Pat, all I can add since I've not self-supported the GAP-CO trip is that some services may be less extensive after October. For the GAP portion, October is a highlight for foliage, decreased bugs and the best chance of the year's months for a dry ride. A bigger concern on the C&O, even days following rain. Mud is a thing on the C&O. The western section can be avoided (on the other side of the canal) on the Western Maryland Rail Trail <http://www.westernmarylandrailtrail.com> which is 26 miles of pavement. It is a different organization with a smaller scope of mileage to maintain but has a higher expectation of the trail surface. You'll appreciate it if raining as you close in on Cumberland.
The fine limestone bed of the GAP is consistent and does make a slurry in downpours, I've ridden to Ohiopyle with half being an utter downpour, the latter tapered off and was wet. With an adequate flap on my Rambouillet's fender my drivetrain feet and BB were spotless other than incidental spray from the front fender exit. I would recommend fenders for rides on this route if just to keep the flung dust from the front wheel from the constant contamination of your drivetrain. More so when wet. Many services have a hose with which you can do a field expedient drivetrain ungunking. A water bottle with nozzle can suffice if it's bad. Choose and have chain lube you are familiar with using. What goes for weeks at home might not hold through lunch on the trail. The use the GAP trail gets is undoubtable now and you should be OK. Merchants aren't in business to miss sales and there are lots of riders after the end of September. The Facebook page is very active. I submitted a large tree down across the trail between Duquesne and McKeesport (20 mile mark for me) on an out and back century. It was cut and removed by the time I passed it again, 60 miles of riding later. Services were more effected by the pandemic than usual seasons. I rode more on the GAP last year to get isolated, it's part of the attraction for me but it kept away many of the through or long distance riders. On nice days and weekends you will be able to gauge your proximity to access points and services by the "local" users. They will walk their dogs, run and leisurely pedal cruisers several miles from the parking areas and become your signal that town is near. Andy Cheatham Pittsburgh On Monday, May 24, 2021 at 8:01:09 PM UTC-4 Bikie#4646 wrote: > Pat, I would say most of the trail towns' resupply points are open all > year, but not all. The campsites on the C&O are open year-round. Camping on > the GAP is trickier during winter, but I would say likely open until late > November - a guess. A better source of first-hand information can be had > from the various FB groups for both trails. Not uncommon for the GAP to > have snow as a trail surface mid-winter. (Can you say, cross country > skiing?) See my answer to Rich about additional winter closures. > By the way, as to extra layers, the C&O can be quite warm and chilly in > the same trip. Though carrying extra clothes and gear can be a hassle, > better safe than sorry. I find wool layers will pretty much cover all > scenarios and needs little in the way of washing mid-trip. Also, wool can > make all the difference in the rain! > Paul Germain > Midlothian, Va > > On Monday, May 24, 2021 at 10:04:11 AM UTC-4 pbsm...@gmail.com wrote: > >> Nice pics Paul thanks for sharing. A friend and I are doing the DC to >> Pitt direction later this year. I've only ever done overnight bike camping >> trips and he's never even done that. Hoping to do it in 50 days. We live in >> DC. >> >> Originally had this planned for end of August, but life got in the way so >> now we are shooting for mid October. Gonna need some extra layers for sure. >> Do you know when everything starts to shut down for the season? >> >> Pat in DC >> >> On Monday, May 24, 2021 at 6:41:07 AM UTC-4 ascpgh wrote: >> >>> I really enjoy seeing all the variations of folks' trips and iterations >>> of outfitting on this route. I'm fortunate to be a twenty minute bike ride >>> from the Pittsburgh end and frequent the GAP portions and points along that >>> way that are fun detours and sightseeing. >>> >>> I started riding on the GAP with my Rambouillet which doesn't have a >>> load capacity for self supported travel but as a result I've refined my >>> options for refreshments, meals and accommodations. My favorites are two >>> day rides from home, either out to Ohiopyle for the night and back or to >>> Cumberland with a overnighting in Ohiopyle and Amtrak home from Cumberland >>> at 7pm. It is the use I patterned my custom bike to support. >>> >>> Last year I rode several centuries out and back on the GAP to take >>> advantage of the crowd thinning weather, my familiar trailside resources >>> and the relatively level grades. >>> >>> Andy Cheatham >>> Pittsburgh >>> On Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 12:12:57 PM UTC-4 Bikie#4646 wrote: >>> >>>> While I have done unsupported multi-day trip from Pittsburgh to DC >>>> (GAPCO) a number of times, this time I accompanied friend, Dan on his >>>> 7-day >>>> trip from east-to-west in the opposite direction. A bit of a new >>>> perspective on the trails along the C&O Towpath in Maryland and the Great >>>> Allegheny Passage in Pennsylvania. >>>> I was on my Sam Hillborne, which is my dedicated touring bike, mostly. >>>> It serves me very well for this sort of thing. I have a Homer Hilsen I use >>>> for mixed-surface riding day trips and love it. It could probably handle >>>> touring, but I suspect the slightly stouter Hillborne is more reliable for >>>> multi-day loads. >>>> We chose to go a bit early, the end of April, and were met with a >>>> variety of weather conditions, from sunny (even hot) days to cold (down to >>>> freezing one night) with a bit of rain thrown in for fun. We were prepared >>>> for it so the cooler temps were welcomed. >>>> The benefits - especially this year when many more folks will >>>> undoubtedly be out riding these trails - were fewer trail users and more >>>> available campsites and fewer bugs along the Potomac River. (Not that is >>>> usually a big problem for us, even in the summer.) >>>> My Flickr trip album of the trip is chock full unfortunately - for my >>>> own memories - so I apologize in advance. This time around, however, I >>>> tried not to duplicate photos of the numerous and more recognizable >>>> landmarks for the GAPCO, which I have done before. >>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecrazy-paul/albums/72157719131492162 >>>> Happy trails to all, >>>> Paul Germain >>>> Midlothian, Va. >>>> >>>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/79102a3c-0899-4ae6-85dd-5daa7367534cn%40googlegroups.com.
