BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I did a solo GAP-C&O trip (DC to Pittsburgh) in August 2010. As you can imagine, there are advantages and disadvantages of going alone. I wrote up a brief summary at http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/the-great-allegheny-passage-anyone which you may find useful.

I'm happy to discuss it if you'd like to send me a personal message with email/other contact information.

It's been a while since I did this ride but my recollection is that water shouldn't be a problem. The GAP goes through or near enough towns that you should have plenty of places to keep filled up. The longest stretch without anything is the 17 miles or so between Connellsville and Ohiopyle.

On the C&O you've got the three big towns of Cumberland, Hancock and Harpers Ferry each 60 miles apart, and plenty of places in the last 20 miles into DC. A lot of the campsites on the C&O have hand pumps for water. Since you are in a national park, I assume the keep them tested for purity.

I think you should be able to keep your powerthrist quenched and happy.

The C&O water pumps are great in my experience. The NPS tests the water and removes the pump handle if it fails.

Paved parallel WMRT around Hancock MD, starts at MP136 ends at MP117 IIRC. Bliss.

Gotta have a light for the PawPaw Tunnel.

There are alternatives to the published-detour south of Williamsport. I like the 63/632 route, it shaves 8 miles off the total distance:

I hope you have a great adventure.

thanks for the tips and links, you guys! today i'm picking up a shiny new set of front panniers and finally getting everything packed and ready to go. suuuper psyched. i'll have pictures and stories to share when i get back next week. yee!

before getting on the C and O i would buy

tang or gatoraid or something cause the

well water tastes somewhat sulfuric, but is

safe.

I just did the GAP and a good part of the C&O (to Cushwa). The surface quality (of the C&O, not the GAP) is really crap and I don't recommend doing it on anything without suspension.

If you do have the right bike, the water pumps are fine. They've modified them to do iodine disinfection so aren't removing the pump handles when the water tests bad. And it's easy to get a bath/swim in the Potomac.

You won't ever really be alone, there are people walking/biking all the time through there, as well as National Park sites.

Cellphone coverage is bad. Don't count on being able to make a phone call.

Stop in at Bill's Place in Little Orleans and meet the man, the legend, before he's gone.

Watch out for theft. I know somebody who had their stove stolen while camped next to the C&O. Lock/pack things up before going to sleep.

You should connect to the Western Maryland Rail Trail for as much of the ride as you can. The parts of the C&O that are also served by the WMRT are in even worse condition (overgrown) since people aren't using them as much.

One more thing -- if you have bike problems and can make it to Hancock, that's the place to get things fixed. There is a good bike shop there (C&O bicycle) right between both trails. You can get a hot shower too, then go eat at the Park & Dine.

This was posted on the GAP list today:

While not having ridden on the canal since the storm, I have heard from many of my biking friends that there is still a lot of damage on the canal from White’s Ferry down to Georgetown and in some places has left the canal impassible.

Someone else suggested calling the National Park Service's C&O Canal info line at 301-739-4200 to check current conditions. Their web site shows an alert too, but it's not very specific.

If the damage is only in that area, you could always take White's Ferry to Leesburg and follow the W&OD bike trail into Washington.

Can't wait to do this myself. Have fun!

parvipica-you'll do great. Below is an excerpt of what I give to each of my clients when preparing for the GAP. Sorry if it's a bit long. Note the emergency numbers/locations for shops on the GAP sections if you get in trouble or need to bail out.

Preparations

An important part of a great bike tour is preparation.

Nutrition: Be sure to hydrate while riding and eat properly on your trip. You may be surprised by the amount of energy you will be expending, even on the relatively flat stages. Energy bars and a daily ice cream are great to enjoy and boost your energy levels, but more importantly, be sure to eat a full breakfast and take less sugary snacks to eat during the ride. Nuts, pretzels, fruit, and even peanut butter are good, portable sources of consistent energy that last throughout the day.

Suggested Basic Bicycle Equipment:

Helmet

Bike lock

Spare tube, patch kit

Headlight

Pump

Bell or whistle

Comfortable saddle

Basic Safety Equipment:

First aid kit

Sunscreen

Matches

Emergency blanket

Water

Food

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

If you run into problems on the trail both of the bike shops below can send out help to assist you.

West Newton Bicycle Shop (Pittsburgh sections)

110 W Main St

West Newton, PA 15089-1152

724-872-2185

www.wnbikes.com

Wilderness Voyageurs (Ohiopyle sections)

103 Garrett Street

Ohiopyle, PA

724-329-1000

wilderness-voyageurs.com

Cumberland Trail Connection (Cumberland sections)

14 Howard Street #A-2

Cumberland, MD

301-777-TRAIL (8724)

www.ctcbikes.com

+1 for Vannevar's avoidance of the detour.

I did something simlar only stayed on 63/ Speilman Rd untl Bakerville rod and went through the Anteitam Battlefireld, then took Harper's Ferry Rd south of Sharpsburg.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=3415+Parkview+Ave,+Pittsburgh,+PA+15213&daddr=39.50889,-77.74682+to:Washington,+DC&hl=en&ll=39.541911,-77.797966&spn=0.131054,0.220757&sll=39.547471,-77.68158&sspn=0.239849,0.412674&geocode=FWP8aAId5wU8-ykVAV5Rj_E0iDErZTRAkR5tJg%3BFZrbWgIdfK1d-ykHZM8zHPDJiTHAb3U9wnU2aQ%3BFQh-UQIdsoRo-ylb5PZa3sa3iTEqXYjUIkVSwg&dirflg=b&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1&t=m&z=12&lci=bike

It was pleasant.

Note: Google directions for bikes recommends something similar to Vannevar's rt over the official detour.

FYI, the section by Georgetown is now open again, per further postings. There were 200+ trees down across the trail two weeks ago, but the park rangers have moved them all. Go NPS!

Here's my trip report from Pgh to 50 miles short of DC in March 2009. http://joe.framba.ch/2009/03/gapcando/

GAP > Lots of services, less camping

C&O > Lots of camping, less services

And don't forget to bring a camera!

I've soloed the Passage/C&O half a dozen times. http://tasigh.org/gps/bikeblog.html

Did this thread title remind anybody else of some lyrics from Gangsta's Paradise

Just did the GAPCANDO, trails were mostly open, and as good a condition as the C+O can be. Wish I had known about the shorter detour after Williamsport! We hit a few downed trees close to Great Falls, but from what I understood those were recent.

NPS did a great job of clearing the trail from what we heard the trail was like after the storms.

hey, woohoo, i did it! managed to do the whole trip in six days. my biggest accomplishment to date! getting a ride back tomorrow morning. i miss you, pittsburgh! i learned a few things for next time. namely that my salsa casseroll is an amazing bike, but i would probably be way better off with a mountain bike on the c&o. i'm writing salsa a thank-you email, though. that bike kicks ass. i took note of all the best and worst campsites, what the detours are like, and which of my dehydrated meals were actually quite tasty. im going to put together a thingy on crazyguyonabike.com later this week. thanks again to everybody for advice on this trip. i am a happy camper.

also, NPS did do a great job clearing trees for the most part. the storm i was stuck in my last night was really scary. a tree fell right between my tent and a hiker's tent. i climbed over about seven or eight that day, but crews were out there working all day.

Good Job. Someday I'll do it. Glad you're okay with the storms and all.

Nice... I still hope to make it this year, I'll look forward to your writeup.

please let us know what the CGOAB url is. Congrats.

Yes, sounds like useful info.

can't wait for the write up!! We're leaving in a few weeks!

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/10857 So far I have the first three days of the ride transcribed. I'm posting the journal that I wrote while camping word for word, which turns out is very wordy indeed. Hope yinz like!

Great write up, you should be proud of yourself. Type 2 fun is the best!

"When people say the C&O towpath is rustic and primitive, what they mean to say is that it is a shitshow squirrel path tour of hell."

You write with an excellent voice and I've really enjoyed reading it. Nicely done.

Nice writeup! Made me relive what my friends and I just did the week before. Sorry you seem to have had worse weather than us.

I see that you are using the Topeak trunk bag with panniers. That bag annoyed the crap out of me on the first attempt I made on the GAP last year as I couldn't get into the bag when I needed it, especially after bungying (sic) a tent and sleeping pad over top. Switched to Ortliebs and couldn't be happier.

Hmm. I'm not a fan of bugs and especially bees. Maybe I won't be doing this someday. You didn't mention bees though. Still, if I did it, I'd seek real shelter every night. You are tough.

@ryan- i've had the topeak bags for a long time and they've served me well. i made a point to only pack things in the topeak that i didn't need to get to until the tent was set up. the ortleibs in front had all the stuff i would want to access anytime.

@italianblen- i love bugs. bees leave you alone. in fact, at roundbottom camp i had all kinds of wasps landing on me, enjoying my sweat. but bees and stuff are nice if you're nice to them.

yellowjackets, on the other hand, will sting the shit out of you if they think you're a threat. which means if you're close enough to their home, basically. they are very territorial and quite aggressive.

bees, on the other hand, i think you have to actually put forth some effort to get stung by.

After reading that, I've just realized that maybe long distance riding and camping isn't for me, since I'm terrified of all bugs and bug-like creatures. Especially bees and bee-like creatures.

I stepped in a hive when I was little...I still have a slightly irrational fear of bees.

I was stung on the neck by a wasp when I was 7. They built a nest in my swingset, and I was swinging, and it got me.

That guy looks like he should've appeared on Space Ghost Coast to Coast

or The Venture Brothers

Or Pittsburgh circa 1987

parvipica - great log of your travels. It is really fun to read. Sounds like you had a great trip. Bugs and camping are unfortunately outside of my comfort zone, but it is cool to read about the experience.

ohhh man, it sounds like i'm talking people out of doing this in a way i had not expected! it's bugs, they're everywhere, it's okay! did nobody notice how much i complained of crotch pain? it's funny and awesome the rainbow of ways people suffer. i was all about being surrounded by nature and having nature just nestle into my belly button and snuggle me, and that isn't cool to most people at all. but nobody seems to mind the prospect of EXTREME crotch agony. i love bike people.

I really enjoyed reading your travel logs - it was also nice to hear from a female making this kind of trip. Ouch, yes I did notice about the crotch and wrist pain and feeling weird about one of the towns. I'm always surprised to hear and see about the monotony of the GAP. I think that would be part of the preparations for me: I'd have to think of it as a solitary meditation.

Thanks for sharing your experience and the photos were great!

EXTREME crotch agony

this is the name of my new band.

What did you find objectionable about the people of Cumberland?

thanks for the write-up.

gonna be doing this (well, at least most of it, we're gonna start in ohiopyle and work our way to DC) in a couple weeks.

couple quick questions:

1) you mentioned being cold a few times. are you prone to being cold or was it really cooling off that much at night? i do often tend towards being cold, so i'm trying to figure out what i want to pack to keep warm at night.

2) which williamsport detour did you do? the "official" one or the 63/632 one posted above?

we're doing a test ride this weekend -- boston to confluence on saturday, camping at the Outflow campground and then riding back on sunday. this'll test our ability to do multiple 60+ mile days. stoked.

FWIW I had no problem staying warm enough with a sleeping bag & a hammock (which should be cooler than a tent) a few weeks ago on a trip through the same area. It does cool off enough to definitely need the sleeping bag.

BTW in Cumberland the Inn at Walnut Bottom is good. Though when I stayed there a few years ago it wasn't quite as nice as several years ago. Also nice place to pause before the hell of the C&O.

Guys, bees give you a head bump when they feel threatened. It's a warning (it's not a mistake and bees don't get disoriented -- they do it with purpose) and it's well before they are going to sting. Just move away (30 feet is often enough) but do it "smoothly" no "hands flying around", no running.

So glad i got on the bike board and saw a Venture Bros. picture..haha score.

it was cold at night because it's in the mountains, which i failed to think about and didn't pack anything warm. yes, even in july it gets plenty chilly at night. a sleeping bag would be good but takes up lots of space. a pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt is plenty.

i did the official detour. it's really pretty and i always exaggerate hills. they're not god-awful, i'm just a wussy.

the people of cumberland wouldn't leave me alone about my tattoos, which was one thing i was looking forward to about the trip; not talking to people about my tattoos.

I'm considering one of these on my left calf:

Ditto the chilly nights. We camped in Connellsville and Rockwood, both nights ended up being around 55 degrees. I wouldn't bring anything lower than a 45 degree sleeping bag though. It was warmer once we camped along the potomac, but it still got pretty cool at night.

I don't think I want to do this ride if spiders are involved. There will be a lot of irraional crying on my part. Great job on doing the ride solo! Glad you made it safey. I am glad you wrote about it. When I did the Philly to Pittsburgh thing, my lady parts hurt so badly. I understand your pain.

fun butt-pain update! i've developed a pilonidal cyst. check it out on webmd, and then revel in the fact that you know something terrible about my butt. but not just MY butt, potentially anyone's butt that tackles the C&O on a road bike. the most important lesson that i have learned, i think, is that a good pair of bike shorts are essential. i saved my good shorts for the last two days, but the damage was already done. it's worth it to own several pairs of good, expensive as hell bike shorts if you're going to lay some pain down on yourself.

Awesome write-up! I read it with great excitement. I've thought about taking this huge leap and just taking two weeks off and taking my time on this ride. Someday for sure. Or i will join a group sometime next year on it.

two weeks would be awesome. enough time for really exploring the woods. group rides are rad, but the nice thing about going solo is you can stop and smell the roses when you want, and since there's nobody around to complain to, you complain way less.

If it makes you feel better, people tend to be predisposed to pilonidal cysts if you were born with certain anatomy, if I remember correctly, so even a cross country car ride may have caused it at some point for you. My anatomy is a little funny in that area as well, and sometimes I get irritation from nothing apparent, but it usually heals up before it gets too painful or becomes a problem. Hope it gets better for you.

I'll just add that you're not the only one that has experienced the fun of a pilonidal cyst. It is influenced by heredity. My only advice is to take care of it as soon as possible!

I've had mine operated on twice in 10 years. (now you have too much information)

My only advice is to NOT look up that term using Google images. Seriously.

I've learned to never look up ANYTHING medical using Google images, since the top results are usually the grossest, worst-case scenario pictures of whatever it might be.

@parvipica - I've had the pleasure of experiencing a pilonidal cyst in the past. It was not cycling related though, and didn't exist in the zone where my saddle would touch. Definitely not a fun experience.

I was a Senior in high school, had to sit on a foam donut in class for a month, great popularity enhancer for sure.

I luckily didn't have any saddle related issues on my DC trip, but I also used chamoise butter very liberally and put on fresh shorts daily. I'm no conservative, watching my butt butter budget on a long trip.

i definitely think having a busted tailbone in the first place set me up for getting this cyst. i broke my tailbone in middle school so it's all wonky and crooked.

i, too, was quite liberal with the chamoise butter. some days i had to wander into the woods to slather it on, as i was sharing a campsite with forty boy scouts. haha, i didn't want to ruin any misguided ideas they had about women or cyclists by being really immodest with my buttered-up adult diaper-esque shorts.

we do gross things for the sport we love.

@parvipica - Just wanted to say thanks for the great journal write up. It was a great read and I enjoyed your sense of humor.

We (myself, a friend, and his son) are leaving in a few weeks to do the same ride. Been planning it since last year. Can't believe it's almost time to go! can't wait...anyway...thanks again for writing that. Gave me something to do while I'm waiting to leave!!!

Spiders. Overnight, the spiders string webs across the C&O towpath. Sometimes you get the full elaborate orb with the spider hanging out in the center. Riding along, you will catch a glint in the morning sunlight and put your head down so that you don't get a face full. Eventually, you have webbing all over your helmet. Sometimes you'll be able to see the spiders hanging in mid air and stop before you run full into the web. You can usually get around or under it without disturbing it, leaving a faceful for the next cyclist to come along. That thing you feel on the back of your neck is a spider that hitched a ride when the web wrapped around your helmet.

This is actually fairly common on any trail but canals attract more bugs so canal towpaths attract more spiders.

Yes, and there are also the really large spiders that will occasionally snare an unwary cyclist bike and all, lifting him up into the trees, with the bike crashing back to the trail as the cyclist's screams fade.

Also, Paw-Paw Tunnel's canal side conceals an ancient octopus-like creature that will occasionally reach up an suck a cyclist off the trail, leaving their bike behind. Locals make a good business out of retrieving these bikes and selling them.

I honestly don't know what's more disturbing, spiders or anal cysts. Probably the former, actually. I know it's irrational but I'd probably rather have an ass-cyst than to run into a spider web. But it sounds like you can have both. ugh.

eeeeew it's not an anal cyst! it's just near my buttcrack... there's a difference.. heh.

And people thought the thread about peeing in washing machines got weird...

Drewbacca wrote:I really hated that section and will seriously consider taking roads between Hancock and Cumberland in the future.

parvipica wrote:I’d love to get a group ride together just to Husky Haven in the fall, because it’s probably crazy beautiful when the leaves are changing. Who’s in?