GAP Trail from Confluence to Rockwood, PA

[WETH]

Riv content: Two Rivendell-inspired riders, two Riv’d out Surly LHTs, a large Saddlesack, a platrack, and a Slickersack.

This summer my wife and I are planning to ride the entire Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail (150 miles) from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD with our 13 and 11 year old sons.  Since we have never cycled the GAP, we decided some real world experience would help us prepare the boys for the adventure.  We settled on exploring one of the more remote stretches, the 20 miles between Confluence and Rockwood, PA.  On Friday afternoon, my wife and I loaded our two bikes on the car and drove the three hours to Confluence, PA.  We spent the night at River View Kitchenettes, a great place right along the GAP Trail and overlooking the river.  After an early evening walk around the town, the Trailside restaurant provided us a great pizza dinner washed down with a strawberry Nestle Quick.   

The morning came crisp and clear; it was going to be a beautiful weekend for cycling.  After a delicious breakfast at Sister’s Café, we set off by 10am.  Leaving Confluence the trail runs consistently uphill to Rockwood, PA.  The grade is gently but unrelentingly upward with little opportunity for coasting.  However, we were in no hurry and spun along at a comfortable, leisurely pace enjoying the beauty and quiet of the forest we rode through.  The trail follows the Casselman River, and as we rode we listened to the water rushing by.  The main CSX rail line runs on the other side of the river and goes through both Confluence and Rockwood.  Freight trains rolled through at least every hour.  I enjoy trains and was not bothered by their presence.  In reading online reviews of lodging options along the trail, many reviewers do complain about the train noise, especially at night.  At times we felt like the only people for miles around.  At the Pinkerton High Bridge, next to the closed Pinkerton Tunnel, about half way between Confluence and Rockwood, we took a break overlooking the river.  Oranges and another Strawberry Quick refreshed.  Three and half hours after leaving Confluence we arrived in Rockwood.  Did I say we took a leisurely pace?  We did pass perhaps a dozen people, a mix of bikers and hikers, in the 20 miles.

Rockwood was a welcoming place, and we enjoyed more pizza and some ice cream at the Mill Shoppes on Main Street.  We then explored some of the more kid friendly lodging options in town for the summer trip, while waiting to check in at the Gingerbread House B&B.  The B&B was wonderful, and we spent the late afternoon relaxing and reading on the porch swing.  Sunday morning dawned crisp and clear.  After a delicious breakfast at the B&B of blueberry French toast, we headed back down the trail to Confluence.  The downward grade was a welcome relief from yesterday’s ride and we covered the distance in only two and half hours.  Still leisurely.

Overall it was a terrific weekend, and we are excited to experience the whole trail as a family this summer.  Pictures prove we did something on a trail with bikes:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/86975051@N08/sets/72157644195003943/

[Deacon Patrick]

Fantastic! How far do your sons enjoy riding? My one suggestion is to let them pick the distance as much as possible (practical concerns like we have to reach food/water/camping as part of that decision). On the trails we've done that translated to 7-15 miles on trail, or 30 miles on road.

With abandon,

Patrick

[cyclotourist]

The trail looks like a fantastic ride!

Cheers,
David

"it isn't a contest. Just enjoy the ride." - Seth Vidal

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Minh]

Nice!  The stretch from Confluence down to Cumberland (the start) is just as nice, especially some of the higher railroad bridges.  this will be a good trip for the family, not too difficult either in terms of climbing or terrain.

[ascpgh]

What a fantastic trip and great idea to pre-run sections before bringing the kids along. I took my nephew from Pittsburgh to Ohiopyle for a long weekend of biking and white water rafting. He'd never imagined riding a hundred miles and only put ten together non-stop before. The key for keeping his stamina was the hourly snack break and Gatorade, and plenty of water on bike for the balance of the time. We lodged at the Yough Plaza Motel. The trail is a great resource.

I was just thinking this morning that I might take a down and back to Ohiopyle the next two weekdays I have off to see the spring foliage. I can go from my neighborhood to trail in about three miles from my house. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[WETH]

Dear Patrick, last summer they did 30 plus miles on paved trails and roads. They are a year older, stronger, and more opinionated now! We are toying with 5 days for the trip with the following mileage days: 37 miles, 25 mileS, 27 miles, 20 miles, 44 miles (mostly downhill into Cumberland). We are giving them choices where possible. Adventure Cycling runs a family biking tour on the trail, and I am loosely following their distances.
Dear Andy, that sounds like it was a memorable trip. Do you remember what the grade of the trail is like from Pittsburg to Ohiopyle? Am I right that it is more flat to rolling? I know the grade is pretty consistently upward from Ohiopyle through Meyersdale, hence the lower mileage on days 3 and 4. Thanks.

[Deacon Patrick]

I look forward to hearing how it goes and the photos!

With abandon,

Patrick

[ascpgh]

WETH:

The urban part from Eliza Furnace Trail via the Hot Metal Bridge has only been open a year or so and is along the Monongahela and then the Youghiogheny Rivers and I've yet to ride it through although along the river I'll venture a guess that it's less than railroad grade at its steepest. I'm guessing the now open connector to Pittsburgh is a pretty even grade.  Brief exceptions being approaches onto or off of causeways on the south end of Connellsville. The 18 miles from Connellsville to Ohiopyle have some short ups and downs as the trail moves between elevations the old rail grade surely took more gently but land changes since then. The two bridges right before Ohiopyle sneak up on you as the trail keeps on grade pretty well and are a nice picturesque reward.

What I find more important than the functional grade of any section of the trail is the surface. The GAP has by far a better trail bed than the C & O, this crushed limestone drains rain so well that it doesn't result in a spectrum of resistance to forward motion and is much nicer to non-fendered bikes and riders during any downpour and very soon after any rain stops. The impact of wet weather, even as distant as a week previous, can really impact forward progress on the west end of the C&O. I've left Pittsburgh for Ohiopyle on the way to D.C.in a pouring rain without a likely end on the radar and were not as dramatically impacted in transit time as we feared. We were prepared for wet and the Yough Plaza Motel (as well as other place we stopped) has hose and nozzle for drivetrain hygiene.

I cannot overemphasize stopping on a rigid schedule to snack, drink and take pictures. I encouraged my nephew, then 13, to bring his CamelBak so there was no shortage of water while on the bike. Our day to Ohiopyle was 72 miles and he, because of our pace of breaks and riding, overcame any apprehension and finished in good condition with no malady, ache or saddle sores. He lead the way around the little town to explore all the food options before picking one.  I have to give a plug to Triangle Bike Rental in Pittsburgh who put together a a bike starting with a Raleigh Clubman frame, including bags, to fit him for the trip. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Tony DeFilippo]

Erl what a great 'pre-getaway' trip! You covered some of the ground in hoping to do with my dad in may. Thanks for the report and the pictures. And I totally applaud your pace! I just had a conversation with a tri inclined friend tonight about average crushing speeds and it was clear he and I had different goals in our cycling.. 18 vice 12 mph in average! :)

Hope to catch you on the trail some time soon!
Tony

[WETH]

Dear Andy,
Thanks for the information and suggestions. I really appreciate it.

Dear Tony,
I look forward to hearing about your trip in May. As Andy wrote, the trail is quite nice and in great shape. Perhaps we can work in a weekend ride before your trip.

All the best,
Erl

[hsmitham]

Erl,

Enjoyed the post and pictures. I think it's a wonderful notion to do a ride like this with your boys. I love the Strawberry Quick drink, I favor a Strawberry Malt myself. I really look to the future post and pictures of this great family tour.

~Hugh

[Howard H]

Nice write-up. I wish I could convince my wife to do a trip like that.

Thanks for sharing.

Howard

On Monday, April 21, 2014 9:53:30 AM UTC-4, WETH wrote:

[WETH]

Dear Howard,
Thanks. In terms of my wife and riding, it has been an evolution. Three years ago I was hoping she would ride more with me, and I never thought she'd do an overnight. We started with very short neighborhood rides, often with the kids. As she complained about bike fit, I replaced the offending item: new saddle, albatross bars.... Until finally last summer we got up to 30 mile rides and she remained relatively comfortable and really grew to enjoy riding. Finally she gave me the green light to build her a bike. So I bought a used surly LHT, powder coated it orange (her choice) and gave her a classic Riv build. She kept her funky spider flex saddle which she swears by. With the new bike, I dialed in her fit to maximize longer distances at slower speeds in relative comfort.
The other approach I took, which was harder, was to remind myself to take it easy and not to sprint ahead on rides. That was hard at first because I commute a lot, and it was a challenge to conscientiously match her more leisurely pace. I often let her take the lead or we cycle side by side and chat. She in turn has helped me appreciate a more serene way of biking.
All the best,
Erl

[Hugh Smitham]

Irl,

That's a great lesson...one I'll be working on tomorrow with my wife as we ride on the Beach.

~Hugh

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” ― Albert Einstein

http://velocipedemusings.blogspot.com/

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/ghOPeF0yv30/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

[Deacon Patrick]

My wife doesn't feel comfortable on a bike yet and I haven't been able to get her willing to ride one long enough to get comfortable, especially since she has at least one wee one to haul. The way we do bikepacking is pick a destination she can easily hike to just a few miles in. The older lassies and I ride in loaded with stuff for 6 on our three bikes. I'll make multiple trips if need be. We try and do a few of those a year, and I do 1-2 3-5 day tours with the older lassies each year.

We mostly focus on the question "What do we want to create?" Answer: family time in the remote and quiet wilderness. How we each get there is up for grabs.

With abandon,

Patrick

[WETH]

Patrick, you are certainly asking the key question and creating wonderful experiences and memories with the answer(s)!

[Ken D]

Great to see a thread on the GAP.  I've done much of it, both with kids and friends.  With kids, I tend to spend the night indoors (you were near the Levi Deal Mansion B&B in Meyersdale which I highly recommend for cyclists). The stretch of the trail from Meyersdale to Frostburg, MD is the most picturesque, as it includes the Big Savage Tunnel and the Eastern Continental Divide.  I did that a few years back - my 10 year old daughter easily did 22 miles up to the divide and back to Meyersdale.  At her current age, I would expect some complaining doing the same trip.

In 2012, my buddies and I biked from Frostburg to downtown Pittsburgh in three days, camping at Ohiopyle Campground on day 1 and Apache Springs on day 2. It is true the trains are loud at Apache Springs, so either bring ear plugs or enjoy the vibe.  It was a great trip for a group with a range of fitness levels.  

One tip: two water bottles per bike is typically fine in the summer when fountains are flowing along the trail, and businesses are open.  In the off season, some stretches of the trail won't have easy access to refill your bottles.

[ascpgh]

A very strong point I think many realize but fail to apply for the benefit of any riding group. It was the lacking sentiment that sent me to the trails to find my own biking enjoyment a long time ago. Knowing it is possible for myself allows me to do keep the riding fun for others. Less process, more objective than any destination or timetable. 

I was a recipient of this valuable lesson in an activity driven by the ambition and objectives of others at the expense of others making up my group.

When I was a 14 year old Boy Scout I went to the Philmont Ranch with a neighborhood troop not my own, I wasn't of the minimum age when mine took their alternating year trip the summer before. They had an ambitious itinerary picked by the adults that did it all. We also carried everything for our trip after day two over those miles including water into the dry camps. We had many 20+ mile days and often arrived at the destination sites where topical programming was a highlight, too late for those activities, hurrying to put up our tents and boil our water for dinner before it was dark. 

Not a happy crew at all and I remember getting to know everyone  more as our afternoons turned into "death marches" against the remaining miles and sunset, redirecting their anger over missing out on a mine tour or chuck wagon dinner program and looking at how much more countryside we were seeing, how much change we saw in each day's hiking and how others will stare in disbelief when they would tell their stories about that trip. 

I never expect others to learn through suffering, certainly not about something that should be enjoyed. If it's your own gift to do so, appreciate your patience, perseverance, and insight, never assume it of others. It's just good manners to show others the good stuff.

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Tony DeFilippo]

Hey Andy,

 

Sorry to hear that your Philmont experience was more death march than fun adventure... I had the wonderfull opportunity to do that trip twice ( '94 and '95), the second year we took a more aggressive hi-mileage trek but it was definitely a group decision.

 

Erl,

 

Great points, I need to be better about being a good riding partner when I'm out w/ my wife.  We both find it easier on the tandem but that isn't always the way we want to go for an outing.

 

Tony

 

[Deacon Patrick]

Och, Andy! How many of your compatriots learned to love wilderness adventure after that "racing" mentality? Gadzooks! Where you ended up, seeking and finding the gift so very oddly wrapped, is the best place to end up when the cause of suffering is beyond your control. Attitude within suffering controls everything is is always a choice within our grasp if we but know it.

A huge part of my ministry to others with brain injury is to help them come to that realization. Yes, it's a long hard road. So what? It's the road you have and you can have whatever attitude you choose along the way. You can enjoy the view, the flowers, the stunning scents of new spring loam waking from under the melting snow, or you can allow fear and death to consume and define you. Which version do you think will be more fruitful, healing, joyous, and enjoyable? So while I never expect others to learn from suffering, I always strive to help them see the opportunity and take it if they choose. If I read you aright, that sounds like what you do as well, and that is a beautiful gift. And who knows, gifts like that often bloom out of sight of the one who planted the seed. Grin.

With abandon,

Patrick

[ascpgh]

Tony,

To the contrary, my trip at Philmont was stellar. My take on the itinerary was that programs are fine but often were detractions to the peace and beauty available if one looked around. Iron pot stew is fine but making a freeze-dried repast on the top of Mount Phillips over what became an unsettled, freezing, night tops that any time.

Patrick, 

Care for the parts, the whole will get along! I had the trove of both foot care and repair items plus that bizarre "new fangled" MSR stove that burned oil. No one suffered foot issues or lacked for boiling water. That trip solidified my outlook on lots of things. I sure try to enjoy my cycling and that of those I invite because of the experience. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

 

[jimD]

Poetic and inspiring words to live by.

Yes, it's a long hard road. So what? It's the road you have and you can have whatever attitude you choose along the way. You can enjoy the view, the flowers, the stunning scents of new spring loam waking from under the melting snow, or you can allow fear and death to consume and define you. 

Thanks,

JimD

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.