Washington, DC to Pittsburgh...by Bicycle! Part 1

It's been a while since we did any blogging about epic travel adventures, but I wanted to post this itinerary of my Washington to Pittsburgh ride, in case anyone else is thinking of doing this. For my 40th birthday, I wanted to do some kind of solo travel. I've had this trip on my mind for a decade at least, but logistically it was hard to work out the details with the whole family and bike trailers and all that. But for this trip, it was pretty easy. I booked a train ticket for $42 plus $12 to roll on my bike, selected 5 places to stay that were roughly 65ish miles apart and "bike-friendly," changed the brake pads on my aging but certainly still serviceable touring bike and bought some random snacks at Walgreens. If you haven't done any bicycle touring the mileage might seem a little daunting at first, but I can assure you, this is a very doable trip for anyone. Other than a few street miles on either end, the entirety of this trip is on car-free bike trail laid on old canal towpath or railroad. In other words, the grade is 2% at most. The trails go up and over a mountain range, so you are generally going up for half and then down for half, but the trail always looks pretty flat. I usually assume I will pedal about 10 mph on average including breaks. So, 65 miles a day is only about 6.5 hours of leisurely pedaling. I know a guy who just did this same distance in 2 days! But my goal was to spend some time alone and see the wildlife and history along the way, so I took 5 days, plus one day for travel.

Day 0 for Travel

Sunrise view from the train.

The train station is within biking distance from my house (7 miles or so). I had to leave a bit early in the morning to catch a 5:30am train, but this was actually nice, because there were virtually no cars on the roads.
The people at the Amtrak station couldn't have been nicer and told me to take my bike in the elevator to the platform. There were no racks in the train car, which was not as it was described on the website, but we all just kind of laid down our bikes on the floor and there was plenty of room. There were about 6 other people with loaded bicycles. Because the train is often delayed I decided to book a bed at Hosteling International in DC and start my trip the following day. Sure enough, we were sitting on the tracks outside of Cumberland for almost 2 hours, but the train is a very comfortable, if slow, way to travel. Seats are huge and they recline enough to take a very pleasant nap. It was a little unnerving to get off the the train and be swept immediately outside into a huge city at rush hour, but Washington DC actually has some great bike lanes and bike paths so I spent the remainder of the day riding around the Mall and the monuments. The Hostel was about $45 for a bunk bed in a shared room. They did have decent bathrooms and free linens and a locked shed that was inside a locked courtyard for bicycle storage. Breakfast was included. I thought it would be mostly young adults, but there were people of every age there, including a field trip of middle school students!

Day 1 Georgetown to Harper's Ferry

Can you spot the heron?

I heard that it was hard to locate the beginning of the trail and that it would be crowded and difficult to ride, but I basically ran into it by accident and there were hardly any people out.  It is brick and narrow and kind of bumpy at first, but before you know it, you are outside of the city....Potomac River to one side and the swampy canal to the other. There was a fair amount of commuter bike traffic at first, and a lot of highway noise, but by mile 10, it was very quiet. The wildlife viewing on this stretch is amazing, especially for birds. The miles melted away and I enjoyed the solitude. The trail is hard packed dirt, with a lot of rocks and roots. Not the most comfortable to ride, but I lucked out with weather and the mud wasn't too bad. However, there is a section just before Harper's Ferry that is washed out and you have to carry your bike and bags through a creek and up a steep bank. I was spared this unpleasantness because a storm blew in just before I got to that section and I was sitting under a porch on an old canal house next to a parking lot. A couple who was walking their dog offered me a ride around the washed out section, which I gladly accepted. When I got to Harper's Ferry I decided to bike up the huge hill (very huge, actually had to get off and push towards the top) to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I met a few thru and section hikers on the way and was reminded of how different one's view of the AT is when you are a thousand miles in, compared to after you actually complete it. They were definitely in the "why am I doing this" phase. That night I slept at The Town's Inn, which is a really old (like 1840s old) inn. I had my own bathroom but it was on a different floor than the room. No television in the room, but it did have an AC unit in the window and a small fridge and microwave. 

Day 2 Harper's Ferry to Hancock

Snakes in trees.

I got the tip to get off the Towpath and get on the paved Western Maryland Rail Trail just before Hancock and I have no regrets about doing this. The Towpath gets very bumpy and rocky and covered in black rat snakes and mosquitoes and muddy ruts or hard dried ruts and it was very hot. I questioned all of my motives embarking on this voyage and despaired over choosing such an unpleasant way to celebrate my birthday. Just kidding, but the miles certainly dragged on, and while I was still following the river, the water birds weren't as interesting, or maybe I was just tired of looking. I must have gotten a little dehydrated because that nauseous feeling set in sometime in the afternoon and I had to stop every few miles just to suck on a ginger chew and try to drink some water. This is the problem with traveling alone...you have nobody to talk to if your mood gets low. I was never so grateful to see a Super 8 Motel, my destination in Hancock. The lobby was filled with motorcycle guys who raised their Coors Light bottles to me when I staggered in, all dusty and red-faced. This motel was about what you expect for $50, but I would recommend it. The desk clerk gave me a towel for my bike and directed me to a hose at the end of the building. After I cleaned it off, I was allowed to take it into my room. I heard nothing from the motorcycle guys all night and actually slept pretty soundly. Hancock is a town that embraces bicycling and the rail trails, whether you are going 3 miles or 300, and there is a bike shop and tons of restaurants. Everything is well signed, with is ample parking and you can rent whatever you need there.

Stay tuned for days 3-6!