Pittsburgh to DC Trip Competed - Rattlesnake!!
07-17-07, 06:42 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: St. Joseph, MI
Posts: 427
Bikes: Cannondale T800, Marin Hybrid
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Pittsburgh to DC Trip Competed - Rattlesnake!!
Just finished up my trip from Pittsburgh to DC on the Allegheny and C&O Canal Trails. Great time. On the second day I was riding with a guy named Allen from Pittsburgh. Day two was a long slow climb up to the Savage Mountain Tunnel. As we rode, I saw a large stick on the trail so I kind of squeezed over to miss the stick. Hard on spokes you know. Anyway, as I rode past the end of the stick, I saw the end of it move by my shoe and glanced down......RATTLESNAKE! Anyway, I couldn't get my shoe out of the pedal and just went right over the top of his very unhappy head. Didn't run over him, my pedal just went over the top of him. Allen was cracking up because he'd never seen anyone try to climb out of their back as bad as I wanted too.
Anyway, Tom, you asked about riding up the trail from Frostburg to the tunnel and what it looked like. Here you go:
Great ride. I am posting it day by day at CGOAB in a day or so.
Anyway, Tom, you asked about riding up the trail from Frostburg to the tunnel and what it looked like. Here you go:
Great ride. I am posting it day by day at CGOAB in a day or so.
07-17-07, 07:19 PM
#2
His Brain is Gone!
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I grew up near that area. We occasionally saw rattlesnakes, usually near berry patches, but not very often.
Definitely not something I'd want to come across on a trail.
So where are the flat'ish sections of the trail? I might give a thought about riding on it when I'm back east in two weeks. But I'm not too interested in riding up an incline for 10-20 miles.
Definitely not something I'd want to come across on a trail.
So where are the flat'ish sections of the trail? I might give a thought about riding on it when I'm back east in two weeks. But I'm not too interested in riding up an incline for 10-20 miles.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour
There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
07-17-07, 07:39 PM
#3
cycling fanatic
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,162
Bikes: Cannondale T800
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
That's not fair! It was raining when I was at Big Savage. Then again, I guess the rain kept the rattlesnakes off the trail.
Glad you had a good trip. How many days did you take?
Glad you had a good trip. How many days did you take?
07-17-07, 09:14 PM
#4
Ride Daddy Ride
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Villa Incognito
Posts: 2,648
Bikes: 1983 Trek 720; 1983 Trek 620; 1989 Gi Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra; LeMond Victoire; Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Yeoooww. Great picture.
__________________
"Light it up, Popo." --Levi Leipheimer
"Light it up, Popo." --Levi Leipheimer
07-17-07, 09:18 PM
#5
The Grampster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 657
Bikes: Eddy Merckx SXM, LeMond Buenos Aires, Cannondale Road Warrior 1000 plus a couple of comforts (Specialized Crossroads and Giant Cyprus) and a beater mtb for around town.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
That would make a nice dinner
.....speaking of which, don't forget to let me know about dinner and/or a ride.
.....speaking of which, don't forget to let me know about dinner and/or a ride.
__________________
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
--Ben Franklin
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
--Ben Franklin
07-17-07, 09:20 PM
#6
I need more cowbell.
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Reno, Nevada
Posts: 8,182
Bikes: 2015 Specialized Sirrus Elite
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Who took the picture of the snake?
__________________
2015 Sirrus Elite
Proud member of the original Club Tombay
2015 Sirrus Elite
Proud member of the original Club Tombay
07-18-07, 02:27 AM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: St. Joseph, MI
Posts: 427
Bikes: Cannondale T800, Marin Hybrid
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I took the picture of the snake. This is the middle picture of three. In the last one he is starting to get mad and was coiling up so we left.
I did the trip in 5 days. Left on Friday and got to DC on Tuesday. Each day was around 70 miles or so. I had no rain during the day when I rode, but it rained every night when I was done. The days were always brilliant blue skies though.
The last day was the worst. I spent the night in Harpers Ferry WV. That night there was a bad storm (I slept right through it), with high winds and hail between Harpers Ferry and Brunswick MD. For a two mile stretch there were several trees and branches down across the trail. Several times I had to literally climb over the stuff trying to carry my bike. Not much fun at all.
TLC20010: I'll give you a call about dinner in a day or so. I am waiting to see if my wife is coming out on Friday as planned.
Tom: It's really not flat in that part of the trail. It's a gradual incline so it's not so bad. If you start in Frostburg, up to the tunnel is only about 6 miles or so. There is actually a smaller one you go through first. The good thing is coming back you have a nice easy pedal.
I did the trip in 5 days. Left on Friday and got to DC on Tuesday. Each day was around 70 miles or so. I had no rain during the day when I rode, but it rained every night when I was done. The days were always brilliant blue skies though.
The last day was the worst. I spent the night in Harpers Ferry WV. That night there was a bad storm (I slept right through it), with high winds and hail between Harpers Ferry and Brunswick MD. For a two mile stretch there were several trees and branches down across the trail. Several times I had to literally climb over the stuff trying to carry my bike. Not much fun at all.
TLC20010: I'll give you a call about dinner in a day or so. I am waiting to see if my wife is coming out on Friday as planned.
Tom: It's really not flat in that part of the trail. It's a gradual incline so it's not so bad. If you start in Frostburg, up to the tunnel is only about 6 miles or so. There is actually a smaller one you go through first. The good thing is coming back you have a nice easy pedal.
07-18-07, 04:59 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Chili, NY
Posts: 733
Bikes: 88 Fisher Gemini tandem, 92 Trek 970, 07 Nashbar Frame, 08 Gary Fisher Paragon
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Mike...What is CGOAB?
I would really like to get more info about your ride. I've gone West from DC and into West Virginia many MANY years ago, but would like to try the route you did.
Thanks for posting!
Chris
P.S. I'll take some snake, Pan Fried with some Scallions please!
P.S.S. I found it! LOL! https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
I would really like to get more info about your ride. I've gone West from DC and into West Virginia many MANY years ago, but would like to try the route you did.
Thanks for posting!
Chris
P.S. I'll take some snake, Pan Fried with some Scallions please!
P.S.S. I found it! LOL! https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
Last edited by ang1sgt; 07-18-07 at 05:04 AM. Reason: New Info
07-18-07, 06:46 AM
#10
Senior Member
Man you sure make some nice trips Mike, thanks for the pictures. By the way, rattlesnake tastes just like chicken.
__________________
George
George
07-18-07, 06:47 AM
#11
Senior Member ??
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Englewood,Ohio
Posts: 5,098
Bikes: 2007 Trek Madone 5.0 WSD - 2007 Trek 4300 WSD - 2008 Trek 520 - 2014 Catrike Trail
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I hope you were using the zoom lens when you took the picture of the snake
Thanks for the ride report. I would love to do the whole trail someday. All I've done are sections near Ohiopyle and loved it.
Thanks for the ride report. I would love to do the whole trail someday. All I've done are sections near Ohiopyle and loved it.
__________________
=============================================================
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
-- Antonio Smith
=============================================================
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
-- Antonio Smith
07-18-07, 09:29 AM
#12
His Brain is Gone!
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979
Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I guess we have found out that MichiganMike is not half the man that Terrierman is.
07-18-07, 09:46 AM
#13
Ol' Paint
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Garland, Texas and Tahlequah, OK
Posts: 393
Bikes: '68 Raleigh Grand Prix,'71 Schwinn Super Sport, '73 Schwinn Paramount, '83 Schwinn Super Sport, '84(?) Univega Gran Sprint, '89 Schwinn Waterford Paramount
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Nature raw, with fang and claw!! I love the great outdoors. It sounds like a great ride. Did you have time to take more pictures?
I love the great outdoors. It sounds like a great ride. Did you have time to take more pictures?
__________________
"In my cathedral,
colored glass holds no candle to
sunlight through trees."
-- Leon Briggs
"In my cathedral,
colored glass holds no candle to
sunlight through trees."
-- Leon Briggs
07-19-07, 06:13 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 2,601
Bikes: 06 Lemond Reno, 98 GT Timberline mtn.bike
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 427 Post(s)
Liked 700 Times
in
436 Posts
Good pics. Years ago several of us went riding on one of the Pa rail-trails, it was either Jim Thorpe, or a nearby rail-trail. Anyway, there were half a dozen or more folks with "snake bags" and poles. They were capturing rattlesnakes so they could be "milked" to produce serum. We probably would have ridden right over one had one of them not warned us to veer over to the left. He saw the snake, we didn't. Miss those Pa. rail-trails, some beautiful scenery to be enjoyed!
