pigmans Ferry Campsite (78 miles)

Have a hearty breakfast at Sisters' in Confluence. In Rockwood stop at the visitor center and say Hi to 100 year old Maynard Sebower. See the little cemetery before the Salisbury Viaduct. Have lunch at the pizza place in Frostburg, and ice cream at Queen City Creamery in Cumberland.

Saturday: Pigman's Ferry - Western Maryland Rail Trail - Williamsport Via Roads: 65 Miles

Stop for breakfast at Old Schoolhouse Kitchen in Oldtown, just off the towpath. Cross the wooden toll bridge into Greenspring, West Virginia - it's opposite Oldtown. Have lunch at Weaver's in Hancock. See the little cemetery on the WMRT. See Fort Frederick. See the viaduct in Williamsport, on the towpath. Lots of choices for dinner in Williamsport.

Sunday: Williamsport - Brunswick MD Via Roads -Horsepen Branch Campsite: 57 Miles

Get supplies at the Sheetz in Williamsport. Antietem and Sharpsburg! Have dinner at Beans in the Belfrey in Brunswick.

Monday: Horsepen Campsite to Union Station DC: 31 miles (Catching train back to Pittsburgh at 4pm)

No comment.

Ambitious, hope you have good weather :thumb:

TDP- you do realize this is the dude that rode to Rockwood with Joel then turned around and rode back doubling that days milage while you and I went looking for the hostel and food, right?

I did not know that... Wow, I take back what I said about the weather holding out then ;) :D

I did not know that... Wow, I take back what I said about the weather holding out then ;) :D

#1 To be fair I was not loaded and we all know that makes a difference.

#2 I don't mind the cold, I don't mind the rain. But I sure as heck can't stand cold rain. Looks like my first 2 days might be a bit soggy.

From my recent trip I would have soup and some great bread (maybe some pie :love:) at the Opera House in Rockwood. That was about the yummist food I had all last week.

From my recent trip I would have soup and some great bread (maybe some pie :love:) at the Opera House in Rockwood. That was about the yummist food I had all last week.

Lol I will add it to my last. Along with Weavers, Queen City Creamery, Sister's, the Pizza Shop in Frostburg.....wow....good thing I eat like 6 meals a day when I tour.

looks like you've got most of what you need. Just be ready for some bumpy riding... I started out planning on doing 100+ each day but 2+ flats per day + a slow friend stopped that one.

Actually the two things I am debating right now are: To bring a second flashlight. And B, to bring a pair of khakis and my wool sweater. I have room for both they just add weight.

TDP- you do realize this is the dude that rode to Rockwood with Joel then turned around and rode back doubling that days milage while you and I went looking for the hostel and food, right?[/QUOTE]

iam alive, i think! you may be taking to much on for the ride to still be enjoyable. i won't have wanted to do any more then we did. could i have, yes. would i have wanted to, no. weather can really effect that trail and the distance you want to go. good luck

Hey MT: I'm a little late in replying. you're probably on your way, hope you have a good trip. When I first read your title I thought you were going to ride the whole route in 2 days:eek: Weather seems decent, daily distance is very doable, roads flat. Often when I tour solo I love to spend most of the day in the saddle. Hope you enjoy. Charlie
PS: a lot flatter than the Sods:thumb:

Lol I will add it to my last. Along with Weavers, Queen City Creamery, Sister's, the Pizza Shop in Frostburg.....wow....good thing I eat like 6 meals a day when I tour.

The Opera house also has wifi! First day went good guys, campef in confluence...headed to Meyersdale....will update if I can.

How did it go? I especially want to hear about the Amtrak part. Bet you didn't get home until midnight?

The Opera house also has wifi! First day went good guys, campef in confluence...headed to Meyersdale....will update if I can.

The important question is, did ya have a slice of pie? :p

We completed Boston to DC last week. I'll post a journal soon.
Two things different about touring these trails vs roads:
1)Since you are under canopy of trees most of the way, lightly tinted or no-tint glasses are nice to have. I hate getting bugs and gnats in my eyes so I don't like to go without. I didn't use my dark sunglasses except on the road detour.
2)Use water bottles with caps if you have them. The valves will get coated with dust and mud and are disgusting to drink out of if not covered.

Trails were in great shape last week since it was relatively dry, though rain Wed night made the section from Whites Ferry to milepost 25 a skating rink of mud. Whiteknuckle riding, at least on a tandem with 35c tires. Other than that it was an awesome trip.
Have fun!
CG

I am back in Morgantown, having arrived in Pittsburgh last night a little after midnight, slept in the city for the night. Had a great time, the tour went pretty much as planned, except I did find a route back onto the trail before south mountain instead of after. The train trip back was easy and a great experience, I hope to have a full journal posted by this weekend.

Awesome, glad it went well for you!

Can't wait to read your journal. Pity I didn't stumble on this sooner. I just got back from doinging the Western portion of the GAP up to Rockwood.

Started here in Michigan, road down through Ohio, did some of the Cuyahoga canal path trail south of Akron to Massilon, then did Route 30 and the Montour Trail around Pittsburgh... I was very pleased with the Montour BTW... very nice trail with nice tunnels and bridges. Much better then the typical suburban trail I thought it would be. Going through Clariton and McKeesport was sort of abysmall to connect the two trails but after you get about 10 miles out of McKeesport it starts getting beautiful. I highly recommend the Cedar Creek Hike and Bike campground. It has a very nice Appalachian Trail style Adirondack shelter with stone fireplace. I was unable to stay in it though since it was occupied.

I went up and turned around at the Pinkerton Tunnel Bypass. One of my favorite spots on the trail, though if I would have had a few more days I would have ridden up to Frostburg and Cumberland.

On the way back I teamed up with five other riders I met along the way and the six of us tried going into Pittsburgh proper on 837. It's about what you'd expect. You definitely take your life in your own hands. Even though traffic wasn't heavy you should expect some angry motorist to honk at you. There are no bike shoulders just two to four lanes and a guardrail, and the road conditions very from decent to downright poor as you ride through river towns/ suburbs of Pits along the river.

Leaving Pitts up route 51 from downtown up the South Side of the river was equally as bad though ironically it's listed as "PA Bike Route A". Sort of made me laugh.

I then road over to the Cuyahogao on the North side of Akron and took the canal trail up toward cleveland and the beautiful Emerald necklace parkway around Cleveland to the East until I lost it and then road right by the Cleveland airport... which was laughably bad. Had their been any traffic on what appeared to be an eight lane divided expressway complete with on and off ramps I would likely have simply been run over. Lucky for me there wasn't a car around on the Sunday evening I as passed through the area. Anyway, I returned to Michigan Monday. The whole trip took eight days with an average of about 105-110 miles a day.

I did the Eastern portion of the GAP in early spring taking the train into DC arriving a noon on the day of the Cherry Blossom festival. I hit lots of foul weather including a snowstorm riding up toward Cumberland and ended up having to bail around confluence do a very bad cold bordering on bronchittis or phenomonia. It took me a few weeks to kick it after I got back.

My impression is that riding onthe trail is a little slower then pave. 80 miles is pushing it a little, but it's all about time in the saddle not speed. As long as you get up with the sun you'll have time to stop and see all the sights. BTW, I say this given that I typically do 100-120 on pavement a day when touring.

BTW, I highly recommend doing some night riding on the path. With no cars to worry about and for the most part a superbly groomed path night riding is incredible. Especially full moon. It gets dark under the trees but the amount of deer, racoon, possum and other wildlife I spoted with my headlamp was exceptional.

Also, I think a 34-37mm is more then suitable for the trail. Make sure it has some tread in case it gets wet. I personally have fallen in love with the COntinental Travel Contact 37mm with it's fast rolling center slick and relatively agressive side knobs that engage as soon as the surface gets soft, sandy or muddy.

BTW, loved the Rockwood Opera house Calzones. Big as your head and you can wrap some in aluminum foil and save it for later.

You can see pics from my spring trip at the following url. I haven't posted pics or a journal of my most recent trip yet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmeiser2/sets/72157616520019719/

BTW, in this picture of the Casselman River valley (another favorite spot) you can see Casselman wind power project (I counted 21 wind mills on one hill), and yes... that white is remnenants of the snow melting from the storm the night previous. Normally I love adverse weather and if I would have slowed it down I might have been ok, but days of doing 80+ miles into cold headwinds is bound to make you sick.

One last thing... I was mostly biking mid week and saw very few thru-tourers but as soon as it hit Friday things got extremely busy.

I'm anxious to know how your trip went (pics and journal?) especially dealing with Amtrak in DC.

One of the reasons my spring trip failed is because I reversed my trip purely because of the logistics of dealing with Amtrak. This left me riding into the trade winds instead of with them which normally wouldn't be a problem but for the bad weather that came with them.

Amtrak has become in my view beuracratic nightmare for bike touring with arbitrary bike rules and the new introduction of variable rate pricing. I can no longer depend on them.

BTW, your gearlist is pretty spartan. It seems to me a lot of important little detail things are missing. Is it complete? How much did the whole setup end up waying?

Also, the Trek 7.2 is probably the perfect bike to do the trail on. The stock 35mm tires with road tread are probably even perfect... unless it gets muddy of course.

I road a cyclocross, but there's no need for a drop bar when all you're doing is tooling along sitting up and looking around at the scenery. You're also fairly well protected from the wind.

I dare say a single speed or even upright cruiser like a Copenhagen bike might well be a great bike to do the route on. Upright, comfortable, and casual. Technically it requires no more then a 32mm or for some lighter people a 30mm tire. Though many will prefer a nice 2" or so 26" tire... these are not 80 mile a day people though. Maybe not even 50. I think 50 is whereabouts most people I met end up doing in a day.