Biking the Great Allegheny Passage

I awakened Monday to find Jamie readying our bicycles for the day’s adventure.  After a breakfast of one of our camping favorites – eggs scrambled with peppers and onions, folded with cheese into a tortilla – we mounted our bikes and headed into Confluence. 

Tires pumped, the bicycles are ready to load

We were met first by two girls dressed in 1800’s costumes welcoming us to town.  We learned that between 25 and 250 cyclists stop by Confluence each day.

Jamie gets information from the Confluence Welcome Center crew.

Today nearly 300 cyclists taking the annual weeklong Greenway Sojourn were making their way from Cumberland, MD, to Coraoplis, PA, on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and the Montour Trail.   Much like Georgia’s BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia), these cyclists spend the night in school gyms along the trail. 

The Confluence Cyclery and the town park were filled with riders this morning.  We, too, browsed the bicycle shop, finding a few accessories to add to our growing handlebar collection. 

Doing a little shopping at Confluence Cyclery

My purchases: a bell and a phone holder

After rearranging our shuttle details with Larry, the local shuttle guy who donates proceeds to the volunteer fire department, we loaded our bicycles onto our truck and drove the 40 miles to Deal, PA, where we found a small parking area, restrooms and a kiosk with trail details.  We are a day earlier than planned, but the weather is forecasting rain for Tuesday, so we know it was a smart move to get ahead of our plan.

The GAP sign at Deal 

We hopped on the trail at Deal shortly after noon and headed east toward the Eastern Continental Divide.  It was just a mile up the trail.  A photo opp, of course.

Jamie rides ahead on the approach to the Continental Divide; I'm learning the fine art of photography while cycling.

Our official "starting point" for the day's ride

Usually behind the camera, I agreed to a shot of myself at this landmark.

Selfie at the Eastern Continental Divide

 We turned around and headed west on the trail.  Forty miles of trail riding to get us back to our home base in Confluence, PA: challenge ahead.

The map shows a significant elevation drop between the Divide and Confluence, but it’s spread over forty miles, so it felt nearly flat to us.  We pedaled all 211,200 feet of those forty miles. 

We went through what seemed to be wilderness.  Tree lined, rocky outcroppings home to occasional waterfalls along one side, with the river in and out of view along the other side.  We could feel the temperature difference under the canopy when we passed flowing water.  Refreshing coolness.   

Miles apart, we would briefly re-enter civilization to find a small town offering restrooms, water refills and a bit of tourist information.

Restroom break at Meyersdale

Highway construction  near the Flight 93 path

Crossing highways on the 1908' Salisbury Viaduct between Meyersdale and Garrett

At mile 18, Jamie found us a picnic shelter for lunch.  We dined on pimiento cheese sandwiches, apple slices and peanut butter, kept cool on the ride with the aid of an Igloo freezer pack.

Lunch is served!

We pedaled on. 

Happening upon fellow cyclists with a flat tire, we stopped to offer assistance.  Little did we know, this was to be our only rest stop of the afternoon.

Ever the Good Samaritan, Jamie frequently stops to help folks with a flat tire on the highway, so now he's doing so on the trail.

We arrived at the Pinkerton Tunnel to find construction underway.  This tunnel has been closed, abandoned long ago by the railroad, repairs too costly for the GAP budget.  Trail builders constructed a much less expensive 1.5 mile route around the mountain.  Since the completion of the GAP two years ago, funds have been raised to re-open the tunnel. Word is that the tunnel will open to cyclists later this year.

Pinkerton Tunnel under construction -- located between Markleton and Fort Hill

We pedaled on. 

Realizing the trail was nearly void of cyclists at this time of day, we rode side by side for a ways, sharing our joy in the trail ride and the scenery.  

One of many waterfalls along the trail

Iser's Run 

Crossing the Casselman River

A few minutes before five, we rolled into Confluence.  I’ve never been happier to see a campground sign than I was today. We didn’t stop pedaling for the last ten miles or more.  My undercarriage ached; my legs wobbled.  Despite the physical exertion and the fatigue brought on by miles in the saddle, the ride was worth it.  We did it.

So glad to see that sign to the campground

We did what we came to do.  Ride the GAP.  Or at least a portion of the 150 mile trail that stretches from Cumberland, MD to Pittsburgh, PA.

But the day wasn’t over.

We rushed in to shower, rinsing away the trail grime, and called Larry the Shuttle Guy, who picked us up at the campground and drove us back to Deal to retrieve our vehicle.  We wouldn’t have had to make this second trip except Larry had been working the Sojourn earlier in the day and wasn’t available to take us to Deal in the morning.  We’re glad to have had a Plan B.  Don’t think the ride would have been as enjoyable in today’s rain.

Driving back to Confluence, we stopped to buy firewood and to read the National Highway mile markers.

An honor box on the side of the highway collects firewood money.

This Dixie Highway buff had to check out these National Highway mile markers.

Back in Confluence, we selected Lucky Dog Café for dinner.  It was the only open restaurant in town at 8:00 PM.  The last meal we ate out was on Friday in Leesburg, GA, before we left on this trip.  That’s remarkable, considering we typically eat out multiple times a week as entertainment.  When camping, though, the entertainment is in preparing meals.

After dinner, we drove downtown to watch trains.  Larry told us 37 trains pass through Confluence each day; the high speed Amtrak passenger train Capitol Limited races through town around 9:30 each evening.  The horn blasts echoed between the mountains. We arrived in time to see a freight train get out of the way by pulling onto the second track so the Limited could pass.

The Capitol Limited speeds by in Confluence, PA

To say we slept well is likely an understatement.