Ride Across Missouri (Rock Island Trail and Katy Trail)

The Katy Trail is an almost-always mentioned top 10 biking trail, very similar to the GAP and C&O Canal experience but without the elevation gain. Most people recommend traveling West to East, which is what I did.

Palatine to Chicago and then Kansas City

Day 0: 1 mile, 200 feet of elevation gain. I rode from home to my local METRA train station and boarded the train for downtown. This was the first time I took my bike on this train. Boarding with fully loaded panniers was challenging, but one of the other passengers helped guide the front wheel and I was able to get on. There are no bike racks, but they will let you put your bike in the priority seating area. It's important to have a bungee cord with you to strap the bike to the seats so it doesn't fall over.

Once I arrived in Chicago I had extra time. So I rode down to the lakefront and had lunch in front of the Field Museum looking out at Navy Pier. Then I headed back to Union Station for the trip to Kansas City.

This was the first Amtrak bike trip I've been on where the baggage car was not behind the engine. In this case it was the last car and at ground / boarding level. I rolled my bike on and had to lay it on its side beside the checked baggage. It worked, but I would have preferred the bike rack configuration I've had on other trips.

The ride to Kansas City was uneventful and we arrived essentially on time. I chose to stay at the Fairfield Inn, about a mile south from the train station up Main Street. The neighborhood seems fine. I saw no people and only a couple of cars during the uphill journey. For anyone making the trip this summer, be aware that Main Street is under construction and you have to watch carefully as to which side of the street has an intact bike path. Also watch for the streetcar rails embedded in the street.

Kansas City to Windsor

Day 1: 88 miles, 1,500 feet of elevation gain. I have this thing about crossing states border-to-border. So, rather than heading east, I went west for about two miles, rolled across the state line into Kansas, and then headed southeast toward the bike paths and Windsor. For anyone else who wants to do this, be aware that the state line is downhill and you get to come back up again to go east. One other thing to watch for. Google Maps shows a more direct route and less elevation than RideWithGPS. I didn't notice the difference beforehand and had more distance and more elevation than I was expecting.

There had been a lot of rain in Kansas City recently. Some of the trail along the Brush Creek was too muddy to follow and required brief detours. There was also a narrow bridge along the way with the entrance covered in poison ivy. There was just enough room for me to get by in mid May. Later in the summer this might be more challenging.

Just after you hit the Rock Island Trail there is a Chamber of Commerce building on the left and a Kay-Bee market across and behind on the right. This is an excellent place for a rest stop and water fill before heading down the Rock Island Trail. Also note that the Rock Island Trail is not contiguous. There is a section where you have to take side roads.

In Pleasant Hill I stopped at the Big Creek Cafe. The food and service were good and they had pie available for dessert. After that, it's either 28 miles to Chilhowee or 48 miles to Windsor. I really wanted to stop in Chilhowee for the evening but they have no services other than camping in the city park. So I rode on to Windsor. The trail between Chilhowee and Windsor was soaked. Parts of it were like riding through wet sand, significantly increasing effort required. Hopefully, the trail is better when it dries out.

Once arriving in Windsor, I went to Farrington City Park. I paid for camping online but checked in at the office. The office is at the south end of the lake. Camping itself is across the street from the north end by the pavilion. The field was soaked but the pavilion and the trailer spaces were all open, so I took some grass beside one of those. Then I went up to Sonic to get dinner.

There was one other biker at the park, John from New Zealand. He has done many bike trips but this is his first one in the United States. He said he brought way too much stuff and was trying to decide what to ship back to his family somewhere in the area (St. Louis, perhaps?). John was a delight to talk to and we spent quite a while talking about different bike trips we had been on. We turned in just after dark.

Unfortunately, it was not a restful evening. Just after the local bar closed, someone dropped their vehicle off in front of the pavilion and got picked up. They came back an hour later to retrieve their vehicle and drove off. Then I had a drunk guy almost fall over my tent in the middle of the night. Not easy to do based on where I was located, at least 15 feet from the road. He apologized and then propositioned me. As in, "Sorry man, unless your gay. If you're gay we could ..." I declined his offer, but he was persistent and I had to order him to go away. Two hours after that some drunk, drug-crazed or Tourettes Syndrome guy was walking down the trail screaming and swearing and waving his arms all over the place. He returned an hour after that, still screaming, going the other way. Farrington Park is a nice park, but the locals would cause me to choose something else if I came this way again.

Windsor to Pilot Grove

Day 2: 47 miles, 1,200 feet of elevation gain. The plan for today was to ride to New Franklin and stay at the Katy Roundhouse campground. I got up a bit later than I intended, but I ultimately thought I had enough sleep for the trip. I packed up, said goodbye to John and headed down the trail. The connection to the Katy Trail from the Rock Island Line is counter-intuitive. You actually turn southwest, even though you want to go northeast. The path leads up to the Windsor depot and then connects to the Katy Trail.

I stopped in Sedalia for lunch. This is a bit tricky. All of the restaurants are on 65, which is a fairly high speed four-lane highway. There is a safe way to get to Subway from the east. There is a less safe way to get there from the west. I came in from the west but found the safer path as I was leaving. I have to recommend going out of your way to take the safer approach, even though it adds some distance to the journey.

Somewhere along the way I realized that I had broken two spokes the day before. I didn't notice it at the time. I heard the noise but just thought something had hit the spokes. It hadn't. They were snapping at the elbow. Clearly defective materials. I rode as far as I could until the tire started rubbing the frame. Then I walked. It was five miles to Pilot Grove. There is a Casey's in Pilot Grove, so that was dinner.

Then I went to Pilot Grove City Park. It was a nice place to stay and you just call City Hall or the Police Department to let them know you will be there. However, I was fortunate that my stepmother lives in Columbia and she was willing to pick me up. So I spent the evening at her place instead.

Pilot Grove to Columbia

Day 3: 44 miles, 500 feet of elevation gain. We started our day by taking the back wheel to Walt's Bike Shop in Columbia. They were very busy with repairs but made mine a priority so I could get back on trail. We learned that you have to remove the sprocket to replace spokes and the sprocket lock doesn't cooperate when trying to put it back on. It took two people (three or four hands) to get the job done. Definitely not a field repair. Anyway, about an hour later, I was good to go. My stepmother was kind enough to take me back to Pilot Grove so I could complete the full Missouri crossing.

This is a unique year in entomology. Every 221 years the 13-year cicadas and the 17-year cicadas emerge together. 2024 is one of those overlapping years. The actual overlapping area this year is in central Illinois, but the timing of this trip happened to coincide with the emergence of the Missouri brood. I don't recall seeing or hearing them the first two days, but they were definitely present today with shells hanging all over the trail buildings. In tree-lined sections of the trail the cicadas were quite loud, at least in the afternoons after they warmed up. They weren't as noticeable in other sections or at other times. 

Some sections of the trail make a big deal out of highlighting the trail and encouraging stops at local businesses. Other sections seem less interested in encouraging trail stops and prefer that you keep moving. This old bike was one of several I saw along the trail in this section.

It's a quick ride from Pilot Grove to Boonville. If you continue straight on the old trail about a quarter mile, you can go about a third of the way out on the old train bridge and take photos of the Missouri River in each direction. You can't cross the river here, but I think the view is worth the brief detour.

Then I went back toward town and down to the convenience store to get some juice and Snickers bars. I found water to be plentiful at almost all of the depot stops along the trail in the western part of the state and most also have some type of restroom or outhouse facilities. The trip up and out of Boonville across the bridge is well-marked, but it's probably worth looking at on a map before you do it just to be sure. At the bottom of the bridge is a sharp left turn and then a brief ride along a side road before connecting to the trail again.

There's a tunnel just before Rocheport that is definitely a photo opportunity. Unfortunately, on this trip there were people on the far side of the tunnel who just kept staring at me waiting for me to get out of their picture. Of course, I was doing the same. So I went on because I knew I had a shot from last summer when I did this part of the Katy Trail. So the picture on the right is of the tunnel but not from this trip.

Just after the tunnel is the town of Rocheport. There's a really good stop here at the Meriwether Cafe. I didn't stop this time, but I have enjoyed meals there in the past.

The rest of the trail toward Easley is very nice. Some of it is along the river. Much of it goes through Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. If you are stopping in Columbia, you can turn left at Hindman Junction. It's a nice ride into town and there are excellent food choices if you want a fancier dinner. If you're looking for more of a trail experience, continue on down to Cooper's Landing. I haven't camped there, but the sites are beautiful and there's always a band playing in the evenings when I've been there. They have a wide selection of food and beverages available.

Columbia to Marthasville

Day 4: 89 miles, 200 feet of elevation gain. This was probably the best day of the trip, weather-wise. A bit warm, but otherwise beautiful. I saw the view on the right as the dew was lifting. It's about two hours to Jefferson City. I didn't go into the city on this trip, but it's a very interesting ride up and over the bridge and certainly worth the experience if you have time. 

I did stop at the depot and talked with a couple that drove up to check out the trail. They had done a good bit of tandem biking in the past and were at the point where they either wanted to get back into it or sell the bike. I told them about this section of the trail and the almost completely flat nature of this part. They seemed encouraged as they continued their car trip further south.

The best meal of the trip was in Tebbetts, ordered through Happy Trails Katy-ring and provided by Rachel. Just text Rachel and let her know when you'll be in Tebbetts. She brings a meal down to you at the Turner Shelter. Rachel stayed and talked with me for probably 15 minutes, each of us sharing what we do and the different adventures we're on. If you're traveling through this area, contact Rachel.

Before leaving Tebbetts, be sure to "camel up" and fill up extra water as well. For some reason, the eastern part of the state doesn't believe that trail users need water. If you carry a filter, there are a couple of places along the way where there is a boat ramp into the river and you can get water quite easily. I did that on several occasions. But if I hadn't had the filter, it would have been a long, dry trip.

I met several other bikers along this section. There was a pair of older riders. They were changing a tube as I pulled up. We talked for quite awhile and I was going to ride along with them when they realized the new tube wasn't holding air. They still had another tube with them, so I continued on. I did see them again just as I was leaving Hermann.

There were also two younger fathers making the trip across the state from Kansas City. Their families were meeting them in Portage Des Sioux the next day and then continuing on to St. Louis for the weekend. We kept leapfrogging each other along the trail between riding and trail stops. One of the stops was a small grocery store just north of Hermann. If you don't want to go all the way into Hermann, you can stop here for a wide variety of grocery store and some prepared food options. 

It's another 24 miles to Marthasville, but I was both feeling good and anxious to get back on track after two short days due to mechanical issues. So I continued on. I don't recall anything remarkable about this section of the trail, other than it's very pretty and there's no water other than river water.

When you get to Marthasville, you can camp in Marthasville Ball Park. It's $5 and you pay at the concession stand. There are showers available. This was a Friday evening and there were multiple games going on all fields. Most people online mention staying in the pavilion behind the concession stand. However, you can also stay out in the field beyond the outfield. That's what I did. It's much quieter out there.

While there, I also visited Cori's Twin Gables restaurant and bar. The food and beer were both good and I ended up sitting beside the owner and her husband. She was fairly busy directing staff but her husband and I had a delightful conversation about the work they do in the community. I returned to my tent after sunset but just before the final games of the evening ended. Then they turned out the lights and I had a good night's sleep.

Marthasville to Grafton (Pere Marquette State Park)

Day 5: 68 miles, 1,000 feet of elevation gain. I had washed my clothes and put them on the fence to dry. Unfortunately, there was too much dew and everything was still wet when I woke up. So I switched to my backup set and put the short-sleeve jersey on the back of the bike to dry. It was another beautiful morning on the trail.

An hour or so into the trip I came upon a downed tree. It was a big tree and the crown of the tree was completely blocking the path. When I arrived at the tree I was alone, but there were enough people on trail that others came along while I was cutting some branches and ivy back. We started a bike brigade. With three people positioned inside the tree and one on each end, we were able to pass bikes back and forth and get everyone through.

I had intended to stop at the brewery in Defiance, but it didn't open until 11 a.m. and I didn't want to wait. So I moved on. Again, be sure to carry extra water for this part of the trip. I did stop in St. Charles. There's a Chicken N Pickle right off the trail. It was convenient and the chicken was very good. After that I continued on toward Machens.

There are some very pretty views north of St. Charles just before you leave the river. I wanted to stop longer, but the mosquitos were persistent in encouraging me to move on.

Every once in awhile you find something along the trail that just cracks you up. I'm not sure what it was about where I was in my journey or the appearance of the sign, but this was just one of those, "Oh, now that's a warning!" signs. Bike down, biker flying. I just stopped and laughed for quite a while and then took the picture. I guess the best description would be that having a screw loose gives one a different perspective.

After that, it's not too far to Machens. Something very important to know about this part of the trail is that the end of the trail is at mile 27, not mile 0. I started the day at mile 78 or so and was worried it was going to be another very long day. Somewhere along the way I started looking at "distance to" rather than what mile marker was I by and found myself in a time / distance warp. It was a pleasant surprise to not have an extra 27 miles to go.

When I arrived at Machens there were a couple of other bikers as well, taking pictures. I rang the bell and took a good Katy Trail / Machens picture to commemorate the journey. Then I continued on to Portage Des Sioux.

There is a nice little community park in Portage Des Sioux with a bathroom and water. There's also a decent bar, Froge's. I stopped for a beer to celebrate. Then I continued west to the Grafton Ferry.

There was about a 20 minute wait for the ferry. Bikes pull up and get on first as well as get off first so they can get out of the way.

There's very little elevation gain on the trail itself. Almost all of the gain today was after leaving the trail and traveling between Grafton and Pere Marquette State Park. It turns out that Grafton, IL is a big party town / drinking destination. There's bar after bar along the river and lots and lots of cars. Practically speaking, Route 100 isn't safe on a Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, there is a bike trail along the cliffs leaving town, which isn't fully displayed on Google Maps. Unfortunately, it is very much in the cliffs rather than simply along the cliffs, so there's a good bit of up and down getting there.

Arrival at the park was fairly uneventful. Unfortunately, I arrived after the visitor's center closed. There was no signage directing me where to go and no one would answer the phone. The lodge knew nothing about the campground. Another camper ultimately directed me to the camp host (again, no obvious signage when you arrive). So, 45+ minutes later, I was finally in my cabin and able to relax for the evening.

Across from me was a young family car camping. They had five children, but only the three-year-old was with them for this trip. They were moving to Hawaii the following week and this was their last chance to camp in the area. They invited me over for dinner and we ate together and talked about their travels and mine.

After that, I turned in, but it wasn't to last. I got either food poisoning or some type of stomach flu along the way. I was sick all night and a good bit of the next morning. I ended up too weak to ride. I was ultimately able to push my bike back up to the lodge, checked into a quiet room, and slept off and on for about 16 hours.

Epilogue

Five days and 337 miles. There was a lot of wildlife on the trip. I didn't mention it before but I saw many turtles, frogs, toads, black snakes, rabbits, squirrels, a wild turkey, several deer, a vulture walking / hopping along the trail, many other vultures nearby and overhead, ground hogs, three feral cats, and got chased by one dog leaving the Kansas City area. 

The Katy Trail is a nice ride. The Rock Island Trail is probably good when it is dry. When it is wet, parts of it require a lot of effort. Coming out of Kansas City and getting to the Rock Island Trail surprised me in terms of how hilly it was. Other parts of the trail surprised me in how flat they were (200 feet in 89 miles!). In terms of rides overall, I think my favorite is still the ride across Wisconsin (Elroy-Sparta Trail and connecting trails). The Katy Trail and the GAP / C&O Canal experiences are very similar. More elevation on the GAP, but otherwise quite similar. The Katy Trail is probably easier to do off-season. The GAP is more remote.

This was the first bikepacking trip on the new bike. On the one hand, it felt better than last year's rides. The frame is a bit more comfortable for me. I didn't get butt-sore, even on the 90-mile days. With no chain, it's a delight in terms of being able to just rinse it off and keep riding, no matter how much mud, gravel, or dust I go through. And the gearing is better. I can go up slopes where the other bike required walking. On the other hand, I wasn't anticipating complete equipment failure with broken spokes and getting to walk part of the journey. And I really wasn't anticipating debilitating stomach flu ending my trip.

I finished Missouri, border to border. That was the goal. Riding home from there would have been a bonus, but I've been across Illinois three times already. I'll save Route 66 for another time, perhaps if I do a Mississippi River ride.

Ride Across Wisconsin (Elroy-Sparta, 400, Glacial Drumlin, and Hank Aaron Trails)

Somewhere along the trail this year I thought about what types of rides I wanted to do going forward. Some people ride coast to coast. Some ride country to country. Some ride continent to continent. What I decided I wanted for my goal was to ride across individual states, finding the best route or set of trails in each state. Since I have done Iowa and Illinois, as well as Maryland (Pittsburgh to Washington, DC), the next state rides in my area would be Wisconsin and Missouri. I decided to do Wisconsin this year and save Missouri for next spring.

There is a Ride Across Wisconsin, a two-day, 235-mile ride in mid August. I'm sure back-to-back century rides on gravel in mid August sounds like a great time for some people, but I'll pass on that opportunity. However, the route itself looks good, and I decided to try it as a four-day trip at the peak of the fall color change. Because of the mid-October evening temperatures, I decided to make this trip a credit-card tour and stay in hotels and Airbnbs instead of camping.

Palatine to Chicago and then La Crosse

Day 0: 38 miles, 600 feet of elevation gain. I rode from home to downtown Chicago by way of the Des Plaines River Trail, the North Branch Trail, and the Lakefront Trail. It's a pretty nice ride. The forest preserves are very nice. The streets in between are okay once you get used to the crossings and turns.

What made this ride particularly interesting was that it was Marathon Day in Chicago, and the marathon route went between the two Chicago train stations. I couldn't take the local train in because I would be outside the loop and wouldn't have any good way to get inside to Union Station for the Amtrak Empire Builder ride to La Crosse. So I rode in north of the marathon route and over to the lakefront, then down to Grant Park and finally back up the inside.

I arrived just as the marathon route was clearing. In fact, I ended up riding my bike on the marathon route. I didn't realize it until I got to a section of street that had carpeting on it and people ringing cowbells. It was interesting seeing the different runners who had finished their marathons, as well as those still running who were being cheered on by the crowd.

Anyway, I arrived at Union Station without issues and then went inside and down a long stairway to the ground floor. It turns out that street level in this part of the city is actually on the second floor. In the future, I'll look for an entrance at ground level vs street level.

The train to La Crosse goes up to Milwaukee and then across Wisconsin. I arrived in La Crosse just after 8 p.m. The ride to the Candlewood Suites hotel is just over a mile. The first half is very small-town white picket fences and porches. The second half is part of the Elroy-Sparta bike trail. Although it was dark, the ride was safe and uneventful. As I arrived, I stopped next door at Rocky Rococo's for a slice of pizza and took it back to the room.

La Crosse to Wilton

Day 1: 54 miles, 1,000 feet of elevation gain. It was cold this morning. I needed extra layers for the first hour or so. I decided to start out heading west. I went over the bridge to Minnesota and put my feet down by the Welcome sign so I could truly ride border to border. I also wanted to make the connection to my Minnesota ride from August, which came down the Mississippi River through La Crescent just to the west.

After crossing the border, I turned around and headed east on the Elroy-Sparta Trail. It warmed up into a beautiful day. The bike trail passes corn fields and wooded areas. The trail also includes three tunnels. I rode through two of them today and have the longer one to go tomorrow.

I stopped for lunch at the Sparta Family Restaurant. It was about a mile off trail and uphill, but it was the closest / best option available. It's one of those places with the pies at the front counter and you pay up front instead of paying the wait staff. Lunch was good and so was the pie. And it was nice to be able to start off downhill to get back to the trail.

Airbnb options are quite limited along the trail. But I found a nice one in Wilton just above a retail shop. And just down the street is the Hitchin' Post bar and grill. And it just so happened that the Green Bay Packers were on Monday Night Football. So I got to meet some really nice people from small-town Wisconsin and enjoy MNF with their team playing.

Wilton to Baraboo

Day 2: 58 miles, 1,300 feet of elevation gain. Another good day on the trail. The third tunnel was interesting. It was raining / dripping inside almost the whole way through the tunnel. With the water is a good bit of erosion / potholes. There were some other bikers taking their bikes for a walk through the tunnel. I found I could do more of a scooter-like approach, mostly riding with an occasional foot down to manage the more difficult parts.

In Elroy I picked up the 400 State Trail. That ends in Reedsburg where I stopped for lunch at the Deli Bean. From there it's mostly back roads over to Baraboo. There are other ways to go between Reedsburg and Madison, but I wanted to see Baraboo and the Devils Lake area. I found an Airbnb-listed campground / cabin just south of Baraboo at Skillet Creek Campground. It was a tiny cabin, but it had heat and running water, so it was good. There was also a nice restaurant / brewery called Tumbled Rock about a mile down the road for dinner.

Baraboo to Jefferson

Day 3: 79 miles, 2,600 feet of elevation gain. The morning was cold again. But I didn't need extra layers for very long. About a mile past the campground is a serious climb up into the Devil's Lake area. But once I made the climb, the fall colors were incredible. The paved road turns to gravel, then the gravel becomes a two-track, then it picks up a bike path. You know you're out the middle of nowhere when you pass a sign that says "Rescue Area 3".  Shortly after that I came around the turn and found the view pictured on the right. Just gorgeous.

South of Baraboo is the Sauk Prairie Recreation Area. Part of the trail includes signage documenting the edge of the glacial deposits to the north (the moraine), the outwash plain in front, and the Driftless Area with no glaciation to the west. Fascinating and beautiful to be able to see this geology from a single vantage point.

From there, there is a bike trail into Middleton and then over to Madison. The trail goes right by Lake Mendota and the UW-Madison campus. Further east it becomes the Glacial Drumlin trail. The prettiest colors of the day came just as I was crossing the river into Jefferson.

I decided to make this a long day and get as far across as I could. Jefferson is a good spot because it only leaves 50+ miles to Milwaukee, it is the joining point for a bike trail that heads down to Rockford, and because there was a convenient hotel here. 

Jefferson to Milwaukee

Day 4: 54 miles, 1,000 feet of elevation gain. After reviewing the weather forecast the night before, I decided to take a break here. We're only two hours from home and my wife was willing to pick me up. The weather today was miserable, with strong headwinds and rain predicted all day. So I took 10 days off and came back to finish the ride when the weather was better.

It ended up being an amazing choice. The colors were stunning. This is also a very interesting ride that transitions from rural to suburban to very urban, all on bike trails. The ride effectively ends at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and then you take side streets over to the lakefront.

I rode over to the lake and then found a local eatery for pizza. I then caught a Lyft back to my car in Jefferson for the ride home.

Epilogue

Four days and 245 miles to ride Wisconsin border to border. This was my favorite ride of the year. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was the reduced daily average mileage. Certainly it was also the time of the year and the brilliant fall colors. And part of it was being able to get sleep every night vs. the challenges of camping. In any case, I would definitely do this ride again and highly recommend it to others.

GAP and C&O Canal

The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and C&O Canal trails run 333 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. The GAP is owned by a variety of public and non-profit entities. The C&O Canal is managed by the National Park Service. This difference is important, because although on paper they seem like one long connected trail, in reality they are two very different experiences.

The GAP starts with 20 miles of paved urban / suburban trail leaving Pittsburgh, and then is mostly crushed limestone all the way to Cumberland, Maryland. The GAP is very well maintained, and long sections have recently received a surface refresh as of fall 2023. There are occasional free campgrounds along the trail, and enough potable water stops to keep you hydrated if you fill up when you have the chance.

The C&O Canal surface varies between two-track, occasionally single-track, and sometimes rough gravel roads. The first 30 miles coming out of Cumberland are mostly dirt and frequent pot holes. The last 30 miles heading into Washington, DC are rough gravel. The parts in the middle are in better shape as of Fall 2023, but mostly because they were nearly destroyed by flooding last spring and had to be replaced or refurbished. There are free campsites every five miles or so, with all including a water pump and porta-potty. But, the water is NOT potable. You must bring a water filter or other treatment system with you. Also, at least one of the pumps was not functional on my trip.

I had a chance to visit the Baltimore area in early September and brought my bike along. So this trip starts with two park camping experiences not included on the GAP / C&O Canal trails.

Cowan’s Gap State Park - Fort Loudon, Pennsylvania

Cowan’s Gap State Park is a 1,000 acre park in Fulton County, PA. It’s a nice little park down in the valley  between and north of McConnellsburg and Fort Loudon, with Mercersburg a bit further south on the Fort Loudon side. What makes the park significant to me is that it is where my parents met. My mother’s family rented a cottage at Cowan’s Gap for the entire summer throughout her teens. She essentially “grew up” at the park and was one of the park’s lifeguards in the late 1940s. My father’s family lived in Mercersburg and he visited the park often enough one summer to strike up a relationship with that lifeguard.

We visited the park occasionally when we were younger and hiked across the mountain once toward Knobsville. I stop in sometimes when I’m in the area to reminisce. The park is on the Tuscarora Trail, and so would be a very nice hiking destination. I’m not sure it’s very good for biking, but I was able to drive in and car-camp this part of the adventure.

I arrived just before dark and set up my tent mostly by flashlight. The campsite itself wasn’t particularly good. The campsites in my area were dirt and rocks (muddy after a very recent rain) and there was nothing resembling level. Other parts of the park would have been better choices for tent camping.

The park itself has very limited to no cell service. For Internet and phone calls I drove about five miles back up to the top of the mountain to near the cell tower by Route 30. But while there I also visited the location of the old fire tower, which provides a wonderful overlook of the valley to the east and beyond. The views of thunderstorm lightning to the east were spectacular.

I did ride my bike around the lake the next morning and the fog on the lake was beautiful.

Patapsco Valley State Park - Ellicott City, Maryland

Patapsco Valley State Park extends for 32 miles along the Patapsco River near Ellicott City, MD. I stayed in the Hollofield campground. Campsites were nice, well separated, and completely level. But they were also surfaced with crushed limestone. Pounding tent stakes in was challenging, to say the least.

There is a rough, rocky single-track trail that leads down into Ellicott City, and from there to anywhere you would want to go. While at the campground, I met another biker who was on his way south and west, with California as his final destination.

There is a nice single-track trail along the other side of the river, but because of the train track in between, there is no convenient way to get there. Since I was visiting family, we drove and parked on the other side and then walked that part of the trail. We passed several hikers and bikers along the way.

Ellicott City to Washington, DC, and then Pittsburgh

Day 0: 40 miles, 1,600 feet of elevation gain. For me to ride the GAP requires an Amtrak trip on the Capital Limited. I decided to bike from Ellicott City to Washington, DC to board the Amtrak train there for the trip to Pittsburgh. This part of the journey was surprisingly pleasant, for the most part. The first 20 miles were wonderful, and I would ride those trails regularly if I lived in the area. The next 10 miles were less fun, road riding with minimal shoulders. It wasn’t really unsafe, but there were a couple of drivers who were less bike-friendly than I prefer.

The last 10 miles were again surprisingly pleasant. Washington, DC has wonderful bike trails and paths, to the point where I was only a couple of miles from Union Station before it was clear that I was in a major metropolitan area. More cities should be this bike-friendly.

Riding the train with a bike was a new experience for me. For those who haven’t done it before, you reserve a spot for your bike when you purchase your ticket. There are eight bike slots in the baggage car. I got the last slot for my train, so plan ahead to ensure you can bring your bike with you. When they open boarding, those with bikes get to load first with those needing extra assistance. You take your bike directly to the baggage car and lift it up to the handler. You have to remove panniers, but you can leave water bottles and frame bags on, if you like.

At the end of the train ride, you go directly to the baggage car to retrieve your bike. One important note, be sure to visit the Amtrak office to get a baggage tag for your bike, and panniers if you want them to take them. I didn’t know about this. I had no trouble putting the bike and panniers on the train, but getting them back off without tags required a bit of negotiation and blaming people in DC for doing things they weren’t supposed to do.

The train ride from DC to Pittsburgh was uneventful. But be aware that significant parts of the journey have no cell service. Also, be aware that you arrive in Pittsburgh around midnight. The ride from the train station to my hotel was also uneventful. But in the “be aware” category, note that the street the train station is on is paved brick rather than asphalt, and many of the bricks are loose. They rock back and forth as you ride over them. It’s a bit disconcerting as you discover that in the middle of the night and can’t really see what’s going on.

Another “be aware” that surprised me was a tent city along the river essentially right in front of my hotel. I didn’t have any issues, but I wasn’t expecting to see this part of the city experience.

Pittsburgh to Ohiopyle

Day 1: 81 miles, 1,500 feet of elevation gain. As I left the hotel and found the GAP trail, I met another biker at a stop light and asked whether it was worth going to the official beginning of the trail. He said, absolutely, yes. So I headed west for a mile to visit Point State Park and start at Mile 0. I’m glad I did. It’s a pretty park, right across the river from Three Rivers Stadium.

As noted above, the first 20 miles of the GAP are typical urban / suburban bike trail, concrete or paved. There are a couple of river crossings. If you are a fan of steel architecture bridges, this part of the GAP would interest you. Otherwise, I’m getting a bit jaded in terms of urban riding along a river. The best ride along a river I had this year in terms of views was headed north out of Rockford, Illinois along the Rock River. That was beautiful. The Mississippi River around Davenport, Iowa is expansive, and to me also nicer than Pittsburgh.

After leaving the Pittsburgh area, the GAP is mostly crushed limestone all the way to Cumberland, Maryland. There are occasional water stops, and relatively rare free campsites. There is other camping available in private campgrounds, but I didn’t try any of those.

The GAP is always mentioned as a top-ten bike adventure. From my perspective, this must be because you can ride for so long on a trail with minimal grade change. There are just a few places with a really gorgeous view. Most of it is a “green tunnel” with an appreciation that a river is over there somewhere, mostly just out of sight. Particularly this first day, there just wasn’t a lot to see.

As with other bike adventures, I’ve found you have to plan out your food stops if you want to eat something other than what you are carrying. I stopped in Connellsville and I’m really glad I did. The first two places I tried were closed, but the third was open. Marlene's Corner Bar and Grill is a typical small town bar downtown with a long history. The bartender said “back in the day” they used to open at 7 a.m. to meet the needs of the third shift workers when their shift ended at the local manufacturing plant. I presume the plant is now closed and things are slower in Connellsville. But the beer and burger were good and it was a nice stop.

I should have stopped there and made camp for the evening. But it was late afternoon and I felt refreshed and ready to go another 20 miles. So I headed off just as it started to rain. It poured. For the next three hours, it poured. The trail was fine, and with appropriate clothing, riding in the rain wasn’t particularly uncomfortable. I kept a good pace, and arrived in Ohiopyle with about 45 minutes to go before dark. Here’s where my day, and really my whole trip, turned sour.

What I didn’t realize was that Ohiopyle State Park is at the top of a 0.4 mile 10%+ grade gravel path. Pushing my bike up the hill in the rain sucked. But then it got worse. I make it to the park, only to find that you have to go up to the park entrance to check in, and that’s another quarter mile plus of asphalt climb. By the time I got to the entrance and reserved a space, it was after sundown. By the time I found my campsite, it was almost dark. None of the sites in the area were at all level, and the site I had picked wasn’t even bike accessible. It had a long set of rock stairs to get to it. So I picked another site that had a semi-flat area and set up there in the dark by flashlight.

Then I went to take a shower. No dice. The facilities in this area of the campground were sinks only. So I sponged off and headed back to my tent to listen to the rain and/or trees drip for the rest of the night.

Ohiopyle to Cumberland

Day 2: 74 miles, maybe 1,000 feet of elevation gain. There are a gorge and a tunnel on this part of the trail that really confuse map software. Ride with GPS says I did 4,700 feet of elevation gain. There was nothing of the sort. It’s a 1% climb for around 80 miles, followed by a 20 mile 3% to 4% descent into Cumberland.

There is a very pretty gorge in Ohiopyle, and beautiful views coming down into Cumberland. You also get to cross the Eastern Continental Divide and the Mason-Dixon Line. That’s about it. Otherwise, it’s a lot more green tunnel, with occasional nice views overlooking the river. Day 2 of the GAP is certainly nicer than Day 1. If I were to do this ride again, I would consider starting in Connellsville rather than Pittsburgh.

When I got to Cumberland, I stopped for dinner at Baltimore Street Grill, a very nice place. This was still on the GAP part of the trail. After dinner I headed toward the C&O Canal. Cumberland makes a really big deal out of being the canal endpoint, with a big marker and about a half-block dedicated to touristy canal things. And as I looked up from there, there was a hotel in front of me, almost right in the middle of the trail. That’s a sign.

I got a room for the night and took everything out of my packs. I washed the tent and ground cover, washed most of my biking clothes, and hung everything to dry in the bathroom. I ran the fan all night, but by morning most of the mud and camp smell was gone, and I did my best not to leave any dirt or mud for the cleaning staff. This evening of recovery was desperately needed to improve the rest of my trip.

Cumberland to North Mountain

Day 3: 75 miles, 600 feet of elevation gain. Outside of Cumberland, the C&O Canal is two-track dirt with some mud and potholes and occasional rocks and roots for 20 or 30 miles. After that, it’s still two-track, but with limestone or gravel mixed in, so it seemed to be in pretty good shape for most of my trip. There are occasional gorgeous views of the Potomac River, but, again, it’s mostly a green tunnel. You can usually tell there is water over there, with a sparkle or two here and there. But only rarely do you get to see the river itself.

In terms of food planning, be aware that many trailside or trail town restaurants are only open in the summer, or only on weekends, etc. My plan for a nice breakfast fell through when the restaurant was closed. The next option was another 30 miles down the trail. So I was able to stop for lunch. But it was a late lunch and that meant my plan for dinner in Hancock was now unnecessary. So, I kept riding.

This time, I was rewarded. I picked out a really nice campsite along the Potomac River. I got to clean up sitting on a rock in the river, and made a small campfire to enjoy as the sun set. In terms of camping, it was my best night on the trip, and I slept without the rain fly and enjoyed the view of the stars whenever I woke up.

North Mountain to Chisel Branch

Day 4: 80 miles, 700 feet of elevation gain. In terms of river views, this part of the journey is the best. I think this is what they refer to as the lower Potomac. The river is much rockier, with a series of dams and small hydroelectric power generating stations.

When I got up in the morning, I noticed some moths clumped together on the back side of a tree. My phone was still in the tent so I didn't take a picture of them. When I looked them up online later, I realized they were Spotted Lanternfly and I should have crushed them. I did try to report them after that, but the website wouldn't accept a report without a picture. So those got away. But they're pretty creepy looking, and definitely memorable. I'm sure I'll recognize them the next time I see them.

After the moths, I packed up and hit the trail. For some reason, I assumed Harper's Ferry was much closer than it actually was. I thought I would stop there for an early lunch. As it turned out, it was more like a very late lunch. And getting to Harper's Ferry from the C&O Canal trail isn't bike friendly. There's a two-story stairway you need to climb with bike racks at the bottom. So you leave your bike and all your gear (or carry your gear, which I didn't) and climb up and across the bridge. Once on the other side, it's about two blocks to Harper's Ferry shops and restaurants.

I stopped for lunch in several places. The first one didn't have any service. The second one didn't have anything low sodium. But I went up the hill and found The Rabbit Hole GastroPub with a nice view, good staff, and good food. After enjoying a burger and fries, I crossed back over the bridge. My gear was untouched and I started off again.

80 miles on dirt and gravel makes for a long day. I got into camp just before sunset. I didn't really experience mosquitos on the trip except for this location. Here they were really bad. I hurried and set up my tent as fast as I could, crawled in, and called it a night.

Chisel Branch to Ellicott City

Day 5: 76 miles, 2,300 feet of elevation gain. The last 30 miles of the C&O Canal were the most poorly maintained of the whole journey. Dirt turns to gravel and then gravel turns to large gravel. Not a very fun ride. But a few miles out from DC you look up and notice the Washington Monument on the horizon.

At the end of the canal trail is a marker indicating Mile 0. It's hidden behind a boat rental storage facility. I wouldn't have been able to find it without GPS. While I was in front of the marker taking a picture, a group of three young people came up and asked what I was doing. I explained the significance of the marker to my journey and they interviewed me for their blog.

After that, I went a block or so back up the canal and enjoyed an all-you-can-eat brunch in Georgetown. Very fancy. After brunch I headed further down the Potomac. About a mile down river, I looked left and saw the back of the Lincoln Memorial. It's just right there next to the river. I rode over and around the Memorial. The area in front of Lincoln's statue was closed for maintenance, but I stood in front of the Reflecting Pool where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.

There's something about being able to stand in a place where significant history was made that really encourages one to reflect on the experience.

Afterwards, I rode along the Reflecting Pool and over to the Washington Monument. Then I went past the Monument and about half way down to the Capital building before turning and heading to Union Station and up along the bike trail back to Ellicott City.

The return trip was mostly uneventful, however the worst traffic experience I had the entire journey occurred just a couple of miles from my brother's house. Riding down a slow four-lane city road, a city bus passed me without moving over at all. There was no traffic in the left lane. The driver just didn't care.

So I really learned my lesson about "own your lane". It is safer to ride in the middle of the lane and force traffic to go around than it is to give them space and have them take all of it. I now take the lane and only move right after I see them move left. Either that, or bail out completely and head for the sidewalk. You can share the road but you can't share a lane.

Epilogue

Six days and 429 miles. I really wish I had taken an extra day for this ride. An 80-mile day on RAGBRAI where you're on paved roads riding with and behind dozens of other riders is very different from riding gravel by yourself. Seven days with 60 miles a day would have been much more enjoyable.

I was also surprised by the lack of food service on this trip, particularly the GAP and early C&O Canal portions. I think doing these trails between Memorial Day and Labor Day would be easier to manage. I can understand why this trip is rated as a top-10 adventure, but certainly not at the pace I did it, or not when I did it, or both. Of all the trips I did this year, this one was my least favorite.

I might come back and try it again sometime, particularly the portions east/south of Connellsville and west/north of Chisel Branch. On the other hand, there are a lot of other states and places I want to try first.

Bicycling Around Minnesota 2023

Bicycling Around Minnesota (BAM) is a four-day tour of Minnesota first started in 2006. This year's ride is in the Driftless region, southeast of Rochester. We start in Lanesboro and ride two days toward the Mississippi, and then two days back along a different route. Compared to other rides I've been on recently, this is a smaller ride with approximately 300 participants. The rider age range is from 26 to 82, and they say it's an even mix of men and women riding.

I chose this ride, in part, because this week is "back to school" week. This is the first time in more than 20 years that I've had this week off and I wanted to have something fun to do just in case I was missing getting ready for the school year. As it turns out, I'm not missing school at all. But I am glad I have something fun to do and I'm looking forward to seeing new vistas along the way.

Lanesboro Arrival

Day 0: 31 miles, 700 feet of elevation gain. I drove from Palatine to Lanesboro, about five hours. I arrived early so I could get a ride in along the Root River Trail before check-in. As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait to set up my tent, so I did that first and then went for a ride. We’re expecting a line of thunderstorms to move through this evening around 11, so I used extra care in staking down the tent. It should be fine.

I then went for a ride from Lanesboro to Peterson and back. The trail goes for 42 miles from Fountain to Houston. It's a rail trail and all of the parts I rode were paved and very well maintained. Several people mentioned being careful on the bridges when wet, but I didn't have any problems with the trail surface on my ride.

I was hoping to get a slice of pie in Peterson, but the shop was closed when I arrived. The same for the pie shop in Whalen on the way back. So I got an ice cream sandwich at the trail store instead. More importantly, on this ride I saw my first wild bobcat. It was on the trail just 15 yards or so in front of me. It didn’t hear me coming. When I saw it, I first thought it was a coyote, then I realized it was a cat and I looked really hard at the tail. No tail, not a mountain lion. A bobcat was okay, and it quickly ran into the brush toward the river and disappeared.

Right after that, I came upon the animal you see on the right. Just stretched out in the middle of the trail, fortunately with its head toward the side of the path. If you look closely, you can see eight rattles sticking up at the end of the tail. I was able to ride past without disturbing it, and then stopped to take a picture. It never moved and never rattled. It was just enjoying the afternoon sun, as was I.

I had both lunch and dinner at Pedal Pushers Cafe in Lanesboro. It was very good. Camp tonight is in Sylvan Park, near water. I get to hear frogs tonight before starting a ride rather than trains, no thanks to Columbus, NE, and Davenport, IA. Hopefully, that’s a good sign. Also, everyone seems to be turning in early, so here’s hoping for a good night’s sleep.

Lanesboro to Rushford

Day 1: 66 miles, 2,600 feet of elevation gain. I didn't really notice the storm last night. It rained, but I slept through most of it.

Today was absolutely beautiful. We started west along the Root River Trail to Fountain, then headed south along roads for a 60 mile loop back up to Peterson, and then east to Rushford on the trail again. This trail is one of the best maintained rail trails I’ve been on. Highly recommended.

The Minnesota countryside is amazing. The hills here are steeper than the hills in Nebraska and Iowa (at least the ones I've ridden), so you get better views of the landscape as you ride. Every few miles you're on a ridge where you can see five miles in all directions. It reminded me of the scene in Forest Gump where he's running through the prairie and amber waves of grain. The grain in Minnesota is mostly corn, but seeing miles and miles of rolling fields on both sides is quite breathtaking.

One of the other things that is striking about this region is the churches. Most of the buildings in the area are typical wood frame you could find anywhere. But the churches and the grain mills are impressive brick structures. Most of the grain mills appeared to be four-story buildings, and the churches often had steeples reaching 40 to 50 feet in the air. The church on the right was the most impressive I saw in terms of building relative to landscape, but the church steeple in downtown Lanesboro was equally impressive in terms of design structure above the tree line.

The BAM tour is an eclectic mix of stops. The tour planner describes it as a bus tour on two wheels. Our first stop today was a museum in Fountain. They had the standard small town collection, but also a barn area with 40 to 50 tractors, another area with a wood-burning pickup truck, a section with dolls, wedding clothing, etc. Very impressive. Another stop was a state fish hatchery where we got to see lake trout. The final stop was a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm.

Meals are included, and food today was excellent. Breakfast had a wide variety of fair. Lunch was a taco salad bowl. Dinner was chicken, beans, rice, and sweet potato. BAM is relatively expensive, but it’s also the best tour I’ve been on so far.

Rushford to La Crescent

Day 2: 65 miles, 2,500 feet of elevation gain. Today started very foggy. For the first hour we almost needed windshield wipers. Water was actually dripping off my helmet mirror. But the roads had wide shoulders and visibility was good enough for cars to see our blinking tail lights in time.

Once the fog evaporated, it was a beautiful day. I thought the views yesterday were better, but the ride today had less wind. The first 50 miles or so were good. Then we got to the Mississippi River. I was hoping for nice river views, but the route was along a high speed four-lane highway with only occasional river views and the railroad beside the river.

Then we turned and headed up to the bluffs 400 to 500 feet above. The climb was brutal. Several miles of 7% grade climb. I need a lower gear than what I have to be able to make climbs like this. Everyone passing me was spinning at about twice the RPMs I was able to generate. I slalomed back and forth for awhile, and it worked, but eventually I got off and walked for about a half-mile before the hill eased up to 6% and I was able to ride again.

Lunch was at a winery overlooking the river. The view at the winery itself was okay, but there were wonderful views before and after where you could see well into Wisconsin. Then we came back down to the river to stay in La Crescent. Camp is in a local park. The Lion’s Club had food and beer available, and dinner came later and was also good.

The down side of being by the river is we’re close to the highway and close enough to the train tracks that there’s going to be a bit of noise overnight. But so far, it seems like it’s only two whistles to get through town rather than the six in Columbus, NE or the eight in Davenport, IA.

La Crescent to Houston

Day 3: 55 miles, 2,100 feet of elevation gain. I slept well last night and I don't remember hearing any train whistles. Today included two climbs, one which peaked at 15% grade. There was an option to bypass that climb, and I took the bypass option. I just wasn’t in the mood for walking up a long hill just to ride back down again. Besides, I arrived late in La Crescent and most of the good campsites were already taken. I wanted to get to Houston sooner and have more camping options.

I'm glad I took the bypass route. It gave me more mileage along the Mississippi River and the flood plain / bottomland beside it. It was very pretty. After about 20 miles we turned west and headed up to the bluffs again. And I got to walk about a half mile of climb again. It's just not worth killing my legs in order to say I did it. But I am going to invest in more gears for next year's rides.

Once we were up on top, we again had beautiful five-mile views of the countryside. The picture on the left is typical with rolling hills and a variety of agricultural uses. Shortly after this picture was taken, I came upon a field of goats resting in the shade just beside the road.

In keeping with the eclectic nature of BAM rest stops, our next stop was at the county fair in Caledonia. It was a big 4-H event with kids showing off their prized animals. There was a rabbits and chickens building with a variety of exotic breeds and a couple of jackrabbits at least two feet long. At another building they were lining up to show their cows when I walked by. And one of my favorite memories was a corn pit they had set up for the youngest community members. It was about 20 feet across and had sides about 30 inches high. They put a foot of shelled corn in the pit and the kids were playing in it like they would with a sandbox, toys and everything. Very cute.

This turned out to be another good animal day. Not so much on the route this time as with the route. Houston is home to the International Owl Center. We got to see a presentation by an owl expert who (whoo whoo!) was able to imitate at least a dozen different owl calls. I asked her what she thought might have made the noise I heard back on the Hennepin Canal in July and her best guess was a young Great Horned Owl telling mom it was hungry.

Camp this evening is interesting. It's the first campground / park I've been in on a ride where there were different distinct sections with tree-line separations. Human nature to me is fascinating. I'd say there were at least 50 tents set up in the first quite-small section, some of which were pitched on an angle I'm sure I wouldn't get any sleep on. The second section had tents more spread out along the shade lines. There was a third section even further back, and that section only had four or five tents very well distanced. I prefer having space and quiet and I'm willing to walk or even ride further to get it.

Houston to Lanesboro

Day 4: 56 miles, 2,400 feet of elevation gain. It was very warm and foggy overnight. I didn't use the rain fly and it was interesting waking up in a fog bank. But it wasn't as foggy as it was Thursday morning and it had started to clear by the time we hit the road. I particularly liked this view of the fog in the valley as we were heading up out of Houston.

Because we were heading back over familiar territory, the views today were pretty much the same as Thursday's ride. But it was all still very pretty. And I found a good spot where I was able to take a picture from the same place left, ahead, and right to give a good sense of the views we were enjoying.

Today felt stronger. I was able to ride the whole way up the bluff climb today, almost a mile of 7% grade. Today was also a much quieter day on the road. At least a third of the ride participants opted to take the Root River Trail back to Lanesboro rather than the road route, so there were long stretches today where I didn't see any other riders. And, being a Sunday morning, there were fewer cars on the road as well which made it even better.

We had an interesting stop today in Spring Grove, home of the Spring Grove Soda Pop company. This allowed us to have root beer floats for our rest stop. While I was at the stop I noticed a woman wearing a Free Hugs t-shirt with a rainbow flag on it. If you aren't familiar with this, please read The Free Mom Hugs Story. I got a free hug. And, surprisingly at least to me, the woman said I was the only person she had seen all day who asked for one.

After returning to Lanesboro, I ended my ride by walking down to the Root River and sitting in the river for awhile. There were showers available back at the park, but being able to sit in the river seemed more appropriate on a hot day, particularly since I had been back and forth along the river for five days now. 

After I cooled off, I headed for Sparta, WI. There is a nice bike trail there and I was considering spending the night. However, for some reason the two streets leading to the area where I wanted to camp were both blocked off. So I drove home instead.

Epilogue

Five days and 273 miles, with just over 9,000 feet of elevation gain. Maximum grades for me were +11.6% and -14.5%. Those who didn't skip the first climb on Saturday "enjoyed" a +14.9% maximum climb.

The elevation gain every day was similar to Nebraska and Iowa, but the hills are definitely steeper and the bluff climbs and descents are longer. The ride down into Lanesboro was almost three miles of descent. We were frequently hitting 30 MPH and some people were approaching 40 MPH on the steeper descents. I think 35 MPH was about as fast as I was willing to go.

I didn't mention it before, but I met a variety of great people on this ride. There was a woman who was between seven and eight months pregnant, and only looked to be about five months pregnant, riding with her mom. There was a couple on their honeymoon. There was a group of three retired engineers from Cargill. There was a young professional couple on their first tour and really enjoying the experience. At the other end of the spectrum there was a couple who had been married for nine years. She was the best friend of the husband's first wife. He had been married for 40 years before the first wife passed away from cancer, and it was the first wife's wish for her friend to marry her husband if she didn't survive. And there was a couple who camped near me twice that had the largest tent I've ever seen on a bike trip. It looked like it had three rooms inside. But they were very nice and we had a long visit Saturday evening talking about different tours and bikes.

Bicycling Around Minnesota is certainly the best organized tour I've been on so far. And we were well-fed. It's the first tour I've done where I didn't lose weight during the trip. I really enjoyed the eclectic nature of the different stops along the tour. It was a fascinating visit to southeast Minnesota and I look forward to seeing where BAM goes next year.