Day One
The Great Allegheny Passage! This is a system of trails connecting Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland MD. Once there, you can ride on the C & O Canal Towpath into Washington, DC. I had rode the majority of this trail system previously in sections, but never in its entirety. Labor Day Weekend of 2005 was the planned time for this trip, and the weather could not have been any more perfect for biking! I started at 6am from my apartment on the opposite hill from the Yough River Trail North. A nice two mile ride down to the trail, and my journey was officially beginning. It was a foggy morning, as the pictures will attest, but no complaints. It made for some unique photo opportunities. The trail was traffic free most of the morning and I was excited to be taking this trip I had been anticipating all summer. The Yough River Trails North and South offer some beautiful scenery, especially in the Ohio Pyle region. You are then guided by the Casselman River for the begining part of the Allegheny Highlands Trail, PA. Making your way through the mountains, the sites, the sounds, and the smells give you a peaceful, calm feeling inside. There is so much beauty to be enjoyed in nature! This was also the longest ride I had done in one day. 130 miles from Little Boston to Cumberland. I left at 6am and arrived in Cumberland at 6pm. 130 miles in 12 hours with breaks. Pretty good time if I do say so myself! Points Of Interest: Youghigheney River, Ohio Pyle State Park, Confluence,PA, Casselman River, Salisbury Viaduct, Big Savage Tunnel, Cumberland, MD.
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