The Great Allegheny Passage - casually downhill

The Great Allegheny Passage is a bike trail which goes from Cumberland to Pittsburgh and is built on an old railroad which in former times connected these two cities.
The trail is really well maintained. It's mostly gravel but so small pieces that it almost feels like cycling on a road. At every former train station they built a resting area with places to sit, toilets, bins, water supply, repair stations for bicycles and sometimes even cold drinks!! Free campsites are provided as well at certain places which I really appreciate cause I decided not to go on any commercial ones anymore, simply because I just can't afford it paying up to 30 bucks for a tentsite!! But enough about the costs here.

View from near Frostburg over the Blue Ridge Mountains

Crossing the Mason & Dixon Line which marks the Border between Maryland and Pennsylvania

What I noticed already a couple of days ago was that so many places here around Pennsylvania have German names. You can find literally everything like Hamburg, Mannheim or Hanover. That's because many Germans, when they came to America at the end of the 17th century, settled mostly here around Pennsylvania. But in fact North America (including Canada) is a whole mix of European city-names which are sometimes the original ones or a little bit altered.

So close to home:)

My first day on the passage started near a town called Frostburg and first headed the remaining 15 miles up the Blue Ridge Mountains. Before you get to the very top you cycle through another 1km-tunnel called the "Big Savage Tunnel" which is quite "cool" in two ways: impressive and not as hot as outside.

Entering Big Savage Tunnel

Inside the tunnel

After crossing the Eastern Continental Divide (about 700m), which divides the rivers which head to the east coast from these which lead to the Gulf of Mexico, the best part of my whole trip yet started. Cause the trail is following the valley of the Casselman and Youghiogheni river it's going downhill nonstop for about 220 km till Pittsburgh!! Combined with the cold drinks along the way it feels like every cyclists dream!:)

Crossing the Eastern Continental Divide

Trail after the divide

The whole valley part is so quiet, almost no cars at all so I could really enjoy riding these two days on the trail:) Although you almost can't see that it's going downhill cause it's just about 400 meters stretched on about 200 km, I could notice it on my speedo. Both days I did about 130km with an average speed of almost 19 km/h with both is the best I did till now.

Service Stations all along the way

notice the "Cold Drinks"-sign at the left :D

Kayaker on Youghiogheni River

For the night between these two days I found a nice free campsite in Connelsville where I finally had the first reception in days!! (That was the day I uploaded the first four blog entries at once:) )

Free campsite with shelters in Connelsville

The second day was pretty much as nice as the first one with the little highlight that I saw a huge snake on the way. Unfortunately I just did a video of it, which is too large to upload:/ It was a black one and about 1 1/2 m long. I don't know if any poisoning snakes live around here but just in case I didn't get any closer than 2m.

Memorial-benches for some reason everywhere on the trail

Due to starting pretty late that day I made it to Pittsburgh by almost sunset so just had time for a few pictures and needed to have a look where to sleep that night then. Eventually I camped at the end of small path in the woods about 20km North of the city. Nothing fancy but it served my purpose. And like the word wildcamping implies it's anything but a campsite so never let your tent open too long if not necessary (like I did:/) or you'll get the company of bugs & mosquitoes, three big spiders, a snail and a grasshopper!!
To all insects: Be warned! This is private property, I don't like to share it and non of you who ever made it in yet made it out alive!  Stay away or rest in peace!

Pittsburgh Downtown

Woods-campsite:)

On these two days it turned out to have been a very very good decision to buy a third pair of cycling-shorts during the repair in Cumberland so now I can where all three of them at once! I know that sounds weird at first but it's absolutely necessary if you sit on a saddle for like almost 11 hours every day without taking a day off. It's now way less pain from sitting than before. Maybe I should buy a fourth pair, but it'll be probably hard to move in these then...I'll see:)
After two days now my new back wheel does quite well. No problems at all. Seems like very good quality. I can't complain at all!

Route on map: