tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82097588132549906542024-03-12T23:38:55.787-04:00Eating The Elephant"Biking across the country is like eating an elephant - you just do one little bite at a time."erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-74436492943728905172017-02-24T13:58:00.001-05:002017-02-24T13:58:12.523-05:00The Slow-and-Fun Family- and Beginner-Friendly Rochester to Niagara Falls Bike Trip ScheduleThis is subject to some flexibility, as there are many options and alternatives, but the baseline schedule is:<br />
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7 July:<br />
Depart from Rochester, meeting at Genesee Valley Park around 10AM<br />
Spencerport for lunch<br />
Holley for dinner<br />
Camping at Red Rocks Ponds RV Resort (right on Canal)<br />
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8 July:<br />
Albion for breakfast<br />
Medina for lunch<br />
Gasport for dinner<br />
Camping at Niagara County Camping Resort (4 miles off Canal)<br />
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9 July:<br />
Lockport for breakfast<br />
(lots of places along the way for lunch)<br />
Niagara Falls in afternoon!<br />
Evening: people can either get a ride/train back to Rochester or stay overnight at hotel (we will stay overnight)<br />
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10 July<br />
Do various NF activities before heading backerichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-8066018796330891392017-02-24T13:48:00.003-05:002017-02-24T13:48:41.797-05:0010th Annual DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip Schedule<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is the approximate schedule that we will follow. It is slightly different than usual, adding a half day spread across the first few days (by the end of day 3, it is back to the usual schedule). The Canal milemarkers for various stops are given in (parentheses). There are many restaurants, <b>but people will still need to bring some of their own food (lunch the first day, dinner the second, and breakfast the fourth)</b>. A bunch of granola bars (or whatever) will do the job for these meals, if you can stand eating them. Food can also be picked up along the way.<br /><br />Day 1 - Friday, 28 July (<strong>lunch on trail</strong>)<br />Meet at Key Park (DC) around 10:00AM<br />(15) Great Falls</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">(35) Whites Ferry (snack shop, probably)<br />(48) Point of Rocks (dinner)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">(47.6) Camp here<br /><br />Day 2 - Saturday, 29 July (<b>dinner on trail</b>)<br />(55) Brunswick (breakfast)<br />(60) Harpers Ferry (ice cream, snacks)<br />(72) Shepardstown (lunch)<br />(95.2) Camp here<br /><br />Day 3 - Sunday, 30 July</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />(100) Williamsport (breakfast)<br />(112) Ft. Frederick<br />(~114) Detour onto WMRT (or not - your choice)<br />(124) Hancock (lunch)<br />(141) Little Orleans (dinner)<br />(144.5) Camp here<br /><br />Day 4 - Monday, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">31 July</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(156) Paw Paw tunnel<br />(184) Cumberland (lunch) - DC people get a ride back from here<br />(GAP 16) Frostburg (dinner) - Camp here<br /><br />Day 5 - Tuesday, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1 August</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />(GAP 32) Meyersdale (breakfast)<br />(GAP 63) Confluence (lunch)<br />(GAP 74) Ohiopyle (dinner)<br />(GAP 75) Camp at Ohiopyle<br /><br />Day 6 - Wednesday, 2</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> August</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />(GAP 91) Connelsville (breakfast)<br />(GAP 116) West Newton (lunch)<br />(GAP 135) McKeesport<br />(GAP 150) Pittsburgh (dinner)</span><br />
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People starting in Pittsburgh can organize transportation to DC on Thursday night (I can find places for us to stay in DC). The best bet is the now-operational "roll on" bike service on Amtrak. Though, depending on numbers, we may do the standard thing (rent a one-way car for transporting people and a one-way truck rental for transporting bikes). DC folks can also arrange a ride from Cumberland back to DC on Monday afternoon to take DC people and their bikes back.</div>
erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-4132181207153020862016-02-20T20:17:00.001-05:002016-08-05T16:52:14.815-04:009th Annual DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip Schedule<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is the approximate schedule that we have done many times (and it has worked quite well) and will try to follow once again. The Canal milemarkers for various stops are given in (parentheses). There are many restaurants, <b>but people will still need to bring some of their own food (dinner the first night and 2 breakfasts)</b>. A bunch of granola bars (or whatever) will do the job for these meals, if you can stand eating them.<br /><br />Day 1 - Friday, 12 August (<strong>dinner on trail</strong>)<br />Leave from Key park (or so) around 3:00PM<br />(15) Great Falls<br />(26 or 30) Camp here<br /><br />Day 2 - Saturday, 13 August (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(55) Brunswick (lunch)<br />(60) Harpers Ferry (ice cream, snacks)<br />(72) Shepardstown (dinner)<br />(79) Camp here<br /><br />Day 3 - Sunday, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">14 August</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />(84.4) Detour to Williamsport<br />(100) Williamsport (breakfast)<br />(112) Ft. Frederick<br />(~114) Detour onto WMRT<br />(124) Hancock (lunch)<br />(141) Little Orleans (dinner)<br />(144.5) Camp here<br /><br />Day 4 - Monday, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">15 August</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(156) Paw Paw tunnel<br />(184) Cumberland (lunch) - DC people get a ride back from here<br />(GAP 16) Frostburg (dinner) - Camp here<br /><br />Day 5 - Tuesday, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">16 August</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />(GAP 32) Meyersdale (breakfast)<br />(GAP 63) Confluence (lunch)<br />(GAP 74) Ohiopyle (dinner)<br />(GAP 75) Camp at Ohiopyle<br /><br />Day 6 - Wednesday, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">17 August</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />(GAP 91) Connelsville (breakfast)<br />(GAP 116) West Newton (lunch)<br />(GAP 135) McKeesport<br />(GAP 150) Pittsburgh (dinner)</span><br />
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People starting in Pittsburgh can organize transportation to DC on Friday morning. The best bet is the now-operational "roll on" bike service on Amtrak. Though, depending on numbers, we may do the standard thing (rent a one-way car for transporting people and a one-way truck rental for transporting bikes). DC folks can also arrange a ride from Cumberland back to DC on Monday afternoon to take DC people and their bikes back.</div>
erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-25658409056701933662014-10-27T20:10:00.002-04:002014-10-27T22:47:38.934-04:00Ok, the trip now has a name and dates...<br />
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<b>Trip Name</b>: The Long Right Turn<br />
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<b>Official Dates</b>: 20 July - 7 August<br />
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<b>About the dates</b>: Obviously, things of this nature have a bit of a soft start - it is very difficult to coordinate the arrival and meetup of several different parties arriving to different places via different transportation types. The plan is to meet up on the evening of 20 July at a camping area near-ish to Bremerton (which is a ferry ride from Seattle). Possibly this place: https://plus.google.com/103255841432133981476/about?gl=us&hl=en . My group will be arriving by train into downtown on 20 July morning, and we will put our bikes together, bike five blocks, then take the ferry across, and bike the 20 miles to the first campground. Others could fly in the day before, assemble bikes and stay overnight by the airport, then bike to Seattle, ferry, and meet us on 20 July evening. Or, if you want/need to cut the time tight, you can try to get in and bike out on the same day. If people have trouble getting there on 20 July (like if your bike needs to be fixed or you just get behind schedule), we can easily do a short day on 21 July to allow those people to catch up (this is one of the benefits of long rides - you actually have slack for these types of things).<br />
On the concluding side of the bike trip, I have the official end date as 7 August, though I suggest that people put in a slack day at the end if they can. For example, our train out of Seattle is actually on the afternoon of 9 August. If everyone adds in an extra day at the end (planning to leave on 9 August), that would actually give the whole group an extra day to tool around Seattle or the islands or whatever. But I know that people are tight on time, so the official plan is to get back to Bremerton on 7 August.<br />
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<b>On taking the train</b>: If people have the time, taking the train may cost about the same as (or less than) flying, when taking into account bike transport. Most airlines are charging ~$200 per bike per direction for transporting a bike, so plan to add ~$400 to the price of a round-trip ticket if you take your bike. I understand that REI has a really nice service where you can take your bike to any REI and pay a reasonable fee to have them pack/ship to another REI/reassemble your bike. Cheaper than taking it on the plane, but maybe less convenient. Amtrak will take your bike for almost nothing ($15 for a bike box, $10 handling fee). And it is less likely to be damaged in a box (which they keep standing up in the train) than naked and manhandled by airline baggage people. While trains are usually not very useful for travel, they are a pretty nice option for bike touring.<br />
We are taking the train and have already booked tickets. We would love to have others join us - email/message me to get our dates/train numbers. It is a three day train trip for most East coast people - one day to get to Chicago and two days ride from Chicago to downtown Seattle. But you can get sleeper cars for pretty cheap, and your room comes with three meals a day in the dining car (actual food, metal silverware, wine/beer included). The trains will also be going through some cool areas and feature observation cars and lots of space to hang out. We plan to bring games and puzzles, maybe some movies, and ditch all this stuff in a locker at the Seattle train station for the ride back.<br />
For costs, here is our breakdown: for three of us, in regular coach seats for the overnight train from Rochester to Chicago and in a room for the long Chicago to Seattle train (and the same setup on the way back), it was $1750 total. Flying would have cost three of us about $1600, without including the bike and other luggage fees. So the train works out to be slightly cheaper overall, but much more convenient, and we will get a cool train trip. Of course, this works because we don't mind spending three days to travel each way (rather than one for flying).<br />
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<b>Very Rough Schedule</b>: So, I am thinking of the trip as going about 60 miles/day. If things go well, I think we will naturally go slightly faster than this. If we end up going slower, we can just zip back towards Seattle earlier on the route than planned. This schedule is planned so as to have the easier Olympic Peninsula part at the start of the trip. However, if you can only come for a week or so (and can handle jumping into some harder portions), I strongly suggest the middle of the trip, meeting us in Port Townsend NW of Seattle.<br />
I list dates, locations, approximate distance along the route, direction from Seattle, and note if there is an easy way to bike here from Seattle (hence making it a good start/end point):<br />
20 July - into Bremerton - 20 miles - West (good meetup/depart point)<br />
21 July - into Elma - 80 miles - SW<br />
27 July - into Port Townsend - 310 miles - NW (good meetup/depart point)<br />
28 July - into Sedro-Woolley - 370 miles - North<br />
2 August - into Ellensburg - 620 miles - East (good meetup/depart point)<br />
4 August - into Ashford - 800 miles - S (good meetup/depart point)<br />
6 August - into Elma - 920 miles - SW<br />
7 August - into Bremerton - 980 miles - W (good meetup/depart point)<br />
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<br />erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-6378931039482035032014-10-25T17:32:00.001-04:002014-10-25T17:32:15.740-04:002015 Bike Trip: The Washington Parks Mega-circle!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Ok, after an epic amount of research and planning, I've decided on the bike trip for summer 2015. We will be organizing the group ride to mainly follow the Adventure Cycling Washington Parks Route. (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You, the chorus: Horray! Fun! Yay!</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">)</span><br />
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<b>The Route</b>: This route is a giant 980 mile circle around Seattle. The plan is to start from Seattle, taking the ferry from downtown to Bremerton, then going south to Elma. From there, we will go around the outside of the Olympic Peninsula (ocean and rainforests in this section) clockwise, then north to Sedro-Wooley. Now that we are a week in and feeling strong, we go East over Washington Pass (a ride that the famous Alan Jenn described as "the hardest thing I've done in my life"). Then south through some dry hills and along the Columbia River, back around East, right past Mt. Ranier and into Bremerton where we catch a ferry back to Seattle. The route will include biking along coastal areas, rainforests, mountain passes, and arid hills. It is a really impressive route: see picture links below. Despite never being more than 200 miles from Seattle, most of the route is through pretty remote areas: low traffic, big on nature.</div>
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The ACA route: <a href="http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/washington-parks/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>adventurecycling.org/routes-<wbr></wbr>and-maps/adventure-cycling-<wbr></wbr>route-network/washington-<wbr></wbr>parks/</a></div>
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There are some seriously cool areas to bike though. For pictures of the route, see pics in these two bike trip blogs, which combined cover the whole route:</div>
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<a href="http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=121533&v=48" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.crazyguyonabike.<wbr></wbr>com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=<wbr></wbr>121533&v=48</a><br /><div>
<a href="http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=91199&v=9H" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.crazyguyonabike.<wbr></wbr>com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=<wbr></wbr>91199&v=9H</a></div>
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<b>Why this route</b>: I looked at many (many!) options and concluded this best suits the needs of the group. It includes varied, impressive, and remote landscapes, my first criteria. It is logistically easy to get to/from - unlike other point-to-point trips, people can book a round trip transport through a single large airport (SeaTac). In a related way, it makes it easy for people to do shorter portions of the trip with us, as you can just head back towards the city whenever you are running out of time (there are good "exit ramps" back to the city at various points on the circle). The circle route makes falling behind as a group less of a concern. I had originally planned that this trip would have a support vehicle, but I'm not sure it is needed on this route. Also, if we do get a rental car, it is thousands of dollars cheaper as a round trip rental from SeaTac than a point to point rental.</div>
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<b>Logistics</b>: Getting to/from Seattle is pretty straightforward. Obviously flights are relatively cheap for everyone, but taking a bike may be a hassle. Abby, R, and I will almost certainly take the train - it is actually cheaper for us to get little sleeper cabins on a train (and have our bikes transported for free) than to take a bike with us on a plane. Plus, the views from the train will be pretty great. However, the train takes two days each way. We invite others to join us if that isn't a problem. <br /> I know some people are very time constrained, and don't mind the cost of transport but can't throw down several weeks of vacation. The longest version of the route is 980 miles. At 60 miles per day, this is 16 days, plus a day or so on each end to get organized makes 18 days (2.5 weeks). I suspect that we will go slightly faster than this, even fully loaded (this is slower than the DC to Pittsburgh trip or either of our previous cross-country trips), but 60 mpd is a reasonable rate for planning purposes. </div>
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R and I have spare time, so we will probably book ourselves ~18 days between start and end. However, there are good connections from the city to the route in several directions: to the Southwest (our starting vector), the Northwest (about 6 days in), the East (about 11 days in), and the South (about 14 days in). Thus, those with tighter timelines could decide which portions of the trip to join and plan flights/meetup points accordingly. Furthermore, we don't need to worry about making it to the end if we fall behind schedule - we just head into the city whenever we run out of time. On the other hand, if we end up ahead of schedule, we can add some loops/side trips into the schedule (the San Juan islands, Loup Loup Pass, or even just a tour around Seattle).</div>
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<b>Scheduling</b>: Apart from the question of a support vehicle (which can be decided later), the only major decision remaining is when to do the trip. Late summer (July or August) is the best time. This gives all of us time to get lots of biking in during the first half of summer, and the few mountain passes will be safely clear of snow (and probably reasonably warm to boot). I want to fix the dates soon to allow everyone time to book travel before prices start to rise.</div>
erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-21209424756659610272014-02-23T17:46:00.000-05:002014-02-23T17:48:49.214-05:00DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip 2014<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Time for the 8th annual DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip. This trip consists of the 3 1/2 day bike trip up the C&O Canal Towpath trail (183 miles) from DC to Cumberland, as well as the additional 150 miles from Cu</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">mberland to Pittsburgh. Thus, people can do the whole trip, or just the portions that they are interested in. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ivVeFCp0Vsc/TAhvBNmTYZI/AAAAAAAABmA/TJlwkvybbuY/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ivVeFCp0Vsc/TAhvBNmTYZI/AAAAAAAABmA/TJlwkvybbuY/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+202.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">The plan is to leave DC on Sat, 5 July afternoon (meet up around 3:30PM at Chain Bridge), with the Pittsburgh people </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">coming in by convoy Saturday morning (or earlier if you want to do The Traverse/DC fireworks). Leaving DC, we will do about 30 miles on S</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">aturday, about 60 miles (each) on Sun and Mon, and the remaining 40 miles of the Canal on Tuesday. From Cumberland, anyone heading back to DC will catch a ride (pre-arranged) ba</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ck to DC, so that they will be home at a reasonable time for work the next day. Anyone heading further on towards Pittsburgh will continue for another 2.5 days (60 miles/day average) and get in on Thursday night. The next post (scroll down) has more details about the trip.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVXrQXumXPw/TAhxG8sUlLI/AAAAAAAABoE/U28caezDe0U/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVXrQXumXPw/TAhxG8sUlLI/AAAAAAAABoE/U28caezDe0U/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+450.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have biked the canal 14 times, and it is a delightful bike trip. The path is level (except for 10 ft rises at each lock) and is packed dirt/gravel. You are in the woods pretty much the whole time, which is nice, but there are small towns every 30 miles or so where you can eat or restock. The Canal is a National Historical Park, so it is well maintained and there are free hiker/biker campsites (clearing with well water pump, porta-potty, picnic table, and fire pit) every 10 miles or so. Additionally, there are many interesting natural/historical sites along the canal that make for a fun break from biking.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jeZUHjpjw_A/TAht8UgiWlI/AAAAAAAABlA/S4YyTPnOe-k/s320/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jeZUHjpjw_A/TAht8UgiWlI/AAAAAAAABlA/S4YyTPnOe-k/s320/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+118.JPG" height="240" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin-top: 0px; padding: 4px;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">I've only done the GAP</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"> 8 times, but this section is also great - the trail is smoother and has more towns than the Canal, but is still in the woods. The GAP also features the "easiest" 2000 ft climb you will ever do, a number of tunnels, the Mason-Dixon line, and the Eastern Continental Divide.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />If you are interested in bike touring, this makes a great introduction.<br /><br />As much as I hate to say it, I plan to use Facebook to keep track of who is coming, so please find the bike trip event on Facebook (I will be sending a link to everyone I can think to) and join the event. If you don't get an invite, email me.<br /><br />Still curious? Here are some awesome pictures from the 2010 trip:</span><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/sonofshantytown/DCToPittsburghMay2010#" style="color: #6c8076;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://picasaweb.google.com/sonofshantytown/DCToPittsburghMay2010#</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here is a short summary video of the 2009 trip:</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/5881678" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/5881678">2009 C&O Canal/GAP Bike Trip</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user955686">Eric Hittinger</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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People starting in Pittsburgh can organize transportation to DC on Saturday morning (or come Friday to see DC fireworks): you will probably want to do the same thing we did last year (rent a one-way car for transporting people and a one-way truck rental for transporting bikes). DC folks can also arrange a ride from Cumberland back to DC on Tuesday afternoon to take DC people and their bikes back.</div>
erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-73743018961467757932013-02-26T14:14:00.000-05:002013-02-26T14:51:32.702-05:002013 Bike Trips: Erie Canal and DC to PittsburghSo, after some discussion and deliberation, I've decided to go forth and do both a DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip as well as a new Erie Canal Bike Trip this year. The Erie Canal will go from 25 June to 1 July, while the DC to Pittsburgh will be from 5 to 10 July. The posts below describe both trips in greater detail.<br />
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Comments about the Erie Canal Bike Trip: We live in Rochester now, so this makes a bit more logistical sense. The Erie Canal Bike Trip is about the same length as the DC to Pittsburgh trip. The trail is only 75% complete, so there is some riding on roads. The area is more developed, though, meaning that trail/road surfaces are better and you are generally not "in the woods". Also, as I have only biked this once, this trip will have a more flexible schedule than the DC to Pittsburgh trip.<br />
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Comments about the DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip: I've scheduled this trip around the 4th of July on purpose. As many of you know, I need to be in DC every year on 3 July evening to help operate The Traverse. This scheduling also allows folks from out of town to come to DC early to join me on The Traverse (or just watch 4th of July fireworks) before the bike trip starts on 5 July afternoon.erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-4409322628718701512013-02-26T14:02:00.001-05:002013-02-26T14:02:53.929-05:002013 Erie Canal Bike Trip Transportation OptionsFor the Eric Canal Bike Trip, I am aware that people may come from lots of different locations (Pittsburgh, New England, DC, and Rochester being the most likely spots), having different transportation needs. Luckily, there are lots of transport options available to us.<br />
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Most importantly, there is an actually good Amtrak line that runs the whole length of our trip, from Niagara Falls to Albany, with stops in all the cities along the way. They have several trains a day in either direction, at reasonable times of day. With bike, you have to take the pedals off and put it in a box, but most people should only need to do this once (at the start or end of the trip). There is also the option of renting a car one-way (since there are sizable cities on either end - Buffalo and Albany).<br />
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For Pittsburgh folks, I expect the easiest thing to do is to drive to Buffalo (or maybe Rochester), park the car, and take the train to Albany. When you eventually bike back to Buffalo/Rochester, you are at your car. For Rochester people, you can just take the train to Albany on the first day, then bike back. Getting from Buffalo back to Rochester should be easy - either have someone pick you up or just bike back in one additional day (this is my plan right now). For NE/DC folks, you could get a train to Albany or drive there. Either way, you can take the train back there at the end of the trip, then either hop in your car or get another train to your final destination.<br />
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In Troy, NY, the meet-up home base will be at my sister's place downtown. She is currently scoping out places that people could park their car for the week (if you want to do that). Troy is a short ride on a bike trial (5 miles) from the Albany Train Station.<br />
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In Niagara Falls, we will arrive at mid-day at the end of the trip. This allows for several options: hang around the NF area (there are lots of hotels and camping in the immediate area), go immediately home (the train station is not far (5 miles?) from the falls, or bike back towards Rochester. Note: if you want to go to the Canadian side (and you probably do), get your passport ready (Also, passing customs on a bike is lots of fun).erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-54882430780125151342013-02-26T13:38:00.000-05:002013-02-26T14:51:53.631-05:002013 Erie Canal Bike Trip ScheduleThe Erie Canal Bike Trip is less structured than the DC to Pittsburgh one, so what you see below should be considered approximate. The spots below all have camping, which is actually harder to find in this area than motels. Motel bikers will have no problem finding nearby lodging (and may be able to spread the miles a bit better).<br />
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The approximate route: <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=NY-7+W&daddr=Robert+Moses+Pkwy&hl=en&ll=42.88804,-77.041626&spn=1.752744,4.22699&sll=42.928274,-78.401184&sspn=1.751601,4.22699&geocode=FfYojAIddaCb-w%3BFf9qkQIdgJNJ-w&dirflg=b&mra=ltm&t=m&z=9&lci=bike" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">https://maps.google.com/maps?<wbr></wbr>saddr=NY-7+W&daddr=Robert+<wbr></wbr>Moses+Pkwy&hl=en&ll=42.88804,-<wbr></wbr>77.041626&spn=1.752744,4.<wbr></wbr>22699&sll=42.928274,-78.<wbr></wbr>401184&sspn=1.751601,4.22699&<wbr></wbr>geocode=FfYojAIddaCb-w%<wbr></wbr>3BFf9qkQIdgJNJ-w&dirflg=b&mra=<wbr></wbr>ltm&t=m&z=9&lci=<span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">bike</span></a><br />
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Tues, 25 June - (27 miles) Meet in Troy, NY (just outside of Albany) in the afternoon. Bike to Arrowhead Marina and RV park<br />
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Wed, 26 June - (44 miles) to St. Johnsville (through Schenectady)<br />
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Thurs, 27 June - (64 miles) to Verona Beach State Park (past Utica this day)<br />
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Fri, 28 June - (67 miles) to Oak Orchard Marina / Hejamada (through Syracuse)<br />
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Sat, 29 June - (65 miles) to Rochester (our house)<br />
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Sun, 30 June - (63 miles) to Niagara County Camping Resort<br />
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Mon, 1 July - (30 miles) to Niagara Falls (and then wherever you want to go from there)erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-20127056277261937112013-02-26T13:24:00.001-05:002013-02-26T13:24:21.788-05:00DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip 2013<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AteoAhgQwGI/TAhtXnWOryI/AAAAAAAABkM/v629fmcmicE/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AteoAhgQwGI/TAhtXnWOryI/AAAAAAAABkM/v629fmcmicE/s320/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Time for the 7th annual DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip. This trip consists of the 3 1/2 day bike trip up the C&O Canal Towpath trail (183 miles) from DC to Cumberland, as well as the additional 150 miles from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. Thus, people can do the whole trip, or just the portions that they are interested in. The plan is to leave DC on Fri, 5 July July afternoon (meet up around 3:30PM at Chain Bridge), with the Pittsburgh people coming in by convoy Friday morning (or earlier if you want to do The Traverse/DC fireworks). Leaving DC, we will do about 30 miles on Friday, about 60 miles (each) on Sat and Sun, and the remaining 40 miles of the Canal on Monday. From Cumberland, anyone heading back to DC will catch a ride (pre-arranged) back to DC, so that they will be home at a reasonable time for work the next day. Anyone heading further on towards Pittsburgh will continue for another 2.5 days (60 miles/day average) and get in on Wednesday night. The next few posts (scroll down) have more details about the trip.<br /><br />I have biked the canal 12 times, and it is a delightful bike trip. The path is level (except for 10 ft rises at each lock) and is packed dirt/gravel. You are in the woods pretty much the whole time, which is nice, but there are small towns every 30 miles or so where you can eat or restock. The Canal is a National Historical Park, so it is well maintained and there are free hiker/biker campsites (clearing with well water pump, porta-potty, picnic table, and fire pit) every 10 miles or so. Additionally, there are many interesting natural/historical sites along the canal that make for a fun break from biking.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jeZUHjpjw_A/TAht8UgiWlI/AAAAAAAABlA/S4YyTPnOe-k/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jeZUHjpjw_A/TAht8UgiWlI/AAAAAAAABlA/S4YyTPnOe-k/s320/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I've only done the GAP 7 times, but this section is also great - the trail is smoother and has more towns than the Canal, but is still in the woods. The GAP also features the "easiest" 2000 ft climb you will ever do, a number of tunnels, the Mason-Dixon line, and the Eastern Continental Divide.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />If you are interested in bike touring, this makes a great introduction.<br /><br />As much as I hate to say it, I plan to use Facebook to keep track of who is coming, so please find the bike trip event on Facebook (I will be sending a link to everyone I can think to) and join the event. If you don't get an invite, email me.<br /><br />Still curious? Here are some awesome pictures from the 2010 trip:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/sonofshantytown/DCToPittsburghMay2010#" style="color: #6c8076;">https://picasaweb.google.com/sonofshantytown/DCToPittsburghMay2010#</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">And here is a short summary video of the 2009 trip:</span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/5881678?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
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erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-11818773945586112812013-02-26T13:16:00.000-05:002013-02-26T13:16:20.574-05:002013 DC to Pittsburgh Schedule<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is the approximate schedule that we have done many times (and it has worked pretty well) and will try to follow once again. The Canal milemarkers for various stops are given in (parentheses). There are many restaurants, <b>but people will still need to bring some of their own food (dinner the first night and 2 breakfasts)</b>. A bunch of granola bars (or whatever) will do the job for these meals, if you can stand eating a bunch of them.<br /><br />Day 1 - Friday, 5 July (<strong>dinner on trail</strong>)<br />Leave from Key park (or so) around 3:30PM<br />(15) Great Falls<br />(21) Camp here<br /><br />Day 2 - Saturday, 6 July (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(55) Brunswick (lunch)<br />(60) Harpers Ferry (ice cream, snacks)<br />(72) Shepardstown (dinner)<br />(79) Camp here<br /><br />Day 3 - Sunday, 7 July<br />(84.4) Detour to Williamsport<br />(100) Williamsport (breakfast)<br />(112) Ft. Frederick<br />(~114) Detour onto WMRT<br />(124) Hancock (lunch)<br />(141) Little Orleans (dinner)<br />(144.5) Camp here<br /><br />Day 4 - Monday, 8 July (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(156) Paw Paw tunnel<br />(184) Cumberland (lunch) - DC people get a ride back from here<br />(GAP 16) Frostburg (dinner) - Camp here<br /><br />Day 5 - Tuesday, 9 July<br />(GAP 32) Meyersdale (breakfast)<br />(GAP 63) Confluence (lunch)<br />(GAP 74) Ohiopyle (dinner)<br />(GAP 75) Camp at Ohiopyle<br /><br />Day 6 - Wednesday, 10 July<br />(GAP 91) Connelsville (breakfast)<br />(GAP 116) West Newton (lunch)<br />(GAP 135) McKeesport<br />(GAP 150) Pittsburgh (dinner)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">People starting in Pittsburgh can organize transportation to DC on Friday morning: you will probably want to do the same thing we did last year (rent a one-way car for transporting people and a one-way truck rental for transporting bikes). DC folks can also arrange a ride from Cumberland back to DC on Monday afternoon to take DC people and their bikes back.</span></div>
erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-35915744861561961512012-02-20T00:17:00.002-05:002012-02-20T00:24:38.946-05:002012 DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip Summary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ivVeFCp0Vsc/TAhvBNmTYZI/AAAAAAAABmA/TJlwkvybbuY/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ivVeFCp0Vsc/TAhvBNmTYZI/AAAAAAAABmA/TJlwkvybbuY/s200/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+202.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Time for the 6th annual DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip. This trip consists of the 3 1/2 day bike trip up the C&O Canal Towpath trail (183 miles) from DC to Cumberland, as well as the additional 150 miles from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. Thus, people can do the whole trip, or just the portions that they are interested in. The plan is to leave DC on Thurs, 12 July afternoon (meet up around 3:30PM at Chain Bridge), with the Pittsburgh people coming in by convoy Thursday morning. Leaving DC, we will do about 30 miles on Thursday, about 60 miles (each) on Fri and Sat, and the remaining 40 miles of the Canal on Sunday. From Cumberland, anyone heading back to DC will catch a ride (pre-arranged) back to DC, so that they will be home at a reasonable time for work the next day. Anyone heading further on towards Pittsburgh will continue for another 2.5 days (60 miles/day average) and get in on Tuesday night. The next few posts (scroll down) have more details about the trip.<br /><br />I have biked the canal 11 times, and it is a delightful bike trip. The path is level (except for 10 ft rises at each lock) and is packed dirt/gravel. You are in the woods pretty much the whole time, which is nice, but there are small towns every 30 miles or so where you can eat or restock. The Canal is a National Historical Park, so it is well maintained and there are free hiker/biker campsites (clearing with well water pump, porta-potty, picnic table, and fire pit) every 10 miles or so. Additionally, there are many interesting natural/historical sites along the canal that make for a fun break from biking.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jeZUHjpjw_A/TAht8UgiWlI/AAAAAAAABlA/S4YyTPnOe-k/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jeZUHjpjw_A/TAht8UgiWlI/AAAAAAAABlA/S4YyTPnOe-k/s320/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+May+2010+118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I've only done the GAP 6 times, but this section is also great - the trail is smoother and has more towns than the Canal, but is still in the woods. The GAP also features the "easiest" 2000 ft climb you will ever do, a number of tunnels, the Mason-Dixon line, and the Eastern Continental Divide.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />If you are interested in bike touring, this makes a great introduction. For this trip, it sounds like there will be a large Pittsburgh contingent and a generally large group. Hopefully, we are looking at a big rolling party - don't miss out!<br /><br />As much as I hate to say it, I plan to use Facebook to keep track of who is coming, so please find the bike trip event on Facebook (I will be sending a link to everyone I can think to) and join the event. If you don't get an invite, email me.<br /><br />Still curious? Here are some awesome pictures from the 2010 trip:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/sonofshantytown/DCToPittsburghMay2010#" style="color: #6c8076;">https://picasaweb.google.com/sonofshantytown/DCToPittsburghMay2010#</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">And here is a short summary video of the 2009 trip:</span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/5881678?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe>
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</div>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-49734959629093932742012-02-19T23:59:00.003-05:002012-02-19T23:59:51.831-05:00DC to Pittsburgh: Things to Bring<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">There is not that much equipment that is critical for this trip - just the camping basics, really. Some people (poor grad students) like go cheap-and-light. Others (professional engineers) like to travel with fancy, high-tech gear. Either style works fine. This trip is a great time to try out experimental camping gear arrangements, if you are so inclined.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Things each person will need (I strongly suggest):</b><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Bike (mountain or hybrid, not road bike! Also, it can be cheap and crappy - my bike cost $120 at Walmart 9 years ago... note that bikes can also be rented or borrowed pretty easily)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Panniers / storage for your stuff (you can buy/borrow panniers, a trailer, or just put your stuff into bags that you bungee onto your rack - there are many options that will work depending on how fancy you want to get)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Food (snacks and a few meals, and more if you don't want to do restaurants)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Tent (or space in someone else's)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Sleeping bag</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Proper clothes (probably 2 sets of clothes, plus rain and cold gear - this is plenty. You can get "high tech" clothes or just wear old t-shirts)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Inner Tube - in case you need it - chances are someone will have a flat, and it could be you. </span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Things you probably want to take (or ensure that someone takes for you):</b><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Flashlight</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Headlight/tailight (in case of night riding)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-personal hygiene stuff</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-TP (not everyone needs a whole roll, but you don't want to run out either)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-money (by which I mean currency: US Dollars!)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-bathing suit</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Other things to maybe take:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-sunblock/bug repellent (I don't use it, but I take it anyway)</span> <span style="background-color: white;"><b><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-Leatherman</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-duct tape</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-short rope</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-pump</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-matches</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-camera</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-pad and pen</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-"blue" polyethylene tarp</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-extra cords/straps</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">-towel</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I will be taking a whole bunch of bike maintenance stuff, but everyone should make sure that they have at least 1 inner tube for their bike.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">The costs for the trip depend mostly on how fancy you want to get with the equipment. You can get a passable bike at Walmart/Target for $125 (make sure it has mounting holes to mount a rack), and a good bike will be hundreds of dollars. Buying a bike rack (needed for most people) will cost you about $30. Transportation from Pittsburgh to DC or from Cumberland to DC will probably be about $100 a person. Campsites are free/cheap, and the remaining costs depend on you - you guys already know how much a meal in a restaurant costs if you want to go that way (I highly suggest restaurants), and the equipment above ranges greatly in cost from nothing (if you borrow it or already have it) to big bucks.</span></span>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-75472797840190704522012-02-19T23:55:00.000-05:002012-04-03T20:40:34.095-04:00Getting in Shape for the Bike Trip<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">As far as being in shape/getting in shape for this trip: I should start by saying that 60 miles in a day sounds like a lot, but isn't too bad over the course of 14+ hours of sunlight. You will need to be in shape, but you don't need to be an athlete (I am not). Anybody in good health who has practiced a bit on a bike should be able to do this trip, but I will say that the more you ride now, the less pain you will be in during the trip. Frankly, the hardest thing about this trip is usually mental (example: bike all day in the cold rain and go to sleep in a damp tent)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">My suggestions for "training" for this trip are:</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">1. <b>Ride a bike often</b> - the best way to get in shape for bike riding is to ride a bike (unsurprisingly). A lot of biking skills are unconscious and are learned mile by mile.</span></span></span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">2. <b>Remember that the goal here is distance, not speed</b> - If you drop your speed a little when riding, you greatly extend your endurance. On long rides, I try to maintain the cardiovascular equivalent of a brisk walk. I have actually found that I have had trouble getting myself to go <i>slow </i>enough on long rides.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">3. <b>Practice going long distances</b> - At least once, take a weekend day and do a 50 mile (or more if you want) ride. When you do this, remember to take your time, maintain endurance (not too fast!), and bring food. Biking 60 miles is not equivalent to doing a 20 mile ride three times.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">4. <b>Remember to eat</b> - Make sure you eat before you go for a long ride and probably at least once during the ride - your body will thank you. It actually is a little tricky to get yourself to keep eating/drinking, but that is the mindset that you need. Most of the time, when a person is feeling tired or mopey on a long trip, it is because they need to eat.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">5. <b>Try your equipment set-up</b> - Put all your gear on your bike as you plan on doing it on the trip and go for a ride. This will give you the feeling for how the load will affect your handling, inertia, and speed. This is a good thing to do a week before the trip: you can have everything packed and actually see how much stuff you have and how it handles.</span></span>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-56563696751298970582012-02-19T23:49:00.000-05:002012-02-20T00:20:53.208-05:002012 DC to Pittsburgh Schedule<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is the approximate schedule that we have done a few times (and it has worked pretty well) and will try to follow once again. The Canal milemarkers for various stops are given in (parentheses). There are many restaurants, <b>but people will still need to bring some of their own food (dinner the first night and 2 breakfasts)</b>. A bunch of granola bars will do the job for these meals, if you can stand eating a bunch of them.<br /><br />Day 1 - Thurs, 12 July (<strong>dinner on trail</strong>)<br />Leave from Key park (or so) around 3:30PM<br />(15) Great Falls<br />(21) Camp here<br /><br />Day 2 - Fri, 13 July (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(55) Brunswick (lunch)<br />(60) Harpers Ferry (ice cream, snacks)<br />(72) Shepardstown (dinner)<br />(79) Camp here<br /><br />Day 3 - Sat, 14 July<br />(84.4) Detour to Williamsport<br />(100) Williamsport (breakfast)<br />(112) Ft. Frederick<br />(~114) Detour onto WMRT<br />(124) Hancock (lunch)<br />(141) Little Orleans (dinner)<br />(144.5) Camp here<br /><br />Day 4 - Sun, 15 July (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(156) Paw Paw tunnel<br />(184) Cumberland (lunch) - DC people get a ride back from here<br />(GAP 16) Frostburg (dinner) - Camp here<br /><br />Day 5 - Mon, 16 July<br />(GAP 32) Meyersdale (breakfast)<br />(GAP 63) Confluence (lunch)<br />(GAP 74) Ohiopyle (dinner)<br />(GAP 75) Camp at Ohiopyle<br /><br />Day 6 - Tues, 17 July<br />(GAP 91) Connelsville (breakfast)<br />(GAP 116) West Newton (lunch)<br />(GAP 135) McKeesport<br />(GAP 150) Pittsburgh (dinner)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">People starting in Pittsburgh can get a ride with us on Thursday morning, and we will probably do the same thing we did last year (rent a one-way car for transporting people and a one-way truck rental for transporting bikes). We will also arrange a ride from Cumberland back to DC on Sun afternoon to take DC people and their bikes back.</span></div>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-61851670515925084252011-02-11T11:41:00.004-05:002011-02-22T23:29:42.463-05:00Bike Trip Movie Finally FinishedOk rock stars, <div><br /></div><div>I finally finished the movie of the New Orleans to Canada bike trip, entitled "One Thousand Hills". </div><div><br /></div><div>I had to break it into two parts, located here:</div><div><a href="http://vimeo.com/19733135">http://vimeo.com/19733135</a></div><div><a href="http://vimeo.com/19819059">http://vimeo.com/19819059</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I would embed the video here, but it wouldn't be in HD, so use the links above.</div>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-52603781880497593632011-02-07T12:33:00.007-05:002011-02-07T14:31:52.238-05:002011 DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqC_ZHuxXFpSSS-Qs5PcweGJBAN7yT8bh7IeEANkGqJz8S_Yfaa2EloM0rJDqK_-cLs4JWdzesax6XLrmN0rENq6bYO4D-8rmMukG2a6qp_tD56NzWOrXNdl6Ialc7iEQPrDAl2tVrE7g/s1600/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+July+2009+128.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqC_ZHuxXFpSSS-Qs5PcweGJBAN7yT8bh7IeEANkGqJz8S_Yfaa2EloM0rJDqK_-cLs4JWdzesax6XLrmN0rENq6bYO4D-8rmMukG2a6qp_tD56NzWOrXNdl6Ialc7iEQPrDAl2tVrE7g/s400/DC+to+Pittsburgh+-+July+2009+128.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571005024660853906" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">Time for the 5th annual DC to Pittsburgh Bike Trip. This trip consists of both the 3 1/2 day bike trip up the C&O Canal Towpath trail (183 miles) from DC to Cumberland, as well as the additional 150 miles from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. Thus, people can do the whole trip, or just the portions that they are interested in. The plan is to leave DC on Thurs, 9 June afternoon (meet up around 4PM at Chain Bridge), with the Pittsburgh people coming in by convoy Thursday morning. Leaving DC after work, we will do about 20 miles on Thursday, about 60 miles (each) on Fri and Sat, and the remaining 40 miles of the Canal on Sunday. From Cumberland, anyone heading back to DC will catch a ride (pre-arranged) back to DC, so that they will be home at a reasonable time for work the next day. Anyone heading further on towards Pittsburgh will continue for another 2.5 days (60 miles/day average) and get in on Tuesday night.<br /><br />I have biked the canal 9 times, and it is a delightful bike trip. The path is level (except for 10 ft rises at each lock) and is packed dirt/gravel. You are in the woods pretty much the whole time, which is nice, but there are small towns every 30 miles or so where you can eat or restock. The Canal is a National Historical Park, so it is well maintained and there are free hiker/biker campsites (clearing with well water pump, porta-potty, picnic table, and fire pit) every 10 miles or so. Additionally, there are many interesting natural/historical sites along the canal that make for a fun break from biking.<br /><br />I've only done the GAP 5 times, but this section is also great - the trail is smoother and has more towns than the Canal, but is still in the woods. The GAP also features the "easiest" 2000 ft climb you will ever do, a number of tunnels, the Mason-Dixon line, and the Eastern Continental Divide.<br /><br />If you are interested in bike touring, this makes a great introduction. For this trip, it sounds like there will be a large Pittsburgh contingent and a generally large group. Hopefully, we are looking at a big rolling party like last year (19 people at one point) - don't miss out!<br /><br />Still curious? Here is a link to pictures from last year's trip:</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/sonofshantytown/DCToPittsburghMay2010#">https://picasaweb.google.com/sonofshantytown/DCToPittsburghMay2010#</a><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">And here is a short summary video of the trip:</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/5881678" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5881678">2009 C&O Canal/GAP Bike Trip</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user955686">Eric Hittinger</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p></div></div>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-81302922623624857712011-02-07T12:30:00.002-05:002011-02-07T12:33:42.157-05:00Canal/GAP Trip - Things to Bring<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">There is not that much equipment that is critical for this trip - just the camping basics, really. Some people (poor Co-ops) like go cheap-and-light. Others (professional engineers) like to travel with fancy, high-tech gear. Either style works fine. This trip is a great time to try out experimental camping gear arrangements, if you are so inclined.<br /><br /><b>Things each person will need (I strongly suggest):</b><br />-Bike (mountain or hybrid, not road bike... also, it can be cheap and crappy - my bike cost $120 at Walmart 8 years ago... note that bikes can also be rented pretty easily)<br />-Panniers / storage for your stuff (you can buy/borrow panniers, a trailer, or just put your stuff into bags that you bungee onto your rack - there are many options that will work depending on how fancy you want to get)<br />-Food (snacks and a few meals, and more if you don't want to do restaurants)<br />-Tent (or space in someone else's)<br />-Sleeping bag<br />-Proper clothes (probably 2 sets of clothes, plus rain and cold gear - this is plenty. You can get "high tech" clothes or just wear old t-shirts)<br />Inner Tube - in case you need it - chances are someone will have a flat, and it could be you.<br /><br /><b>Things you probably want to take (or ensure that someone takes for you):</b><br />-Flashlight<br />-Headlight/tailight (in case of night riding)<br />-sunblock/bug repellent (I don't use it, but I take it anyway)<br />-personal hygiene stuff<br />-TP (not everyone needs a whole roll, but you don't want to run out either)<br />-money<br />-bathing suit<br /><br /><b>Other things to maybe take:</b><br />-Leatherman<br />-duct tape<br />-short rope<br />-pump<br />-matches<br />-camera<br />-pad and pen<br />-"blue" polyethylene tarp<br />-extra cords/straps<br />-towel<br /><br />I will be taking a whole bunch of bike maintenance stuff, but everyone should make sure that they have at least 1 inner tube for their bike.<br /><br />The costs for the trip depend mostly on how fancy you want to get with the equipment. You can get a passable bike at Walmart/Target for $125 (make sure it has mounting holes to mount a rack), and a good bike will be hundreds of dollars. Buying a bike rack (needed for most people) will cost you about $30. Transportation back to DC will probably be about $85 a person. Campsites are free, and the remaining costs depend on you - you guys already know how much a meal in a restaurant costs if you want to go that way (I highly suggest restaurants), and the equipment above ranges greatly in cost from nothing (if you borrow it or already have it) to big bucks.</span>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-1957416200138893272011-02-07T12:27:00.002-05:002011-02-07T12:29:54.593-05:00Getting in Shape for the Bike Trip<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">As far as being in shape/getting in shape for this trip: I should start by saying that 60 miles in a day sounds like a lot, but isn't too bad over the course of 14+ hours of sunlight. You will need to be in shape, but you don't need to be an athlete (I am not). Anybody in good health who has practiced a bit on a bike should be able to do this trip, but I will say that the more you ride now, the less pain you will be in during the trip.<br /><br />My suggestions for "training" for this trip are:<br /><br />1. Ride a bike often - the best way to get in shape for bike riding is to ride a bike (unsurprisingly).<br /><br />2. Remember that the goal here is distance, not speed - If you drop your speed a little when riding, you greatly extend your endurance (on long rides, I try to maintain the cardiovascular equivalent of a brisk walk)... I have actually found that I have had trouble getting myself to go slow enough on long rides.<br /><br />3. Practice going long distances - At least once, take a weekend day and do a 50 mile (or more if you want) ride. When you do this, remember to take your time, maintain endurance (not too fast!), and bring food. Remember to eat! Make sure you eat before you go and probably at least once during the ride - your body will thank you. It actually is a little tricky to get yourself to keep eating/drinking, but that is the mindset that you need.<br /><br />4. Try your equipment set-up - Put all your gear on your bike as you plan on doing it on the trip and go for a ride. This will give you the feeling for how the load will affect your handling, inertia, and speed. This is a good thing to do a week before the trip: you can have everything packed and actually see how much stuff you have and how it handles.</span>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-88850480687702352222011-02-07T12:22:00.004-05:002011-02-07T17:41:35.160-05:002011 Canal/GAP Schedule<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">This is the approximate schedule that we have done a few times (and it has worked pretty well) and will try to follow once again. The Canal milemarkers for various stops are given in (parentheses). There are many restaurants, but people will still need to bring some of their own food (dinner the first night and 2 breakfasts). A bunch of granola bars will do the job for these meals, if you can stand eating a bunch of them.<br /><br />Day 1 - Thurs, 9 June (<strong>dinner on trail</strong>)<br />Leave from Key park (or so) around 3:30PM<br />(15) Great Falls<br />(21) Camp here<br /><br />Day 2 - Fri, 10 June (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(55) Brunswick (lunch)<br />(60) Harpers Ferry (ice cream, snacks)<br />(72) Shepardstown (dinner)<br />(79) Camp here<br /><br />Day 3 - Sat, 11 June<br />(84.4) Detour to Williamsport<br />(100) Williamsport (breakfast)<br />(112) Ft. Frederick<br />(~114) Detour onto WMRT<br />(124) Hancock (lunch)<br />(141) Little Orleans (dinner)<br />(144.5) Camp here<br /><br />Day 4 - Sun, 12 June (<strong>breakfast+ on trail</strong>)<br />(156) Paw Paw tunnel<br />(166.7) Oldtown, MD<br />(184) Cumberland (lunch) - DC people get a ride back from here<br />(GAP 16) Frostburg (dinner) - Camp here<br /><br />Day 5 - Mon, 13 June<br />(GAP 32) Meyersdale (breakfast)<br />(GAP 63) Confluence (lunch)<br />(GAP 74) Ohiopyle (dinner)<br />(GAP 75) Camp at Ohiopyle<br /><br />Day 6 - Tues, 14 June<br />(GAP 91) Connelsville (breakfast)<br />(GAP 116) West Newton (lunch)<br />(GAP 135) McKeesport<br />(GAP 150) Pittsburgh (dinner)</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">People starting in Pittsburgh can get a ride with us on Thursday morning, and we will probably do the same thing we did last year (rent a one-way car for transporting people and a one-way truck rental for transporting bikes). We will also arrange a ride from Cumberland back to DC on Sun afternoon to take DC people and their bikes back.</span></div>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-87619215769613726242010-12-09T18:25:00.003-05:002010-12-09T18:27:40.185-05:00I Actually am Working on the Bike Trip MovieAnd I have proof!<div><br /></div><div>A trailer:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17579963" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/17579963">One Thousand Hills Opening/Trailer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user955686">Eric Hittinger</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br /></div><div>I am trying hard to get this thing done by Christmas, but I don't know if that will happen. Regardless, I do want to get it finished, so it won't take much longer than that.</div>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-23628851999247247772010-08-30T16:02:00.009-04:002010-09-02T18:04:21.869-04:00Awards and Superlatives for the Qualitative Crowd<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzcXtM2SWs0NcaSlChiPw3aqy1wmfzPfhZMSb9mTfzEMafOkSrImu1HjiNR8KD41U_dhFiK0PYWbnLrv31nbTG2yNkek-fkiPyfIvnrNkajnS9iskl_DVasEsxxgj0ixxP9InhCXts84/s1600/UGRR+2447.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzcXtM2SWs0NcaSlChiPw3aqy1wmfzPfhZMSb9mTfzEMafOkSrImu1HjiNR8KD41U_dhFiK0PYWbnLrv31nbTG2yNkek-fkiPyfIvnrNkajnS9iskl_DVasEsxxgj0ixxP9InhCXts84/s400/UGRR+2447.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512439438500683474" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">So, we also spent a lot of time talking about our favorite places/ events/ etc. and have generated thew following list describing some of the Best/ Worst/ Biggest/ Most-est things of the bike trip:<br /><br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Favorite town/city</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">: Aberdeen, MS<br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Worst town/city</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">: Shiloh, TN<br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Favorite State/Province for bike touring:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> Ontario (Honorable Mention: Ohio)<br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Worst State/Province for bike touring</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Tennessee</span></span><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The Jason Haserodt Award for Monster-Related Greatness: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Rachael<br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The "Sasquatch Hands" Award for Smelliest Gloves:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> Michael</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Best Bike Bling:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> Shira</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The Perfect Bike Award: </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Serenity (Rachael's bike), for no bike problems of any kind</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Eric</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Favorite Biking Snack: Corn Nuts<br />Favorite Biking Drink: Chocolate Milk<br />Favorite Quote: "You guys must like sweating. I'll sweat to make money, but I won't sweat for free." (Random dude in Alabama)<br /><br /></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Rachael</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Favorite Biking Snack: cracker sandwiches/ fruit set in Jello<br />Favorite Biking Drink: Tea<br />Favorite Quote: "Pardon me, I don't mean to be rude- but, what's your purpose?"</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Shira</span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Favorite roadkill: Armadillos<br />Worst roadkill: dogs<br />Favorite drink: 44 ounces of Dr. Pepper<br />Favorite snack: Krispy Kreme (preferablly left on a table by someone else)<br />Favorite quote: "You guys sure do have an aroma about you" (Postman in<br />Crump, Tennessee) and "Well, you're still kind of homeless" (Manager<br />of grocery in Coffeeville, AL)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Bill</span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Favorite roadkill: unknown things<br />Worst roadkill: dogs<br />Favorite drink: Tea [ed.: Bill refers to what is know in the north as "Sweet Tea"]<br />Favorite snack: Krispy Kreme, Cheetos, and Fritos</span></span></span></div>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-89212557929109748842010-08-12T22:30:00.003-04:002010-08-18T18:18:50.627-04:00Facts and Figures for the Quantitative CrowdA semi-random selection of facts and figures about the bike trip:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Trip Details</span>:<br /><div>Total distance: 2177 miles</div><div>Total time: 36 days</div><div>Total time spent riding: 190 hours, 8 minutes</div><div>Total Climbing: 55,000 feet</div><div>Average speed: 11.45 mph</div><div>Average riding time: 5.3 hrs per day</div><div>Daily mileage: 60.5 miles/day</div><div>States visited: 9</div><div>Canadian provinces visited: 1</div><div>Longest day: 100 miles</div><div>Shortest day: 32 miles</div><div>Fastest speed (Eric's bike): 40 mph</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bike Details</b>:</div><div>Flat tires: 12</div><div>Broken spokes: 3</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cost Details</b>:</div><div>Total Cost: $4,007.23</div><div>Average cost per person-day: $33.67</div><div>Average cost per person-day in Canada: $47.36</div><div>Average cost per person-month: $1,010.23</div><div>(These costs do not include the gear or initial train ride)</div><div><br /></div><div>These statistics are interesting to compare to the bike trip that I took with Jason. On that trip, we had a significantly higher daily mileage (17 miles per day more), but just about the same average speed (11.85 vs. 11.45). The difference was made up in time on the bike: on the last trip, Jason and I rode about an hour and a half more each day. The daily costs worked out to be about the same on the two trips. I think that some of this may be due to economy of scale, since we had several more riders this time. Oddly, we had more flat tires this time, even though there was less person-miles covered. </div>erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209758813254990654.post-5496667087189775492010-08-12T00:44:00.003-04:002010-08-12T09:13:55.647-04:00The Content of the Future - Tomorrow!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0VMXpQnGsBDSd6RyYrYuHdxfLq2E829eOIW7Y26jMmiouD5I546nRuTHmKVHs35wJpTW16ZRY22FnUYuTDuC0LgaiTFZ7cuwPw3QZSiW0IkUJBy-0dYCRZhZVO5MRN9ZVlv97a5hEhE/s1600/UGRR+3588.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0VMXpQnGsBDSd6RyYrYuHdxfLq2E829eOIW7Y26jMmiouD5I546nRuTHmKVHs35wJpTW16ZRY22FnUYuTDuC0LgaiTFZ7cuwPw3QZSiW0IkUJBy-0dYCRZhZVO5MRN9ZVlv97a5hEhE/s400/UGRR+3588.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504510884394131938" /></a><br />The bike trip is officially over. We are back in Pittsburgh and will be focused on putting everything away, getting back to work, and enjoying a non-hobo lifestyle. But do keep checking this space, as I plan to put up some interesting stuff in the next few weeks, including summary info about the trip, a better edited picture gallery, and videos from the footage I have collected.<br /><br />But for now, it is late and I am tired and still smelly. A shower and my bed await.erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08411450595841223477noreply@blogger.com5