Bike Trail: Pittsburgh to DC

[+Kordite]

Two years ago (before I got into geocaching) I rode the Great Allegheny Passage; a collestion of bike trails that start near Pittsburgh and travel all the way down to Washington D.C. I did the 315 miles in three days.

 

Well, I'm planning on doing it again next year (perhaps in July) and now that I am involved in geocaching, I thought it would be a good opportunity to log some caches in areas I don't normally get to. I also plan on "taking my time", 315 miles in four days.

 

I have built a file in EasyGPS with a list of caches all the way down. In the Pennsylvania part of the trail I have noted a number of benchmarks as well. I haven't done any benchmarks with the Maryland part of the trail because I am not as familiar with the trail beyond Meyersdale.

 

First, I will share that file with you. Download it at:

 

http://www.tasigh.org/temporary/bike_tour.loc

 

Second, if there is anyone more familiar with the C&O Towpath feel free to add more to this topic list.

 

For more trail info, visit:

 

Allegheny Trail Alliance

http://www.atatrail.org/ata-home.htm

 

C & O Canal Towpath

http://bikewashington.org/canal/index.htm

 

Good luck, good hunting and don't hit your head.

 

Kordite

[+Kordite]

OK, I've pretty much built a complete list of geocaches and benchmarks between McKeesport at the Northern end of the Great Allegheny Passage to Georgetown at the Southern terminus of the C & O Canal Towpath.

 

The are some 20 caches and over 110 benchmarks. Most are just off the trail. Some are right on the trail.

 

I've moved the location of the download to:

 

http://www.tasigh.org/gps/bike_tour.loc

 

I am making preliminary plans to ride the trail and hit most of the caches along the way on 4th of July weekend. Maybe I'll see you along the way.

 

Kordite

[boydg]

My Geobuddy and I've have been toying with the idea of making that same trip over the past few years, except going in the opposite direction. I've d/l'd your file, so maybe it'll inspire us to get off our butts and actually make the trip.

 

P.S. I always thought the trail started in D.C. and ended at Pittsburgh.

[+Kordite]

**duplicate message deleted**

[+Kordite]

When you think of it, a trail has two beginings and two ends depending on where you start.

 

It is, however, true that the mile markers for the C&O trail start at 0 in Georgetown and end at, I believe, 185 in Cumberland.

 

The Great Allegheny Passage, the name for the collection of seven trails, starts at zero in Cumberland and gets to 129 near McKeesport, where I tend to access the trail.

 

The mile markers are leftovers from when these were active canal and rail throughfares.

 

Given the way the C&O trail is designed, I think I prefer riding south instead of north. While the trail is almost completely flat, at each lock (or former lock) there is a fairly steep incline to adjust to the next canal water level. Traveling south, these are all downhill. Because the Pennsylvania part of the trail is on former rail lines, it's uphill all the way, but it's fairly steady and not over a 4% grade.

 

My plans are to do the ride 4th of July weekend (although I have to call my sister in Md to confirm the weekend). When are you planning your ride or is it still too early to ask?

 

I don't know what sort of experience you have on the trail but I recommend avoiding the lower end of the trail on a weekend if possible. When I did the rid before, I was getting into D.C. on a Sunday afternoon and the Great Falls area and on was absolutely packed with people, both bicycles and pedestrians. I ride alone and prefer empty trails. since you'll be starting at that end, you're more likely to be on that section during a weekday. I'll be hitting that area again on a Sunday afternoon because I'll have to get a ride back to Pittsburgh and go to work on Monday morning.

 

Kordite

"Good luck, good hunting and don't hit your head"

 

[This message was edited by Kordite on February 06, 2003 at 08:40 AM.]

[enfanta]

It seems so cool to be able to bike across most of PA and down into DC but I can't find a map that encompasses that collection of trails. I can find *parts* of the trail but not all the trails linked together.

 

And when I try to open the file with the .loc tag, my computer keeps saying it can't open it.

 

help!

 

 

X is for X, and X marks the spot, On the rug in the parlor, The sand in the lot, Where once you were standing, And now you are not.

[Bluehook]

I'm riding the annual "Unity Tour" in early May from New York City to the LEO Memorial in DC. How would go about locating caches along the way?

[+Kordite]

enfanta said:

 

> I can find *parts* of the trail but not all the

> trails linked together.

 

Great Allegheny Passage overview map

http://www.atatrail.org/seg-maps/overmap.htm

 

C & O Canal Biking Guide

http://bikewashington.org/canal/index.htm

 

National Park Service Map of C & O Towpath

http://www.nps.gov/choh/ppmaps/chohmap1.pdf

 

The two trails don't actually connect yet. There is still a significant section between Meyersdale and Cumberland which is not complete. Thankfully, there are some directions available to bridge the distance (about 30 miles).

 

Detour directions

http://www.atatrail.org/linkup/detour.htm

 

I have made an EasyGPS file with waypoints and a route to help me navigate this detour. I had an awful time four years ago when I tried the link without a decent map and no directions whatsever. And then it got dark! Because I'm traveling North to South, it's a little bit biased in that direction so use it traveling South to North with greater caution.

 

http://www.tasigh.org/gps/bypass.loc

 

> And when I try to open the file with the .loc

> tag, my computer keeps saying it can't open it.

 

The LOC file is a file for the EasyGPS waypoint software. If you don't have it, you can find out more about it and download it at http://www.geocaching.com/waypoints/help.asp

 

If you alredy have EasyGPS and you're having difficult using the files I've created then I don't know what to tell you. I've had my files work on three different PCs.

 

bluehook said:

 

> I'm riding the annual "Unity Tour" in early May

> from New York City to the LEO Memorial in DC.

> How would go about locating caches along the

> way?

 

First, I went to the full state map and zoomed in enough that I could identify the path the trail took. I then used "identify" to pull up more information on what caches were along the way. I downloaded the caches to EasyGPS files.

 

For benchmarks I started with the "find nearby benchmarks" option but didn't like the results. Because Geocaching.com doesn't have a mapping option for benchmarks, I ended up going to the NGS site at http://www.ngs/noaa.gov/ims/NgsMap2/default.htm and again cruised the map moving screen by screen. I made a handwritten list and then went to http://www.geocaching.com/mark/ to bring up each benchmark and download the waypoint to EasyGPS files.

 

All the while, I was copying the details of each cache and benchmark into an MSWord file. I will download that file to my PDA so that I can have all the information with me on my ride. (A paper printout would be over 50 pages.)

 

You can download my MSWord file here:

http://www.tasigh.org/gps/bike-tour.doc

 

After I had an EasyGPS file with all the caches and benchmarks I thought were appropriate, I uploaded them to my GPS and then download them into my MapSend Topo software. (I have to do it that way because I cannot convert directly from one file format to another). MapSend allowed me to see all the waypoints on a map. Sure, I had seen where they were using the MapQuest link but that map doesn't show the towpath or former rail line which makes up the trail. The MapSend data shows the "trail" clearly (although it still shows it as active rail in many places).

 

I hope this helps you to plan your own trips.

 

Kordite

[+The Leprechauns]

Enfanta,

 

Your problem with opening Kordite's .loc file is that you do not have the current version of Easy GPS (2.1.2 if I'm not mistaken).

 

Everyone,

 

Another useful website is Pennsylvania Rails to Trails maintained by DCNR.

 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

If there's no accounting for stupidity, then why do I need to file a tax return?

[boydg]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kordite:

When you think of it, a trail has two beginings and two ends depending on where you start.

---

I know, I was just joshin' with ya.

quote:

---

My plans are to do the ride 4th of July weekend (although I have to call my sister in Md to confirm the weekend). When are you planning your ride or is it still too early to ask?

---

I'm not even sure if we'll do it this summer. On top of the time management problem of getting an opportunity to ride locally to get into shape a bit, I have 1) 77-year-old father in Texas I want to visit with, and the opportunities for doing that are shrinking with each passing day, and 2) oldest son, daughter-in-law and (1st) 1-year-old grandaughter just moved to California, and the time you miss with the youngsters can never be regained.

 

Jeez, this is coming off so maudlin...anyway, I have my doubts I'll be able to fit the ride in this summer.

 

~ Boyd

[+Quest Master]

I finally got this thing to work with the helpful hint from the Leprechauns. I had an old version of EasyGPS. I was somewhat surprised to see a few of my caches on the list. Casparis, Hampton, and Elk Rock are close to the Youghiogheny River Trail in theory only. They would be extremely difficult and/or dangerous to access from the bike path. One would need a bike that flys!

 

Also, a word about the mile markers. There have been at least four different mileage measuring systems in use along the trail: The C&O goes 0-184 from Washington to Cumberland, The Allegheny Highlands Trail (Somerset County, PA) measures milage from the Maryland-Pennsylvania Border to Confluence, PA, The Youghiogheny River Trail South has wooden mileposts numbered 0 (Confluence) to Ohiopyle (10) to Connellsville (27). The Youghiogheny River Trail North goes by the old concrete mileposts left behind by the railroad. They measure mileage in the opposite direction from McKeesport (mile 15) to Conneslville (mile 48). Confusing, huh? I understand that the ATA has plans to install new mileposts made from plastic which will measure the trail distance from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. I guess this means that Pittsburgh is at the END of the trail after all!

 

Johnny

[enfanta]

Got some maps that make sense.

 

Now, to get the rust off that chain and tighten the brakes on my bike!!

 

X is for X, and X marks the spot, On the rug in the parlor, The sand in the lot, Where once you were standing, And now you are not.

[+Kordite]

> Casparis, Hampton, and Elk Rock are close to

> the Youghiogheny River Trail in theory only.

> They would be extremely difficult and/or

> dangerous to access from the bike path.

> One would need a bike that flys!

 

I didn't look into them that deeply. I figured that I could make an attempt at Elk Rock as it is on the same side of the river. It's possible I would look at where I was on the trail and where the GPS says Elk Rock is and go, "Hell, I'm not climbing up there today."

 

The other two I would have to cross the river and on my bike trip I'm not going to go that far afield. Maybe on a day trip. Drive down and park at Ohiopile and then go searching.

 

> There have been at least four different

> mileage measuring systems in use along the trail:

 

I'd forgotten about that. I remembered the concrete markers but didn't remember what direction they went. It's been a long winter.

 

Plus, I realize now that I rode the whole thing 4 years ago, not 2 as I initially aserted. Those years do fly sometimes.

 

> I guess this means that Pittsburgh is at the

> END of the trail after all!

 

But that's not all! From McKeesport, there will be the Steel Valley Trail and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail which will extend about 20 miles into downtown Pittsburgh. There are plans to eventually eventually connect with the 50 miles of the Armstrong Trail along the Allegheny River.

 

The Montour Trail will extend 50 miles around the south of Pittsburgh to the Ohio River.

 

And I've heard of plans to connect up with some Ohio trails. It looks like it would extend from

Pittsburgh down the Ohio River. Then, where the Ohio turns south (around West Virginia) it would connect with the Little Beaver Creek Greenway and run straight north to Lake Erie.

 

Now that would be an epic ride.