We got an early start this morning and we were on the trail by 10:30 AM. We were at the Big Pool trailhead which is the eastern end of the trail. About 10 miles down the trail we were in Hancock, which is the main trailhead. It was a bustling place with lots of bikers. We saw a guy with an Ohio State biking jersey on and commiserated about the lack of football this fall. We visited the local bike shop. They are right on the trail and were doing a brisk bike rental business.
We rode as far as the Round Top Cement Mill remnants which was a bit past where we turned around yesterday when riding the western end of the trail. We both felt that the western end of the trail was more picturesque.
Remnants of Round Top Cement Mill. Built in the 1830’s and was Hancock’s largest employer during the Civil War.Mile markers were very visible. This was near the remnants of the Round Top Cement Mill.
We rode back to the motorhome, had some lunch and some rest time before heading out again. We wanted to see the Hancock Visitors Center which was about 9 miles away. The visitors center was closed because of that virus thing but we had a good time exploring on our own.
Historic Bowles HouseHancock Visitors Center – Lost and FoundLock at visitors center Out house at visitors center. Closed because of Covid….
We completed 47 miles today and are both still feeling strong. Hope to complete our Maryland 100 tomorrow on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath.
We drove from Renick, WV to Cumberland, Maryland yesterday. Still have some miles to finish in WV and will catch those on our way headed home. Our trip north to Cumberland was on winding, sometimes steep and sometimes narrow roads. No freeways headed in this direction.
Today we road the Western Maryland Rail Trail starting at the western end at the Little Orleans trailhead. This was the nicest trailhead parking area we have seen in all our travels. There were nice big RV parking spaces. No squeezing between cars and parking half on the grass here. Hoping rest of Maryland is as accommodating.
Five star trailhead in Little Orleans.
The rail trail parallels the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath. The unpaved towpath runs 185 miles from Cumberland, Maryland to Georgetown in Washington, D.C. There are 9 connections to crossover between the towpath and the railtrail.
Lenny riding up the crossover.Crossover ramp from tow path to rail trail.
We rode a few miles on the towpath to connect a gap in the rail trail. The rail trail was asphalt and so nice to ride. It had been awhile since we’ve ridden on asphalt – what a welcome change.
We really enjoyed the asphalt trail surface.
We could see people canoeing on the Potomic River through the trees. After the leaves fall the views of the river should be beautiful.
Large rock outcroppings along the trail.
We road out 15 miles and when it began to rain we headed back. It wasn’t a downpour like we experienced in WV but we were wet! There were lots of wet bikers today.
Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct – You can see the towpath trail below.
Tomorrow we finish the WMRT starting from the eastern end. We are spending the night in Hagerstown only about 20 minutes from the trailhead.
We left Lewisburg for the trailhead in Renick. Through no fault of our own (??) we missed a turn and crossed the river. The narrow road became narrower and narrower until it was only one lane. After several miles we turned around, with much difficulty, and headed back across the river. Amazing, there was the trail!
It was our good fortune (God’s blessing) that we crossed paths with Glen and Twyla Diehl. They happen to have a campsite on a lot near their home and offered it to us for a minimal fee. We had water and electric and use of their dump station. They are an interesting couple and have traveled all over the US in their RV. Renick is a small town and I think they own most of it.
View from our hillside campsite – trail and river just beyond trees. Remnants of Renick jail which was built in 1909. The bars are still standing.
After we were settled we headed north on the trail toward Beard which is the halfway point of the trail. The forest was beautiful, sometimes we could look right into it and other times it towered above us on cliffs over looking the trail.
Forest was beautiful. Cliffs along the trail.
About a mile from where we started there was a swinging wooden bridge. We would have loved walking over it but there were no trespassing signs. Also, when we stopped to take pictures we were swarmed with mosquitos.
Mile markers were freshly painted. Swinging bridge in background. Interesting wooden swing bridge along trail.
Six miles from where we started was the Droop Mountain Tunnel. Our favorite part of the ride. Traveling through the tunnel heading north you begin to see the light at the other end within a few yards of entering. It’s very different when entering traveling south. There are a few seconds when you are pedaling in total darkness. It’s a very unsettling feeling.
Droop Mountain Tunnel built in 1900. Near Mile Marker 31.Good view of large timbers at Droop Tunnel entrance.
The trail was not busy and we only saw 4 other bikers and a couple walkers. There are areas for camping and shelters along the way.
Water available near shelters and campsites.Shelters along the trail. We could have used this yesterday in the downpour. We traveled just north of Locust Creek to mile marker 38.Bridge across Locust Creek that ran below trail bridge.
This was a great trail. There was plenty of varied scenery to keep it interesting. The trail surface was constantly changing too, so we had to keep our eyes on the road.
Beautiful cliffs along trail.
The Greenbrier River Trail is a Hall of Fame Trail. I have been looking forward to riding this trail since we began this journey. The trail is 77 miles long and we rode almost all of the southern half between Beard and Caldwell. We hope to ride the northern end from Cass to Marlinton in the future.
We have completed 82 West Virginia miles. Tomorrow we are going to Maryland to begin our 100 there. We plan to complete our WV 100 on our way home from Maryland.
Lenny loves getting pictures with Dino’s view of the trail.
We had a really quiet night at Walmart in Summersville. It was nice to have access to satellite and watch some of the Tour de France while having breakfast.
Planned our route to Caldwell so we could avoid those narrow country roads. It gave us the chance to see the New River Gorge Bridge. We stopped at the visitors center which was closed but we were able to visit the viewing areas using a dramatic wooden walkway.
Awesome wooden staircase to viewing areas.Near top of walkway
The bridge reduced a 40-minute drive down narrow mountain roads to less then one minute.
New River Gorge Bridge completed in 1977. Beautiful views from walkway.Lowest viewing area, 168 stair steps from top.
Route 64 heading into Lewisburg/Caldwell area had some very steep grades. Views of mountains were awesome.
We went right to the trailhead in Caldwell. Lenny had some repairs to do on his bike and we wanted to ride a few miles to check out trail conditions. Also to be certain Lenny’s new axle and tune-up corrected his shifting issues.
My favorite bike mechanic. Greenbrier River Trail trailhead in Caldwell.
While eating lunch at the trailhead a bear ran across the road. It ran thru a field, looked very confused and went into a corn field. That’s our bear sighting for this trip, no more needed.
There had been a landslide in this area, near mile marker 13, a few years ago. There is a steep uphill and downhill here – otherwise it’s a bit of a downhill slope from Cass to Caldwell.
The few miles we planned turned into 13 out to mile marker 16. Lenny’s repairs to his bike were successful. Heading back it started to rain and then pour. We have ridden in rain before but never to this extreme.
Trail surface was single track at times.This was before the rain. Puddles and mud formed quickly. We attempted to ride in center of trail during downpour. Worked good for awhile. After the rain, the sun was out again.
We left Saybrook, Ohio about 2:30 yesterday afternoon, excited to be on the road in the motorhome once again. A quick stop at the West Virginia Welcome Center provided us with a cache of information.
We spent the night in Fairmont, WV at a Cracker Barrel. We enjoyed a carry out meal of yummy chicken pot pie and biscuits with honey. We were the only RV there for the night – it was especially quiet.
Getting to the trailhead in Shinnston was a real adventure. It was only 20 minutes away on a winding, narrow road with over hanging trees and utility poles right at the edge of the road. We were fortunate to escape with only a couple scratches. 😥 Oh, those country roads.
Interesting historicalmarker
West Fork River trail’s path was used by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to deliver coal. The trail was a mixture of asphalt, and crushed stone. At times it was a single track with some small areas of mud which we were able to avoid. It was a hot day, high 80’s, but we were in heavy shade most of the way.
Cliffs on one side river on the other.
Views of the river were mostly blocked by trees. That won’t be the case in a month or so. Some areas of the trail were already strewn with leaves.
Picturesque trail
There was very little traffic on the trail. We crossed a couple bridges but the Fork River Bridge was a highlight.
Fork River Bridge near Norway, WVMore bridge
We had planned on continuing another couple miles beyond the bridge but the trail rapidly deteriorated. The surface was large road gravel. A real pain to bike on.
End of trail for us. Trail got nasty really quick – large road gravel.
This was a great introduction to West Virginia biking for us. We put 30 miles toward our 100 today. Good to have the motorhome awaiting our return to the trailhead. Especially enjoyed getting right into the shower!!
Riding the Cog Railway was a wonderful adventure. We took the 10AM train and spent about an hour at the summit.
Near Base StationReady for our ascent. We had a beautiful clear day.View from our coach heading up the mountain. Traveling up the mountain Sherman Adams Visitor Center
Due to Covid restrictions only a limited number of visitors were permitted in the visitors center. We acquired a ticket online and welcomed the opportunity to get some hot chocolate and get out of the cold wind for a few minutes.
Tip Top House, an original summit hotel dating back to 1853.Cold and windy at the summit.Our coach awaits.Train at summit awaiting passengers.Leaving the summit we had a good view of the Engineer. Long way downThey estimated visibility to be about eighty miles.
We had beautiful clear skies. We could see Wild Cat Ski Resort where Lenny used to snow board while in New Hampshire on business. Tuckerman’s Ravine was also visible – Lenny climbed Tuckerman’s in the past. Good memories for him.
Water for steam engines. Waiting for a train headed for the summit.
Mt. Washington is home to the most extreme weather observatory on Earth. The only months of the year Mt Washington has not recorded a below zero temperature are June, July, August and September. The morning before we visited it was 32 degrees. The wind at the summit when we were there was 25 mph. We were on the observation deck for only a short time and the wind and cold was unbearable.
We finished our ride on the Franconia Notch Trail had lunch (PBJ of course) and decided to put in some more miles. We only needed a few more miles to reach our 100 mile goal. Tomorrow, Thursday, there is a chance of rain and Friday we have planned a trip to Mt Washington. Saturday is supposed to be a wash out.
We had hoped to ride Lincoln Woods Trail which is close to our condo. It’s a short trail but right on the Pemigewasset River. We arrived at the trailhead to find it packed. Parking lot was full. The trail must have been really busy.
There are many miles of the Northern Rail Trail yet to ride so we headed for the trailhead at Lake Webster in Franklin.
What, walk my bike?
The wind was really blowing and there were white caps on Webster Lake – named for 19th- century statesman Daniel Webster. We rode in fairly dense forest on a rail bed raised high above the forest floor.
Remnants of retaining wall along trail.
We both enjoyed this picturesque trail. Always love the views of forest from raised rail bed.
Area of rock cut away for railway.
There was a more noticeable uphill grade in this area then what we rode yesterday. Our return was fun. We both felt like we could ride that all day – slight downhill and wind at our back.
Another view of rock that was cut away.
Retaining wall made from large rocks. Interesting sign along trail. Awww…the Red, White and, Blue!Boscawen – end of trail to Franklin our 1st ride. Franklin to Andover our 2nd ride.
August of 2019 we road 58 miles of trails in New Hampshire. Landen was along for the ride in tow behind Lenny’s bike. Many of the trails transitioned seamlessly into one anotber.
Trails with Landen from August 2019. Derry R/T, Winham R/T, Salem Pathway. Londonderry R/T. WOW Trail, Lake Winnisquam Trail. Franconia Notch Trail
Mural on bathhouse on WOW Trail. August 2019
We’ve ridden 48 miles the past 2 days to complete our New Hampshire 100. Yay! 41 done and now there are 7! We celebrated with carryout from local Thai restaurant.
It was a cool morning as we headed to Sport Thoma to catch the shuttle to Canon Moutain for our ride on Franconia Notch Trail. Arriving at Canon Moutain we were met with a cold wind and sunny skies. Our gators (Covid wear) provided much appreciated additional warmth. We rode this trail last August with Landen in tow.
The tramway at Canon Mountain was closed due to pandemic. Sport Thoma would normally have bike rentals available here but now only shuttles from their shop in Lincoln.
Landen loved his ride up the mountain in Sport Thoma Van. August 2019 – we miss him.
The notch is a mountain pass between the Kinsman and Franconia Ranges. The trail runs thru the Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountains.
Before heading south we rode north to above Echo Lake. There is a small RV camping area above the lake. No crowds to contend with around here.
Beautiful trail the entire length.
The trail drops 750 feet from foot of Canon Mountain to end of trail at Flume Gorge. Don’t be fooled there are some good climbs along the way. My max heart rate was 162. Gasp!!
Ojoy! Winding thru the forest.
We took a ride thru Lafayette Place Campground. We both enjoyed the smell of campfires wafting thru the campground. Much busier in this area as well as further south at a trailhead parking lot. Still no traffic on bike trail.
What, walk my bike? We actually heeded this sign.
We stopped at the Basin and took a short hike along the Pemigewasset River to the Basin, a huge granite pothole.
Pemigewasset RiverAlong trail to the Basin.Granite flume above the Basin.
Once again no pictures of The Basin as there were too many people gathered around.
Back on the trail we left the crowds behind and headed for Flume Gorge where the parking lot was filling up. We had a little more than 2 miles to get to our car – on road and down hill. It was a scream. Imagine going 31 mph on a bike. Exciting, exhilarating and a bit scary. When I slowed to 26 mph I started pedaling – outrageous!! 🤪
We arrived in Lincoln, New Hampshire Sunday evening August 23rd after an 11 hour drive from Ohio. Once again we packed food, water and all supplies needed for the week. It’s our Covid MO. Only made 2 stops for gas and that other necessity.
View from our condo – thunderstorm on the way.
We had a thunderstorm in the evening. We were thankful we had the bikes inside before it arrived. Enjoyed watching storm move in over the mountains and hearing the thunder.
We spent yesterday getting our bearings and setting up a shuttle for Wednesday morning to top of Franconia Notch Trail.
New Hampshire’s longest rail trail – 57.6 miles between Lebanon and Boscawen, built in 1847 by the Northern Railroad.
We began our ride in Boscawen about an hour from our condo in Lincoln. The trail is an uphill slope from here to Lebanon. We always attempt to ride uphill going out and downhill on return.
It was a warm, sunny day with widely scattered thunder showers predicted.
Merrimack River – looked refreshing on this hot day.
We followed the Merrimack River north and east from Boscawen. At times we were high above the river, other times almost on the bank and still other times we could not see the river.
Merrimack River
The trail surface was crushed stone and very well maintained. Even with storms the evening before we road, the trail was dry.
Railroad ties – remnants of Nothern Railroad.Many areas had exposed railroad ties.Turntable once assisted in changing the direction of locomotives. TurntableBecause of limited diameter of turntable it could only accommodate the American type. 4-4-0 locomotive pictured.
With the downhill slope, our return was a bit easier. The temperature was about 91 upon our return to the car. We loaded the bikes and were ready to get on the freeway when we noticed some very dark clouds headed our way. We turned around and stopped at a gas station to cover the bikes. Wish we had a video showing our struggles to get the cover on the bikes. We did get them covered and sat out the storm. As we head back to the freeway a tree had fallen over the road. So thankful it missed us.
Corn field at end of trail in Boscawen.
The trail guide said the trail ended in a corn field. They weren’t kidding!!
We will be up early tomorrow morning to catch the shuttle to Canon Mountain and the start of the Franconia Notch Trail.
We took a day off after finishing our New Jersey 100 to rest – a much needed rest. Fortunately we had an extra day to ride and decided to ride the Lehigh Gorge Trail. It’s a 24 mile trail from Jim Thorpe to White Haven. We had ridden this trail in the past to White Haven and back. Today we used a shuttle service to White Haven and returned to Jim Thorpe.
The Lehigh Gorge is a deep, steep, walled gorge. The trail is a gradual downhill grade on an abandoned railroad bed.
Typical of nice smooth crushed stone trail – one of nicest surfaces we’ve ridden.
The trail follows the river the entire way to Jim Thorpe. There was an area where every 1.5 miles there was a back board at the ready for water rescues. Beside the boards were steep trails to the river.
Back boards for river rescues – in this area Lehigh River is class III.
The elevation on my Polar in White Haven read 1171 and 695 in Jim Thorpe. While it was a gradual downhill grade there was no coasting, we needed to pedal the entire distance.
Buttermilk Falls, just north of Rockport.
The scenery was beautiful – the steep wall of the gorge was covered in vegetation. We could hear the rapids on the river in many areas.
Train being loaded with railroad ties along trail.Nearing the end of the trail.Trestle bridge just outside of Jim Thorpe.Bridge over Lehigh River in Jim Thorpe. Remnant of former CNJ engine terminal near Jim Thorpe.
We had completed our Pennsylvania 100 in 2012 long before we started blogging. This trail and the Pine Creek Trail (aka Grand Canyon of PA) helped to inspire us to begin our journey to ride 100 miles in all the lower 48.
