- Date: June 13, 2022
- Start: Eugene, OR
- End: Washington, DC
- Travel Distance: ~ 2,800 miles
I’m about to begin my first day of bikepacking. Or bike touring. Or whatever the heck I’m calling this 9-day summer cycling adventure up the East Coast.
My goal is to cycle the 185-mile historic C&O Canal Towpath from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, MD, then transition to the roughly 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) along the old railroad route to Pittsburgh, PA. That’s 335 ambitious miles with all my gear strapped to my bike.
To be completely honest, I’m a bit nervous about the whole thing too. I’ve never ridden a bike anywhere close to that distance. I don’t consider myself a cyclist; I’m truly a hiker at heart.
But there’s a small part of me that always wants to try new things. And it’s nearly impossible to get lost on this route. Just follow the dirt and gravel trail along the Potomac River to Cumberland, Maryland. Then jump over to the GAP and continue north.
Of course, I had no clue how much last week’s attempt to climb Mt. Rainier would wreck my legs. My calves are still protesting my foolishness and constantly begging me to apply another layer of BioFreeze to them. Now I’m asking my legs to pedal the weight of my bike, a frame bag, and 2 panniers. It seems to be a punishment they don’t deserve.
Only time will tell if trying to cycle this route was a fool’s errand. At least my bike made it to DC intact. I was really worried I might have to ditch this adventure due to shipping delays. UPS picked my bike up from my local bike shop last Friday (June 3rd), and they gave me an expected delivery day this Friday (June 10th).
It seemed simple enough. But, as I checked my bike’s status each successive day, all I learned was there was some sort of “operational delay” in Portland, Oregon. My bike was less than 100 miles from my home for the next five days and it didn’t seem possible that it would arrive on the East Coast in time for my adventure!
As I started spitballing alternative plans (Maybe I’ll rent a bike…or maybe I can hike the C&O instead), UPS resolved the issue in just the nick of time. My bike miraculously made it to the East Coast on Friday, just as promised, and the bike shop in Virginia would have time to assemble it while I flew out separately.
TRAVEL
Of course, getting my bike out to the East Coast was only half the challenge. I still needed to get myself (and all my gear) out there too, which would proved just as difficult.
One of the biggest reasons I planned this adventure in the middle of June was because it coincided with the 2022 Annual Highpointers Konvention. The conference was taking place near Pittsburgh, PA, this year (after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid). What a wonderful excuse to take on this cycling trip!
And so, my initial plan was to fly to Washington, D.C., spend a few days with my Army friends who live in the area, then ride my bike from D.C. up to Pittsburgh over the course of 9 days, before heading to the 3-day convention.
However, as anyone who’s tried booking a recent plane ticket knows, it was a costly and complicated process. I couldn’t find a single round-trip or multi-city ticket to the East Coast for less than $800 this June! Usually, a ticket from the West Coast to Washington, DC (or any of the major East Coast cities is in the $450-$550 range. Paying something closer to $800-$1200 simply wasn’t in my budget for the year.
Luckily, I was able to redeem my available Alaska Airline points for a one-way return ticket from Pittsburgh, PA to my home in Oregon at the end of the convention. But then I needed to figure out a flight to get out to Washington, D.C.
No matter what day of the week I searched, or how wide I cast my net of potential arrival cities (D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, etc) for the one-way ticket to the East Coast, the prices were just outrageous. You’d think I was heading to a beach resort in Bora Bora based on the fares the airline wanted to charge this summer!
In the end, I settled on a red-eye flight to Philadelphia. That seemed to be the cheapest, if incredibly inconvenient, option available when I was purchasing tickets back in March. And so, I departed my home around 8 pm (Pacific Time Zone) on Saturday evening, had a short layover in Seattle, before arriving at the Philadelphia airport at 6 am (Eastern Time Zone) on Sunday morning.
From the airport, it was a game of “planes, trains, and automobiles” as I found my way to the SEPTA (Philadelphia’s subway system), rode from the airport to downtown Philadelphia, then waited a few hours at the Amtrak station before taking the 2-hour train ride to Washington, D.C., then caught the Metro (DC’s subway system) to the suburbs of Northern Virginia, where I’d spend a few nights with my Army pals.
Despite all the moving parts – and potential for disaster – with such a convoluted travel plan, everything went off flawlessly. Nothing was delayed. I’d given myself ample time to make all my connections. All the public transit system were operating. And by lunchtime yesterday, I was sitting at a lovely brewery in northern Virginia drinking a refreshing IPA and enjoying some nachos with the camaraderie of friends. What a wonderful start to an adventure!
LAST MINUTE PREP
We also picked up my bike on the way to the brewery yesterday, so I took it out for a quick spin on the nearby Washington & Old Dominion (or W&OD) rail trail this morning. Everything was in working order. All my gears shifted easily. My tires were full. I didn’t head any bizarre noises from something knocked loose in transit. Everything seemed good to go.
With no repairs or adjustments needed, I was pleased to realize I had a full day of free time on my hands before my ride began. So, I decided to take a trip up to Fort Reno in northwest Washington, D.C. to visit the highest natural point in the District. It wouldn’t increase my state highpointing tally, since D.C. isn’t a state (yet), but I was already in town. And it was one of the few places I really wanted to visit during this trip.
And now that brings me tonight. As I lay in a comfy bed for one final night (thanks to the generosity of my friends Rodney and Janene) and I have nothing but time think about all the things to come over the next week.
Every time the anxiety and nervousness creep up, I try to remember this is supposed to be fun. This is an adventure. I can do this! Tomorrow I’ll begin my first long-distance cycling adventure…