Day 8: Not so frosty in Frostburg

June 22, 2024

One of the side benefits of staying in a hotel (well, many of them anyway) is breakfast is included in the room rate. Sure, the options are limited sometimes but generally there's always an egg option, a meat-option (sausage, bacon, etc) and some sort of starch (potatoes or has browns). And a waffle machine. Who the heck doesn't have a waffle machine any more? While I try to stick to the protein-focused diet, today I went full bore on the waffles.

First order of business was lubing and oiling the chain. The trail dust has been plaguing the drivetrain since I got on the crushed limestone paths. Seems it needs attention at least once a day to keep it from making a grinding noise.

Pro tip - grab a bunch of extra napkins from hotel breakfast and use to wipe the lube from the chain after application. Beats carrying around extra rags which are disposable anyway.

I'm on the road, literally, at 6:40. Connellsville has separated one of the roads through town into a separated bike lane specifically for the GAP. With the amenities they provide for bike packers, they have definitely embraced the trail town concept.

Sun still coming up as I make my way through Connellsville. Today is a climbing day, almost all the way to the destination. A 1% grade for about 65 miles

If you're thinking "a 65-mile climb?" well, yes, it is. But it's not like a steep climb that one has to walk. It's a slow, steady grade originally built for the railroad which enables you to climb the nearly 2000 vertical feet required to summit over the Eastern Continental Divide. I would guess it's like shifting to one or maybe two lower gears and spinning your normal cadence. Slow it's a little slower going but you get there.

Love this experience just out of Connellsville. Riding through the woods on the trail and then BAM! you go out of the woods and over a trestle and the valley below. Feels like riding in the treetops.

An hour later I'm cruising along, and a rider on an eBike mountain bike pedaling in a very slow cadence cycles past on my left. "Good morning" I state - no response. A mile up ahead, rider is stopped for a break breathing heavily as I cycle right on by. John Henry wins again.

I feel I should mention I am not against eBikes at all. My wife rides one and it's a great way to extend her distance and capability and ride along with me. The eBike gets many more people out on the trail and enjoying these adventures that would not have the capability to do so. The eBike can be used for many trips that would otherwise have gone to a car (picking up a few groceries, heading out to the dentist, commuting to work). If I get to the point I can't handle the full physicality of the ride, I would absolutely consider one. My point in the YouTube video where I state I'm riding right past the eBiker is more about the "man vs. machine" duel often told in the John Henry story. My satisfaction is only bolstered based on not that the rider was riding an eBike, but about the attitude and power play he wanted over the slower, non-eBike rider. Didn't talk to me (and didn't have headphones), pedaled by in a very slow cadence - something only possibly because a motor was propelling him, and passed very closely. He wanted to show me he was dominant but needed his motored device in order to do it. When he tired, I just kept on going because he was out of steam and I wasn't. Hate on eBikes? Nah. Dislike attitude and power trip? Could be.

"On your left". You guessed it. I squeezed past these two on the way into Ohiopyle.

Remember my strategy of going full-bore with the waffle maker this morning at breakfast? Well, that played into my strategy because not quite 90 minutes later I'm in Ohiopyle and getting my everything-bagel with egg, bacon, and cheese with a cup of coffee. That should sustain me for the remaining 57 miles in the day. Or at least until lunch - I'm burning a lot of calories on this trip.

The way the sunlight hits this breakfast sandwich creation makes it look like divine intervention.

I get some company for a stretch for the few miles rolling into Confluence. Fellow cyclist and I ride along, chat about riding, the trail, and generally all things cycling. It's really nice that noone has taken the conversation political. My position? I'm for bikes :-).

Coming out of Confluence, another treat with a viaduct over the river.

Another great view crossing an old rail bridge coming out of Confluence.

This bunch of turkeys meandered off the middle of the trail as I approached. Must have been hiking the trail as I didn't see any bikes.

By around 1:00 I decided I was tired. Actually, it was probably earlier than that as I had been climbing for 55 miles at this point. And I have not even mentioned the heat (well, to be fair, I have mentioned it throughout this journal but haven't in this journal yet. Also to be fair, I haven't gone back and proofread this journal entry to fact check my own writing). Today I faced a really uncomfortable bum. Yep, I worked hard to keep the saddle sores at bay. I reapplied Body Glide multiple times to remedy the *erm* uncomfortable situation. I think the combination of the heat, humidity and hills all had their toll. It made for the bodily region to be sweaty and start to rub me the wrong way, and the hill made sure I was sitting in the saddle all day, keeping pressure on the area.

I present to you my photographic version of the Salisbury Viaduct. You've probably seen many pictures from this highlight of the trail, but I'm sure this is the first with ME on it!

I stopped in to Meyersdale train station, which is not the HQ of the Meyersdale historical society. I did so to look at the model railroad exhibit and to take a break in the A/C. I didn't want to stay too long as I wanted to reach my destination of Frostburg. I was even considering if I couldn't get a room in town I could continue an additional 15 miles and reach Cumberland and get a room at the Fairfield Inn right on the trail. Rate was Almost $250 for one night there so I wasn't looking forward to that.

The Salisbury viaduct is certainly a highlight, but I think I like the Keystone viaduct more. Old-time railroad trestle, two-train wide...

...which curves as it leads you out over the valley and you can see wind mills on top of the ridge. I love it.

Six hours of riding time I summit the Eastern Continental Divide. From here, it's downhill to Frostburg. And the hotel. At this point two fellow riders roll up and I assist with picture-taking duties. They have traveled from Minneapolis and Des Moines and it's their first-time through. They plan on staying in the campground in Frostburg while I'm looking to get an A/C room.

The highest point of my entire tour and the highest point on today's ride. From there, it's a 22-mile downhill to Cumberland.

Quickly after passing over the ECD, you roll through the Big Savage tunnel, and then that deposits you out of the cool tunnel, back into the heat, and then opens up into a wide vista called Big Savage vista.

Big Savage vista. It was big but I definitely didn't find it savage at all.

At this point, every time I remounted my saddle I had to make sure I sat down so as not to agitate that area. I was ready to be off the saddle and get into a hotel room. I did not relish the thought of doing the additional 15 miles into Cumberland.

I heard Maryland was a "hands free" state so I complied as I crossed the Mason-Dixon Line. Oh? They were talking about cell phones while driving? Who knew?

Searching hotels in Frostburg, I first stopped at the Frostburg Inn, which I couldn't find any rates or contact information so I walked my bike up the hill and into town and the Inn. It looked like a "people down on their luck and living out of a motel" place. I "noped"-out of that one and went to the Gunter hotel. They were booked solid. I did one last search before relegating myself to the 15 miles into Cumberland and found the Trail inn had rooms. Initially, it only came up as a campground. $84 and my room was booked on line. I walked up a few minutes later and the innkeeper was sitting outside with my friends I met at the Divide, and he didn't even know I booked it. I was able to get into the room to shower while they were still washing the sheets. So, most accommodating. Sheets came in and they finished making up the room 30 minutes later. Oh, yes, I was definitely out of the shower by then.

Walked into town for dinner at Toasted Goat. Interesting side note - the restaurant is located in the Gunter Hotel (you know, the one that was sold out). The basement of that building contains the old jail and there's a bar that used to be a speakeasy. Very cool museum-like setup. If you're going through Frostburg, stop into the basement of this place. Super funky and super interesting.

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Today's ride: 76 miles (122 km)
Total: 571 miles (919 km)

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