Bike Pittsburgh

Pgh to DC..is it interesting?

just wondering if it's an interesting ride. I mean the Yough trail is pretty boring after a while....pretty scenery, but the same things over and over. Does it get better/different after Confluence?

I'd love to ride to DC, but if it is the same thing mile after mile I don't think I will enjoy it.

not trying to be negative, just wondering.

RE: Pgh to DC..is it interesting?

I got awfully bored when I did the one-day to Meyersdale; there were some sweet bridges, and the Somerset wind farm was cool, but it did get a little monotonous.

To be fair, I was pretty much in head-down-and-make-good-time mode, so might have appreciated things more if I'd slowed down a bit.

RE: Pgh to DC..is it interesting?

If you have ever read "a walk in the woods" by bill bryson he describes the trail as "a green tunnel."

Would I do the dc-pgh trip as my first bike tour alone? probably not.

Is any bike ride REALLY boring? Only if you are doing it to just get it done.

The first half has tons of history, and you can buy (borrow from me) the trail companion for the whole first half. It has tons of history, geology, geography, local folklure etc. Maybe 2 pages per mile.

The second half is neat, there are some nice towns like hapers ferry, where the AT goes through, and the headquarters is there. You are along the potomac, which is a natural border between 2 states.

Monotonous? maybe towards the end.

RE: Pgh to DC..is it interesting?

Is any bike ride REALLY boring? Only if you are doing it to just get it done.

Absolutely, and I think that's why I didn't enjoy it much. Riding in a hurry to meet people, versus riding to ride, makes a big difference.

One other point; go slow enough to chat with some of the other trail users, and it'll probably be a lot more fun. There's lots of neat folks out there, on foot and on wheels.

RE: Pgh to DC..is it interesting?

If you have ever read "a walk in the woods" by bill bryson he describes the trail as "a green tunnel."

In thinking of it that way, he missed a lot of things that were just beyond that wall. I've ridden PGH-DC six times with plenty of other shorter rides and have not been really bored. Starting with the Companion book is a good start because it tells you plenty of things to be on the look out for. But really, you need to keep your eyes open and wonder.

For example, have you noticed the posts on the side of the trail between Rockwood and Garrett? They are marking geology highlights for a course developed for the local school district. The post marked F-GR5 (mile 40.7) is the Wymps Gap Fossil Quarry. Dig around in the hillside and you'll easily find 330 million year old shells. Lots of shells. Coral is trickier to find. There should be trilobites but I haven't found any yet.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/parkguides/GR.pdf

Off the trail near mile 59 there is a Revolutionary War era cemetery hidden in the woods.

At the overlook at the pipeline crossing above Johnson Run (mile 78.3) there are some rocks by the side of the trail. One of them has a 300 million year old scale tree fossil.

A mile up the hill from the Layton parking area (Mile 101.5) is a grist mill built by George Washington back in 1774 when he owned 1600 acres around here.

There is a bench between mile 91 and the water treatment plant. Follow the trail there down to the river and you will find the Overholt Distillery Swinging bridge.

And those are just a few of the things that I can think of off the top of my head.

RE: Pgh to DC..is it interesting?

Yes... its neat to do. But by the 200th mile I was bored.

Should you do it? Yes its a neat adventure.

-Joe

RE: Pgh to DC..is it interesting?

ok ok I'll go...maybe I'll make it a week long round trip.

RE: Pgh to DC..is it interesting?

steevo I see mention of a couple books covering the trails, these being interesting. Were you referencing the first?

1. The Great Allegheny Passage Companion: Guide to History & Heritage Along the Trail amazon link

2. The C&O Canal Companion - amazon link