No, I'm not going to write about the popular clothing and accessories retailer. GAP is an acronym for the Great Allegheny Passage, a spectacular rail-trail that runs more than 150 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland.
Someday I'd like to bike this route that runs right past the campground where we stayed near Confluence, Pennsylvania, the Outflow Camping Area.
Confluence is about two-thirds of the way south on the GAP from Pittsburgh towards Cumberland.
Built on the banks where the Casselman and Youghiogheny rivers join, Confluence is a village with a bicycle repair shop and several bed-and-breakfast establishments that cater to the cycling crowd.
There's also a lovely Methodist church with beautiful stained glass windows where this past Sunday we celebrated The Day of Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the early followers of Christ.
Tim and I, along with a friendly cat, explored the GAP for a little ways, but we didn't have time to cover much more than a few of its miles. Still, we've talked about this expedition since we've lived in D.C.
Someday we'd like to ride the Capitol Limited Amtrak train to Pittsburgh; then, pick up the trail there and cycle to Cumberland where the GAP intersects with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal trail.
Hopping onto the C & O, we could bike its 184.5 towpath all the way to Washington, D.C. I think if we could break the journey down to 30-50 miles a day, I could possibly handle it. I'd certainly like to try!
To that end, I'm filing the trail maps for the GAP and the C & O Canal away in my Bucket List folder.
It looks like a beautiful place. I love the water and the green. Did you take any photos of the stained glass windows?
ReplyDeleteI always feel like an intruder when I try to take photos after attending a church while we're on the road, but two ladies we met encouraged me to take these. While mine are not very professional, I'll add them and reload this post. Thanks for your question!
DeleteHi Cindy! I can't believe we were so close to each other! We took the train from Pittsburgh to Connelsville, then rode the 60 miles back to Pittsburgh on Saturday the 26th! 60 miles was a lot! Don't think I'll do that again! 40 Mile's each day would be good...but it was beautiful and the weather perfect...We did 90 miles over 2 days 6 years ago when we lived in DC... I would encourage you to do it! 30- 40 mile's a day, if you are doing consecutive days...just a suggestion. �� Love seeing and hearing about all your adventures!
ReplyDeleteHow fun! I wish I'd known you were planning this trip. We'd love to have seen you. Thanks for your insider tips about how to survive such an expedition! Perhaps for your next attempt, we'll join you.
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