Deacon Matt's Blog

2024 Spring Erie Canal Tour: Day 5 – Raincoat On, Raincoat Off. Repeat.

May 28, 2024May 28, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

Today’s blog post is brought to you by the letter R… “R is for Rain”

Lest you think this is going to be a cranky old blog post, let me say that we did have a good day. But it was definitely wet.

We got a leisurely start today and left Syracuse around 8:30 on our way to Utica. The weather forecast said we might see a little rain, but it wouldn’t be too bad. Well, chalk up another failed weather forecast.

Rolling out of Syracuse was an easy endeavor. Back when my daughter and I rode the Erie Canal in 2010, we had to use surface streets to get in and out of the city. That’s no longer the case. There is a very good bike “highway” that runs between the lanes of the main roads leading east of Syracuse. Aside from being very careful when crossing intersections, the bike path is 100% separated from the road and safe. Quite an improvement.

It wasn’t long after leaving the city that the first raindrops fell. Eventually we put on raincoats. Then it got quite a bit more wet. Then it stopped. We’d get too hot in our coats so we’d stop and take them off. A little while later it would rain some more. That’s what happened all day long. I’d guess we spent about 40% of today in the rain.

The canal path generally drains well. It does get a bit slower to push, but the rain is mostly a comfort issue more than a cycling issue.

Plotting our way east, we made a couple of stops. During one of the rains, we stopped in Chittenago at a canal boat museum and checked out their reproduction boat until the rain stopped. I’ve passed this boat before but it wasn’t open. It was interesting and worth the stop, but you could see it all in 5 minutes if you really wanted.

Our only real drama of the day happened in Rome. I’m beginning to think Rome is cursed for my cycling. See earlier trip blogs for details that I won’t repeat here. The trail has an official detour posted. I think it’s been here for many years, so why #PTNY is it a detour instead of just the route? As we followed the detour signs, there is one critical sign missing. We even went back to see if we’d missed it. The turn which should have taken us onto W Dominic Street was unmarked. We went forward and saw what looked to be the trail across a busy road. We froggered across the road and rolled up to where it has a road closed sign. There’s a map there showing the right detour (why no map at the other end?!). As we turned around, Zubby rolled over a broken bottle that someone had thrown on the trail. It trashed his tire. Fortunately, he brought a spare tire with him. About 40 minutes later, we were back on the road again.

When we reached Canastota we stopped for lunch at a pizza place. I got a sub and the other guys got really good looking pizza. (Curse you, dairy allergy! Cheese looked delicious). When we came out of the restaurant, the skies looked dark. Coats on, raindrops fell.

As we pedaled east, we were on the historic and non-functional Erie Canal for most of the day, but we also joined up with the modern Barge Canal which replaced the Erie in the early 1900s. The Barge Canal is still active and we stopped at some of the locks. Billy deployed his drone to get some footage of a couple of boats locking through while we all watched from the ground.

Eventually we made our way to Utica and found our hotel, the Double Tree – which used to be the Hotel Utica, which opened in 1912. The lobby is still very majestic and interesting. We’re staying on the 9th floor, which gives us a nice view of the city.

Dinner was a very good hamburger at Swifty’s and now I’m ready for sleep. I feel very good after 5 days of cycling, but I am very sleepy. The body needs to recover.

Tomorrow is our longest day, probably about 65 miles. So far, the weather looks to be cool and dry. Let’s hope they get that forecast right.

May the Lord help you see joy when it feels like the storms of life keep coming.

Peace,
– Dcn. Matt

2024 Spring Erie Canal Tour: Day 4 – It Was a Dark and Stormy Day

May 27, 2024May 27, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

I slept like a rock last night. Best night of sleep I’ve had in weeks, in fact. We stayed at the Vintage Gardens B&B in Medina. If you’re looking for a place along the canal, I highly recommend them. The accommodations were good, the hosts were great, and they took good care of us.

Before heading to bed, Billy and I looked over the forecast. It looked like we were going to be in rain all day, some storms, high winds with gusts up to 60 MPH, and possibility of hail. We talked it over and decided that we would weigh things in the morning and figure out what to do then. There’s a fine line between adventure and stupidity sometimes and I wanted to make sure we stayed on the safe side.

This morning, right after doing my morning prayer, I turned to the various weather apps. It looked like the storms were moving out to later in the day with one or two major lines coming through. We discussed it and decided we would get going immediately after breakfast, keep our breaks to a minimum, and keep our eyes on the weather.

We rolled out of the B&B at about 8:30 with 65-ish miles ahead. Storms were on the radar, but we had a decent chance of getting far along before they caught up to us. The wind forecast was accurate, however. We faced stiff headwinds and sidewinds for most of the day. On top of that, the panniers on our bikes sort of act like sails to catch the winds.

Very shortly after leaving Newark, the Erie Canal route moves to NY Route 31 for about 20 miles. The good news is that pavement is faster than the towpath crushed gravel, and Route 31 has very generous shoulders along this area for riding. The bad news is that much of the route was out in the open farmland with little wind break. There were some parts where we were in lower gears, heads down, pushing hard, to go 6-8 MPH. Nevertheless, we persevered and made our way past Seneca Falls, Port Byron, and a few other little towns I’ve since forgotten.

During a short rest stop and snack break, we pulled up the weather. My initial reaction was “Oh !@!@#” as we saw a giant line of red and yellow coming our way. We decided to do our best to outrun the storm and see if we could get to Syracuse before it caught us. Our snack break was short.

We made good time as we pushed east. Around the town of Jordan we felt our first drops of rain. It didn’t seem too bad. We put on our rain gear and started rolling again. The rains picked up a bit, but weren’t too strong a few miles later. We only had about 10-15 miles left to go, so we were thinking we would just ride on.

When we hit the town of Camilllus, there was a picnic pavilion that seemed like a good place to take a break. We pulled up the weather and I asked my wife, Stephanie, to take a look at the weather for us. Shortly after we pulled under the picnic area roof, the rain turned into a solid storm and the alerts said there could be hail. Stephanie told us the storm would go past over about an hour, so we decided to take a long break. JB took a nap on a table, I ate some food out of my bags, and we all just listened to the rain. It was actually a pretty nice break.

About an hour later, the rains stopped completely and we got back underway. The trail was a bit wet but not bad. We mostly just dodged puddles with the occasional unavoidable splash of mud puddle.

To get into Syracuse, you exit the trail at the state fairgrounds, then climb up a hill that overlooks Onondaga lake. You get rewarded with some nice views at the top.

From there, it is a little tricky to follow the signage through Syracuse into downtown. I had GPS tracks loaded into my cycling computer, so it wasn’t too hard to follow. If you’re not using a GPS, you may want to make sure you have a good map of the route with you and keep an eagle-eyed view out for the signs.

We arrived at our hotel a little after 3PM in good spirits, not too wet, but definitely in need of showers and food. After getting cleaned up, we met JB’s friends Jessie and Joe for dinner at the Syracuse Dinosaur BBQ. That’s twice in a week. Mmmm….

Tonight’s laundry night, so I’m sitting here blogging away while waiting for 100 miles of gunk to get washed off our clothes. Tomorrow we head to Utica, about 62 miles east of here.

It was a good day on two wheels and we’re looking forward to hopefully better weather tomorrow.

I didn’t take many pictures today because we were minimizing our stops. So here are some of the best ones of the day. Enjoy.

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe among all the trials that come your way.
— Dcn. Matt

2024 Spring Erie Canal Tour: Day 3 – Rochester to Newark

May 26, 2024May 26, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

Today was a more leisurely day. I wanted to get to mass in Pittsford mid morning so we left the hotel around 9 and started our way back to the trail from downtown Rochester. The air was cool but comfortable and we stayed dry all day.

Making our way towards Pittsford, we came across a crew meet taking place on the canal. These were high school teams that gathered for a two-day event. Sadly, I couldn’t hang around to watch. I’ve always enjoyed watching the rowing of these sleek boats. One of my minor regrets from college days is that some members of the U of R’s crew team invited me to join them my freshman year and I never took them up on at least checking it out.

When we reached Pittsford, I went off to St. Louis Catholic Church while JB, Billy, and Zubby decided they would watch the crew for a while then head to Fairport a few miles away while I was at mass.

The church is about 100 yards from a small house that my wife and I rented when we were first married many years ago. I swung by that old house and recalled memories of good times living there. We didn’t have any money back then, so a big night on the town was getting an ice cream cone and walking the canal park. We still reflect on that as being some of our happiest times.

Mass at St. Louis was nice. I always feel awkward in my cycling clothes going to mass, so I sat in the very back. There were some families with small children in the last few rows and I enjoyed the distraction of some laughing toddlers.

After mass I made quick time toward Fairport and met up with the rest of the gang. They were at a diner in town and were finishing up their food when I arrived. I ordered a club sandwich and it was fantastic – fresh turkey, not lunch meat, and well prepared.

The weather was very nice all day. We had headwind much of the time, but no complaints about the conditions. We made a few stops at some locks to take advantage of a very leisurely day.

At one of the locks, Billy pulled out his drone to do some pics and videos. I couldn’t justify the money for one of these drones, but it is a neat toy.

We finished up our trip into Newark and are staying at the Vintage Gardens B&B. It is comfortable and the hosts have put together a nice place with beautiful gardens on the property.

After a nice warm shower, we walked around Newark and got some dinner before turning back for the evening. Tomorrow’s destination is Syracuse, about 65 miles away. The weather forecast is calling for rain most of the day, so it might feel a little longer. We’ll see. I’ll keep the raincoat at the ready!

Stats for today: 40 miles. No problems. No fries with meals.

Peace,
— Dcn. Matt

2024 Spring Erie Canal Tour: Day 2 – Medina to Rochester

May 25, 2024May 25, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

Today’s ride started off very uneventful. We had cool temps and a nice ride leaving Medina. Our hotel was nice, albeit somewhat overpriced in my opinion.

This section of the canal, including tomorrow’s ride, is probably my favorite. We pass through several old port towns and many of them still have the old-time downtown feel.

We decided that we would try to get rolling early today to give us as much time as possible in Rochester at the Strong Museum of Play. So we left Medina around 7:45 with the intention of having a real breakfast in Brockport.

Looking back over the day’s photos, I didn’t take very many pictures. We just kept rolling forward with very few stops along the way. Billy brought a drone along for the trip and he flew it to take a few pictures of us during one of our rest breaks. It was neat to see the pictures and videos of us sitting at one of the canal port stops.

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Rolling eastward was generally easy today. No major issues and we all felt great. The sun was shining and trail conditions were good. So we made good time to Brockport and pulled in for breakfast at the Brockport Diner. There was some discussion about whether Tom’s Diner in Lockport was better or the Brockport diner. I think both were good but the quality of the food in Brockport was better.

While we were eating breakfast, the rain started. It was mostly a gentle rain, but it was a little forewarning of the rest of the ride. A few miles east of Brockport, we stopped and put on our raincoats. The rain didn’t last long, but then as we approached Rochester, the rain came on heavy and hard. A little thunder could be heard in the distance and the winds picked up a bit. It didn’t feel dangerous or bad, but by the time we reached Genesee Valley Park we were all very wet, except for where the raincoats kept us dry.

We are staying in Downtown Rochester this evening, which meant departing from the Erie Canal path and going north into Downtown along the Genesee River. We passed through the University of Rochester campus, my Alma Mater, and then made our way north about 3 miles to downtown.

After checking into our hotel, we wandered over to the Strong Museum of Play. It is a very large museum of toys and games. We had a fun time wandering and playing lots of vintage video games and pinball machines. Sadly, they don’t have any of my games currently on display.

I did ask the giant magic 8-ball if the weather would improve tomorrow. It said “don’t count on it.” Bummer.

After the museum, we met up with some friends of JB who happen to also be riding the canal. We will be riding along with them for a few days now. We had dinner at the Dinosaur BBQ. It was definitely a good time and good food.

Laundry is now drying and I’m having trouble staying awake. Tomorrow will take us to Newark NY. A bit of a shorter day at 45 miles.

May the Lord bless your and keep you, may He shine His face upon you and bring you peace.
– Dcn. Matt

2024 Spring Erie Canal Tour: Day 1 – Buffalo to Medina

May 24, 2024May 24, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

Today was a great ride. No two ways about it. Good company, fun route, and epic weather. We all had a memorable day, in the good sense of the word.

After leaving the hotel in downtown Buffalo, we wandered across the street to a Tim Horton’s to get some tea and a couple of donuts. I really shouldn’t eat donuts, but I sometimes make exceptions for donuts. The other guys had never heard of Horton’s so I guess that’s one new experience.

Mmmm Donuts… The stuff dreams are made of

Leaving Buffalo should have been a very short jog over to the Shoreline Trail. This is the trail that runs parallel to the Niagara River until we get to Tonawanda, NY. When we got over to the trail, there was a detour posted. We meandered a bit and eventually had to take surface streets for a few miles before going over to the Shoreline Trail. The views along the way are nice.

A few miles later, we passed under a major highway bridge that runs over to Grand Island. JB said he really wanted to go over the bridge. We rode across, went a little ways into the island and then returned. The bridge has a separated sidewalk but the traffic on the other side of the barrier was moving at highway speeds and the big trucks still made some serious wind. The sidewalk area was a little narrow and I can’t say I enjoyed that part of the trip as much as the other guys. But nonetheless, it was fun enough. Next time (?) I would like to plot a course that goes across to Canada and up the Canadian side to Niagara Falls, then back down to pick up the Canal trail. Not all of us had passports so I didn’t go that route this tine.

Once back on the trail, we finally left the urban area behind and turned eastward at Tonawanda to the Erie Canal Trail, also labeled the Empire State Trail. From this point forward, most of our riding will be a bit quieter alongside the original path of the Erie Canal.

Our next milepost was to reach Lockport. After a nice lunch at Tom’s diner, we wandered around at the locks there, read some of the history, and then pointed our way down the trail eastward.

Originally there were two parallel sets of 5 locks in Lockport that would get boats up / down the Niagara escarpment. Back in the 1920s, these were replaced with two very large locks when the Erie Canal was superseded by the Barge Canal to be able to handle larger loads and more traffic. Billy had never seen a lock in action before so we watched a boat lock through and wandered into the museum to learn a bit more about the history of the canal. Outside the museum is a set of bronze statues that recreate a famous portrait of the lock tenders in Lockport. We took our seats among them and got a picture.

Most of the rest of the day was uneventful as we enjoyed the crushed gravel path next to the canal. There was a mile or two of the trail that was in very bad condition due to construction. No detour posted on the west end of it and it was very good that it wasn’t a rainy day or we’d have been ankle deep in mud. When we got to the end of the construction there were detour directions posted for riders going the other way. #PTNY: not good, how about posting some detour signage?

We eventually made it to Medina, NY and found our hotel, checked in and did a deep scrubbing. I’m going to sleep well tonight!

Tomorrow we head to downtown Rochester, about 50 miles. We are going to try to get there early enough to spend some time at the Strong Museum of Play in the evening.

Today’s stats: 55 miles, 2 donuts, no mechanical problems.

Peace!
– Dcn. Matt

2024 Spring Erie Canal Tour: Day 0 – Here we go again!

May 22, 2024May 23, 2024 M. Coriale1 Comment

If you’ve been following me for more than a year or so, this will seem familiar. My former co-workers and I have decided to make another ride across NY state along the Erie Canal trail / Empire State Trail. I’ve done this trip a couple of times prior, most recently in 2022.

Back in 2022, the same group of guys planned this trip together, however due to Covid, one of them had to back out and then later another didn’t finish the whole ride. So it was decided that this year, we’d all do it, and all finish together!

This time we’re changing things up a little by stopping in different places and seeing some different sights. The route will be largely the same, but we’ll venture into Rochester and skip the side trip to Webster this time. We’re also going to skip the sketchy AirB&B in Syracuse.

Our adventure began with a leisurely trip from central Kentucky in the Zubby Family Truckster (a Sienna Minivan) up to Buffalo where we’ll begin our journey. The plan is to leave the car in a safe place here, ride to Albany, and take Amtrak back.

After getting checked in, we wandered about and found some dinner at a local brew pub. My goal is to come home a little lighter than I left, but the beer was oh so good, so I had to at least splurge on one pint.

I am most definitely looking forward to the time off. Work has been very busy lately. I won’t be able to completely unplug this trip as I usually do, but at least I’ll be with friends on the bike with hopefully good weather along the way. The forecast here looks great for the next few days.

As usual, I’ll be blogging along the way each day so my family can keep up with the adventure.

Onward Ho!

Peace,
– Dcn. Matt

Fall 2023 Bike Tour: GAP/C&O Day 7 – Brunswick, MD to Washington, DC

September 14, 2023September 14, 2023 M. Coriale2 Comments

This posting is a day delayed: I authored the post on our train ride home, but the Jetpack app hung and I lost my work.

Knowing we had a longer day and a train to catch, we got moving at first light and began our journey by headlight at around 6:30. We decided that we wanted to arrive at the National Mall as early as possible for two reasons: first, I’d we had any mechanical issues we would have some buffer time, and second because we wanted to do a little touring of the monuments before leaving.

The weather was nearly epic. We started out in the mid 60s and had no rain. Blue skies kept us company all the way to the end. The only tiny subtraction of epic points was that the sun did get rather hot by the end of the day.

I have biked the C&O three times before this trip. On my previous rides, the surface has been quite bumpy and muddy. The towpath was mostly just two tracks of dirt with a strip of grass between, and puddles… lots of puddles. I was happy to see that large portions of the path are now a groomed surface similar to the GAP. We had a few more miles of the improved surface as we left Brunswick today.

During our previous days, JB would stop and read nearly every historical sign. Knowing we wanted to arrive in DC quickly, we only took 2 longer breaks and skipped most of the signs.

Our first break came at just about 1/3 of our total distance of 20 miles. We stopped at White’s Ferry for a snack break and a short rest. There is a small deli at the ferry dock, but it wasn’t open yet. I’m always taken by the flood markings on this building.

The ferry is supposed to carry cars (and bikes) across to Leesburg, Virginia as it has done for many years. Due to some dispute between the owner of the ferry and the Virginia side, the ferry has no longer been operating. This cuts off one of the only ways to get back and forth across the Potomac for many miles. It effectively eliminates the possibility of a cyclist being able to overnight in Leesburg as I did on a previous trip.

Continuing eastward, we made quick time as the miles counted down. There are mileposts on the C&O that count down to zero when you reach DC. We started making note of them to pace off our remaining distance.

Our second long stop of the day was at the Great Falls overlook, conveniently located about 2/3 of our distance. The Potomac changes from a calm looking river to a massive set of falls in this area. We parked our bikes and walked out the boardwalk to take a look. I haven’t walked all the way to the main falls before and, wow, just wow! It is not only powerful, but very beautiful.

Great Falls

The end was now only about 20 miles away, a relatively short ride. We didn’t stop too many more times along the way, passing more locks and lock houses, birds and bird watchers, deer, and turtles.

I took us onto the Capital Crescent path for the last 3-4 miles. It parallels the C&O but does not end in Georgetown. Instead, we went to the mile 0 marker by meandering along the Potomac and going through the Thompson Boat Center parking lot. (Hint: If you want to find mile 0, you have to go to the boat center and go around the east side of the building!)

After a few snapshots at mile 0, we made our way to the National Mall on the Rock Creek trail, passing the Watergate Hotel, the Kennedy Center, and then arriving at the Lincoln Memorial. We arrive with plenty of time to spare, so after a brief stop we went in search of food. Some local food trucks were up by the Washington Monument, so we stopped there.

After lunch, we made a big loop. First was the Vietnam War memorial, then the Korean War memorial, the World War II memorial, and finishing off with a lap around the Washington Monument. We cruised up the south side of the mall and past Capitol Hill before making our way to Union Station. Stopping at these memorials was more emotional than I expected. I especially recalled my uncle Bill who served in Korea and my Grandpap who served in WW II. Neither died in service, but I felt especially close to both of them as I went to these memorials.

We took turns going into the men’s room to change into our travel clothes before boarding our train. The last time I traveled this route by train, the baggage car for bikes was “walk on” level. This time, we had to hand our bikes up to a luggage carrier who put the bikes into the car for us. Not quite as easy, but not a big deal.

The ride back to Pittsburgh was largely easy and uneventful. Before the sun went down, we were able to see many of the same miles we had just rode on our bikes, often overlooking the trail just a few feet away. It served as a nice recap of the trip.

As I boarded the train, the young man sitting next to me was a refugee from the Middle East. He was on his way to Texas to live with a friend until he could find work. I can’t imagine the stress of moving to a new country, with minimal understanding of the language, and starting anew. He asked me many questions, just trying to understand this new country he’d moved to.

Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, we collected our things and bikes, and rode back to the parking lot to retrieve the car. We stayed at a hotel about 30 minutes south of the city to get a more affordable choice.

I arrived home today in the afternoon and was happy to be greeted by my daughter. I’ve already unpacked, washed my clothes, washed my bike, and put away all of my touring gear. The tour is over and it is time to get back to work!

Day 7 Stats: 62 miles, 0 flats, 0 mechanical issues, and a beautiful day!

Overall Stats: 373.2 miles, 4 tubes, 1 tire, 1 shoe cleat

I hope all of you have enjoyed the virtual travel-along with us. Thanks for tracking along.

Peace,
— Dcn. Matt

Fall 2023 Bike Tour: GAP/C&O Day 6 – Shepherdstown, WV to Antietam, Harpers Ferry, and Brunswick, MD

September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 M. Coriale1 Comment

We intentionally made this a shorter day so that we would have time to tour Antietam battlefield and Harpers Ferry. Antietam is only about 6 miles from Shepherdstown, so we arrived mid morning after a lazy start.

We started at the visitors center to get an overview of the battlefield and events of that dreadful day when over 100,000 troops clashed and nearly 23,000 men were counted as casualties. Think of that: 23,000 men died or seriously injured as a result of a single day’s battle. It is a very somber place to be. It seems so serene and peaceful today. The visitors center has a very good movie and then the park ranger gave an excellent orientation – each about 30 minutes. I found myself really thinking about how so many human lives were lost. How do we measure the cost of those lost to slavery and its many injustices? How do we measure the cost of those lost to the war? I’m sure it made our Lord very sad to see how we treated our sisters and brothers, and still do in many ways.

The battlefield is not very large when you consider 100,000 troops were in the battle. I imagine it was quite full of people. There is an 8 mile loop that you can drive around the perimeter and down a couple of roads within the battlefield. Along the way there are stops to read various details about the battle. It is the blue route in the map below. We rode our bikes around the loop and stopped a few times to see the details. There are many monuments along the route built to the various battalions that were involved.

It was getting warm and we were ready for lunch, so after completing the loop, we stopped for lunch before heading back to the C&O Canal path and resuming our journey. We arrived at the bridge to Harpers Ferry by late afternoon. We locked up the bikes and walked across into town. We wandered a little while and found a little ice cream shop to get out of the sun. We also found a really neat little shop that has lots of things to support the hikers that are coming through on the Appalachian Trail. We popped in and bought a few Clif bars for our breakfast tomorrow.

After returning to our bikes, we made the last few miles to arrive in Brunswick MD for the night. After getting cleaned up, we all ordered the same thing for dinner: spaghetti and meatballs. It was filling and yummy.

I had my second run-in with the cleat of my right shoe today when riding at Antietam. It was a very good thing I bought spares in Hancock. My right cleat lost a screw and it would have been very difficult to finish the tour without that cleat working. In less than 5 minutes, I had the new cleat mounted and resumed the trip. So, in case you’re wondering, yes, I will always pack a spare cleat or two in my repair kit!

Tomorrow we have a tight schedule. We need to arrive for a 4PM Amtrak back to Pittsburgh. We have 60 miles to go and are conservatively estimating 6 hours at 10 MPH. We talked it over and we’d like to get to the Washington mall as early as possible and then have the time to look around a little. That way, if we have any issues along the way, we have buffer time.

Time to head to bed. It’s going to be an early morning!

Stats for today: 35 miles, +1 cleat replacement, no other issues.

May the Lord shine His face upon you and give you peace.
— Dcn. Matt

Fall 2023 Bike Tour: GAP/C&O Day 5 – Hancock, MD to Shepherdstown, WV

September 11, 2023 M. Coriale2 Comments

Our accommodations in Hancock were definitely sub-par, but we did have a safe roof over our heads. We walked around town last night and noticed how few businesses are left. Hancock’s heyday has long past and I wonder how much longer it might be able to hang on.

We left Hancock to beautiful weather this morning. We finished out the Western Maryland rail trail and jumped back on the C&O Canal a few miles west of Fort Frederick. We went into the fort park for a little visit and wandered around.

Nothing was open, but there was one park employee who answered a few questions as we wandered about.

There’s a common occurrence on these bike trips: we run into the same people over the days. There are 4-5 different groups of people we’ve bumped into more than once. Perhaps the most fun is the “Tiara and Tutus” group of friends. We met them a few days ago and keep crossing paths. This group of friends has been doing the GAP + C&O every year for the last 9 years. They wear tutus and have outfitted their helmets with pipe cleaners and decorations to be “tiaras”. They are a hoot! Every time we’ve seen them, they are laughing and having a great time. I have truly enjoyed crossing their paths because their joy is contagious.

Half way in our ride today was Williamsport. We went into town in search of lunch. After cruising up the street, we decided on “Still Smokin’ BBQ”. It was very good. Fueled up, we set our sites on Shepherdstown.

This next section of the trail is really pretty and the trail surface is uncharacteristically smooth and awesome! I had been told that the Parks service has been resurfacing the trail. We found one of the new sections. This section was so smooth, JB thought it might have been paved. He even stopped to look at it more closely.

There are many really nice views from riding right along the Potomac river. One section of the trail is right on the river itself with a man-made concrete path hugging the wall for a couple of miles.

We arrived at Shepherdstown in the late afternoon. The town is on the south side of the river. To get there, you take a set of switchbacks up to the bridge level, then take the bridge across the river and into town. I’ve been in Shepherdstown before but I didn’t have time to wander around. Our AirBNB is on the east side of town, so we took a slow roll through the college campus and enjoyed it. This is a really nice town with a very funky vibe. A mix of historical buildings with a hip college town.

After getting scrubbed down, we decided on a local taqueria. I got a fantastic burrito and it really hit the spot. After dinner, we took a big walk around town to stretch our legs.

Laundry done, belly full, blog done, and bed made for tonight. It’s time to turn in! Tomorrow we have a shorter day. We’ll spend time touring Antietam, Harpers Ferry, and wherever we wander along the way. We should be about 35-40 miles, leaving enough time to see things and let our legs regroup a little before our last day of 60+ miles in to Washington DC.

I also want to give a shout-out to some friends from Indiana who are on a quest to finish out their 50-state map of places they’ve cycled. They’re currently in New Mexico having a great time on two wheels. You may want to check them out at: keepcalmandpedalonblog.com!

Stats for Today:
Miles: 56
Mechanical issues: 0
Flats: 0

One last thought: two of my friends have lost parents in the last week. Hug your kids and let your parents know you love them. Mom & Dad – I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me over the years. I love you both very much.

Peace!
— Dcn. Matt

Fall 2023 Bike Tour: GAP/C&O Day 4 – Cumberland, MD to Hancock, MD

September 10, 2023 M. CorialeLeave a comment

Yesterday we finished the GAP part of our trip and today we began the C&O Canal towpath. It rained a lot last night and I was anticipating the C&O path to be very muddy with lots of puddles. It certainly was muddy, but not as bad as previous times I’ve been on the canal.

The C&O is much more rustic than the GAP. I’ve heard that they’ve done some significant work on the path down towards D.C. but for the most part, the towpath is packed mud with some patches of light gravel. My recollection was that this first 60 miles heading east were the worst. It honestly wasn’t too bad. I was covered in light mud by the end of the day, but it was not nearly as bad as some previous rides.

There are not many towns between Cumberland and Hancock, so if you travel this way, make sure to bring plenty of water and food to get you past those 60 miles.

About mid way is a town called Paw Paw, WV. I had arranged to meet a fellow rider from Paw Paw along the way. He is a volunteer for the National Parks and lives in Paw Paw. When we found him, he introduced himself and shared some local Paw Paw fruits with us, teaching us how to open and eat them. I enjoyed the fruit. It tasted like a mix between a cantaloupe and mango. I tried find a few more ripe ones, unsuccessfully.

Before reaching Paw Paw, we had to navigate over three downed trees. We helped lift each others’ bikes over the large trees and resumed our travel.

The Paw Paw tunnel is located on the north edge of the town. It was built to take the canal through a mountain instead of going around. The project was much bigger than anticipated and it took nearly 14 years to complete. Over the last few years, the National Parks engineering team was doing a scaling project just outside the south entrance to the tunnel and had the towpath blocked off. I have not done the detour, but I’ve heard that it can be challenging. Fortunately, they just finished and reopened the towpath a few weeks ago! So we were able to go through the tunnel without the bypass!

Dan bid us a farewell as we pointed towards Hancock. The next stop along the way is the tiny town of Little Orleans. I sort of remember looking it up a few years back and seeing that the population was less than 40 people. We stopped at “Bill’s” place – a little biker and bicycler place that serves food, drinks, and some basic groceries. I picked up some sweet teas and a bag of chips to tide me over. There’s a tradition of putting a dollar bill on the ceiling at Bill’s place. Someplace on the ceiling, I have two bills. I couldn’t find either of them today – perhaps I’ll have another trip here and more time to look.

My bike had been collecting a lot of mud under the fenders so I was happy to clear some of the mud and then we joined up with the Western Maryland rail trail. This paved path parallels the C&O from a few miles east of Little Orleans all the way to Fort Fredrick. JB felt like it was cheating to jump off the C&O, but I welcomed the non-muddy surface for the 14 miles into Hancock. Flat digital Billy made a few appearances as well, including tumbling down a fallen rock zone. Poor Billy…

I also saw this super cool little guy along the trail. He seemed completely nonplussed about us. He didn’t move an inch while we took pictures.

I had my first mechanical failure of the ride today right after getting on the WM trail: the cleat on my right shoe was twisting. One of the two screws had backed out of my shoe. It made it rather hard to get it out of my pedal! Once we freed it up, I was able to screw it back in and resume. I also decided to buy a spare set of cleats to put in my spare parts kit – it hasn’t been on my packing list prior, but I realized today that if I had lost a screw, it would be very difficult to pedal. So when we got to Hancock, I purchased a spare set just to be safe.

We arrived in Hancock in the early afternoon. A beautiful day of riding in the books. We hosed our bikes down at the local bike shop. Wow, so much mud. We arrived at our AirBNB and settled in. I’ve stayed at my fair share of AirBNBs – this one was the only place I could find with availability. Uh, let’s just say it was cheap and leave it at that…

Dinner at a local place was good and now we’re ready for bed. Tomorrow’s destination: Shepherdstown WV.

Today’s Stats: 61 miles. No rain. One loose cleat. No tubes or tires used.

May the Lord grant us, and you, a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.
— Dcn. Matt

Fall 2023 Bike Tour: GAP/C&O Day 3 – Rockwood, PA to Cumberland, MD

September 9, 2023September 9, 2023 M. CorialeLeave a comment

Today started with a wet beginning. For our first 10 miles or so, we were rained on. However, after the rain ended, the rest of the weather today was beautiful with temps in the 70s-80s and mostly blue skies.

This section, between Rockwood and Cumberland, is perhaps my favorite part of the Great Allegheny Passage. There are wonderful areas of trees, fantastic views, tunnels, bridges, and the accomplishment of reaching the Continental Divide.

The longest bridge on the GAP is the Salisbury Viaduct. In my opinion, there aren’t any cycling path bridges better that I’ve crossed. I’ve been here several times, but it never gets old. Spanning the Casselman River, CSX rails, and the road below. The views are fantastic.

Just east of the viaduct is the town of Meyersdale, PA. This neat little town is also the home of two really good restaurants. We went to Donge’s drive in to get a delicious breakfast. We sat right behind the cook at the grill and struck up a nice conversation while she made our breakfast. I had eggs, dry toast, and deeeelishous home fries.

When we started in Pittsburgh, we had been trying to get a picture of our friend Billy printed to take along with us since he couldn’t make it in person. We have been affectionately calling the idea “Flat Billy”. Today we decided just to take his digital picture with us and send him texts with them. You see him with us at breakfast below. We miss you, Billy!

Meyersdale is down below the trail, so we climbed back up to the trailhead, spent some time in the visitor center museum, and then pressed on towards the Continental Divide.

Just a few more miles took us to the top of the ride. We stopped and took a few pictures at the divide before heading down towards Cumberland.

The ride down from the divide to Cumberland is about 20+ miles of gentle downhill grade. These last miles were relatively easy.

The longest tunnel on the GAP is the Big Savage Tunnel. Long and dark, it takes a few minutes to ride through it and you need a headlight to see well. It is also nice and cool inside.

Emerging from the tunnel’s southeast exit, you are treated to wonderful views of the valley below. The skies were clear today and you could see quite a distance and the layers of mountains in the distance.

A few miles later we came to the Mason-Dixon Line, the dividing line between the North and the South, between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

After a few pictures, we pressed on to Frostburg, MD. There’s a set of switchbacks you can ride up to get to the train station at the top. There is a tourist train that runs from Frostburg down to Cumberland. The train was waiting at the top when we arrived.

We also noticed a new thing: some four wheeled pedal carts that you can pay to ride down the rails to various destinations, including as far as Cumberland. We all decided that it looked like a LOT of fun. We don’t have time to do it, but we think it might be something to do in the future.

We arrived in Cumberland and the end of the Great Allegheny Passage! Tomorrow we continue with the C&O Canal path on towards Washington DC.

I checked and got quickly washed up, then walked about 1 mile, nearly all uphill (!) to get to mass. After mass, I walked back and met Zubby and JB at the Crabby Pig for dinner. Ribs hit the spot.

Looking outside, it is raining “cats and dogs” tonight. I’m assuming that tomorrow’s ride on the C&O will start out with lots of mud. We have a long ride to get to Hancock MD tomorrow. Time for a good night’s sleep.

Today’s stats: 47 miles, zero tubes, zero tires, zero broken spokes, and zero bandaids. It was a wonderful and uneventful day on the GAP!

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Peace,
— Dcn. Matt

Fall 2023 Bike Tour: GAP/C&O Day 2 – Connellsville PA to Rockwood PA

September 8, 2023 M. Coriale1 Comment

Our day started uneventfully as we left the hotel and got rolling. The weather today was perfect: no rain, at least while we were cycling, and the temperatures were nice and cool.

The GAP is a very pretty trail. Many nice views and the tree canopy makes for a nice ride.

When we went to bed last night, we decided we needed to get Zubby a new tire when we reached Ohio Pyle. The tire patch with the Mylar boot and dollar bill worked well and we arrived in Ohio Pyle without any more flats. It took quite a while to get the tire mounted on his bike with a few adjustments to brakes, fenders, and such. But when all was done, Zubby was rolling again on fresh rubber.

How many engineers does it take to change a tire?

We didn’t do much riding around Ohio Pyle this time. We got a few drinks and snacks to tide us over. We decided we would get some lunch in Confluence later in the day.

We ate a quick lunch at an ice cream / snack shop near Confluence and then wandered around the town for a few minutes. We stopped in at the local bike shop and visited with the owners for a few minutes. Very nice people.

Along our way to Rockwood, JB flatted again. We pulled over and he replaced the rim tape with the new stuff he bought yesterday. Let’s hope that’s the last flat for the day. Tubes +1.

Arriving at our B&B in Rockwood, we all showered and got our laundry in for a good scrubbing. After, we walked across the street for a light dinner. The conversation over dinner was very muted. I think we are all three very tired and needing some sleep. I think it will be an early night.

Tomorrow we will complete the GAP as we ride up to the continental divide and then down in to Cumberland.

Today’s stats: 49 miles, JB +1 tube, Zubby +1 tire.

Peace!
— Dcn. Matt

Fall 2023 Bike Tour: GAP/C&O Day 1 – “Of Tubes and Men”

September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 M. Coriale1 Comment

We started our trek eastward today with a standard issue hotel breakfast. Nothing great, nothing bad. Calories.

Leaving the Hampton Inn, we made our way easily down to the point, which is the park where the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny, form into the Ohio river. The weather felt cool and comfortable. At the point, we met up with a group of 7 friends who are journeying to DC as well. Great people and we’ve crossed their paths a few more times.

We stopped by PPG Place on our way out of town. It’s a neat set of buildings covered in glass. There are fountains and some sculptures. The other reason we stopped there is that the Mon Wharf part of the GAP was closed for construction, so we took surface streets to get a couple off miles away from the point.

Only a few miles in, we had our first mechanical failure. Just before reaching the Hot Metal bridge, JB’s bike had a flat tire. We also had our first injury – I pinched my finger helping him and got an instantaneous blood blister on my finger. JB’s problem was that the rim tape on his nearly 30 year old bike was, well, 30 years old. There was an REI store nearby so we went by and did some bike wandering of the Southside until the store opened at 10A. $6 later, new rim tape for his bike. Tube count +1.

When we went into REI, I looked up and said to myself “those clouds up there look kinda dark”. When I came out of REI a few minutes later, it was raining very hard. Donning my rain coat, we got back on the trail and continued eastbound.

One of the nice things about the GAP is that you leave a very urban setting and gradually end up in some very pretty and remote areas. Once we arrived in McKeesport, we mostly left behind the bustle and noise of the city. For the rest of the GAP portion of the trip, we will be on a very quiet bike path that passes through small towns.

The rain kept with us for quite a while until we made it to West Newton. In West Newton, there is a neat place where a bike shop is in the basement and a restaurant is above: The Trailside. We went in for lunch and had a very good meal. Our new friends were just finishing lunch there too. By the time lunch was over, the rain had passed and we were able to proceed without our rain coats.

Pressing eastbound was somewhat uneventful… for a while. Then we noticed that Zubby had a flat tire. Looking at his tire up close, there was no tread left. Zero. He had squeezed every last mile out of the rear tire, and a few more than he should have. Some sort of tiny pebble had punctured the tire and tube. Tube count +1 = 2.

A few miles later, another flat. Tube count +2 = 3 total. We did a closer inspection and decided to put a “tire boot” on the inside of his tire. It is an emergency Mylar glue patch that is meant to strengthen a tire. We also put a dollar bill over it for good measure. Dollar bills make a great emergency patch because the fabric of the bill is very strong. We had hoped to replace the tire when we arrived in Connellsville, but the bike shop here is closed for the week. We have decided to try to nurse him along until we get to Ohiopyle tomorrow and visit the bike shop there.

After arriving at the Comfort Inn in Connellsville, we scrubbed down and walked to a local restaurant for dinner. Our new friends from Pittsburgh were at the restaurant too. Veggie pasta and a couple of local hard ciders hit the spot. Mmm mmm.

Settling in for the evening and looking forward to a nice day tomorrow. Next stop, Rockwood! Hoping that our tire boot gets Zubby safely to Ohiopyle!

Today’s stats: 64 miles, 5:48 riding time, 3 tubes used for flat repair, 1 new set of rim tape, and one bandaid for my finger.

Until tomorrow, may the Lord keep you, and us, safe.

Peace!
— Dcn. Matt

Fall 2023 Bike Tour: GAP/C&O Day 0

September 6, 2023September 6, 2023 M. CorialeLeave a comment

We arrived today in Pittsburgh for a 7 day ride along very familiar territory: The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal. We’ll begin tomorrow morning in downtown Pittsburgh and arrive next Wednesday in Washington, DC. I have done this route a few times, but my two riding buddies have not.

There were supposed to be four of us, but late last night, we received some sad news that one of our friends would not be able to join us due to a death in the family.

Tomorrow we head east. We will spend three days on the GAP, followed by four days on the C&O with some sightseeing along the way.

Heading to bed. More tomorrow.

Peace!

Cycling to Work: Wrap-Up

June 30, 2023June 30, 2023 M. Coriale4 Comments

I usually end each trip with a short entry to wrap up the experience. Here are a few parting thoughts.

First, about the route. The route through Kentucky was very enjoyable. The biggest challenge was to try to stay on more rural roads, away from car traffic. I plotted the Kentucky leg of the route back in 2019 when I rode from Lexington, KY to Cleveland, OH. We used nearly the same route, only modifying the few miles out of Falmouth to make for a bit easier climbing. Overall, I think the route is good, with a few caveats. First, be prepared for dogs. Second, it is inevitable that you can’t always be on the most quiet roads. We had a few miles that were on busier roads because there just wasn’t any alternative. Third, the more rural the route, the fewer the opportunities are for food and water. Just pack prepared.

Ohio has a great set of trail networks. People are surprised to learn that you can ride from Cincinnati to Cleveland on paved bike trails for most of the journey. See the Ohio To Erie trail web site for more information. On this trip, aside from a little bit of on-road bike lanes in Cincinnati, one detour (see below), and maybe 5-6 miles total of connector roads in the little farm towns, I was on paved bike trails from the time we crossed into Ohio until I reached the main road to the Josephinum north of Columbus.

Here’s the actual route I took, constructed from the GPX logs:

There was one significant detour from the regular route north of Loveland, OH. The Little Miami Trail has a huge construction project next to the Peterson Cartridge Factory (See the “Cartridge Brewing” marker in the map below). There is an official detour that you can find online, but I didn’t use it. The posted detour takes you up on busy roads for a good distance. Instead, I found a way that takes you through a residential neighborhood and back down to the trail with only 0.5 miles on a wide shoulder of Route 48, then back to the trail at the South Lebanon trailhead. My detour has a punchy climb at the start, but then is mostly easy riding.

Next, my equipment. I’ve already mentioned my equipment in the past, but a quick overview for those who are new or curious about bike touring. I’m using a bicycle that is designed for a bit heavier use than a typical road bike. It has thick wider tires, a steel frame, and eyelets to allow you to bolt on racks and bottle holders. The best way I can describe it is by comparing to cars: my touring bike is like an SUV, my road bike is like a sports car. Next is the luggage. I use panniers (pronounced “Pan-Ears”) that lock into the back rack of my bike. They’re waterproof and rugged. They allow me to carry clothes, food, electronics, and repair gear for the trip. I didn’t weigh them, but I estimate that I’m carrying about 20-25 pounds of luggage. I also have a little bag that velcros to my top tube. I put my wallet, pepper spray (which I’ve never used), and some energy food in this little bag so that I can easily access while riding. I also carry a tire pump in the event of a flat.

My blue Ortlieb panniers. Expensive but good!

I’ve been bike touring since 2010. Over time, I have developed a packing list that I review before each trip. It includes clothes, rain-gear, a first aid kit (which I’ve needed for me and others in the past), bike specific tools, important spare parts, spare tubes, tire patches, food, and electronics. Some of it may seem like overkill, but if you’re self-supported, you need to be able to get yourself to civilization no matter what happens.

We were fortunate that we didn’t encounter any difficult weather. Rain, wind, heat, or cold, you need to be prepared. I often get asked “What would you do if it rains?” The answer is simple: put on a rain coat and ride. Unless, of course, it is dangerous, then I seek shelter. I have a cycling raincoat with a longer back area and a cover that goes over the helmet. These keep most of the water off of me. Sometimes, the rain actually feels pretty good, such as a very hot day.

Unlike when I’m road bike training, when I’m bike touring, I try not to pay much attention to my speed. My only concern for speed is to see if I’m slowing down, indicating fatigue. Otherwise, part of bike touring is just enjoying the ride, not worrying about metrics.

Lastly, people frequently ask “why would you travel by bike?” I think the assumption is that riding this much can’t possibly be enjoyable. I guess it is like any other hobby or activity – if you’ve never tried it, you might be missing out on something really neat. I thoroughly enjoy bike touring. I especially like seeing the little towns and meeting great people along the way. If you’ve ever considered trying a long bike ride, I suggest doing an overnight somewhere and back. You might enjoy the accomplishment.

For me, I often try to bring in sabbath time when I’m out on the touring bike – time to not only rest, but also to reflect on my relationship with the Lord. What’s the difference between vacation and sabbath? They’re both valuable, but sabbath recognizes the Lord and what He has done, is doing, and will do in our life. Sabbath recalls the relationship we have with the Lord. Sabbath is more than just resting from work. Sabbath includes prayer and worship of God. Vacation time (and money) is often earned at work, but sabbath is a freely given gift of God that we need to accept and open. Much like spouses who need to spend intimate time with each other to keep their relationship strong, we need to spend intimate time with the Lord. So as I turn the cranks, when I take a rest at the end of a long day, and in the people I meet, I try to remember that the Lord is there at all times.

Wrapping up, Here’s a link to each part of this trip to make it easier to find:
Day 0 – Prologue
Day 1 – Lexington, KY to Paris, KY
Day 2 – Paris, KY to Falmouth, KY
Day 3 – Falmouth, KY to Milford, OH
Day 4 – Milford, OH to Cedarville, OH
Day 5 – Cedarville, OH to Columbus, OH (Worthington) and The PCJ

This was a short tour, but I had a great trip and really enjoyed it. I’m already looking forward to a longer tour this fall with some friends. Plans are TBD but taking shape.

Peace,
Dcn. Matt (and Joe)