Deacon Matt's Blog

We wrapped up our stay in Rockwood and got out very early today, hitting the trail at 7AM.  The weather forecast looked like storms in Cumberland and we wanted to get done before they hit.

At the Rockwood Hostel on Main, the railroad tracks run right behind the building about 40 feet away. Last night we put a few coins on the tracks to get some CSX made souvenirs.  Joe had never smashed a penny before.  We found most of them, but looked a little this morning before leaving to try to find the rest.  No luck.  I’m guessing somewhere west of here is a boxcar with a curious copper smudge stuck to its wheel.

This section of the Great Allegheny Passage has some great things to see: bridges, tunnels, and the Continental Divide.  After leaving Rockwood, we very gradually climbed a few hundred more feet as we took the picturesque route east.  More beautiful water falls. More scenic wooded areas.  More gentle cool breezes.

The first great thing to see is the Salisbury Viaduct.  It is an old railroad bridge that spans 1908 feet, over 100 feet above the valley below.  It crosses over route 219, the Casselman river, and the CSX rail lines. It is one of my favorite parts of this route. You get a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside and the thrill of being so high above the ground.

   
      

A short distance past the viaduct takes you to Myersdale and the old train station, now a visitor’s station.  We decided to skip the visitor’s station in favor of heading into the town of Myersdale to look around. Joe really likes his morning coffee and so we decided it was a good opportunity for us to see some new things and get him some java. 

   To get into the town, you go downhill about a half mile.  We found the G.I. Dayroom.  What a terrific find that was!  The nicest people in the world were all gathered for breakfast.  We sauntered up to the counter and decided a second breakfast was in order after seeing the food being served. Several different locals all chatted with us about the world and our bike trip.  I ordered a plate of home fries and watched as the cook prepared them right on the other side of the counter.  No exaggeration, these have to be some of the best home fried potatoes I have ever had.

     

I find something beautiful about these little towns. Everyone is friendly and genuine. The pace of life isn’t about fancy cars and style.  Family is important and conversation is more important than the latest cell phone.

After a few minutes of conversation, we signed their guest registry and climbed back up the hill (ouch!) to the GAP.  After the last two days, my legs were pretty rubbery climbing up a prime example of one of Pennsylvania’s steep hills.

A few miles more took us to the highest elevation point of this whole ride, the Eastern Continental Divide at 2392 feet. We ran into Chris and Sarah, a dad and daughter whom we have been leapfrogging for the last two days.  After the obligatory pictures, we kept moving towards Frostburg. 

       

The nice part of reaching the top: it is all downhill for the rest of the day, sort of.

The next big iconic part of the trail is the Big Savage Tunnel.  Built in 1911-1912, and abandoned in 1975, this is former railroad tunnel that had fallen into severe disrepair.  It was converted for bike traffic and restored with some fancy drainage system to keep it from caving in again. It is about 3,300 feet long and really chilly inside. It is pretty well lit inside but still requires some careful riding skills due to the darkness. 

Upon exiting the tunnel, you are treated with one of the best views anywhere.  It was a bit overcast today, but on a good day you can see really far. 

  

  

  

Next stop was the Mason Dixon line, separating PA from MD.  There is a nice monument there with the actual state line.  We met a nice young family heading to Pittsburgh.  We stopped and chatted for a while and pushed on to Frostburg, MD.  Their daughter had a ride mascot too, so we snapped a picture of Mr. Hamster, Leo (Joe’s mascot), and Fluffy the Penguin.

      

  
We decided that when we reached Frostburg that we would go up the switchbacks into the train depot area in search of the elusive ice cream.  After making the climb, nothing was open.  Not a peep.  Like a ghost town. The train only runs some days, and today wasn’t one of those days.

The last 22 miles from the divide are all down hill.  It felt good to have a gentle pedal down. The last two days of gentle climbing were taking their toll on my legs.

We arrived in Cumberland a little after lunch and stopped by mile 0 of the GAP, which then begins the C&O canal path which will carry us into DC over the next 185-ish miles.

It is customary to kiss the mule’s behind when you arrive.  So we did. 

           

We checked in at the Fairfield in Cumberland, scrubbed up, and went in search of food.  The Crabby Pig has been good to me in the past, so ribs it was.  And 22 ounces of frosty coldness to wash it down. 

Joe and I walked down to the Queen City Creamery to get some long sought after ice cream. Well worth the wait. 

Back at the hotel, I took advantage of the washer and dryer to clean our clothing.  It will be nice to have all clean gear tomorrow.

Not sure what activities we have on tap for tonight but I expect it will be very subdued. I am super tired and ready for bed already.

Next stop, Hancock MD. 

After arriving in Connellsville yesterday night, we got cleaned up and went to The Paintroom for dinner. We had some very tasty wings, most of a pizza, and two cold Blue Moons.  Along with some conversation and a few hearty laughs, we refueled and relaxed.  We returned to the B&B and tried very hard to stay awake. By 9:00, it was clear I was losing that battle and I turned in.  I slept like a log, tired out from our long day’s journey. 

Our accommodations at The Connellsville B&B were really great. Lucy and John have a super-clean place and the breakfast is the best B&B breakfast going.  Well prepared, well presented, and oh so good.  I definitely recommend their place if you are cycling through.   

Over breakfast, we talked with a new friend, Ben.  He lives in southern West Virginia and is riding solo on nearly the same itinerary as we are. In fact, we will run into him again at our B&B in Hancock.

We made it out in time for 8:00 AM mass at St. Rita’s church. Fr. Bob gave us a nice blessing as we left and pedaled towards our destination.  What a great way to start the day.  

The weather today was very beautiful and a touch on the hot side.  No clouds to block the sun, but at least the skies were pretty and blue.   

   
We arrived in Ohiopyle a little before lunch, about one third of our day’s distance.  We stopped by the brand new Visitor’s Center which has a lot of information about the area, the wildlife of the region, a little about its history, and some great views of the falls.        
Next up was lunch at the Firefly Grill.  A club sandwich, some hand-cut fries, and a bottle of Gatorade did the trick.  I hate to think about the number of calories I am eating … but I am very certain I am burning nearly all of them.      
Back on the trail and we hit a lot of bike traffic coming towards us. The Rails to Trails Conservancy had their annual Sojourn with 350 riders coming our way. It made it a little hard to navigate around sticks and branches, but we managed.

As we approached Confluence, we had planned on taking a little detour into the town.  I really enjoy these little towns along the path. Simple places with friendly people.  At the edge of town, some young ladies met us, wearing old-time dresses and encouraged us to head into town.  They told us of free ice cream to be had.  I’ve been craving ice cream, and haven’t been able to convince Joe to stop and get any so far.  Yay, free ice cream!

We detoured into town and went to the local bike store.  Joe bought a very, uh, cute bell to put on his bike. He says he is going to give it to his daughter when he gets home.  I promised not to tease him or ask for his man-card.  The bike shop was also giving away freebies.  I won a band-aid dispenser. Joe got a discount on a pizza – which we didn’t use.

With the local bike shop checked off the list, now for that free ice cream!  We finally found the distribution place only to find that they had already stopped giving it out.  Sadness.  I decided to go across the street to the tiny grocery store that advertised ice cream. I found an off-brand “Nutty Buddy” cone.  It sufficed but left me still wanting more.

The heat was picking up and we headed out of town, trying to get to Rockwood as quickly as possible.  I didn’t realize how low I was on water.  A little while later, Joe was able to share his with me.  One of the blessings of riding with a friend is watching out for each other.  I am thankful for such a great riding buddy.

We arrived at the Pinkerton tunnel and stopped to grab an energy bar and take quick look. The last two times I have been here, the tunnel has been completely blocked off because it was unsafe to go into. The ceiling was caving in and it was not safe.  The tunnel is pretty short, and to bypass it adds about 1.5 miles around the “Pinkerton Horn”.  They are making great progress at restoring the tunnel and it looks like they should be done pretty soon!   

   
A few more miles of beautiful scenery, runoff water falls, and a gentle climb brought us into Rockwood. We had about 900 feet of gentle climb today, and our legs were beginning to feel it.  It was nice to see the edge of town and know we were about done.  We checked in at the Rockwood Mills shops for our room at the hostel down the street.

We asked about places for dinner and the lady said “it is Monday, so, um, this is it.  We have pizza and sandwiches here.”  Pizza it is (again).  Last time we were here we stopped at the Rock City Cafe, and had some funny memories, so we thought we might go back. It is closed on Mondays.  Bummer.

After a shower, we returned to the shops and found Ben.  We had some nice conversation as we waited for a couple of Stromboli (what is the plural of Stromboli?).  We decided to buy a few pastries for our breakfast tomorrow so we can eat at the hostel and get out very early tomorrow.

       
So, after a great day, we are resting and making plans for our ride to Cumberland tomorrow.  Weather looks good early with storms late afternoon.  We hope to be in Cumberland by lunchtime to avoid the heat and rain.

The ride tomorrow has a lot of great stuff: tunnels, bridges, a steam train, the Mason-Dixon Line, and of course, the eastern Continental Divide.   Cumberland, here we come!

We got going pretty early, grabbed a little breakfast at Carol’s place and headed out to The Point.  This is a park at the confluence of the three rivers: The Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio.  There is an iconic fountain there that I have always wanted to see up close… So we started there. This is officially the Mile 0 of the Great Allegheny Passage.

Stephanie and Carol dropped us off near the park and watched as we rode off to the fountain.  A little sad to ride away from my wife for the week, but I am glad she was there to say goodbye. 

We had a spectacular surprise as well. My friend Mary, who I met in 2011 riding this same trail, came to see us off at the point. She is one of those people who just makes you happy to be around.  We talked a little and snapped a few pictures. She will be moving to the west coast, so I don’t know when we will see each other again.

We rode out and had to find our way to the Avenue of the Allies, which is the best way to get to the GAP trail.  A few blocks on this downtown surface street took us to the GAP trail on the north side of the Monongahela river.  A few miles later we crossed the Hot Metal Bridge to the south side, near the strip district.

The Hot Metal bridge is named because it used to carry molten steel in crucibles across the Mon river to the rolling mills on the opposite side.  According to Wikipedia, during World War II, 15% of America’s steel making capacity crossed over the Hot Metal Bridge, up to 180 tons per hour.  The bridge now carries cars and has a completely separate bike path not on the roadbed. Very safe and a great view of downtown.

We then went through Homestead, the site of some famous strike-breaking confrontations between labor and steel mill owners.

We wound our way through homestead, McKeesport, and Boston, and the city started to fade away.  The path becomes a crushed limestone path, canopied with trees and really nice rock formations.  Many small waterfalls dot the southern side of the path. Cool breezes and shade were our companions for much of the ride.

We found our way to the Trailside Bar and Grill in West Newton.  I got a nice fajita-style wrap and a lot to drink.  The only rain we saw today happened while we were eating lunch. It poured for about 5-10 minutes and then stopped.  So we didn’t get rained on at all today!  Much better than the weather forecast had predicted.

A little while later, we joined up with a couple from Michigan who are riding to DC as well. We rode about 10-15 miles with them and chatted.  A few miles in, we had a slight mishap.  A tree had fallen completely across the trail during the recent storms. I saw it and had to stop… Joe was right on my wheel and locked up his brakes, skidding into me.  He fell over, but we were fortunate that it was just a soft grassy area next to us.  Nobody got hurt.

Another few miles and we arrived in Connellsville and checked into our room.  I find it amazing how good a shower feels after a hard day of riding.  Next priority: food.  Lots of food.  And a cold beer.

Tomorrow: through the beautiful laurel highlands, and on to Rockwood.

   
                 

Yesterday we drove to Pittsburgh and stayed with a friend I made while hiking the Camino de Santiago last month. Carol and her husband Greg put on a marvelous feast of burgers, chicken, salads, and more … with pie for dessert.  Ah, why not, I’m about to burn a zillion calories this week!  Put the ice cream on!

We arrived in time for mass at their parish right down the street. It was a beautiful church and we felt right at home.  I love how friends we meet through Christ become family so easily. 

After a great dinner, great conversation with her lovely family, and a little re-packing, I hit the bed and slept well.

On to day 1… From The Point.  Stay tuned!

  

Well, it is getting close, so it is time to test out the blogging gear.  For last year’s journey, I didn’t really write much or post any blog entries.  This time, my trusty iPhone will be coming along.

This year will be a self-supported trip with my riding buddy, Joe, from downtown Pittsburgh to downtown Washington DC, right on Capitol Hill over six days. And, of course, my trusty mascot Mr. Hamster will join us as well.  It is just us, no SAG wagon or food truck.  I’m looking forward to being out of pocket for a few days.

8 days to go! 

Peace!

Last night, I spent some time talking with my dad on the phone. My grandmother (his mom) has been having some very significant health issues.

I am heading back to my mom and dad’s house so that they can have the ability to head to Florida to be with Grandma. I think Dad had been waiting for me to finish my ride – but I believe it is much more important for him to be able to leave.

So this morning I said goodbye to my friends here and packed my things to head home. Depending on what the next few days hold, I might consider catching up with the tour, but this is likely the end of my tour this year. Either way, no regrets on my part! I’ve enjoyed the last two days of riding.

As I said good bye to my friends, we decided to try to find another opportunity to ride together either this fall or next year. Bike touring is a great way to make some great memories and friends. I was especially happy to find out that two riding friends, Rich and Mary, have been dating after meeting last year on our ride from DC to Pittsburgh.

With that, this year’s trek comes to an abbreviated end. As a Cubs fan always says: “There’s always next year!”

Peace!

Last night was pretty uneventful for sleeping. Cool temps and a solid breeze. I woke up a little before my alarm and decided just to break camp. It was nice to not feel rushed.

I rode with Jim and Mike again today and we had a very good ride. Early temps were cool and nice. By noon, it was a bit on the toasty side, but still pretty nice.

We wound our way across the beautiful countryside. It is very rural here. The corn is about two feet tall and the apple trees are just starting to show small fruits. This part of New York is very beautiful.

We made very good time and enjoyed our rest stops put on by the PTNY and locals. They always have an abundance of fresh fruits and snacks. We arrived in Genesee Valley Park around lunch time and decided to join a bike tour into Downtown Rochester along the Genesee Valley path. The tour guide led us up the western side of the river and into downtown. We stopped at the old aqueduct that used to carry the canal into downtown. After the canal was moved south of the city, the aqueduct was reborn as a trolley subway system, which has long-since been abandoned. The top level is now a major downtown road, and the lower level is vacant, except for the non-stop graffiti lining the walls.

We grabbed some pictures and went down to the high falls district. This is an area where water used to power the economic engine of the “Flour City”. It has been many years since Flour was a major output of the city, and the city is now known as the “Flower City”.

We had to take some downtown surface streets to get to the east side of the Genesee river. We then rode southbound back towards Genesee Valley Park to pick up the canal path again.

Along that route, we rode through the campus of the University of Rochester – where I went for my undergraduate studies. We broke away from the tour and I quickly showed Mike and Jim around campus, hitting the major high lights and seeing the quad.

After getting back on the trail, we did our last few miles to get to Pittsford. I loved living here many years ago, and I looked forward to arriving.

After arriving, we picked out a camp spot and started setting up tents. Right in the middle of setting up my tent, the skies opened without warning. In moments, everything was wet. Sigh. A few minutes earlier and I would have not pitched tent yet. A few minutes later, I would have been pitched and dry. But the timing was pretty bad and I got soaked along with the inside of my tent.

The rains paused long enough to set up and dry out. I got my belongings spread out and mostly dry. My genuine army-surplus dry bag did not keep water out. More ugh.

As I sit here blogging inside the school, I am watching heavy rains pelt down on the camp sight.

So, in summary a very great day of cycling, but I am reminded that tent camping is not my favorite way to sleep, especially when it is raining.

Tomorrow will take us a long way into Seneca Falls. Hoping to stay mostly dry along the way 🙂

Peace!
– Dc. Matt

Today was the first day of the ride. We camped last night at the Nichols school in Buffalo. I checked the weather before going to bed and was prepared for rain. Lots of rain. I had just re-waterproofed the seams and fly on my tent a couple of weeks ago. I am really glad I did. It rained a lot but I stayed pretty dry… until 4am. I had unzipped a vent in the fly to keep air circulating because it was hot. The loose fabric made a nice puddle zone and at 4am, enough water accumulated to tip the puddle over in my head. Needless to say, I’ve been awake since 4am. A little bonus prayer time.

They fed us well and I loaded my fairly wet camping gear into the truck. We had a pre-ride kickoff by a few officials and then we routed across surface streets and some nice multi-purpose recreation paths to get out of Buffalo.

We had a few miles to get out of Buffalo streets, then to the riverfront path. The scenery on the riverfront was really nice. When we reached the Tonowandas, we turned eastward and took surface streets a few miles to get to Lockport.

Three years ago when Anne Marie and I rode this route, we missed a critical turn and ended up going about 6-7 miles out of our way and backtracking. Anne Marie: I saw where we missed that turn today 🙂

I spent most of my ride today with Jim and Mike – two friends from Virginia that I met last year on the sojourn ride. Once we were clear of the bulk of the riders, we kept a pretty good pace all day. A nice tailwind helped, too.

We arrived in Lockport by about 10:30 and grabbed a lunch while we waited for a 12:30 boat ride that took us through the massive locks. By about 2pm, we were back on the path to Medina.

The weather was absolutely perfect for riding today. The morning was overcast and cool, the afternoon was sunny and mild. The wind was mostly to our backs and cool.

We arrived at Medina middle school and set up tents in a shady spot. After getting everything dried out and eating some dinner, the amazing shower truck was waiting! What has 18 wheels, plenty of hot water, sparkling clean, and is a welcome sight at the end of a day? The shower truck! I still think the inventor should receive a Nobel prize for this amazing truck.

Tomorrow’s ride takes us into Pittsford. Very familiar territory, since I lived there for a few years after college.

I hope tonight’s camping is a little dryer experience… Otherwise, this has been a pretty fabulous day on the Erie Canal.

Peace!
– Deacon Matt

Tonight we met at the Nichols School and set up our tent city. We camp out tonight and begin the ride tomorrow morning. We leave Buffalo early in the morning and cycle a mix of surface streets and canal path to Medina.

When I signed up for this ride, I arranged to meet with four friends from last year’s ride on the C&O/GAP. I was hoping it would be easy to find them when I arrived. Amazingly, Rich was one of the very first people I saw here at the school. Over dinner the others all convened as well. It was a nice meal to catch up since we had left each other last summer.

This ride group is pretty big my my standards. Around 575 riders in all. Many are doing this ride for the 2nd or 3rd time with this tour. The oldest rider is 89 years old. Wow! The average age is 52. There are many young kids and families riding together.

I am definitely missing my family already. Three years ago, Anne Marie and I rode this route together on a self-designed ride with Stephanie supporting us. I have great memories of that time with Anne Marie and wish she were here to ride again.

As the sun has gone down, I am settling in – trying to remember the best way to situate my belongings in my tent and bags. Stephanie bought me a really nice air pad and it feels about as good as I could hope for :). Thanks, Steph!

Time for bed. Blessings to my family and friends!

Peace,
Deacon Matt

Here are some google map links to each day’s journey. If you would like a full GPX file, let me know.

Day 1 track

Day 2 track

Day 3 track

Day 4 track

Day 5 track

Day 6 track

Day 7 track

Day 7 added ride track

Day 8 track

Clicking any of those links should open google maps with the ride data shown.

Peace!

Everything seemed to go a little faster today. Over the past week, I was one of the earlier risers, getting in morning prayer and breaking camp early so that I could get out on the trail. Today, I woke up at the same time, but there were many others who had already started breaking down their tents and getting ready for the ride. I suspect that the excitement of finishing the ride was the motivator.

The agenda for today’s ride took us about 22 miles for a brunch celebration in McKeesport PA, a few miles outside of Pittsburgh. Then after brunch, the final 16 miles took us back to Station Square in downtown Pittsburgh.

It didn’t really make any sense to get started very early today, so I took a slightly more relaxed pace. We needed to arrive at brunch at a fixed time, and that would only take about 90 minutes of pedaling. So, Jim and I took our time getting a light breakfast and set out at a moderate pace for McKeesport.

These first few miles took us past West Newton and a few neat things to see. We saw two different interesting waterfalls: one deep-red with iron, and another that is white liquid full of aluminum (I think?). There were many interesting rock formations along the sides of the path. We passed through some older small towns along the way.

A few miles before McKeesport, the scenery started to change. As we got closer to Pittsburgh and its steel industry heritage, the path became less forested and more open. We also began to see direct evidence of industry: buildings, roads, traffic, and such. The peace and quiet of the trail gradually gave way to more traffic and noise.

Finding our way through McKeesport could have been a bit confusing if we had been on our own, as GAP signage was a bit hard to spot. If you are considering a ride through there, plan carefully and carry a good map of your path. Fortunately, for us, there were volunteers at each corner directing us to our destination. They were a welcome face for our last few miles.

Just outside of McKeesport, we entered an industrial area and had a short set of climbs and descents to go around some business areas. Then we were on surface streets for the first time since our detour on the C&O. Not much traffic, but we did ride over a couple of streets that might have been busy at another time of day.

A mile or two later, we arrived at brunch and waited for the rest of the riders to join us.

The town put on a nice lunch with music and a few brief welcomes from local dignitaries. I ate a good amount and was ready to roll! We had to wait until 11:30 to leave, though.

We left en masse, all bunched together like the start of a race. I was anticipating some major pileup, but we avoided it by some grace. A police escort led us through McKeesport and the group slowly re-sorted itself with stronger riders to the front. It took several miles to allow the fastest riders to make their way forward since there was not much room or opportunity to pass.

We wound toward downtown along the rail path, up and over a couple of bridges.

Normally, you can’t follow the GAP all the way to downtown yet. The trail doesn’t have right-of-way through some key pieces in Pittsburgh. However, the tour organizers were able to arrange a special time to allow this group to go across some of these properties that normally are closed off. That’s why we needed to be bunched up and go through together.

Our last few miles took us along the riverfront. We passed right next to the roller coasters of Kennywood park and along a water park that looked really appealing in the warm afternoon sun.

Sadly, I couldn’t really stop to take any pictures because I had a zillion bikers lined up right behind me.

Arriving in downtown, I had wanted to get my final snapshot at some iconic place in Pittsburgh. I talked to some folks who were going to go to the park with the fountain at the confluence of the 3-rivers. This would involve departing from the group at the Hot Metal bridge and going a little different path. When I arrived there, the ride organizer insisted that I must follow the prescribed route.

Another mile took me back to Station Square and my waiting car where this adventure started a week ago. I found a couple of my new friends for some last snapshots before we each went our own ways.

With a little sadness, the trip came to a pretty uneventful conclusion.

I totaled 360 miles over the week and really enjoyed the ride. I’m glad to have made some new friends and glad to have seen a new slice of our great country.

I’ll put together another post with some final thoughts and links to my GPS tracks soon.

Thanks to all who sent me fond wishes and prayers this week. I really appreciated it!

Peace & Blessings,
– Dc. Matt

Just a brief entry to let everyone know I made it! I’ll add a full blog entry tonight or tomorrow.

Peace!
– Dc. Matt