Leesburg VA to Washington DC 40 miles - 343 mies cum

Well we have finished our trip except for the train ride back hlome tomorrow. It was quite a trip, it was not exactly what I expected but on the other hand, it did deliver what I expect from a trip. New experiences, new sights and most importantly, new friends!
We had gone to dinner last night and enjoyed a great dinner with great friends and came back and settled down for the night in our fabulous B&B.

We got up this morning and had a leisurely breakfast. Our hosts even had glutin free muffins for me to enjoy. Around 10:00 we loaded up the bikes and equipment, said goodbye to Dave and Carol Moore and headed for the ferry to continue the last leg to Washington DC. We pretty much just cruised along enjoying the good company and trying to stretch out the last day. We finally saw a working canal barge complete with mules to tow it along. We stopped for a little lunch and stayed for about an hour or so just hanging out, We continued on and stopped to see the Great Falls. It was very impressive! Unfotunately, the sky began to darken and we began to hear thunder and see lightning, The trail began to get muddy as the rain began to fall. With about 7 miles to go I blew a tire. I thought I could put a temporary boot on it to hold it for seven miles but with only 2 miles to go, it blew again and I was forced to open my bag and get out my spare tire. Still not sure why it failed but it doesn't matter, it had to be replaced.
By now, it was raining hard and we finally got to the end of the trail. Keith and I asked Anna and Keith where their truck was parked and it turned out to be the Best Western where we are staying tonight. It seems like the four of us were destined to be together fot this trip as we independantly made exactly the same reservations for the trip. We exchanged e-mail addresses and said goodbye to our new friends as they were heading home tonight. Keith and I cleaned up and went to dinner at a Chinese Restaurant and it was outstanding!

 Tomorrow we pack our things and head home knowing we have accomplished something that most people will never do. It is a great feeling! You should try it!





At one of the locks



Great Falls



Great Falls gorge

More Great Falls

A couple of wet riders

Anna and Randy at the end of the ride



On the ferry to start the last ride



Day 5 Williamsport to Leesburg VA 68 miles – 303 cum

We wanted to get on the road early today because we were supposed to meet Roger from the Norris House B&B at 2:30PM promptly or we would have to find another way to get to the B&B.

We had a really good breakfast and made our way down to the visitor center to meet Dave Moore at 8:00AM. Dave was there and we started on our way. It again was a rough path and the humidity was high although we were lucky to have cloud cover so the temperature didn't get very high. We were making pretty good time and rode along chatting away. Dave had never met Randy, Anna and Keith before so he talked with everyone getting up to date.

We eventually hit the detour where the towpath has been washed away so we went out on the local roads for about 10 miles or so. It reminded me how much more fun it is to ride on the roads than the trails. These roads were not very heavily traveled so it was fun.

We came back to the towpath and continued on. Now we really appreciated the smooth roads versus the very rocky and rough towpath.

We were pushing hard to get to the White's Ferry and Roger on time but we were losing ground. We were also out of water. We filled our bottles at a pump and we drank the water even though it was rusty looking and tasted like iron. We also met Tom a young man of 18 who was trying to make it all the way from Hancock to Washington DC which is 125 miles. He had already fallen once avoiding a turtle and was scraped up a little bit. We said good bye and kept on going.

part of the canal

Our new friend Tom

Rafters on the Potomac

Randy is a little tuckered out!

On the ferry to Leesburg

Randy, Dave, Keith and me on the ferry

By now it was around 1:30 and we were hungry. A group of bikers recommended a pizza place off the trail so we decided to have lunch. As we started off the trail, Randy noticed that the tire on my trailer was going flat so we changed it when we got to the restaurant. There was a small piece of glass in the tire probably from last year's trip.

We met up with Tom again and he had a blown tire which had to be replaced. He bought a new tire and we loaned him tools and a pump so he could get rolling again. He had used up all his money so we invited him to have some pizza. Keith gave him some money and we said good bye again. I called Roger and told him we weren't going to make it by 2:30. I told him we could make it by 4:00 and he said to pedal hard which we did. At 4:00PM, I called him to say we were still 7 miles away and he said he would wait.

We finally made it to the Ferry at 4:45. Our new friend Tom was also there having a snack with 35 miles to go to DC.
We crossed the river and Roger shuttled us to the B&B in Old Town Leesburg. This place is pretty nice. It is one of the oldest houses in Leesburg. It started to rain as we unloaded our bikes and baggage so we thought we were pretty lucky. We walked to dinner to a place Roger recommended and it was fabulous.

Tomorrow is our last day.

Day 4 Little Orleans to Williamsport 46 miles – cum 235 miles

We woke up today on a mountaintop in rural Maryland. Sometime during the night, I actually picked up enough data service to download my e-mail. We have not had data service since we left Meyersdale and no internet service since we left Connellsville.

Dave the B&B owner prepared a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham, oatmeal made from an old family recipe and a french toast which looked fabulous. We enjoyed our breakfast and sat around talking as we had an easy ride today and were in no hurry. Finally around 9:30AM we loaded up and Dave shuttled us back down the mountain to the trail. We got on the way around 10:00AM.

We rode along the gravel/mud trail for about 5 miles and move up to the railroad trail which parallels the C&O towpath but it is PAVED!!!! We enjoyed the PAVED roadway for about 15 miles and then got off to find lunch. We found the diner which had been recommended to us and it was very good. Home cooked style food which we really enjoyed.

We returned to the PAVED trail for another 10 miles. It was ironic but Randy hit the only sharp rock on the PAVED trail and blew his back tire. We have ridden a few hundred miles on some of the rockiest rough roads I have ever been on and no problems.

We went back out on the C&O trail when the rail trail ended but we only had around 15 more miles to go and we got to the B&B in Williamsport around 3:15PM. The owner is a very nice lady and took our dirty laundry to clean and gave us a couple of bottles of wine. We showered up and went to the backyard to sit around and drink our wine and discuss the world's problems. Finally around 6:00 we walked up the street to dinner and found a car show complete with a band setting up on the main street.

We had dinner and went out to see the cars and listen to the band. It was pretty awesome for a warm summer night.

We came back to the B&B to finish our wine and while we were sitting around, the owner brought out her three four month old Cocker Spaniel puppies. “They were very cute and we were trying to see how we could fit them in our bags to take them home but we concluded that they wouldn't fit!

Tomorrow we go to Virginia!

Hilltop B&B

Anna & Randy

A stone arch at a lock

Lock master house

Dam on the Potomac

Car Show in Willimasport

The band!

Meyersdale to Little Orleans 83 miles – 189 cum



 A lock on the canal



Today, it was downhill Baby!!! At least for about 32 miles. Sweet!!!! We got up around 6:30 with the intentions of getting on the road early but first we had to clean the bike chains since we were too tired to do it last night. Then we loaded up and headed out to breakfast. We had heard about a place that only served breakfast all day and closed at 2:00AM. We mentioned it to Helen who owned the motel we stayed at last night and she gave us directions. We followed her directions but didn't see it. We asked a man who was pulling out of a drive way and he said he was going there and to follow him. He took us back to where started and the little drive-in diner that we had rejected last night because of all of the derelicts hanging around. We said thanks but no thanks and headed back up the hill following Helen's directions. We still couldn't find it so Keith road back up back up the hill to the city directory and found out that the restaurant had changed names and we were in the right location. We finally got on the trail at 8:30 and road slightly uphill to the Eastern Continental Divide. I have now ridden my bike across both continental divides, how many people can say that?

We started out riding the glorious downhill trail. After a few miles we came to the Mt Savage tunnel. It was well lit and was fun to go through. After a few more glorious downhill miles, we came to the Mason Dixon line and the Maryland border, another state border crossed on a bike. We continued downhill to the Bordon tunnel. This tunnel was not as long as the Mt Savage tunnel and although it wasn't lit, we could see the light at the end and the road was nicely paved so we decided to go through without bothering to put our lights on. Big mistake!! After a few hundred yards into the tunnel it was impossible to see anything, not the road, not the walls nothing but the light at the end. I began to become very disoriented. I felt like I was floating in a big dark void and was beginning to not know which way was up. I was contemplating stopping and rigging the lights but I decided if I focused on the light, I could manage and I did. Keith and I talked about it and realized that we both experienced the same disorientation. Very strange experience.

We continued down and began to parallel the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. It is a passenger train taking tourist up the mountain. It went by just after we had stopped to see the Cumberland Bone cave. It was discovered as they were making the cut for the railroad. It was very interesting to see rock formations exposed to view that would normally be found deep in a cave.

We continued down and eventually came to the town of Cumberland where the Great Allegheny Passage ends and the C&O canal towpath begins. We stopped and had lunch before starting on the towpath. It was fascinating to the old canal locks and lockmaster houses which remain but there is a tremendous difference in the quality of the Gap trail and the Towpath. The Gap is in great shape and the road surface is smooth and free of holes and obstructions. The towpath is very rocky and bumpy. You can not relax because of mudholes roots rocks etc. which appear without notice. We were still going downhill but it was not as steep a grade and we had to peddle hard.

We met a couple (Anna and Randy) .from Virginia who were traveling our route and staying at the same places we are staying. We rode along with them and came to the Paw Paw tunnel. Keith and I having learned our lesson at the Bordon tunnel put on our lights. Randy had a headlight but Anna didn't think she needed one. They went on ahead of us as we got our gear ready. This tunnel is 3700 feet long and although you can see the light at the other end it gets totally dark. We got in few hundred yards and found the path surface was very rough and uneven. Even with lights it was tough going. All of a sudden I came upon Anna who was just standing there. She could not move because she couldn't see anything and had lost touch with Randy. She asked if I was walking and I said no but I was riding slow. She said she could run so she started to run behind me pushing her bike. She is a marathoner so she is in condition. After awhile we came up to Randy who was walking his bike because his light had gotten pretty dim. She asked him if he wanted her to go with him but he said she was doing just fine so she should go on running after me. We finally got to the end of the tunnel and waited for Keith and Randy who walked the path. We all agreed that it was quite an adventure.

We finally got to Little Orleans and Bill's restaurant and saloon where we were to be picked up by the B&B folks. This was another experience that we won't soon forget. Bill's is the only place for anything to eat or drink. The locals looked like they where directly out of deliverance. Our ride came and rode us up to the B&B which is really a 40 plus room hotel that sits on top of a mountain on RT 40. Very Nice!

Continental Divide

Keith crossing thedivide

Getting ready to enter the Savage Mountain Tunnel

Inside theSavage Mountain Tunnel

View from the top of Mt Savage

Maryland border

Bordon Tunnel

Another great view from the trail

Cave formation outside the cave

Western Maryland train

Canal boat at thestart of the C&O Tow Path

Tomorrow is another day and more adventures.

Connellsville to Meyersdale 60 miles 106 cum

Songs kept running through my head all day such as Climb Climb Climb, that great county western song, How high is the elevation Mama? 1600' and rising or The road goes on forever and the climbing never ends!! The theme today was climb!! 60 miles of nothing but up! But if you think that was hard, keep reading.

The day started out a little overcast with an occasional sprinkle. We woke up around 6:30 to the pleasant sound of a garbage truck emptying, the dumpster but it was time to get up anyway. Lucy our host served us a great breakfast at 7:30AM. We were quite pleased with the Connellsville B&B. We found out that it purchased in 2008 and completely remodeled and has been open for about a year. It really is very nice and the owners are very nice!

We started out around 8:30 and started riding uphill to Ohio Pyle which was 17 miles away. We stopped and had our coffee at a little cafe along the river. We started up again and I mean that literally. It was another 11 miles to Confluence and we wanted to stop at the River's Edge B&B for lunch. The ride was very pretty as we climbed our way up the river. We saw several rafts as people made their way downstream to Ohio Pyle. It was still pretty much overcast but at least it was cool. We arrived in Confluence at 12:30 and pulled into the B&B and sat at a table outside overlooking the gardens and the river. As we sat down, it began to rain. We congratulated ourselves on our timing to have lunch during the shower except that it wasn't a shower and it never stopped raining for the next 32 miles which if I haven't mentioned was all up hill!

Our pleasant little ride turned into a very tough day. The trail turned into a sort of soft mud which grabbed at the tires and tried to keep them from turning. Up until today I haven't been sure which was better, a trailer or bags on the bike, now I know if it rains on the trail, you have three wheels in the mud instead of two if you are (literally) dragging a trailer. Did I mention that the trail was all up hill?

We still managed to see some pretty nice scenery along the way even if there were raindrops falling on my head ( another song!).

Only 279 miles to go!

A view of the river

Fantastic view

Flowers at the Rivers Edge B&B

Rainy Day

Interesting view from the trestle into Meyersdale

We finally made it to Meyersdale and just as we were getting there, I got a call from Helen who is the motel manager wondering if we were still coming. I assured her that we were and asked her if she had a hose to clean our bikes. She suggested the coin operated car wash which we pass on the way to the motel. It was good advice as were able to get most of the mud off the bikes before we got to the motel. Helen got us settled in and we walked to a local pub for dinner. We had a very good steak dinner for $10.95. As were were waiting for our food, a couple came in who looked like bikers so we struck up a conversation. They were coming from Cumberland Maryland. The wife stayed and talked to us for quite a while but the husband went and sat down. After awhile, we realized why. She complained about everything that had happened for the past couple of days. We decided that he knew what she was going to talk about and he had heard it all more than once that day. We did enjoy her storied though as she was pretty funny.

Hurrah!!!! Finally have internet service!!

We just got into our B&B in Leesburg VA, we are getting cleaned up and going to dinner. I will update the daily blog when we get back.

McKeesport to Connellsville 46 miles - 46 cum

Ready to go!

Am I sure I want to do this?

Dravo Cemetery

Keith and I met in McKeesport at 7:30Am and were on the trail by 7:45AM. It was a beautiful morning with temperatures in the low 70's. We enjoyed a leisurely ride to the Dravo cementary about 12 miles up the trail. We stopped and took a few pictures and marveled a the fact that there were 9 civil war casualties buried there. We thought that was a lot for one small community.

Civil War casualty

We continued up the trail to the town of West Newton and stopped for coffee at the store by the bridge. The restaurant was closed or we would have gone in as it was we sat on the deck and had our coffee in the morning sun. Have you noticed that we are  not really trying to set a speed record here.
We continued on the Cedar Creek Park and stopped to enjoy the view of the river with folks in kayaks and fly fishermen. In all my years of stopping to watch fishermen, I still haven't seen anyone actually catch something.
Our next stop was along the trail so I could tighten my kickstand which had come loose and to try and do something with the brackets that hold my front bag. I got the kickstand tight but gave up on the bag and just bungee corded it to the trailer. I think I just might leave it that way anyway.

Youghegheny River

We stopped again for the last time at the mile 92 cafe around 2:00PM for a late lunch. This is a cafe that is associated with campground about five miles out of Connellsville. There was an older woman with a couple of grandchildren sitting at the only table with an umbrella so we horned our way in. As usual, people want to know what we are doing, where we are going etc.. She said that she was planning to ride the trail down to PawPaw in Maryland with the grandsons and was hoping she could make it. They planned to ride about 30 miles a day so I am sure she can as she has already gone 30 miles. The youngest grandson then said he liked to run instead of riding and was working up to a half marathon. His brother then told us that the kid was also ranked as the 2nd highest in the US in boxing in his weight class and was shooting for the 2016 Olympics. Keith said if he doesn't get his brains knocked out before then. His grandmother was not happy about the kid being a boxer. It is unusual to meet an up and coming boxer these days.
We headed up the trail and arrived at the B&B around 3:00PM. When we first found it, we sorta of looked at each other and said what kind of place did we get into but it was a pleasant surprise once we got inside. The house was built in the 1920's and has been completely remodeled inside. It has the original hardwood floors and really looks nice, The owners upgraded us to a better room because of our good looks or more likely that we are the only ones here tonight. Anyway off to dinner.

Kayaks on the river

Tomorrow is the day

Tomorrow, we leave at 8:00AM for Washington DC. Our first stop will be Connellsville!!!! OK, I know that is not such a big deal that it rates four exclamation points but you have to start somewhere and we want the kickoff to be exciting so I am sticking with four!
The weather forecast has turned against us a little, last week it was just sunny every day but now they are forecasting afternoon thunderstorms. That will give us the incentive to get out early and to our next stop before the storms. Nothing like a little excitement on the ride.

Stay tuned!!!