Pittsburgh to Philly Via the GAP & PA Bike Route S
 

Eight days. 475 miles. Tons of post-GAP Climbing. Lots of fun.

Some of the photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davez20...7635548910265/

It was an interesting and sometimes trying trip. The GAP is a nice trail, but I found it somewhat monotonous at times, and the sound of tires on crushed limestone can get to you. I definitely enjoyed the trail more as I progressed SE. It became more scenic and varied.

I had originally budgeted seven days (Sat. to Fri.) but ended up adding a day due to overly ambitious estimations as to how much mileage I could cover combined with a couple of very hot and humid days. Day 1 took me 67 miles on the GAP to Connellsville, where I stayed in the Adirondak shelters there. Day 2, also on the GAP, was 52 miles to Rockwood, where I got very little sleep thanks to train horns.

Day 3 was 82 miles (45 of it on the GAP) to a campground in Bedford, PA just down the street from the headquaters of the company that owns Cannondale, etc., There was noticeable noise from the PA Turnpike.

Day 4 was hot, humid and very hilly. Some of those hills strained the limits of my 26x34 granny gear. I had planned to stay at Cowan's Gap State Park, but I didn't feel I had the final seven mile climb left in me. I opted to end the day after 53 miles at a private campground at the foot of the climb. That campground was within eyeshot of the Turnpike. Again I got very little uninterrupted sleep. I did, however, get to ride a portion of the abandoned PA Turnpike with its two until tunnels. Not only was it peaceful and cool in the tunnels, it cut out a major climb on U.S. 30 east of Breezewood.

Day 5 was even hotter and more humid. It was approaching 90 by the time I rode through Chambersburg, and it wasn't even noon. I was also sleep deprived. So I opted to cut the 82 mile day in half and stay at Caledonia State Park. The woman working in the office picked a quiet site by a little stream for me. It was heavenly. No Jake braking trucks to be heard. The total mileage for the day was about 47 when you include the 7 miles roundtrip I had to make for dinner. That was my only take out dinner. I cooked every other night.

Day 6 started out with a 2 1/2 mile climb up U.S. 30 where I then turned off and entered into one of the largest apple growing regions in the state. Even passed through Bigglersville, home of Knouse Foods that brings us Musselman's Apple Sauce. Total mileage was around 42. A massive evening thunderstorm cooled and cleared the air for the next day.

The highlight of the 82 mile Day 7 was the beautiful, sunny miles through Amish and Menonite areas of Lancaster County. Twice I rode by children in traditional garb playing outside one-room school house. I wanted to take photos of the scenes but did not out of respect. Camping was at French Creek State Park. And no, I did not walk up the hill to the campground. It's only a .34 mile climb, and it's not overly steep.

Day 8 was a total of 52 easy miles. I stopped in Manayunk along the way to meet the GF and some other riding buds for coffee.

PA Bike Route S east of Bedford definitely has its moments. However, there are also stretches that have too much traffic for my liking when I am touring. A very pleasant surprise was the wide birth most motorists (including trucks) gave me when passing. I expected constant buzzing by yahoos in pickup trucks. You may not know this, but PA has a 4' law. I found it to be much more respected in the hinterlands than it is in the suburbs of Philly.

That is so cool!!! I'm a PA boy myself, from a family that lived on the South Side of Pittsburgh since the 1820s, though I grew up in Adams County, in the heart of apple country. I envy you riding on the Abandoned Turnpike. I remember any number of trips to Pittsburgh to visit family, back when that section was still part of the Turnpike.


One quibble...

It's BIGLERVILLE! And I oughta know, because I went to High School there! BTW, You must have passed right by my Dad's house, 3 miles west of it on 234, a little town called Arendtsville. Oh, and Knouse Foods is where my Dad worked from the end of WWII till he retired in the 1980s, and where I worked every summer while in college.

BTW, is that Mail Pouch barn the one near where Old Rt. 30 splits off to head to Cashtown? I passed that a gazillion times as a kid.

Anyhow, thanks for posting this and the pictures. Made me homesick!

HOLY CRAP!!! Hold the phone! I went through your pics again and the 'Cashtown 5" sign was taken in my home town!!! Tiny little Arendtsville. Maybe 800 people. Now I'm REALLY homesick!

Yes. That's a spelling mistake. I need stronger glasses.

And yes, the sign is in Aredntsville. I did pass by your dad's old house. I took PA 234 from U.S. 30. all the way to E. Berlin and beyond. That park where you can see my bike in the background the town park in Arendtsville.

When I was preparing for the trip I kept wondering why I knew the name Bigglerville. There are some signs in the park expalining various points of area history. One of them talks about apples and Knouse Foods. That's when it hit me. I used to eat their applesauce all the time as a kid and have bought it as an adult. I remembered seeing the town name on the label.

THAT.IS.AWESOME!

Did you travel solo?

OH WOW! What a great ride!

Which bike did you take? Tires?

Thanks. Yes. The GF couldn't get the time off, and while we have taken some great trips together, I am not convinced that loaded touring and camping is her favorite way to go. She has also been having allergy issues lately.

Several friends expressed surprise that I would go on something like that alone. I don't get it. I have done two month+ solo tours, including one of nearly seven weeks in Andalucia. Before those trips, I spent 93 days crossing the country with twelve other people who I had never met before the trip. I then rode home solo from Maine. While I had some fun times with most of the people on the group trip, I found I much prefer touring alone than with people I am not close to. Alone, you get to set your own schedule and generally do what you want to do. Touring can be somewhat complicated enough alone. Throw the wants/needs of others into the mix and "disputes" can arise. A great example from my x-country trip is that many in the group preferred private campgrounds with showers. Then there were a few of us who wanted to stay more often in places like U.S.F.S. campgrounds that were closer to nature. Majority ruled. Solo trips are not for everyone, though. You need to be comfortable with your own company.

Stock Surly LHT with 32c Conti Contact tires. I wouldn't take anything narrower fully loaded.

Wished I had dropped the small chain ring from a 26 to a 24. There were some very steep grades that had me in my granny. Up and down and up and down, especially between Beford and Burnt Cabins. 3-4 mph hills. Took my own route some of the way through Lancaster County and also encountered a few very steep (but short) grades. It was amazing because I had ridden that particular section many times but in the opposite direction. I never realized how steep the relatively short descents were until I had to ride up them.

No wonder the MS150 doesn't concern you!! Sounds like a good trip.

Bill

May I ask what was the approximate fully loaded weight?

I'm running 38's on a LHT and hoping to downsize once I wear through them but NOT induce unreliability...
Thinking 35's maybe 32's... Paranoid after breaking too many spokes.

I'm running wheels from the apocalypse... PW's 48's (disc) with Chukkers...

I don' bother weighing my stuff. I take what I want with weight in mind. I don't bother with gizmos and gadgets like computers and iWhatevers. IMO, if you are carrying spice racks and electronics and then whining about how much weight you are carrying, you deserve your suffering. The dumbest thing you can do is try to replicate the comforts of home. If that's what you (not you personally) want, why not stay at home?

BTW, here is the video documenting the train horns at Rockwood. Be patient and crank up your computer's volume to get the full effect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eBa1j8F0dk

Very cool. What a great trip. Those dinners look better than many I've eaten at home! Thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks for sharing. That will be as close to a bike vacation as I will get this year, looking at your photos. I approve of the liberal use of pepper on a few of those dinners.

I have in the past brought a few more powdered spices with me but stuck with plain old salt and pepper this time. I also carry a head of fresh garlic. There is one cooked dinner not show. I was very tired near the end of day 3 and I was not feeling any love from the Giant Eagle Grocery store in Bedford so I went with a couple cans of Beefaroni for dinner. I was surprised after reading the label. Not as horrible as I thought it would be, and it was made with some whole wheat pasta. Still, it didn't taste like much. I don't know how people can eat stuff like that on a regular basis.

The dinner of pasta with Great Northern beans was out of necessity. The only grocery source in Rockwood was not well stocked. I had a half a bag of pasta left over from the night before. Pasta with a can of chili is my usual "emergency" meal. You can usually find canned chili even in a gas station convenience store. This place had none. With the garlic, pepper and olive oil (another staple I carry), the meal actually turned out to be pretty tasty.

Great pics and a great write-up. Sounds like an awesome trip.

:)