I’ve decided to join in with a group and do a ride of part of the Great Alleghany Passage route next week. It’s a four-day ride that starts out in Ohiopyle PA (near where WV meets MD at the southern side of PA) and goes out for two days, towards Pittsburgh, then turns around and comes back. We’ll get as far as Dravo’s Landing Campground, near the little towns of Buena Vista and Elizabeth.

The riding is light. Only 30 miles in a day on paths that are roughly the same as the Erie Canalway that I’m used to and have done 70 miles in a full day. It should be refreshing and leave plenty of time to explore towns and nearby sights before hitting the campground and settling in for the night.

The group of people I will be joining is an informal group formed on the internet known as Bikepacking US. There is no dues, no formal membership, just a bunch of people who enjoy cycling and camping. The group is in it’s infancy, and has only done a couple rides in the past, all on the GAP/C&O corridor.

The Great Alleghany Passage is a trail that goes from Pittsburgh to the Maryland border where it meets the C&O Canal Towpath which ends in Washington DC. Since most of it follows old railroad lines and a canal in the C&O section, the grade is fairly flat and avoids most of the mountains in the area. Several tunnels are kept operating as part of the trail. Continue Reading…