Pittsburgh to DC first week of October

[flagulfside]

Floridians braving the frigid north.  What to know?  Who will be on the Allegheny & C&O then?

[mkendall]

Floridians braving the frigid north.  What to know?  Who will be on the Allegheny & C&O then?

My husband and I absolutely loved the Georgetown-to-Pittsburgh ride last summer. What other rides include so many car-free miles with the bonus of good B and Bs along the way? We would super appreciate recommendations.... Thanks.

[GR]

I just finished the route about 10 days ago and loved it.  I think your nights will be pretty cold.  If you want any info, please email me.

Thanks
GR

[JoeandKathy]

Allegheny Passage/C&O riders,
My wife and I are considering making this ride sometime this summer or fall. We are reasonably fit, in our early 50s. We toured some BK (before kids), but have never ridden this trail or in this part of the country. Could someone with experience on this ride, give us some basic information, like:

Weatherwise, what is the reasonable seasonal window-of-time for making this ride? i.e. how likely is rain in August-September? What are typical daily highs? When in the fall does morning and evening cold become prohibitive? DO services like campgrounds close down at some point in the fall?

What kind of bike is best suited to conditions of the trail? Road bike with wider tires? Hybrid-type bike?

WHat is a reasonable length of time to plan to spend making the ride? How many miles/day for a leisurely but business-like ride for a 50-something couple?

Did you find the camping faclilties decent along the route? Are they crowded and space limited or??

Any other thoughts appreciated.   

[GR]

We started our trip in DC.  We also encountered quite a bit of mud on parts of the C and O.  You won't have that problem on the GAP.  My disappointment was the end of the trip when the trail actually ended in Mckeesport and I had to take lousy roads to Pittsburgh.  I would leave that 15 miles out if I did it again.

If you are camping, the C and O offers campsites every 5 miles or so.  The GAP is tougher, but I enjoyed it more as the C and O sites never changes.  Coming from Pittsburgh, you will have a long way going uphill but not too steep, but many miles.  When you get past Meyersdale, you will have a nice, steep 24 mile downhill to Cumberland where the GAP ends.

Lastly, make sure your tires are failry wide and thin tires will not be fun on the C and O.  Also, I am 52 and was pretty out of shape when I started the trip, so you will do great!

Enjoy the trip and contact me if you want more info.