Over the Divide

July 3, 2023

Connelsville, Pennsylvania to Frostburg, Maryland

I had dinner last night at a family restaurant about a five minute walk from camp. There were only two other customers, usually a sign of crummy food but the fish I had was very good as was the crock of chicken cheese soup that came with it.

I slept in an Adirondack shelter. I can’t say I slept well but fitful sleep and sleeping outdoors go hand in hand with me.

After waking and packing up, I decided to give fixing my brakes another go. This time I wasn’t tired from a day of riding so I was more patient. After a few failed “fixes” I figured out what was wrong, the brake’s tensioning spring was out of alignment. This meant that when I turned the screw to adjust the tension and pull the brake pad away from the rim, nothing happened.

I tweaked the position of the spring and turned the screw and voilà the brake pad pulled away from the rim. Success!

I celebrated with breakfast at the same restaurant as last night. I had an odd concoction of breaded chicken, fried eggs, biscuits and gravy, and, miracle of miracles, hash browns.

I hit the road headed to one of my favorite places, Ohiopyle State Park. The trail becomes a tunnel of green. The canopy protected me and The Mule from the annoying limestone grit from off and on light rain. Small waterfalls appeared on my right; the Youghiogheny River roared with storm run off to my left. Trains on the opposite side of the river thundered by. Birds tweeted. I could do this all day.

So I did.

After Ohiopyle came a series of viaducts and tunnels that were a blast to traverse. Overlooking them were massive wind turbines along a ridge line in neighboring Maryland.

Showers came and went all day. I’d give up and stop to put on my rain jacket and the rain would stop five minutes later. If I took the jacket off, the rain would begin again.

At one point I stopped to adjust something. I had The Mule propped up against a picnic table that had a covering. Instead of cower under cover I put on my rain jacket and made a run for the Pendleton Tunnel. It turned out to be the heaviest rain of the day. Two northbound cyclists sheltering in the tunnel told me that it hadn’t rained on them at all until that moment. This bodes well for the condition of the C&O Canal towpath tomorrow.

In Rockwood, where I abandoned my 2003 tour, I had a long chat with a woman staffing a trailside help kiosk. She kept trying to get me to stay at either a B&B across the trail (it looked like a terrific place) or the new hostel in town. I had to say no because I need to set up my days on the canal. There is no potable water and no food on the canal so starting and stopping points are important. Also, tomorrow is the 4th of July and I expect many resources will be unavailable.

I got online and booked a bed at the Trail Side Inn, a bunkhouse, in Frostburg. I was the owner’s first customer in 2018. He didn’t remember me but tonight, as in 2018, I am the only guest here.

Riders prepare to ride across the 1,908-foot-long Salisbury Viaduct

The approach to the 3,294-foot-long Savage Tunnel

Inside the Savage Tunnel. It’s both literally and figuratively cool in here

The Mule poses in front of the elevation profile of the GAP Trail, 130 miles at no more than 0.75% grade on the right (what I just climbed) and no more than 1.75% grade for 20 miles on the left.

Today's ride: 77 miles (124 km)
Total: 2,432 miles (3,914 km)

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