GAP,
DE, NJ and PA 2014
Our trip started with a visit with our daughter,
Missy and family in Middletown, DE. While we were there Missy and Zach celebrated their 14th anniversary and Sarah her 10th birthday.
From there we went to Cathy’s family reunion. While there
we went to the beach
and crabbing for the first time ever with Sam and Gail.
It was so nice to see the family again and all the additions!
Form there we went to Pittsburgh to visit with our
son, Jamie and family. We started our GAP, Great Allegheny Passage ride with Jamie and grandson Alec, on July
30 from the Boston Trail-head.
We rode 60 miles on the first day.
It took about eight hours to arrive at Ohiopyle, our
destination. We had a late dinner because of a thunderstorm and were very thankful
we had finished our ride before that storm.
We stayed in a nicely furnished guest house called the Hummingbird Nest because of the dozens of hummingbirds that spend the summer there. The next day we walked around town before heading to our rafting trip
on the lower section of theYoughiogheny River . It’s class 1,
2 and 3, so, we didn’t need a guide in the boat. Zach was the rudder-man, since
he had the most whitewater experience.Cathy was very grateful that she didn't get thrown from the boat. All-in-all, we had great weather and perfect temperature for rafting,
Another night at the Hummingbird and we were off
early on the next section of the GAP. We had to ride about 40 mostly uphill
miles to our next destination.
We rode through Confluence, where no one we asked knew where the confluence was!
On our way to Myersdale we saw a lot of windmills.
Our hotel, the Morguen Toole Company was very
interesting. It used to be a morgue and next door a tool store, furniture store, and general store, thus the name.
Our last day of riding was also the most
interesting. We crossed over the Salisbury and Keystone Viaducts.
Finally, finished the uphill riding at the
Continental Divide. It was all a fast downhill from there to the
finish.
Rode through the 3300 ft long Big Savage Tunnel.
Crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.
Had a scary moment in the Bordon Tunnel with momentary
blindness. We didn't think we needed our headlamps because we could see light at other end. However, 3/4 of the way through we became totally blind of a few moments. Just kept peddling and hope we didn't hit something. Waited for the train to pass through the Brush
Tunnel before we rode through that one.
Due to our fast 20 mile downhill we arrived in Cumberland sooner than expected. The C&O Canal Towpath starts where the GAP ends.
That night we returned to Pittsburgh. The next day
we header for home. On the way home we stopped at the Daniel Stowe Botanical
Garden near Charlotte. The Garden had an on-going Zin Sculpture Exhibit. Beautiful sculptures!
