Biking the GAP Trail Part 4: Meyersdale to Cumberland

• Dates Biked:  April 6&7, 2023
• Posted Mileage: Milepost 36 in Garrett to Milepost 0 in Cumberland, MD
• Total miles Tracked: 9.57 Thursday, 35.67 Friday
• Type of Trail: Rail trail, crushed surface
• Conveniences: Trailheads with bathrooms along the route, plus restaurants and lodging adjacent to the trail in Meyersdale, Frostburg, and Cumberland
• Best Features: The continental divide, the bike sculptures of Frostburg
• Worst Features: It's quite a trek up to Frostburg! 
• Wildlife spotted:  None
• Vegetation: Hardwoods, wildflowers
• Associated Website: Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org)
• Primary Author:  James

As mentioned in the previous post, the forecast for Wednesday had been cold, wet, even snowy, only to shift at the last second to a warm and beautiful day. But, the cold and damp had merely been delayed by a day. Thursday the rains came, and temperatures plunged. It didn't reach snow conditions, but it did give us an excuse to take our time leaving the Bright Morning B&B. We stopped at a laundromat in West Newton and took care of three days of sweaty bike clothes, then did a leisurely, foggy drive through Amish farmlands among high hills as we navigated to our next lodging, Yoder's Guest House in Meyersdale. This is the last sizable town on the trail before you reach Maryland, and, like Bright Morning, Yoder's was full of fellow trail riders. 

After we settled in, the rain finally came to a chilly end, so we took the opportunity to ride a few miles west to reach the town of Garrett. This was a nice, easy ride, and if the weather had been five degrees warmer we might have pushed a little further. As it was, we headed back to get a good night sleep and prep for Friday's ride. 

Friday, we drove down to Cumberland to Wheelzup at Canal Place, where we'd hired a shuttle to drive us back to Meyersdale. Meyersdale to Cumberland would be an extremely tough ride to do as an out and back, because, once you pass over the continental divide, the trail goes into a very steep downhill, and the thought of riding back up it was intimidating. It apparently intimidates many people. Dozens of bikers were heading down the mountain, but I only remember passing two or three heading uphill. 

Not that this route avoids uphill! You still need to get to the Continental Divide, and it's a non-stop climb from Meyersdale. It's not that steep or long, but on our fifth day of biking, with temps in the 30s, it was probably the most challenging section of our trip. 

Then... you reach the top! You're 23 miles from Cumberland, but it's all downhill at a fairly steep grade, and a daredevil could probably cover these miles in an hour, definitely in a hour and a half. But don't race down it! You'll miss some great sights! The Big Savage Tunnel is just a few miles away, the longest railway tunnel on the whole GAP.

Beyond this, you'll pass over the Mason-Dixon line, and it would be a wasted opportunity not to ride along the pavement marking with your tire straddling Pennsylvania and Maryland. 

Seriously, you can pick up some real speed on this section! 

After that, you need to stop in Frostburg. Adjacent to the trail is a park full of bike-themed sculptures. Ride to the top and you'll find a staircase leading up into town. We were hoping for a cup of coffee to take the chill off, but, alas, all the coffee shops were closed by the time we got there. Early afternoon is not a happening time of day in Frostburg. It's still a cute town, though. 

This is an omen for those who think they'll be riding their bike all the way into Frostburg.

The rest of the ride is scenic, with most of this rail trail adjacent to actual rails. As you come around the curves you'll be treated to multiple vistas showcasing this beautiful landscape. 

Zoom!

Hold on, I've accidentally gabbed someone else's bike. 

On day 5 of riding, being able to coast standing up for several miles is really nice. 

Finally, as nice as the ride has been, you can roll into Cumberland where you'll find the official mile 0 gateway, plus numerous restaurants and bars welcoming riders. It's a great way to wrap up a week of biking! 

For day one on the GAP, click here!

Day 2, here! Day 3, here! 

Biking the GAP Trail Part 3: Connellsville to Ohiopyle

•  Dates Biked:  April 5, 2023
• Posted Mileage: Milepost 88 in Connellsville to Milepost 72 in Ohiopyle
• Total miles Tracked: 35.8
• Type of Trail: Rail trail, crushed surface
• Conveniences: Trailheads with bathrooms in Connellsville and Ohiopyle, plus restaurants and lodging adjacent to the trail in these towns
• Best Features: Amazing scenery
• Worst Features: Heading east, it's mostly uphill. 
• Wildlife spotted:  Snakes, deer, herons, bald eagle
• Vegetation: Hardwoods, wildflowers
• Associated Website: Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org)
• Primary Author:  James

When we planned this trip, we didn't really have much flexibility for the dates. We had the Steel City Con over the weekend, so the week that followed would be dedicated to the trail come rain or shine. But, a week out from the event, the long-range forecast showed snow as a possibility on Wednesday and Thursday, which is apparently a real possibility in this mountainous region. As late as Sunday, the forecast for Wednesday was still showing very cold temps plus precipitation. Then... Wednesday turned out to be perfect biking weather. Highs in the low seventies, not a drop of rain. The cold and damp were still on their way, but Wednesday, at least, was pure delight. 

Of course, it wasn't just the weather. Most of the trail between Connellsville and Ohiopyle is part of the Ohiopyle State Park. The industrial sites and small towns vanish as you ride along steep mountainsides overlooking a rocky river. Numerous small waterfalls are adjacent to the trail. Save for the occasional train passing along tracks on the opposite side of the river, you ride far removed from the noise of traffic. It's a stark change of scenery for a trail we started riding in Pittsburgh adjacent to an interstate.

Ohiopyle has a few places to eat, and a state park headquarters with a viewing platform for waterfalls. It looks like a place that's probably quite crowded once the weather warms a bit. Given the hiking trails and the whitewater river, it looks like a place you can make use of bikes, boats, and boots for a full week without exhausting all the possibilities. 

Of the segments of the GAP we rode, this is the one that most immersed us in nature. If you only had a single day to ride, this segment would be a terrific pick. Like the previous section, it's a fairly steady grade in one direction, but it didn't feel like as much of a slog. It's shorter and there's so much to see in any given mile that you won't be paying attention to the effort. That said, the ride back did provide several stretches where we could coast along, which was welcome after three consecutive days of riding. Of course, our legs were about to get an even longer rest, as the cold, wet weather forecast for Wednesday arrived on Thursday. More on this in our next post. 

To read about our ride through Pittsburgh, click here. 

For the segment from West Newton to Connellsville, click here. 

You won't actually pass this on the trail, but somewhere in our drive from West Newton to Connellsville we passed a dinosaur.