Late October, early November and still hoping to ride the GAP Trail between Cumberland and Ohiopyle before winter. Forecast includes possible snow flurries, but will it really snow? I had planned to do this trip in August but canceled when the weather suddenly included a heat wave and heavy rains. The riding would have been uncomfortable and muddy. I’ve been on the GAP after rain and it’s not much fun. This time the trip looked possible but then a cold snap appeared in the forecast and it included the possibility of snow showers around Ohiopyle. I thought of canceling again but really wanted to do this ride so pressed on. Morning lows predicted to dip below freezing but the afternoon highs were supposed to be tolerable, even better than that for this time of the year.
I drove to Cumberland and checked into my room at the Fairfield Inn. I had intended to ride the 72 miles from Cumberland to Ohiopyle the next day, stay overnight and return to the car the following day. However, I spent the night rethinking my plan, a little unnerved by the thought of being cold for two days, and decided to ride only 30 miles, return to Cumberland, drive to Ohipyle and do a similar length ride from there the following day. Turned out this was a good plan. I didn’t get to ride long as I had hoped, but I slowed down to stop and enjoy the most scenic points instead of rushing by them.
Riding out of Cumberland, it’s a steady climb for about 25 miles, so my entire outward journey was uphill. While the temperature was only in the mid-40s, the climb warmed me considerably. But as soon as I turned around and started heading back to Cumberland, I began to freeze. The downhill was enough to allow me to pick up speed without working very hard. Maybe I was also riding into a slight wind. It was really cold…in the middle of the day, so I was glad I wasn’t trying to do 72 miles within rando time limits that day.
The first 10 miles out of Ohiopyle toward Cumberland is especially scenic–for the most part right alongside the Youghiogheny River. Along the same stretch, there are also several sets of waterfalls making their way down gulleys toward the river from the opposite side of the trail. Definitely a place for slowing down, even stopping occasionally, to take in the experience.
The word Youghiogheny is apparently Lenape and means river that flows in a contrary direction–the “Yough” flows north, from West Virginia and Maryland into Pennsylvania toward Pittsburgh. And Ohiopyle is another Lenape word describing the “white frothy river” (Wikipedia), the state of the Youghiogheny in Ohiopyle where white water rafting is a popular summer activity.
I do love the sounds of the river, but another sound that is both unnerving and wonderful is the sound of trains along the tracks on the opposite side of the river. Since the trains are often invisible through the trees, they seem sort of ghostly. However, I know those trains are real. A couple of years ago, I took the train from Lancaster to Pittsburgh to ride the GAP. We traveled on these very tracks, along with all of the freight trains…so every time a freight train was going to pass by, we slowed or stopped to allow them to proceed unimpeded. It was a very slow trip but I experienced firsthand how PA rail transport works.
There is so much more to say about the sights along the GAP. I guess this is why I never tire of it even though I’ve ridden it several times. I thought I would enjoy doing the Cumberland-Ohiopyle permanent that covers half of the trail, but I’m glad I changed my mind. I may never do the official RUSA version because I enjoy riding the GAP at a relaxed pace. Perfect for paying more careful attention.
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