Originally Posted by
Zonker
Thanks for sharing, me and my Gal are planning a similar trip for September. Did you use the BF trailer/case or opt for panniers? I'm a little worried about pulling the trailer on the C & O. We are contacting B & B's now, any good recommendations there?
We used only rear panniers, which were only partially full. I've only pulled my trailer-suitcase once, and coincidentally, part of that was on an unpaved trail, the Confederation Trail on Prince Edward Island, Canada. It performed much better than I expected. The Confederation Trail, like the C&O towpath, didn't have as good a surface as the GAP trail. Still, I'd opt for panniers on these trails, if I were you.
As for B&Bs, we stayed one night at the the Rockwood (PA) Trail House B&B. It was a nice place adjacent to the trail. The owner also operates a bike shop next to the trail which was amazingly well-stocked. The owner told us that there has been a significant increase in the number of cyclists this year. We both presumed that's due to the completion of the trail. We didn't make a reservation, as we weren't sure where we'd end up that night. He's got the phone numbers on the entrance (he doesn't live there) with instructions to go to a nearby store and use the pay phone to call him. That reminds me, our cell phones didn't work most of the time we were in Pennsylvania once we left the Pittsburgh area. Coverage was better in MD.
In Harpers Ferry, we crossed the pedestrian bridge over the Potomac (we took our panniers off to carry the bikes up the staircase) and climbed the steep hill to stay at Hilltop House. Hilltop House has spectacular views of the river. I would describe the hotel at gently decaying. It's not seedy, though. It certainly has character compared to the average chain hotel/motel. Lots of Appalachian Trail hikers stay there. It's considered a mid-point splurge.
Getting back across the Potomac from Harpers Ferry was not fun. We decided to go by road instead of the foot bridge with the need to carry the bikes down the staircase. Big mistake. Leaving Harpers Ferry, they try to send you a few miles away from the Potomac to get onto 340 (we ignored the signs). Route 340 itself is awful, absolutely awful for cycling. And dangerous. On the bridge itself, cyclists are expected to ride on the very narrow path between the barriers and the bridge guardrail. There was lots of broken glass, and at the MD end when we went to get back on the road shoulder, I had to carry my bike over poison ivy where I had to fit thru a narrow passage. That's another thing: There is truly a remarkable amount of poison ivy growing along the towpath. It wasn't a problem on the GAP trail.