E-Mail: tbogdan1@earthlink.net
Route Type: Multi-Day Tour
Starting Point: Washington DC
Destination Point: Pittsburegh PA
Miles Estimated: 360-400+ Depending on optional trips taken
2005 4th Annual Mayor's Ride
Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh
Friday, May 13th - Saturday, May22nd
Friday, May 13th - Attend Mayor's Ceremony in Washington D.C. Contact: Jim Sebastian
1350 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., In front of Freedom Plaza
Mayor Anthony Williams
Bike from D.C. to C&O Mile 16.7, Swain's Lock Campsite along trail
Visit Georgetown C&O Visitor's Center
Bike Capitol Crescent Trail (Optional) 11 miles one-way (22 RT)
Saturday, May 14th - Swain's Lock Camp to Huckleberry Hill Campsite - Mile 62.9
Optional Back Trip - Great Falls C&O Visitor's Center &
Bike the Gold Mine Loop Trail (Optional)
Mile 35 - White's Ferry boat across Potomac - Leesburg VA (Optional) Repairs if needed
Mile 48.2 Visit Town of Point Of Rocks - Victorian Train Station
Mile 51.5 Examine Catoctin Aquaduct before it crumbles away.
Mile 55 Visit Brunswick Railroad Museum/C&O Visitor's Center
Mile 58 - Examine Red Lockhouse at Lock 31 - Scorched Interior?
Mile 60 - Cross Harper's Ferry Bridge and see the sights in Harper's Ferry
Sunday, May 15th - Harper's Ferry to Hancock, Md.
In Morning, Tour Harpers Ferry. Visit John Brown Museum and then later, tour Antietam Battlefield and Shepherdstown if time allows!
Mile 68.5 Explore Lime Kiln + Wooden Building - Mile 69.36 Explore Antietam Ironworks
Mile 75.61 Explore Killiansburg Cave
Mile 76.7 Stop at Barron's Hiker/Biker Store/Museum
Mile 83.3 Explore Dam #4 Cave
Mile 99 Visit Williamsport C&O Visitor's Center
Mile 112 Side Visit to Fort Frederick (Optional)
Choose: Stay on C&O Canal, or take Western Maryland Rail-Trail to
Hancock (Mile 124) Sleep at C&O Bicycle Shop's Bunkhouse (Repairs if needed)
Monday, May 16th - Hancock to Lock 68/Potomac Forks Campsite (Mile165)
Visit Hancock C&O Visitor's Center
Mile 127 - Look for Devil's Eyebrow in rocky cliff.
Travel through and Explore Paw Paw Tunnel (Bring a light)
Camp at Potomac Forks Campsite (Mile165)
Tuesday, May 17th - Lock 68/Potomac Forks to Cumberland Md.
Mile 184 ends the C&O Canal
Visit Old Railroad Station/Cumberland C&O Visitor's Center
DETOUR DIRECTIONS - TOUGH DAY ON ROADS
Westbound Directions on the road
Cumberland to Frostburg (13.4 miles)
0.0 Western Maryland Scenic RR Station in Cumberland; terminus of C&O Canal towpath (elevation 620’). Leave the parking lot by turning left on S. Mechanic St. These streets in historic Cumberland are narrow and carry a fair amount of traffic. Fortunately, the traffic isn’t moving very fast.
0.x Turn right on Frederick St (forced turn)
0.3 Turn left on Centre St. Pass Bikes N Things is at 165 Centre St
0.5 Follow Centre St as it crosses Queen City Rd, passes under a concrete bridge, immediately bears left, and then swings right
1.1 Join Mechanic St, becoming the northbound lane (elevation 630’)
1.2 Straight at light. At this point traffic speed picks up and the road has no shoulder (or only a single-track shoulder)
1.5 Cross Wills Ck. Good shoulder starts here (elevation 630’)
1.8 Enter "The Narrows". Shoulder diminishes to almost nothing as the road, creek, and two railroads all squeeze through a narrow gap at the end of Haystack Mountain
2.3 At stoplight, go straight on MD36 (marked "south", elevation 650’). Do not turn left on Cash Valley Rd
4.4 Sheetz on right side; you’re still on MD36 in Corriganville (elevation 720’)
7.4 Barrelville (elevation 960’). For this route, remain on MD36. If you want to take MD47/PA160 over the mountain (emerging on PA219 at Berlin), this is the place to turn right and get ready to climb 1600’ in 5-6 miles
7.9 The shoulder shrinks to nearly nothing, and the climb becomes noticeable
8.9 Turn left on Iron Rail Rd (actually, bear left) opposite the Mt Savage Roll of honor, a brick memorial with flag poles (elevation 1150’)
9.5 Turn left on Lower Bank, then immediately right on Foundry at the Mt Savage Community Park (elevation 1210’). The tennis courts will be on your left – head for the recycling drop-off. Go through a company town, climbing distinctly
9.9 Take the forced left, still on Foundry. Climb briskly for 1 block, then turn right on Slabtown Rd (elevation 1310’). Begin climbing. This is a 2-lane road with no shoulder but little traffic. You’re parallel to MD36 and avoiding a narrow twisty section with lots of traffic
10.3 Slight respite from climb here (elevation 1380’)
10.4 Slabtown, top of the climb (elevation 1460’). Go straight where Logsdon Lane goes right and Trimble Rd goes left
10.8 Steep downhill
10.9 Cross 1-lane bridge, then make short climb to MD36 (Mt Savage Rd, elevation 1470’)
11.0 Turn left on MD36 (Mt Savage Rd). This road is now freshly-paved, a generous two lanes.
11.2 Go straight as MD638 goes left (elevation 1480’)
12.1 Enter Zihlman (elevation 1560’).
12.4 Railroad grade enters from left. In 50’ Sugar Row Rd goes right. In 50’ more, New Hope Rd goes left. Bear left on New Hope Rd (elevation 1600’).Immediately after you turn, you’ll cross the railroad grade as it heads for the reversing switch; in another .4 miles you cross it as it returns from the reversing switch (elevation 1660’)
13.0 Continue on New Hope Rd as the intersection with Borden Yard Rd (elevation 1730’) marks the beginning of a steep climb
13.2 Pass under trestle (elevation 1810’; trail may eventually cross here) and pass intersection with Rankin Dr
13.4 Enter Western Md Scenic Railroad Station (elevation 1940’). Turn left then right through the station, then climb a steep 1-block hill to Alt 40 in downtown Frostburg (elevation 2020’)
Frostburg to MD/PA Line (6.9 miles)
We don’t like this very much; it entails a steep climb up a busy road with scant shoulders.
0.0 After climbing from Western Md Scenic RR station, turn right on Main St, Alt US40 (elevation 2020’)
0.x You’ll eventually leave Frostburg on Alt US40, so you can just follow Main St. However, you can avoid a lot of traffic by taking the first right (Uhl St), then the first left (First St). Continue nearly a mile on First St to Shaw St, turn left on Shaw and then right on US40, emerging at Charlie’s Motel (elevation 2200’)
1.0 After passing Charlie’s Motel, climb briskly on Alt US40. There’s a good shoulder for 2.5 miles except for an occasional narrow patch or some debris
2.9 Top of Big Savage Mountain (elevation 2850’). Unfortunately, you have to descend (to elevation 2620’) and climb again
3.5 Left on the ramp to go to MD 946 (elevation 2700’). The ramp has a marginal shoulder and a steep climb (to elevation 2790’)
4.1 Turn left, then right on Finzel Rd (elevation 2760’). You’re now actually on MD946. The shoulder is narrow but well-paved, and you continue climbing for 0.7 mile (to elevation 2820’)
6.0 Go straight where Sampson Rock Rd enters from right (elevation 2600’). Descend to Finzel (elevation 2520’) and climb again. If you want to get out of traffic, Sampson Rock Rd is paved and makes a crescent parallel to MD946, re-entering just north of the MD/PA state line (and just past campground entrance). Note, though, that it climbs to 2780’
6.9 MD/PA state line (elevation 2620’). For Mason-Dixon Campground, turn left in 0.1 mile
MD/PA Line to Meyersdale (11.9 miles)
This is almost entirely downhill on paved roads, except for one short steep climb at Sand Patch. Best of all, there is virtually no traffic on the roads. It’s a quite acceptable alternative.
0.0 MD/PA state line (elevation 2620’)
0.15 Do not turn right on SR2011 (Flaugherty Run Rd, elevation 2600’) In early April 2005 The road was under construction for the trail underpass. There was a very deep ditch across the road where the trail will eventually pass under the road in a culvert. NEW ADDITION
?? Continue on SR2010 to the intersection with SR 2009 (Warrens Mill Road). Turn right on SR2009 NEW ADDITION
?? Follow SR2009. About 100 yards after crossing the future trail turn left onto SR2006. NEW ADDITIONS for 2005 Contruction
4.1 Bear left to remain on SR2006 at the Oak Ridge Rd (TR 712) intersection
5.8 Bear left at end of Deal Rd (TR829), staying on SR2006/SR2009
7.7 Sand Patch (elevation 2280’). Continue on SR2006, which curves right, crosses a bridge over the active rail line, and climbs 60’ to a T intersection
8.0 Turn left at the T, still on SR2006 (elevation 2340’)
9.0 Pass under the high Keystone Trestle. The trail will eventually cross overhead
11.9 Enter Meyersdale, take fourth right onto Main St (elevation 2040'), climb past the active RR tracks to the restored Western Maryland RR station (still on Main St, about two blocks beyond the active tracks).
Turn left onto the unimproved trail
towards the Salisbury Viaduct (elevation 2110')
In Route continuation from Cumberland to Frostburg, MD to Meyersdale, PA
Visit Frostburg Railroad Station - Perhaps grab a bite to eat.
Camp or Lodging in Meyersdale area - Camp along trail?? B&B?? Train Station??
Wednesday, May 18th - Meyersdale to Confluence to Yough Dam Overflow
Visit Meyersdale Train Station/Visitor's Center (If Open)
Mile Marker 23ish - Visit Rockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House
Check e-mail and eat at the Lucky Dog Café.
Camp at Yough Dam Outflow Camping
Thursday, May 19th - Confluence to Round Bottom Campsite
Visit Ohiopyle - Train Station Visitor's Center - Yough River Waterfall
Hot Showers at David Hiebert's House in Scottdale (724) 875-3050
(Nick Departs for Morgantown today)
Friday, May 20th - Round Bottom to Pittsburgh
Bike Repairs @ Rudy's Shop in Boston, PA (If Needed)
Bike along Yough River Trail / Steel Heritage Trail/
South Side Trail and Three Rivers Heritage Trail
Camping in Pittsburgh - - Perhaps on Herr's Island or on South Side?????
Saturday, May 21st - 11:00 Meet at Eliza Furnace Trailhead.
Police escort to Venture Outdoors Festival, North Shore, Pittsburgh
(Meet up with Nick & the Morgantown Contingency)
Receive Mayoral Proclamation from Mayor Tom Murphy
Contact: Rosemary "Ro" Fischer, Mayor's Office
Eat lunch!! Primanti Brothers (Tentative Sponsor) possibly some other food
Transfer Mayoral Proclamations to next bicyclist to Columbus
Concetta Curtis, Jeff Stephens and/or David Huggins-Daines
Enjoy the Venture Outdoors Festival - Free outdoor activities!!!
Final -Updated 5/09/05