Great Allegheny Passage || Day 6 || 27.9 miles
- Date: June 19, 2022
- Start: Frostburg, MD (GAP Mile 15.5)
- End: Husky Haven Campground (GAP Mile 43.4)
- Cumulative Distance: 227.9 miles
My first day riding the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) was an interesting one. I decided to forego my tent and splurge on a night indoors with a comfy bed at a lovely B&B in Frostburg. This was my reward for finishing the C&O Towpath early and pushing a half a day’s ride forward onto the GAP.
However wonderful this unplanned luxury was though, my B&B experience held one major surprise…
As I woke up this morning, I expected the restful quiet that comes with sleeping indoors. No sounds of frogs croaking in a nearby creek or woodpeckers drilling into the tree above me. Just a calm, peaceful dawn and maybe a cup a hot coffee enjoyed while reading in bed.
But those tranquil expectations were crushed by reality, when the amorous “indoor wildlife” made its appearance this morning. Around 7:30 am, two of the guests in the room across the hallway started having extremely loud sex, clearly oblivious to how thin the walls of a 150-year old historical home can be.
Just a bit of advice to the lovebirds out there staying in a B&B with other guests… Moaning your ecstasy for 20 minutes like a scene from “When Harry Met Sally” is NOT ok. Seriously! NOT. COOL. Especially when I’m going to have to look at you both (and cringe) during our communal breakfast later this morning.
Despite this foul wake-up call, the rest of the B&B experience was lovely. Breakfast was absolutely delicious. I swapped book recommendations with a retired librarian who was visiting the nearby university. And I drank far too much coffee.
Returning to the GAP
But then it was time to get serious. I couldn’t sit around the breakfast table forever. It was time to get back on the bike finish riding the final 10 miles uphill to the Eastern Continental Divide. After that it was just 20 easy miles down to Rockwood, PA, to tonight’s campground. An easy day, all things considered. I could totally do this, I assured myself with a quick pep talk.
Before heading to bed last night and again this morning, I’d been keeping an eye on the upcoming day’s weather forecast. I was hoping yesterday’s wind wasn’t bringing a bunch of heavy rain my way. And so far, that seemed to be the case. Today was going to be nothing but clear, blue skies.
On the flip side, the wind did have an effect though. It brought in a pretty major cold front. The overnight temperature down into the upper 40s, and I was immensely grateful I’d had the forethought to bring a pair of capri-length cycling pants. I’d need them (and my rain jacket) to stay warm enough on the trail this morning.
As I cycled back through town toward the GAP, the route back to the trailhead was just as steep as I remembered it to be. However, instead of walking my bike uphill (like I’d had to do last night), I was now riding my bicycle’s brakes the entire way back down to the trail – past the metal cycling themed sculptures I’d been too tired to admire yesterday.
A new state
As I returned to the crushed limestone path, there was still a decent headwind slowing my progress. Nonetheless, I continued to ride north toward the Mason-Dixon Line where I’d finally be done with the state of Maryland and cross into Pennsylvania.
But first, I had to cycle through the 945-foot Borden Tunnel, where the cold wind seemed to build even more speed and resistance forming a literal wind tunnel as a I pedaled through the arched portal.
On the other end of the tunnel, I crossed paths with dozens of cyclists out enjoying a Sunday morning ride. There were plenty of families and tourists, and even a few bikepackers like me — though all of them seemed to be heading away from Pittsburgh, not toward it.
Wind turbines up on hills churned in the wind and sunshine. And about a half mile beyond the stone marker indicating the GAP’s 20-mile mark, I encountered a slew of historical signs and a singular tall monument. I was crossing the infamous Mason-Dixon line.
This famous boundary line got its name from two British land surveyors – Charles Mason & Jeremiah Dixon who were commissioned to settle land disputes and border between the colonies of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware in the 1760s. Given the rudimentary tools of the time, the line it was remarkably accurate too, only deviating a few feet where modern technology would place the boundary today.
For those who don’t know much about U.S. geography, the Mason-Dixon Line is often used as a sort of shorthand to culturally delineate the “North” from the “South.”
Most people who travel through Maryland today probably wouldn’t characterize it as part of the South. It wasn’t among the states that seceded during the Civil War, and even calls itself the ‘Free State.’ But slavery still existed here prior to and throughout most of the Civil War, and Maryland pretty much drug its feet toward full emancipation in 1864.
With that background, you can easily see how the Mason-Dixon Line became the de facto boundary between the free states to its north and the slavery-allowing states to its south.
And while I was impressed by all the monuments and signs for the Mason-Dixon Line, I was mostly elated to be a mere 3.2 miles from the crest of the Eastern Continental Divide. I was almost there!
Two miles further up the trail, I got to the Big Savage Tunnel, which was unlike all the prior tunnels I’d traversed over the past few days. This tunnel quite a bit longer overall and a full 1 kilometer (or 0.62 miles) through Big Savage mountain. It also had doors on either end to close it up during the winter months.
The tunnel was illuminated with overhead lights like the other tunnels, but it was so long and dark that I needed to remove my sunglasses and even turn on my bike headlight so I could see the uneven spots on the ground ahead of me.
The temperature inside the dark tunnel also felt a full 10 degrees colder than the outside air temperature, so I was eager to pick up the pace and get back out into the sunshine to warm up.
The high point
After the Big Savage Tunnel, it was barely a mile more before I made it to the spot I’d been waiting for since I departed Cumberland. I finally made it to the Eastern Continental Divide. From here to Pittsburgh it would be a gradual descent from 2,392’ above sea level back down to confluence of the three rivers – the Ohio River, the Allegheny River, and the Monongahela River near 710′.
A mural inside the East Continental Divide tunnel showed the elevation profile of the two trails. And it seems to exaggerate the vertical gain (because the rest of the trail is so flat by comparison). Yet my legs certainly felt like it was accurate representation of the effort they’d put forth!
Meyersdale
I wish I could say I just coasted the rest of the way through the day, but I didn’t. The headwind was still there even as I was going slightly downhill. But at least I had a change of scenery to enjoy, influencing a truss bridge over the Keystone Viaduct and artistic iron designs on the historical Bollman Bridge, which was built back in 1871.
Just before lunchtime, as I was nearing the mile 32 marker for the GAP, I rolled into the sleepy little town of Meyersdale, PA, with its beautifully restored train depot that housed the local historical society. Colorful murals decorated several of the buildings and the gothic architecture of the local church was rather impressive for a town with a meager population of 2,200 people.
But what really stood out to me about Meyersdale were the humorous and confusing road signs as I rolled down Main Street. I wasn’t sure what I should make of these two signs in particular, which were only about 50 yards from each other. Perhaps there’s a rash of inebriated Amish buggy drivers in the area??
With plans to just cycle 30 or so miles for the day, I decided to stop in town for lunch and rest for an hour. Unfortunately, given that it was Sunday, my lunchtime options were limited to Subway, Fox’s Pizza Den (a regional pizza chain headquartered in Pennsylvania), or Sheetz. Not great choices, for sure.
I went for the pizza, which was only mediocre in my opinion. But at least it was hot food.
Husky Haven
As I rolled out of town, I decided to put in a single Airpod in to listen to an audiobook and hopefully make the time fly by. Unfortunately, that plan didn’t last long. When I hit the epically long bridge over Hwy 219, the wind blasted across the elevated span with such ferocity that I had to downshift twice and still felt as if I was going to barely make it across.
This blustery wind was so strong that I even had to literally pull my AirPod out because I worried the gusts might actually blow it out of my ear and it would be lost forever. Pennsylvania was not working in my favor!
Once I got back to the tree cover again though, things simmered down a bit and I tried to keep from focusing on how much my butt hurt this afternoon. I’d intentionally planned for this to be a shorter day, but honestly I think I’ll need a full day or two off before this tenderness in my groin and butt actually subsides enough to let me sit on my saddle comfortably.
I made it to the Husky Haven Campground in Rockwood a little before 4 pm, where I had a reservation for the night waiting for me. I’d decided to call ahead before I even left the B&B this morning, because I knew there weren’t any hiker-biker camps along the GAP until I reached mile 89.4. I’d have to rely on the commercial campgrounds that dotted the trail instead, and I had no idea how full they might be now that it was summer and school was out.
As it turns out though, there was only one other patron sharing the campground with me that night, which was sort of surprising given how nice the place was for a mere $15/night. The campground was immediately adjacent to the trail and was maintained to even the most discriminating standards.
Each of the numbered campsites had a picnic table, trash can, and wonderful views of the Casselman River. And while the campground only had port-a-potties (like a typical hiker-biker camp), they also had an office just across the river with hot showers and flush toilets for the campers.
The owners named the place Husky Haven as a tribute to the a team of Siberian huskies they raised for dog sledding, and photos of each of the dogs was on a nearby kennel.
As I was picking out a site to set up my tent, one of the proprietors even came by to welcome me with one of the huskies. I don’t have a lot of experience with these sled dogs, but this particular husky – who was named Zeus – was absolutely HUGE in size!
But he was also a handsome and friendly fellow, and he immediately surrendered to any amount of love and attention I was willing to provide as I pet him.
After a bit of chatting, and being told it was ok to set my tent up anywhere I fancied, I settled on a spot near a clay culvert pipe that was diverting water under the trail and toward the river. The sound of the constant downhill water flow would be like sleeping near a waterfall, I surmised.
With my tent pitched in an ideal sport, I bike over to the showers, then up to the Trailhead Brewery, where a dozen or more patrons was relaxing with a nice craft beer. I joined a group of fellow cyclists – all of whom were heading in the opposite direction – and enjoyed swapping tales of what lay ahead.
And while Rockwood’s microbrewery was a nice surprise, none of the local restaurants was open this Sunday evening. So I’d have to made do with my beer and the finest cuisine I could buy at Dollar General for dinner.
Highlights
- I finally made it to the GAP’s high point after beating my legs up for the last two days. From here on out, it should be easy riding to Pittsburgh!
- Riding through the Big Savage Tunnel was a challenge, but also a treat. The amount of sheer manpower to dig through that mountain in the early 20th century was impressive!
- Playing with Zeus at the campground was a real treat. I have no experience with Siberian Huskies, and had no clue how powerful these sled dogs are built.
Challenges
- My morning wake-up call by “the lovebirds” was definitely a shock to the system. I’m going to revel sleeping in my tent tonight with nothing but the sound of real birds.
- Today was a cold and windy day, which made the ride north a bit more challenging. Tomorrow’s forecast looks much more mild though.
- Trying to find hot food on a Sunday was more difficult than I expected. So many places were closed, limiting my choices to fast food, convenience store food, or Dollar General. Not exactly fine cuisine!