Day 3 Little Orleans MD to Harper's Ferry WV - 90 miles

After Steve whipped up a fantastic and never ending breakfast we said goodbye and moved on for the third day of riding. We thought we were going to do 80 miles, but we added about 10 miles as a result of some exploring and the one detour in the trail that takes you on roads. Prior to this trip a 90 mile ride seemed like a major undertaking. Today, it seemed like a leisurely ride. When we woke up the temperature was 45 degrees in Little Orleans. By day's end we were riding in mid-80's weather. After 5 fairly muddy, rutted miles on the C&O we were able to switch over to the smoothly paved Western Maryland Rail Trail. It was a nice change to ride on a smooth, flat surface. Where we were doing around 16 mph on the C&O we were able to do about 20 mph on the paved trail. The other nice feature was that we were riding parallel to the C&O and could look over at it from a different perspective. The mid-point of the paved trail was the town of Hancock. We stopped there for a few minutes at a bike shop in town to load up on Gatorade and water. This is also a very nice little town that we often see on route 70 between Pittsburgh and DC. The trail runs next to the highway for a few miles.
There are several nice bike shops along the trails. We tried to make a point to stop in, say hello and buy something. These shops in small towns perform a valuable service to riders. The owner of this shop won the right to operate it in an essay contest.

After the Western Maryland Trail ended we reentered the C&O. After riding for a little while we reached Ft. Fredrick. This was a beautiful park and a nice place for a rest. They also had excellent clean bathrooms which were most welcome after Steve's massive breakfast and strong coffee. This also allowed us to take the obligatory tacky pictures of each other in the stockade. Yes, they caught up to Stritty for riding through the Paw Paw Tunnel.

Going forward we rode past the Little Pool and Big Pool sections of the Potomac. We met up and rode for awhile with a group of riders from Erie PA. They had started from Boston PA the day before us. We also met some filmmakers who were shooting a documentary about a group of kids walking from Boston Mass. to Washington DC. We stopped for lunch in the small town of Williamsport, MD. We rode into town and noticed the grand opening of a leathers store, which was a giveaway that this town might be a little shady. We found a deli/grocery and had good hoagies. After lunch we reached the detour, which became a longer detour for us because the detour wasn't so well marked. It was kind of nice riding rolling hills and winding roads for about 7 or 8 miles. I noticed how much more comfortable I was riding with the loaded pannier bags. Coming down the home stretch of the ride we passed Sheperdstown WV, which is supposed to be a nice town with good restaurants and accommodations. We also decided to bypass the Antietam battle field, as it would have taken us several miles off course and we wanted to save time to wander around and enjoy Harper's Ferry.


We reached the part of the trail directly across from Harper's Ferry. We could see our hotel, sitting way up on the hillside looking majestic. To get across the river to Harper's Ferry we had to cross a hiker's bridge that was part of the Appalachian Trail. The trail intersects Harper's Ferry, crosses the bridge and follows the C&O. The headquarters for the Appalachian Trail is in Harper's Ferry as it is near the half way point from Georgia to Maine. Crossing the bridge after biking all day was no easy task. We had to carry our fully loaded bikes up a metal spiral staircase and then cross a narrow, busy path while pushing the bikes. When we got to Harper's Ferry it was impressively restored in authentic fashion as it is a National Park - a Civil War era version of Williamsburg. Our hotel was in the upper part of town. To get there we had to climb a long, steep hill. About half way up I noticed my rear tire was extremely low. I stopped to pump it up. As Jeff came by I waved him on. As I was pumping I was rushing and broke the tube valve. Not wanting to change the tube there, I pushed the bike up the hill the rest of the way in the sweltering humidity. All the while up I was thinking of taking a shower, and relaxing with a cold drink and nice meal at the hotel. When I actually made it to the hotel I was sorely disappointed. From a bit of a distance the Hilltop House Hotel looks like a quaint and historic hotel, but there is a thin line between "quaint and historic" and "old and tired". The Hilltop House has seen better days. At check in I was informed that the restaurant and tavern were closed for two weeks. That meant we had to hoof it back down the hill for dinner and then back up after. A nice couple from Nebraska offered to wait while we showered and changed and give us a ride back down the hill. They were just another example of wonderful, friendly people we met in the small towns along the trail. We had dinner in a nice tavern and then walked all over the historic section of town as well as the upper part of the town. We saw the Jefferson Rock, an historic hilltop cemetery, what was once the nation's first Black college and the Appalachian Trail headquarters. It was a very interesting several mile walk. Who would have thought it would have been fun to go for such a long and steep walk after biking 90 miles.

Day 1 Boston to Meyersdale 102 miles

Our journey started at about 7:30 in the morning after getting a little lost on the way to Boston PA. We were wearing out matching Weber Gallagher bike jersey that the firm had made for an MS ride a few years ago. It was cool and overcast for June - perfect biking weather. This portion of the trip follows the Youghiogheny River to the town of Confluence almost 70 miles away. For the first 40 miles we go went through little towns like Suttersville, West Newton and Connellsville. Connellsville did a particularly nice job of incorporating the trail into the town. The trail goes right through the middle of town, past the businesses and a nice bike store where we stopped. There we met two guys who were traveling west from DC. They gave us some pointers. The pushed on for their last few hours until Pittsburgh, while we had another 300 miles to go.


After Connellsville the ride got more beautiful and remote. We met up with a big flock of Canadian Geese who didn't seem to want to share the trail. Jeff did a great job of herding them away amid a cacophony of honking and hissing. Connellsville leads to Ohiopyle State Park. This area is renown for white water rafting. The rough was rugged and rocky. The views were awesome. Leading into Ohiopyle is a
bridge that has won engineering design awards. It's really a neat bridge and leads right to the little town and former train station. From Ohiopyle we rode 12 miles to Confluence. This was the first part of the trail completed 25 years ago. Confluence is a nice little town and home of the River's Edge Restaurant and B & B. This is where we had an excellent lunch and a nice rest after 70 miles. Jeff made an unfortunate selection for his meal. Although the black bean wrap was tasty it apparently did not sit so well for the last 30 miles. We were now beyond Jeff's longest training ride and he was navigating uncharted waters.

After lunch we pushed on to the town of Rockwood. The trail was now following the Casselman River, we passed a bridge where our law clerk, Tim got engaged to his fiance. We were slowly and gradually climbing into the mountains of the Laurel Highlands, home to ski resorts such as Seven Springs and Hidden Valley. During these 19 miles, as we were climbing and the bean burrito was causing a bit of a revolution, Jeff started to struggle. The temperature also dropped considerably, probably into the low 50's. At Rockwood we stopped at a little bike shop. There was also an information booth there. The booth was manned by a 98 year old named Maynard who hadn't missed a day since the booth opened. The townspeople named the booth after Maynard and he now rides a golf cart there everyday. I had a nice chat with him. He is as sharp as a tack. He gladly posed for a picture when I told him he was famous. When I told him we were going all the way to DC he gave us bracelets that commemorated the recent opening of the Savage Tunnel.

After a rest Jeff and I saddled up for the last leg to Meyersdale. Jeff was really struggling and freezing. Somehow he gathered the strength to keep a decent pace despite the fact that this was the steepest part of the climb. We crossed a long imposing viaduct shortly before reaching the Meyersdale Train Station. We made our way through town and found our accommodations, the Maple City Loft. It was in an alley in an industrial building downtown. The loft was a very nice two level apartment that could sleep 12 people. It had several bedrooms, a living room, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a laundry. We couldn't ask for more. Just as the owner of the loft was greeting us Jeff sauntered across the alley just in time for the black bean wrap to make a hasty escape exiting the same way it entered. Needless to say, Jeff was not in good shape. He was tired, cold and probably dehydrated, but after a ginger ale, a hot shower and some veg time he made a comeback. We went out to dinner. Jeff seemed fully recovered and ready for Day 2.

The Dates are Set: June 14 - 17

I have set the dates for the bike trip. We will be leaving Pittsburgh on Thursday June 14th. The plan is to leave early in the morning, as we will be doing about 100 miles the first day to Meyersdale, Pa. Meyersdale is a small town best known for it's Maple Festival. This is supposed to be one of the most scenic areas of the trail, with a view of an historic railroad viaduct.

The second day we will travel about 90 miles to Hancock, Maryland. Hancock is another small town located close to the Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland borders. They do have a couple of motels that look very much like the Bates Motel. To get to Hancock we need to go through Cumberland on the C&O Canal Trail. Apparently in this area there is a break in the trail. I've been told that we may have to hop a train in the area of the detour.

Saturday we are planning on riding about 65 miles to Harper's Ferry, WVa. This is the home of the National Park and battlefield. Harper's Ferry is actually across the river from the trail. Our plan is to stay in an historic hotel called the Hilltop Hotel in the old part of the town. The last day we will have about 60 miles into DC. We haven't firmed up the plans on how we will get back; either a loving spouse or a rental car.

Stritty and I have recruited a third rider. Our partner, Sam Foreman will join us. Sam has biked across Ireland several times, so he is experienced with these types of trips. He is also a native of West Virginia, so he should be able to communicate with the natives for us.