Cary and Sara Sennett Saturday, June 20-

Saturday, June 27

On the Road Again…

2015 “GAPCO” Ride

We’re off…again.

This time, Sara and I

are riding for fun.

Which is not to say that

we wouldn’t appreciate

donations to AAFA—

we still depend upon

the kindness of others.

But this is NOT a

solicitation.

It is, rather, a chance to share again. We really enjoyed writing about last

year’s North Carolina ride—and the feedback that we got suggested that

many of you enjoyed reading about it—so we decided we’d share our next

ride with you. For the sheer pleasure of doing so.

Our next ride is “GAPCO”—the Greater Allegheny Passage and C & O

canal, from Pittsburgh to DC. 335 miles in 7 days (riding only 6), along a

groomed trail system that should offer us an experience very different from

last fall’s North Carolina Mountains to Coast ride.

We leave for Pittsburgh on Saturday, and start riding on Sunday. We plan

to “blog” after our rides, with plenty of pictures. Stay tuned and hope you

enjoy!

Cary and Sara

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/testpagehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco

Page 2

Saturday, June 20; Chevy Chase, MD to Pittsburgh, PA

We know Pittsburgh—and the roads that we traveled today—very well.

Sara grew up in Pittsburgh, and before her parents passed away, we

visited frequently. It is a city that surprises with its views, and the views

from Sara’s cousin’s place (where we’re staying tonight) at the top of Mt.

Washington are stunning. Fortunately, we didn’t have to bike to get here.

Tonight will be quiet—dinner with Josh, Dale and Rachel. An early start

tomorrow.

ABOUT OUR BIKE:

The bike in the pictures is new—at least to us; not the one we rode in

North Carolina. It’s a one owner, Gary Fisher off-road tandem, which I

found and bought sight unseen on Craigslist in Boston. It was an

anniversary present from me to Sara (she was getting tired of jewelry,

anyhow) last January; to give us the chance to ride the many beautiful

trails near DC. We just picked it up a month ago, though, when we were

in Boston for Josh’s graduation from Tufts. We have not ridden it that

much…which could make the next 7 days very interesting.

ABOUT TOMORROW:

We meet our group at 7:30 tomorrow, and head east. The plan is 68 miles;

should be pretty flat, but it’s gravel and dirt. That will be new and we’re not

sure what to expect. Other than heat and humidity…

We can deal with that. Hope the thunderstorms currently in the forecast

arrive late in the day. The weather gods were with us in North Carolina.

We hope they are still.

ABOUT TODAY’S RIDE:

Today’s “ride” was 235 miles—in

the comfort of our soccer-van-

turned-tandem –schlepper. Our

son Josh rode with us. His

Father’s Day gift to me—he’ll

drive the van back tomorrow, so

we don’t have to return to

Pittsburgh to pick it up.

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18809811488/in/album-72157654409427399/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18811836680/in/album-72157654409427399/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18803257399/in/album-72157654409427399/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18803257399/in/album-72157654409427399/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco

Sunday, June 21; Homestead, PA to Ohiopyle, PA

Page 3

ABOUT TODAY’S RIDE: Today began with the inevitable “briefing” on the ride; 32 of us meeting

with Bubba (who’s organized this ride…I kid you not) to talk about the rules of the road.

Then off, just about 8 AM.

A lovely ride. 68 miles of tree-lined trails, with the river (or rivers) on our left, and the occasional freight train on our right. Not much variety—but not much to worry about either. No cars. Few bikes. Even fewer hikers. Just Sara, me, and the Allegheny Trail. The weather was threatening in the morning, but by midday skies had cleared. Which points out that, at best, weather forecasting is an “inexact

science.” That said, our pictures may give you some sense of why we worry about the weather. There were severe storms last night, and you can see the power of the waterfalls, the height of (and silt in) the river (which rose FOUR FEET overnight), and the damage that the wind can do. The bike—which, as I mentioned yesterday, is new to us—performed flawlessly. The trails were mostly hard packed dirt, but there were stretches with gravel and mud that would have been scary on our road bike. The Gary Fisher ate them up. The right tool for this job. But heavy; glad there were no

hills to speak of.

ABOUT TOMORROW: Tomorrow’s ride will be, I think, much like today’s. A bit longer but, I understand, mostly downhill. The weather forecast is good—which maybe should make me anxious...? But, as Bubba says, “it’s all good.” See all the pictures from today here.

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18847173118/in/album-72157654472865799/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19008621046/in/album-72157654472865799/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18847160858/in/album-72157654472865799/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19008604376/in/album-72157654472865799/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18847177388/in/album-72157654472865799/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18414164423/in/album-72157654472865799/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/albumshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco

Page 4

Monday, June 22; Ohiopyle, PA to Cumberland, MD ABOUT TODAY’S RIDE: Today’s ride was hard; not “I-don’t-know-if-we’re-going-to-be-able-to-finish” hard, but definitely “we’ve-had-a-lot-more-fun-than-this” hard.

ABOUT TOMORROW:

We move from the Greater Allegheny Passage (the “GAP” in GAPCO) to the C&O (the “CO”) canal towpath tomorrow. Our ride—to Little Orleans—is only 43 miles. And it is—I think!—pretty flat. But rumor has it that, with all the rain around here, we may find some mud.

Always something new and interesting!

More pictures here.

Some obvious reasons. 68 miles yesterday meant our legs weren’t quite so fresh. We did a lot of (energy-wasting) skidding on today’s surface—mostly lightly packed gravel. But the picture here really tells the story of today’s ride: our first 50+ miles were uphill. To be sure, not steep. But (seemingly) endless. On a heavy bike (like a Gary Fisher tandem), you feel even a slight incline. And mile after mile after mile after mile takes its toll,

psychologically even more than physically. Which is not to say there wasn’t much to like. The scenery continues to be beautiful—although it hasn’t changed much (which may have added to the sense of endless uphill). We had a lovely break in Meyersdale. But the highlight of ride—clearly—was the 22 mile downhill from the tunnel (that marks the continental divide) to Cumberland. I believe the technical term for that stretch is “YEEHAW!” Our pace from there was literally twice what we averaged over the 53 miles from Ohiopyle to that tunnel. Which means we arrived in Cumberland—on a beautiful sunny afternoon—feeling great. And enthusiastic about tomorrow.

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/albumshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18444169454/in/album-72157654918744442/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19063235971/in/album-72157654918744442/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18872328610/in/album-72157654918744442/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco

Tuesday, June 23; Cumberland, MD to Little Orleans, MD

Page 5

ABOUT TODAY’S RIDE: The word for today was “MUD.” The transition from the Greater Allegheny Passage (GAP) to the C&O Canal was marked by a major change in the structure of the trail—which, in MD, is rutted with dirt—and with recent rain, means there is a lot of

mud.

The mules for whom the towpath was built could probably deal with it. But on a bike—and especially on a tandem—mud is scary; you slide and—on a narrow path—you don’t have much room for error. Add in ruts, and roots, and rocks, and there is no relaxing.

So the ride demanded vigilance, but otherwise, it was all good. Only 43 miles, and pretty flat. Not quite as scenic as Pennsylvania was—the C&O canal was filled with brackish water; not much to look at. We’re staying at a lovely B and B, at the top of a mountain in Little Orleans. The downside (or maybe not…) is that there is no wireless here.

ABOUT TOMORROW: Tomorrow’s ride will probably be the hardest of the week. It’s 72 miles (or so) and, if the towpath heading east is in no better

shape than what we traversed today, it won’t be a relaxing ride. But the weather promises to be on our side, and—after three days of riding—we’ve figured out who bikes at our pace. So we’ll have good company, and a rest day to follow. As Bubba says, “it’s all good.”

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18480054633/in/album-72157654567541150/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18913079938/in/album-72157654567541150/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18913079938/in/album-72157654567541150/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19074530126/in/album-72157654567541150/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19074530126/in/album-72157654567541150/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18910526339/in/album-72157654567541150/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18908968550/in/album-72157654567541150/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco

Page 6

Wednesday, June 24; Little Orleans, MD to Shepherdstown, WV

We crossed from the WMRT to the C&O canal towpath in Hancock. The next 50 miles were a mix of gravel, dirt and mud, but less mud than yesterday. Until the last 10 miles. Those were hard-working miles; the bike slips and slides on a muddy road, and keeping it upright is hard work. And “stuff” does happen: we heard that the recumbent tandem went down, and the stoker (the rider in back) broke her ankle. Other than that, no drama. The scenery continues to be lovely—but rather invariant. Trees and water. Not much, honestly, one can say. ABOUT TOMORROW:

Tomorrow is an off day—our chance to get some rest, and to stimulate the economy in Shepherdstown. My guess is Sara will have much more to report tomorrow than I. Between now and then, dinner and a good night’s

sleep at the Bavarian Inn.

ABOUT TODAY’S RIDE: Best ride so far! The weather was perfect—sunny and in the mid-70’s, with low humidity. A hearty breakfast in Little Orleans, and transportation from the Town Hill B and B (five stars in our

book) to our start—on the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT). Never has

21 miles of pavement looked so good!

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19120486395/in/album-72157655012656711/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19037970621/in/album-72157654472865799/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18945539389/in/album-72157655012656711/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19131686815/in/album-72157655012656711/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18499850723/in/album-72157655012656711/http://townhillbnb.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco

Thursday, June 25; A Rest Day in Shepherdstown, WV

Page 7

ABOUT TODAY’S RIDE: No ride today. I spent the day hunkered down at my computer. Sara explored Shepherdstown, which is a lovely little college town with lots of things to see and do (lots of pictures here). Given some quiet time, there’s been a chance to think about how this ride is different from the one we did in North Carolina last fall. While there are some differences that are pretty obvious—riding on trails is VERY different than riding on pavement; this bike (and the upright riding position) has meant sore muscles where we didn’t even know we had muscles; the scenery along GAPCO is far different (and a bit more monotonous) than what we encountered as we rode from the North

Carolina mountains to coast—the bigger differences are two: We started this ride with confidence; we never doubted that we could

do it. While we felt fit at the start of the ride in Sparta, we were beginning a ride unlike anything we had done before. It is good to test (and find) one’s limits. But it is more comfortable to operate in a place one has been before…

We (or I) had none of the “performance anxiety” on this ride that

marked the first few days of the NC ride. While that ride began as our personal challenge, it became much more than that when we asked you all to sponsor us for AAFA. For me, that meant that we had to

finish, no matter what the course threw at us. While many of you have donated to AAFA in honor of our GAPCO ride—and we are, and AAFA is, so grateful to you for that—our goal this time was not fundraising. So we rode, knowing that—if the skies opened up, or the mud got too scary—we could hop on the SAG wagon, without apology.

Bottom line: This ride has been challenging, but somehow the psychology of it has been easier. We have enjoyed it very much, and enjoyed sharing it with you. ABOUT TOMORROW:

A relatively short ride—about 38 miles—to Leesburg. We’re getting close to DC. It’ll all depend on the weather and the condition of the trail. We’ll let you know this time tomorrow.

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19152053202/in/album-72157654651440689/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco

Page 8

Friday, June 26; Shepherdstown, WV to Leesburg, VA ABOUT TODAY’S RIDE: We were baptized today; we took a spill in the mud, about 28 miles into the 38 mile ride. We bruised our egos (but not much else, fortunately) and carried a good bit

of Maryland topsoil with us to the

finish.

It was also the first day we had any mechanical problems. A flat about 10 miles into the ride, and a broken spoke with the fall. We dealt with the former. The latter may be a bit more challenging; we managed to make it to the end of the ride with “roadside repair,” but I’m not sure we can ride safely without a professional fix. Off to find bike shop, shortly. Otherwise…an easy day. Road conditions alternated from “trail with patches of mud,” to “mud with patches of trail.” There was some lovely scenery, and places to stop, along the way. But, honestly, conditions did not make for a relaxing ride. More pictures up here.

ABOUT TOMORROW: Home stretch; a puddle jump (as it were) to DC. But it may be literally so, as the rain which seems to have been in the background appears ready to move into the foreground. After today’s spill, tomorrow will be a game day

call.

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19182880082/in/album-72157654678568139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19182879952/in/album-72157654678568139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19182879952/in/album-72157654678568139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18554030484/in/album-72157654678568139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18992537799/in/album-72157654678568139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18558069903/in/album-72157654678568139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/18558069903/in/album-72157654678568139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19188695195/in/album-72157654678568139/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/albumshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco

Saturday, June 27; Leesburg, VA to Washington, DC

Page 9

ABOUT TODAY’S RIDE: We’ve come to appreciate that trail riding takes concentration, strength, and a bit of luck. Rain—and the mud and challenges to visibility that come with it—is not our friend. We “sagged” to DC from Leesburg—along with 25 of our colleagues. A cold rain at the start, and a weather forecast that promised not only more rain, but wind and lightning. You ride in conditions like this if you have to. We’re on vacation. We didn’t have to.

Josh met us in Georgetown, and brought us back home in our van. Feeling tired but satisfied. But maybe in need of a vacation. OUR NEXT CHALLENGE: I start radiation therapy for prostate cancer on Monday. Our next challenge is not one we’ve chosen, but life is like that sometimes. We’re fortunate, both in that the cancer is early stage, and that there are many terrific sources for care in the DC area. We know others who have faced much worse.

I debated for some time whether to share. If biking has taught us one thing, though, it is that miles are easier when you have company. And the hardest miles are the ones where that is especially true. So Sara and I thank you all again, for your company; your good wishes (past and future); and your support for us and for AAFA.

About the Ride 1

Saturday, June 20th

2

Sunday, June 21st

3

Monday, June 22nd

4

Tuesday, June 23rd

5

Wednesday, June 24th

6

Thursday, June 25th

7

Friday, June 26th

8

Saturday, June 27th

9

Don’t forget to:

See our pictures

Visit our fundraising page

Make a donation!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/19022034808/in/album-72157655151152215/http://www.flickr.com/photos/csennett/setshttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapcohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tandemride/gapco