Troy Bogdan, like what Nick Hein did for Morgantown, WV, poured his heart and soul into his ride from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh. And just as Nick's efforts continue to reward him with good fortune, it was the tireless planning, that Troy began after he finished last year's ride that produced so much of the magic you will see in the words ahead. The goodwill that he and Nick are spreading for both themselves and the NBG will bear fruit for many years to come as both of them go on to become legendary figures in the world of of their own local cycling:
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Final Report: D.C. to Pittsburgh (with links to amenities added)
Troy Bogdan, NBG Scout reporting from home on the D.C. to Pittsburgh leg of
the 2005 Mayor's Ride.
What a wonderful trip we had!! Over 400 miles logged, New friends (and/old), new places (and some we've seen before), new experiences; that's what makes these Mayor's Rides so special. Yes, I have been home less than a day, and already I look forward to next year's trip again. We will probably change the route a little bit next year to explore new things, but one thing remains the same, and that is, you get to meet some of the greatest people in the world on the trails.
Note: Some of this you may have read in earlier posts, but new details have been added. Previous posts also had forwarding arrows on the left margin. The timeline is now in consecutive order and (hopefully) I've corrected all mistakes and misspellings.
Day 1
Mayor's Office, District of Columbia - Friday the 13th of May, 2005 As the bicyclists started to gather outside City Hall, the fellowship started. Some new faces, some old, meeting and re-meeting, it was a
gathering of comrades, linked together by a common cause: Bicycling. We all were in awe of finally meeting Concetta Curtis, the superstar biker we read about. Here she was, riding her electric blue Bianchi bicycle; the same bicycle that had carried her from Florida, and the one that will take her all the way to California, and possibly beyond. It was an honor and a privilege to finally meet her, and to be able to accompany her for a portion of her trip.
At approx. 3:00 p.m. the ceremony at the Mayor's office started. Jim Sebastian, Bike Coordinator for the District of Columbia, read the proclamation from Mayor Anthony Williams, and then asked the bicyclists to
say a few words about why they were doing this ride. Each spoke in turn, and then there was a moment of applause, and then it was time to say our farewells and hit the roads leading to the trails. Biking through Washington D.C. is really a special treat. Surrounded by monuments of history as we pedal our bicycles, we realize that we are creating our own history, by forging new paths to the future, yet following the same exact path of those who came before us. Whether by bicycle, horse, canal boat or hiking boots, the feeling of awe is appropriate when thinking about the history of this region, and that feeling surrounds you, because you are not enclosed in a car or train or bus. You are a part of your surroundings, and
that feeling goes with you the entire way.
Our trail experience started at Mile Zero on the C&O Canal. This is also known as "Watergate" (yes, the hotel was named after it) because this is the place where the canal meets the Potomac River, and believe it or not, the old wooden, rotting, frame of the original water gate still stands in the water, a testament to the craftsmanship of the canal. From here, we enter Georgetown, and follow the towpath through city and town and eventually wilderness towards our destinations.
Nick, Pete and myself (Troy) left D.C. on Friday at 4:00, did an optional side trip of 14 miles on the Capitol Crescent Trail, and then back on the C&O towpath to Swains Lock Camp. Luckily for us, some other campers were having a celebration, and sang campfire songs (with guitar) well into the night ;-)
Day 2
In the morning, Nick and I explored the Great Falls Tavern visitor's center, and also biked up to and walked the "Gold Mine Trail," which has interesting relics and old buildings that were used in the gold mining industry. We let Pete sleep in for some much needed rest.
Continued Saturday towards Harper's Ferry on the towpath, where we finally found Concetta (who stayed with a friend in D.C. after the Ceremony). She biked 90ish miles to catch up with us in the rain, thunder and lightning. We changed our camping plans for the night, due to weather conditions, left the
trail, crossed the bridge into town, and the four of us stayed in a historic hotel in Harper's Ferry, called "Historic Hilltop House". They had a garage for visitors to keep bicycles in!! We were supposed to get a free continental breakfast, and a hiker/biker discount, but it turns out they were a little unorganized the day we stayed because of some conferences, and things could have been better, but for us, it was o.k, and they were the only place in town that had a vacancy, so we paid a little more than we should have. Online at: http://www.hilltophousehotel.net/
Day 3
Today (Sunday) we head to Hancock Md. for the night.
On the way to Hancock, we stopped at Barron's Hiker Biker Store, a local fixture since the canal first started having hiker/bikers, and where the prices are still the way they were back in 1959 ;-) What a great place this is, run by Mr. & Mrs. Barron on weekends only, you have to stop here just to get a sense of the living history that this couple has seen. I wish them many more continued years of being able to serve our hunger for both nourishment and companionship.
Just before Fort Frederick State Park we split up from one big group into individual travelers. Nick (slightly before me) and I jumped onto the paved Western Maryland Rail trail to Hancock. Concetta found the pavement a little farther up the towpath, and poor Pete, had a problem with his bike that held him up for a while. He finally met up with us in Hancock in the dark, but he made it!! We checked into the C&O (CanDo) Bike Shop's Bunkhouse ( http://www.candobicycle.com/bunkhouse.htm ) for the night, and
met the new owner Dennis Hudson and his family. George, Pamela and their son Chauncey (the original proprietors of this fine establishment, who took care of us last year, are retiring and going on the road in their new motor home (Named "CanDo"). We were able to see them before they hit the road, because they knew we were coming, and stuck around a few more days so they could greet us and have dinner with us (At Little Sandy's truck stop) before they left town. By the way, the C&O Bike Shop charged us the "Group Rate." Bunk and showers were $10 each, instead of $15. Thanks to Dennis for his help with our bikes also.
Will motor on towards Cumberland and eventually Pittsburgh. More Later as I find internet access along the way.
Day 4
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Hello Again from the trail . . .
Oh my mind is starting to get tired, as is my body, trying to keep up with Concetta!! I hope I get all this right from my tired old memory.
After leaving Hancock, we rode to Bill's Place, a bar/store in Little Orleans, MD along the C&O Canal. It was there that we met the Mayor, Bill himself, and after eating his food and nourishing our bodies with his liquid refreshment, we found a new member to join our team. Dennis Caffrey, a Firefighter from Washington, PA joined our Mayor's Ride team, and would ride with us the next 2 days.
Dennis had read about the Mayor's ride in an e-mail that Troy had posted on the Great Allegheny Passage Yahoo Group, and decided to join us in route. He started in Washington D.C., as did we, and was trying to catch up with our group. When Pete broke down the night before on the trail, it was then that he realized he had caught up with at least one member of the Mayor's Ride group, and knew where to find us the next day.
As a group, we rode through the historic and marvelous Paw Paw tunnel, and then camped near the forks of the Potomac river and just outside of Oldtown MD, (an old Frontier town that was a popular rest stop for George Washington in the olden days).
Day 5
After waking up to a flat tire on my bike, we fixed it quickly as a team, and the toured the old Cresap House (Circa. 1700's) in Oldtown. Nick and Peter motored on, but Dennis, Concetta and myself found some breakfast in Oldtown, at the old Oldtown School. There is a diner set up in the school's former cafeteria, and we found the food to be good, reasonably priced, and best of all, the locals were all friendly and freely offered good trail advice and tips. Plus, they sell postcards and a few other small souvenirs, and they have a museum of sorts on the town's history.
From Oldtown, we continued on our way to Cumberland, and to the historic Train Station they now call "Canal Place". This is where Pete left the group, to go home and attend his Senior prom. Nick's wife, Sue, was waiting for us, and after a few photo opps., and exchanging good-byes, she drove Pete back to Morgantown.
Afterwards, we went into a cool bike shop recently built at the end of the trail. The name is Hites Bikes, ( http://www.hitesbikes.com ) and we were very impressed with the place. In addition to repairs, parts, clothing and bike trinkets, they offer showers, shuttle services and advice. After having two flats on this trip, I decided to get a new rear tire, and Concetta got a much needed spoke job. The prices were extremely reasonable.
Since the C&O trail ends in Cumberland, and the new trail is still being constructed towards Frostburg, we needed to ride on roads for approx. 30 miles.
The bike shop owner (Gary) offered to shuttle our heavy gear (and Dennis' SUV) to Meyersdale, PA (our destination for the night) and we agreed to go light. We were also given a shortcut tip that (we were told) would allow us to get back on the trails sooner than later, and have less roads to travel. Well, as a group we started riding on the roads. We got to where the shortcut was, and found out it was complete railroad ballast that would not be good for some of our smaller bike tires (Like Concetta's and Nick's recumbant-bike), so we decided to split up the group. Dennis took the rough train-trail, and the rest of us stayed on roads. Well, to make a long story short, we all had thought we had a better idea than the next, so we all went our different ways and figured we'd find out who's route was best.
Somehow each of us found the town of Frostburg, MD (where the trail is finished and open) separately, and eventually met as a group just short of the PA line on the trail on Mt. Savage. Dennis had the most direct route, and was first to arrive, Troy second, Nick third, and Concetta caught up last.
From what everyone told us, and confirmed by the owner at Hites Bikes, we all had thought the rest of the trail would be finished enough to get us through to Meyersdale, PA.
Well, we kept going, but the trail did not. It was the roughest section of trail most of us had ever ridden on. Nick got off and rode the road, while the three of us all soldiered on through a trail that was at best,
barely passable. After a short contemplation about taking the road, Dennis quickly decided to stay on the trail, and sped on like a Baja Racer in the dessert. Concetta and I went on the road, but quickly turned around after we saw how easy it looked for Dennis. It wasn't easy for much longer though, the trail soon turned from easy into horrendous. Like turtles on an obstacle course, Concetta and I continued along an unfinished trail with huge rock ballast, construction equipment blocking the route and whole bridges missing, but we finally made it and when we finally reached a section that was mostly finished, sailed over the Keystone Viaduct and into Meyersdale right next to the train station.
As it happened, Nick was first to Meyersdale, Dennis second and Concetta and Troy brought up the rear. To our amazement, there was a note waiting for us on the train station bulletin board, from the president of the Meyersdale Historical Society, Dennis "Coach" Stahl, and his wife Penny, offering us free lodging for the night. That was the perfect ending to a very hard day. Unfortunately though, Dennis the Firefighter had to go home, so just three of us stayed the night.
By the way, we ate dinner at a nice restaurant in Meyersdale called "Main Street Inn," and in addition to having the best and hottest plate of pasta I have ever had (my great meal included excellent garlic bread and salad with veggies), they also offer lodging to us biker/hikers coming in from the trail. Here is their info: http://www.mainstreetinnandrestaurant.com
What wonderful people Mr. & Mrs. Stahl turned out to be. They were the nicest hosts that one could ever imagine for. It was truly an honor and a privilege to be able to meet and get to know them. We cannot thank them enough, and look forward to seeing them on our next trip to Meyersdale, so they can give us a tour of the train station.
Day 6
The next Morning (today), Nick bolted off early to ride to Morgantown, and Concetta and I had a nice slow day and made it to Confluence (Lucky Dog Cafe) where I am now writing this e-mail.
Before arriving in Confluence, Concetta and I stopped in a town called Rockwood, and had an excellent lunch at the Rockwood Mill Shoppes and Opera House. Coffee, ice cream, pizza, souvenirs and antiques, not to mention performing arts in the evenings can all be found under one roof. Worth the short detour off the trail to see. http://www.rockwoodmillshoppes.com
The Lucky Dog Cafe is also worth mentioning, since they have been very helpful to the Mayor's ride the last two year's. Erica and her staff are always eager to help and the internet connection, weather channel, and all the great food and drink offerings, make this trailside service unique.
We camped in the State owned, Yough Dam overflow campground. The hiker biker "pre-season" rate was $3 each. Last year it was $6 during the "main" season, but one difference is, in pre-season, the showers are not yet turned on. We missed a shower by one day, since it was almost opening weekend. Oh well, at least we saved three dollars ;-)
Breakfast was at "Sister's Cafe," another great place fairly close to the trail. The portions were huge, the prices were good, and they also have lots of maps and travel guides. BTW, they claim that Lance Armstrong stops in for chili and fish sandwiches, whenever he is biking the "Great Allegheny Passage."
Looking forward to one more night of camping in the Pennsylvania wilderness (Round Bottom Campground along the Yough River), and then on to Pittsburgh for Friday night, and eventually Saturday's Mayoral ceremony. More later, probably from home, as I complete this leg of the ride, and Concetta will move on to the next city, Columbus.
More if possible, Sincerely, Troy
Day 7
Biking from Yough Dam, we stopped at Ohio Pyle (Ohiopyle) for lunch. The train station/visitor's center as open, and provides nice big, clean restrooms, and all the travel guides and maps that you could ever fit into your panniers.
Continuing along, we also stopped in Connellsville at Bikes Unlimited (also along the trail/bikepath right in town). They had great advice, and sold cool trail t-shirts. Here is the web page: http://www.bikesunlimited.biz
Troy's final update from the trail:
After an rainy night at the Round Bottom Campground along the Yough river (somewhere in-between Connellsville and West Newton), Concetta and I dried off and hit the trail for the final day of travel from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh. We stopped for a hearty brunch in West Newton, visited Korber's bicycle shop (right next to the trail), and also visited the office of the local trail council. Then continued along the river to the City of Mckeesport, where donning our bike helmets, met the Monongahela river and the roads that connected us on our way to Pittsburgh, passing Kennywood Amusement Park, The Waterfront in Homestead, Sandcastle Water Park and finally back onto trails that led us into the city of Pittsburgh and to the tourist area known as Station Square, a former train station that has been converted into one of Pittsburgh's hottest areas for food, shopping and entertainment. That is where we met back up with Dennis Caffrey, the bicyclist who had accompanied us from Washington D.C. to Meyersdale, PA. Dennis shuttled bikes and gear to his Mt. Washington home (cliffside overlooking Pittsburgh) and Concetta and I rode the incline up the hill and set up our Victory Headquarters at Dennis' home. Dinner was held at Buca Di Beppo's Southside Italian Restaurant, where we were joined by Nick Hein and his entourage of bicyclists from Morgantown, and also Troy's wife Sharon.
Day 8
Saturday morning: We toured the city bike trails around Pittsburgh (including Herr's Island) and eventually made their way to the Eliza Furnace (Jail Trail) trail, where met up with a number of other bicyclists from around the city to celebrate "National Bicycle Greenway" day in Pittsburgh (See Press Release below). We rode from the trail through the city, and eventually met on the North Shore (Near Heinz Field) for the noon-time presentation by Mayor Tom Murphy, proclaiming it "National Bicycle Greenway Day" in Pittsburgh. This proclamation took place during the Venture Outdoors festival, which was celebrating outdoor activities and groups.
Press Release: WELCOME THEM TO PITTSBURGH
Four bicyclists with the National Bicycle Greenway project, including Troy Bogdan of Bridgeville, PA, Dennis Caffrey of Washington, PA, Nick Hein from Morgantown, WV, Concetta Curtis from Katy, TX, are traveling from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh to help promote an interconnected system of trails and bike-friendly roads across the country. There are also three bicyclist arriving from Morgantown, West Virginia. They are scheduled to arrive at 12:00 noon, Saturday May 21st, at the Venture Outdoors Festival on the North Shore.
The riders have invited local bicyclists to join them at 11:00 a.m. at the Greenfield Trailhead of the Eliza Furnace Trail for the bicycle ride into town. A police bicycle escort will accompany the parade of bicyclists from the trail to the North Shore, where they will be greeted by Mayor Tom Murphy, and who will also read a proclamation declaring it "National Bicycle Greenway" day.
For more information, call the Venture Outdoors at 412-255-0564 or go to www.bikeroute.com and click on the Mayor's Ride logo.
In conclusion, I wish to thank Martin Krieg of the National Bicycle Greenway, for without his vision, there would be no Mayor's Ride, and no story to tell. Concetta for her cause, determination, and friendship!! Also to my wife, Sharon, for allowing me to make her a "single-mom for a week," while I shuck my responsibilities and "explore myself" one more time.
Secondly, I wish to thank all my riding companions and those who we met along the trail, for making the experience real. "Coach" Stahl and Penny, THANKS for you generosity and kindness!!
Lastly, thanks to our sponsors, Martin and the NBG, Phil at City Bikes ( http://citybikes.com ), Washington D.C., Jim Sebastian (D.C. Mayor's Office), Venture Outdoors (Michael and Maggie and all the others), The Mayor's Office of Pittsburgh (THANKS so much Ro!!! and to Mayor Tom), David at Bike Pgh., and all the other friendly bikers who came down to support us, The Morgantown Entourage (especially Rich, and Jonathan), Roy Weil, Ed Bortz of the Green Party, "Bike Maven/Judes", and all the others I am forgetting by name, but remember their smiling faces!
One final word of thanks to Bill (and Pam) Metzger of Confluence!! I hope you have some better days ahead Bill, and I am here if you ever need, and I am able to provide, my help to you (Just call or e-mail). I admire what you have done, and are continuing to do, and you've got the best trail maps anywhere!!! Looking forward to the next book!!!
See you out on the trails, and hopefully again for each and every next Mayor's ride!!!!
Sincerely and Organically Yours, Troy Bogdan, Bridgeville, PA
One final Note: Available now at most bike shops and some trail-side shops, is the "Trail Book 2005 (Gotta Have It), which links trail users and businesses along the Great Allegheny Passage. The price is $6, and includes a nice Tyvek Map (Bill Metzger Designed) of the route from Cumberland to Pittsburgh, including the Montour Trail. I highly recommend it (Even though they printed my photo of the Lucky Dog Cafe without giving me a photo credit - hint, hint)!!! You can also order them by mail or e-mail:
$6 + $2 for shipping
Fieldstone Press
522 Handwerk Road
Markelton, PA 15551
trailbook@pennswoods.net
Or online at the Allegheny Trail Alliance website: www.atatrail.org
Here we have Troy Bodgan http://www.bikeroute.com/TroyBogdan who left Washington DC last Friday the 13th with, Concetta, Nick Hein and his son Pete. And it sounds like theirs has been some rough riding:
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Hello Again from the trail . . .
Oh my mind is starting to get tired, as is my body, trying to keep up with Concetta!! I hope I get all this right from my tired old memory.
After leaving Hancock, we rode to Bill's Place, a bar/store in Little Orleans, MD along the C&O Canal. It was there that we met the Mayor, Bill himself, and after eating his food and nourishing our bodies with his liquid refreshment, we found a new member to join our team. Dennis Caffrey, a Firefighter from Washington, PA joined our Mayor's Ride team, and would ride with us the next 2 days.
As a group, we rode through the historic Paw Paw tunnel, and camped outside of Oldtown MD, an old Frontier town that was a popular rest stop for George Washington in the old days. After waking up to a flat tire on my bike, we fixed it and found some breakfast in Oldtown.
From Oldtown. we continued on our way to Cumberland, where Pete left the group, to go home to attend his junior prom. NIck's wife was waiting for him. After saying goodbye to him, we met up with a cool bike shop at the end of the trail. The name is Hite's (I think) Bikes, and I got a new rear tire (this was my second flat) and Concetta got a much needed spoke job. The bike shop owner offered to shuttle our heavy gear to Meyersdale, PA (our destination for the night) and we agreed. We were also given a shortcut tip that would allow us to get back on the trails sooner than later.
Well, as a group we started riding on the roads. We got to where the shortcut was, and found out it was complete railroad ballast that would not be good for some of our bike tires. We started to split up. Dennis took the trail, and the rest of us stayed on roads. Well, to make a long story short, we all had thought we had a better idea than the next, so we all went our different ways and figured we'd find out who's route was best.
Somehow each of us found Frostburg, MD separately, and eventually met as a group just short of the PA line on the trail that we thought would get us through to Meyersdale, PA. Dennis was first, Troy second, Nick third, and Concetta caught up last. Well, we kept going, but the trail did not. It was the roughest section of trail most of us had ever ridden on. Nick got off and rode the road, while the three of us all soldiered on through a trail that was at best, barely passable.
NIck was first to Meyersdale, and Dennis second. Concetta and myself were last, but to our amazement, there was a note waiting for us from the president of the Meyersdale Historical Society, Dennis Stahl, and his wife Penny, offering us free lodging for the night. That was the perfect ending to a very hard day. Unfortunately though, Dennis the Firefighter had to go home, so just three of us stayed the night.
The next Morning (today), Nick bolted off early to ride to Morgantown, and Concetta and I had a nice slow day and made it to Confluence (Lucky Dog Cafe) where I am now writing this e-mail. Looking forward to one more night of camping in the Pennsylvania wilderness, and then on to Pittsburgh for Friday night, and eventually Saturday's Mayoral ceremony. More later, probably from home, as I complete this leg of the ride, and Concetta will move on to the next city, Columbus.
More if possible, Sincerely, Troy