Passenger Trains > C&O Canal From the Window of a Train

 The Chesapeake &Ohio Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural, and recreational treasures. Seen from the window of Amtrak's Capitol Limited at Harper's Ferry, WV.

 B&OBill

---

Combine the canal towpath to Cumberland with the trail along the former WM from Cumberland across the mountains almost to Pittsburgh, and you have a 300+ mile bike ride, essentially flat, through some of the best scenery in the east. 

And  you get to do some railfanning, too. The route is within earshot, and often within view, of the B and O for many miles. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/20 17:00 by march_hare.

Does the bike path have a shoofly around the one tunnel on the C&O Canal?

No - the former canal and tow path turned hiking trail still use that tunnel.

march_hare Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Combine the canal towpath to Cumberland with the
> trail along the former WM from Cumberland across
> the mountains almost to Pittsburgh, and you have a
> 300+ mile bike ride, essentially flat, through
> some of the best scenery in the east. 
>
> And N.Y. you get to do some railfanning, too. The
> route is within earshot, and often within view, of
> the B and O for many miles. 

The canal is a very nice bike ride.  Never been on the Allegheny passage trail, but figure from Deal PA to Cumberland it is all downhill!

Unfortunately in the summer of 1973, the leaders of the Boy Scout troop I belonged to in Frostburg, MD. decided it was a great idea to ride uphill from D.C. to Cumberland.
Although I only had a standard 3-speed bike,I went along with about 25 others on this "184 miles of adventure", which became a torturous journey.
After having half of our camping equipment and all of our food stolen from parked cars at Edwards Ferry, MD., we regrouped and returned 2 weeks later and took 5 days to reach Cumberland from Edwards Ferry.
July heat/humidity, clouds of biting insects, and long detours from towpath areas damaged by Hurricane Agnes the year prior made each days journey challenging.
Arrival at Cumberland was in a thunderstorm, my condition was a little worse than my bike's, which was never the same again. The trip cured my desire for long bicycle trips.
3 years later several of my high school friends and myself were dumb enough to backpack uphill from Frostburg to Sand Patch on what became the GAP trail. Another "never again" trip.

The attached booklet is from 1970, and was issued by the local BSA council. It was for years the best resource on the canal and its facilities.

---

l am planning to ride a bike from Connellsville to Cumberland (88 miles) in June.  Three day trip.  The first 65 miles are gently uphill gaining about 2000 feet of elevation.  It is all WM right of way.  At Big Savage Tunnel, the 25 mile descent begins down into Cumberland.  Since I have ridden the parallel B&O main many times on the Capitol Ltd., I think the WM trail (Great Allegheny Passage) will be enjoyable, with Ohiopyle, Confluence, Rockwood, etc.  

Don't know what the grade on the WM is, but it is barely noticeable in either direction on a bike. On the canal, of course, it's dead flat until you get to a lock, then you need to build up some momentum first if you're going uphill. 

The big tunnel on the WM (3,000+ feet) is one of the craziest things I've done on a bike. Bring a headlamp. 

march_hare Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't know what the grade on the WM is, but it is
> barely noticeable in either direction on a bike.
> On the canal, of course, it's dead flat until you
> get to a lock, then you need to build up some
> momentum first if you're going uphill. 
>
> The big tunnel on the WM (3,000+ feet) is one of
> the craziest things I've done on a bike. Bring a
> headlamp. 
1.75% from Cumberland to Colmar (east portal of Savage Tunnel)  no fun on a Spyder bike, especially pre-GAP trail when you rode on what was the 2nd main track...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/20 19:06 by bigsavage.