GAP and C&O ride

Hondo, are you still doing your ride to DC this month? I am leaving this coming Saturday for my 1st trip. My starting point will be Rockwood because I have ridden between there and Pittsburgh a lot. Looking forward to the challenge and scenery. I will be carrying a spare link after watching your video.

Hey Stillriding, wild that we would cross paths in the middle of the savage tunnel going opposite directions. I hate it we didnt get to hook up going the same direction. I could have used some company on this trip as I didnt really meet up with a lot of talkative people. I still have 2 days of riding left as of this posting from Husky Haven campground . Enjoy your ride and I hope to post one of those "hey look at me riding my bike on the gap" youtube things in a week or 2.Ride safe

Hi Hondo, WARNING LONG POST, its Monday afternoon here. What a low percent chance that we meet in the middle of a tunnel and having never met eye to eye before. Wow! It was a real pleasure for the 10 to 15 minutes we shared talking. Hope all is going well for you. I had a great first day and I was conquering the Great C&O with no problem. It had all the good and the bad that you read about with the rain and shine. Completed 77 miles and was looking forward to day 2. Only two thinks I didn't like. 1st, I, like yourself, was doing a self contained trip, had my whistle, bell and cell phone for any emergencies. The problem was there was no cell phone service most of that area after Cumberland, and the last person I had seen was in 2 1/2 hours ago. So if you did have a problem, no one would be there to help, could be the next hour or it could have be all night. I didn't see any one at the camp sites along the way either. 2ond, I know the C&O is a historical trail, but that does not mean that they can't take care of it, like cut the grass, all camp sites had at lest 1 foot of tall grass with the exception of Spring Gap which looked pretty nice. The grass in some long riding areas of the trail was 3 to 4 foot high (and that was in the middle of the two narrow bike lanes). So I rode all the way to the Paw Paw Camp site thinking it would be nice because you pay $10.00. Wrong, 1 foot high grass to. No trail bikes in site. Maybe its me because I am that neighbor that cuts the grass all the time. Well that night in the tent because I could not get a hold of my family to insure them that all is going well, I decided to just ride through the Paw Paw tunnel, go a little ways up and turn around. Plan B would be ride back to Boston, trail head where I am only 15 minutes from home. That would be a 250 total mile trip and I would be happy with that. Today I was looking at about an 80 mile day back to Rockwood camp ground. Was doing great till about 8 miles into the mountain. Got worse

Continued: Was doing great till about 8 miles into the mountain. Got worse and worse until I was wasted at the top. Was going to camp out on the mountain but my wife said she would pick me up at Meyerdale trail head. Tired as I was I said OK. Got there at 8:15pm. Two days and 148 miles on bike riding I can say I did good, but, didn't make. At 61 I don't know if I will try again but I did have a great time. IF I ever do it again (once this soreness goes away), I won't go by myself, for the company and safety issue. Like you said, there are not a lot of talkative people out and too many that don't even acknowledge your wave or hi and some that my even ride by when you need help. But my hat goes off and a pat on the back to all the riders that do. Hondo, it was my pleasure and until we meet again, safe riding. Maybe next time it will be on the motorcycles.

Hey Stillriding, I finished my ride yesterday and made it home today.Yes,I was a bit surprised at the grass not being mowed on the trail and the campsites.I hate it you had a bit of a frustrating ride and honestly unless you are a loner it can get somewhat lonely on the trail.This year I just didn't meet many talkative people and I like to talk with everyone and I think had you and I hooked up we could have had a blast riding to DC.Oh well,what do you do? In a week or so I hope to youtube the GAP part of my ride.Im not doing any of the C&O since I didn't get to DC and would therefore be incomplete. Keep riding!