Notes from the trail (and a few confessions)

So here we are at the end of day 4 camped at Little Orleans and the
weather is perfect. We had a short ride of only 28 miles today, most
of which was on the PAVED Maryland Rail Trail. A welcome break after
a pretty tiring Monday. We're waiting on dinner and wanted to post a
few random thoughts as we reflect over the trip this far...

Rob writes:
I was thinking about Saturday AM and how happy our wives were as they
sent us off. I realize now that Kathy was mostly happy that my pre-
trip shopping spree was over. Well, honey, I'm not finished yet as
today I had to part with 33 bucks for a replacement pair of gloves.
Surely you wouldn't want my hands to get blistered. I love you. Really.

Lyndsey & Sara - Tell mom it's really important for daddy to take care
of his hands.

Scott writes:
Lisa - My bike pants are a big hit ;)
Robert - The Steelers may need you to suit up.

Bruce:
Debbie - I went shopping today for a 15mm wrench for my bike. Happened
to be the last one in the state of Maryland (at least that's what the
man said). I really like it. We can discuss payment terms later, dear.
I love you. Lots!

From The 3 BoBs:
WoBBs (Wives of Beverly Bikers): You are the handle bars of our lives
- you steer us in the right direction.

When we all take a break

So what's it look like when 87 cyclists take a break at the same time?
A huge bike yard sale. Every bike rack slot and store front nearby
gets decorated with bikes. A pretty cool sight.

We started a very foggy morning with a short 12 mile ride to Hancock,
MD, where we stopped at the famous Weaver's Restaurant for awesome pie
(and finally a good cup of coffee! I guess I should have bought that
camping espresso maker afterall).

Now the break is over and it's time to hit the trail. Thanks to
everyone who's following the blog and especially leaving comments.
It's really encouraging and a fun way to stay connected from the trail.

Hello from Fort Frederick

At just past mile marker 112 we set up camp for the night at historic
Fort Frederick, the site of Maryland's frontier defence during the
French and Indian War from 1754-1763. We're literally camped right in
front of the fort. It was a long day in the saddle and everyone is
looking forward to a shorter and easier ride tomorrow.

Bruce's bags appear to be getting smaller at each campsite so Scott
and I suspect he's leaving a trail of dirty laundry behind us. Let's
hope he brought 7 days worth!

Now if I could just get Scott to stop asking the other cyclists if
anyone has a friend with a helicopter. It's really not that bad. There
he goes again. Gotta go.

Sent from my iPhone

Harpers Ferry to Antietam

After a very early morning start (ever tried to pack a tent in the
dark?), we rode a beautiful 15 miles to Antietam Battlefield, the site
of the bloodiest cival war battle where 23,000 died in a single day.
Seems appropriate after the horrific gnat attack last night. We've
just started a guided tour of the battlefield and Scott, the history
buff, is absolutely in his element. As you can see from the photo,
he's so excited he had to lay down (or at least that's the story he's
telling us). More later from our evening camp site.

Showered, Fed, and Ready to Rest

After our check point break, the trail improved a great deal with far
less mud and finally some sunshine. Nothing like the clay mud that was
like trying to pedal through wet cement. After 51.3 miles we arrived
at Harpers Ferry, WV (see photo below) under blue skies and puffy
clouds. Dinner was dominated by discussions of the mud. Now were
gathered for a presentation on the history of this area and looking
forward to a good nights rest before another 50+ mile day tomorrow.

Great Falls

We started our day with a short ride and walk to view the fantastic
Great Falls of the Potomac. The it was off to hit the trail which,
even with no rain quickly turned into a mud bath. We're at the first
check point now with about 26 miles - and more mud - to go. At least
it's not raining!

The C&O Towpath Begins

After sorting out all the bikes and transferring our bags ( boy, Scott
is prepared for just about anything) we hit the trail in Georgetown.
At mile 2.5 the trail merged into the actual C&O Canal tow path, the
same path used to tow bardges in the 1800s. Today was a pretty short
ride of 12 miles... but the humidity made it seem much longer.
Fortunately we only had some light rain and we have indoor lodging
tonight and nice hot showers. Now it's chow time as we carbo load for
our much longer ride tomorrow.

The Adventure Begins... On A Big Bus!

We caught a break from the weather this morning in Pittsburgh with
some sunshine to send us off on our grand adventure. The mass of
humanity (well, about 85 of us) and hardware has been packed on a
truck, a trailer, and two big busses. Now we get to sit back and
snooze and catch up on the sleep lost from staying up late getting our
stuff together.

The BoBs Make The News!

Our local newspaper here in the South Hills of Pittsburgh published an article this week about us and our upcoming grand adventure.
Check it out!

So why are we doing this ride?

Great question. I guess we all have our own reasons. If you ask Scott, the historical aspects of the country we'll be crossing and that it's basically the same route taken by George Washing on his first journey to Pittsburgh would highlight his response. Ask Bruce and he'd probably tell you that's it's without a doubt a "bucket list" item (which I'd have to agree with). For me, aside from the fact that it IS an interesting historical trip, and it IS a bucket list item, I'd have to say that it's simply the challenge of doing something I've never done before. I raced competitively on-road for years and ridden my fair share of trails off-road throughout the southeastern US, but not a multiple day, cycling/camping deal like this. So stay tuned. It should be a hoot of a bucket list, historical, challenging ride... and I can hardly wait to get started.
- Rob

Sara on the wall

Sara going solo on the wall at REI