End of Phi Sig Bike Ride, 2011

All good things come to an end--our bike ride officially ended at about 10 AM this morning I Shepherdstown WV.

Yesterday, Thursday, Mike and I left Hancock MD in good spirits and full of energy, eager to find out first-hand how muddy and hard-to-handle the C&O Canal Bike Path could be after a day of rain. Although we had to pay attention to what we were doing, it really wasn't bad at all and we made good progress through the mist and occasional light rain. We got in 50 miles, not counting a few extra miles due to a detour and to missing a turn.

However, in the late afternoon my bike developed a loud, irritating squeak, kind of like the honking of a goose, apparently emanating from the cranks. Not a good sign, and we decided we'd camp close to Shepherdstown and go to their local bike shop in the morning. If they could fix my bike and get us back on the trail by noon we thought we'd get in 40 miles of riding and then reach DC on Saturday. Rich Hall was set to camp with us on Friday and ride with us on Saturday, and we were hoping Dave would rejoin us, also.

As we were pitching our tents we were hit by a big thunderstorm and heavy rain. When the rain slacked off we had a good dinner and desert, and crawled into our tents for the night. We stayed dry through the night, but the rain continued and finally, at about 8:15 AM, we decided we might as well get up and pack up in the rain, ride into town and have breakfast, and end our trip. We were not inclined to try to get my bike attended to and then proceed, in the rain, with a very late start on a very muddy trail.

Fortunately, Rich Hall came to our rescue! He picked us up with all our gear and drove to Mike's, where we showered, put on clean dry clothes, and ate a wonderful hot lunch that Lisa prepared. Rich and I then continued to his home in Northern Virginia where I cleaned my gear, washed my clothes, and had an excellent dinner and pleasant after-dinner conversation with Rich and Kathy.

All in all it was a great bike trip, and wonderful to spend it with six old college friends--Dave & Janet, Mike & Lisa, and Rich & Kathy!

The Phi Sig 2012 bike trip will be even bigger and better!

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
waltercwright@yahoo.com

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

A lull in the drizzle

It stopped raining and we are pressing on... Giddy-up!!
Mike

Day 7: more scenery

Day 7: Scenery approaching Williamsport MD

Slogging down the trail

I think we are just under 100 miles to go. Going is slower because of the puddles and mud - but the rain in the trees is pleasant to the ears. Mike

Rained out in Hancock Md

We're hiding from the rain in Hancock Md. No hot tub but we are having the best Lemon Marangine pie ever!!! What a great break!
Mike

Bouve signing off (Oct 19)

Apologies for my last post. I couldn't resist. Due to drenching, endless rain, and being a wuss, I have ended my participation in the Pittsburg to DC journey at Hancock, Md. I wish the best to my more stalwart friends. I had a great time! I biked about 200+ miles which is pretty good for a new biker. I look forward to following Walt and Mike as they continue the ride. I will post no more other than as a commenter.

Dave

Sent from my iPhone

Great campsite!

I got separated from Walt and Mike but I found this great campsite just up the towpath! I hope they can find me in the pouring rain!

Dave

The rivers on our trip

Our route, very scenic, is defined by rivers most of the way. We left Homestead, just south of Pittsburgh, following the Monogohela River. It flows north, from WV into Pittsburgh, where it joins the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River, whose waters then flow west into the Mississippi River and then south to the Gulf of Mexico.

After just a few miles we came to where the Youghiogheny River joins the Monongohela, and we continued south and east along the west bank of the Youghiogheny. This is arguably the most scenic part of the trip. Chestnut Ridge, the westernmost hills of the Allegheny Mountains, rises from the east side of the river. When early settlers managed to get over Chestnut Ridge they had traversed the Alleghenies and were now "out west."

In Confluence, PA, where we camped on night 2, the Casselman River joins the Youghiogheny We followed the Casselman River on day 3, but eventually reached the Eastern Continental Divide, which marks the division between waters that flow north and west to the Gulf of Mexico and waters that flow south and east to the Chesapeake Bay.

After descending to Cumberland, MD on day 4 we picked up the Potomac River, which we will follow into DC, pedaling along the towpath of the old C&O Canal.

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
waltercwright@yahoo.com

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Days 4 and 5, Summary

Day 4: 42 miles to Paw Paw Campground.

Day 5: 31 miles to Hancock, Md where we checked into a motel to wait out a severe rainstorm expected tonight & tomorrow.

More info to follow.

PS Posts have been limited because of lack of connectivity.

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
waltercwright@yahoo.com

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Day 3 summary

Another beautiful day. We rode 48 miles to Frostburg, Md where we checked into a motel and had dinner at a great little Italian restaurant.

No mishaps, except our lunch spot was out of cherry pie.

Dave was excited to see a wild turkey for the first time. Mike wasn't sure if he should be excited because he couldn't remember if he had seen one before.

We ciimbed over the Eastern Continental Divide, rode thru the Big Savage (1 mile long RR tunnel), and raced across the Mason-Dixon line into Maryland. -- Walt
Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
waltercwright@yahoo.com

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Sunglasses modeling

This photo is particularly for my brother Tom and Sam Williams. Tom because our Dad would approve. And Sam because it is a totally "functional" approach.

Dave

Sunglasses accident

On saturday, at a stop in connelsville, my bike trailer fell over and severed both ear pieces of my sunglasses. The bike shop guy using zip ties and rubber bands created a fix. Here is a photo. See next post for modeling of them by me.

Technical Difficulties: Blog Comments

Tom, Dick, (and ?) have each sent comments that I have approved and they should have appeared on the blog site. I don't know why they aren't there yet.

When you send a comment, the process is that it first comes to me as an email for me to approve or reject. I would tend to reject comments that are rude, insulting, or unflattering to me, but my editorial standards are more lax if your derogatory comments are directed at Mike or Dave.

Note: because we generally do not have phone service or Internet access where we are, the process is slow. -Walt

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
waltercwright@yahoo.com

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Dave Bouve overlook

Dave Bouve overlooking some awesome countryside.

Eastern Continental Divide

We made it to the Eastern Continental Divide all water from here goes to the Bay. Everything behind us goes to the Gulf of Mexico. We are flowing to Frostburg for the night.

We're in Amish Country

We're in Aminsh country.... Giddyup!!

A bride left at the train station

Did she get left at the train station? Is she waiting for him to come to her by train? Or is she waiting for the photographer? You guess. At the Ohiopyle train station.
Mike

Day 2 campsite

This is taken from same location on river looking downstream rather than up.

Yach River very near our campsite on day 2

Late afternoon day 2. We are camped right next to beautiful yachaheny river

More dinner time on second day. Walt is glum because mike took his Mickey mouse hat

Dinner time, day two

Walt wears his glow in the dark mickey mouse hat while we toast each other

Along the Youghiogheny River

Walt Wright on the left, Dave Bouve in the middle, and Mike Pickett on the right. A beautiful day biking along the Youghiogheny River in PA. Headed to Confluence PA for the night.

Morning along the river

Beautiful morning view next to the campsite.

They're still sleeping

Hey wake up. Coffee is ready.

Sleeping in after after day

Walt and Dave sleeping in while Mike starts the coffee. You can see Mike opted for sleeping in the tent In the background

Day1 scenic view

Scenic view along the Youghegheny River.

Day 1 on the GAP trail, continued

Several miles after rolling out along the Monongahalia River we crossed it, although from the photo below you wouldn't know we are on a bridge. A few miles later we were on the banks of the Youghegheny River, which we will follow for several days.

Walt

Day 1 on GAP trail

We roll out...beautiful weather!

Dave

Evening before start of bike trip

We haven't started bicycling yet, but we are well into our carbo-loading.

Starting to Blog Again

In October 2010 I was fortunate to have my old friend and fraternity brother, Mike Pickett, join me for a ride on the DC to Pittsburgh bike path. I spent about a week pedaling from Brooklyn, NY to Mike's home in Gaithersburg, MD. Then Lisa Pickett dropped us off on the bike path and we had a great week, following the C&O Canal Tow Path up to Cumberland, MD, and then the Rail-to- Trail Bike Path through the Allegheny Mountains to Pittsburgh, PA, along the route of the old Western Maryland Railroad. We had such a great time that we decided we should do it again in 2011, in the opposite direction and going the entire length of the trail (in 2010 we started at White's Ferry, 35 miles north of DC, and ended at Boston, PA, a bit south of Pittsburgh).

Fortunately, our plans fell into place and Mike, Dave Bouve, and I are starting out on October 7from Homestead, PA., a few miles south of Pittsburgh but, until the trail is soon completed into Pittsburgh, the northernmost point on the trail. Dave's also an old friend and fraternity brother, and Mike and I are happy that he will be able to join us. Two other old Brothers, Rich Hall and Chris Cushman, had also been serious about doing this ride with us but had to cancel out within the last few days -- next year, guys!

Like always, my training for this trip was less than adequate. I was in Alaska for six weeks this summer and didn't have a chance to get in the bicycling I needed. I did some limited biking in August and early September, and in late September was able to spend 5-6 days biking and camping, by myself, along the Pittsburgh-DC route (I just went from West Newton, PA to Frostburg, MD and back, around 200 miles). So I think I'm ready, and I know I am eager -- this should be a great ride.

Mike, Dave, and I will share a hotel room tomorrow night in Homestead, PA, and get off to an early start on Friday.