Woke early and was on the GAP
by 6:30 AM. The weather was cold and
for the first 2 to 4 hours my feet and hands were frozen. There was a slow
steady climb on a crushed gravel trail which was much smoother than that
experienced on the C&O. Experienced a continuous climb for 25 miles
starting from Cumberland, hit a tunnel
at about mile six and at 914 feet long it eliminated the big hump over the
ridge which was a big advantage to coal hawlers back in the early 1900s.
As I passed a multitude of very small towns, spectacular scenery, and crystal-clear
brooks, whitetail deer were my only companions. Borden Tunnel at 957 feet long was
reached at mile 17 ½ . Big Savagetown Tunnel, at 3394 feet long, was out of
this world. Certainly this, along with reaching the Great Allegheny Passage,
were the highlights of today's journey. Stopped for lunch had Meyersdale
and found the town folks to be some of the nicest that I've encountered today
and that's really saying something because everyone is been very nice. Their
coal mining jobs were lost with the mine shutdown and the only viable ventures
appear to revolve around the tourist industry, specifically the bike touring
trade. Meyersdale possessed one of the finest railroad museums that I've
seen in a small town ever. Model trains, memorabilia, and assorted photos
abounded and I found them to be incredibly interesting. From there I rode on to
Rockwood and it was here that I checked into the town hostel, a fantastic deal
$25 a night, which completed a 43 mile run. It was here that I met Scott Cason
(Adventure trek America
at 2014 Facebook.com/AdventureTrekAmerica) a
biker who is doing videotaping of small towns throughout United
States. He has a number of sponsors,
is digging in-depth into how small towns are finding their way, and what makes
them tick in this day and age. All in all, today was a great biking day!
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| Scott Cason |
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