Day 4: A Long but Fun Day

We covered a lot of ground today!  Leaving Meyersdale was a torturous uphill warmup. The temp when we left was 36F, the coldest we’ve seen so far on the trail.  

Once we left town and reconnected with the GAP trail it was an easy ride to top of the Eastern Continental Divide. The divide is at 2400 ft. All water to the west runs to the Mississippi and all water to the east makes its way to the Chesapeake Bay

Funny, as a native of the western US, I had no idea there was an 'Eastern' Continental Divide until we started this trip.

After the Eastern Continental Divide, we passed through a really long but well lit tunnel, called the Big Savage Tunnel. 

The Big Savage was constructed in the early 1900s for the coal and steel industries. 

On the other side of tunnel we looked out over the stunning Maryland countryside.  The view was breathtaking.

We crossed the Mason Dixon Line as we progressed along the last stretch of the GAP.

Our downhill cruise led us to Frostburg MD, where we enjoyed a pre-noon beer and mystery meat sausage (no judging please).

Frostburg had some great bike-themed metal art to admire.

Our path from Frostburg to Cumberland was along the railway for the Western Maryland Scenic Train, a historic train that now carries passengers through the Allegheny Mountains.

We timed it well and were able to catch a great view of the steam engine coming up the hill.

We hit Cumberland and grabbed lunch at the Crabby Pig, a tasty spot right on the trail that was recommended by our new friends we met on our first night on the trail. 

Shout out to Jim & Gay: Good recommendation!

Cumberland marked the end of the GAP trail and the beginning of the C&O Towpath that will take us 184 miles to DC.

The C&O Towpath is gorgeous, rustic, muddy and rutted, with an abundance of body jolting roots.  We’ve also hit peak gnat season. Thankfully they don’t bite, but they do get caught in your teeth and eyes.  (There are worse things, for sure!)

Tomorrow we’re expecting rain, so we pushed ourselves today to cover 60 miles to beat most of tomorrow’s bad  weather. Generally 60 miles in a day isn’t too bad when you’re on a paved road, but it was quite exerting on the bumpy C&O. But in the end, we were rewarded with an amazing place to stay!

We’re staying in passenger bus in Paw Paw West Virginia!  It’s perfect!  Bathhouse a few steps away. Free laundry house. A convenience store with beer just down the road.  It’s a cozy and quirky way to spend the night, but we love it!

Signing off after a long fun day!