Sail into September
Biking the GAP Trail solo, Yoga Rhythmics with my family, and outdoor yoga to clear my head. Here’s my reflection and notes on how to do a solo ride and camp for beginner bikers like me.
I have spent most of the summer working at some pretty sweet spots (like the Chautauqua Institute, NY, and Bethany Beach, DE), but work nonetheless. I realize that by working in places where others are taking a vacation, I get to vacation when other people are working. So, when we had near-perfect weather at the end of August and no rain in the forecast, I took a solo ride and overnight camp on the Greater Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail.
Most folks on an academic schedule or a school schedule are back in session. That means places like the GAP Trail are less crowded. Some of you know I rode the GAP Trail and the C & O Trail to Washington, DC last September and rode from DC to Pittsburgh July 2021. Both times I was helping provide trail support which meant I was biking half days and driving the support vehicle half days along with the accompanying responsibilities of driving the support vehicle (buying the next day’s snacks or picking up our lunch order, picking up riders that needed some respite, etc). Both trips, called Bike4Haiti, involved raising money for HaitiH2O. This year I wanted to try a ride by myself.
In previous years, I had often taken weekly rides with a fit and generous group of women called Babes on Bikes (BoB). Due to my Spring and Summer commitments, I had not been riding my bike all season. I had been doing my 5 Tibetans and walking a little, but not enough to prepare me for 60 miles of riding over two days. Still, I didn’t let that detail deter me.
My goals were modest. I wanted to ride from the Waterfront in Pittsburgh to Cedar Creek Park (3 miles beyond the trail town of West Newton), about 27 miles each way. There are two Adirondack Shelters at Cedar Creek at the campground. They are free to through riders and hikers (though on a first-come-first-served basis) and free tent camping. I wondered if I could do the trip fully self-contained - that is taking everything I needed. Could I do it without spending any money? This was more of a conversation with my frugal self – really there are multiple options from free camping to paid campgrounds to staying in inns or hotels. But you need to decide ahead of time so you know what gear to take or resources you will need.
Having only done the trips with the aid of a support vehicle meant I hadn’t had to think through what to take and how to carry my gear. The one-duffle-bag rule on the previous trips had been just fine (and the bag traveled in the support van). The first serendipitous event was finding a perfectly good set of bike panniers in our upstairs closet. Strangely, neither my husband nor my kids knew where the panniers had come from. I doubt they are waterproof but, aside from that, they sat across the back carrier on my bike perfectly and even color coordinated with my vintage Schwinn bike – because who doesn’t want color coordination when it comes to bike-riding and your well-being?
I am a planner. So much so, that my husband thought I must have been leaving a day earlier than I was. Here's a list of what I took with me:
Honestly, some of the fun was in the planning. Maybe it sounds a bit dorky but, when you bike or carry your gear on your back, everything you take has to be thought through. Is it worth the weight and space it will take up?
Since it was my first solo bike trip without support, I wanted to take only what I needed. I am happy with how things worked out. Yes, I could have gotten away with less. That was mostly because I thought I would be at a rustic campsite. But when I got to West Newton, I decided I had gone far enough. Ok, my body decided I had gone far enough. I was 3 miles from where I expected to be. I walked very stiffly into the West Newton Visitor’s Center and a very kind lady helped me think through my options. With a bit of recovery time, I could do 3 miles to Cedar Creek. However, it was already close to 3pm. There may not have been any space left at the campground by then. Alternatively, I had passed a campground a ¼ mile back called GAP Trail Campground. I didn’t have a tent, so I didn’t bother stopping there. The lady at the visitor center found the number, and I called the campground. It had hot showers, free coffee, and a canopy tent I could sleep under. It was $27 with tax but I feel like I got my money’s worth. I went on over and found only two other campers and the campground host, Paul. It was a little piece of heaven. There was a huge indoor/outdoor living area – like a big shed with an actual living room set up and even multiple places to charge one’s devices, a sink to wash one’s dishes, and beautiful wooden picnic tables. I thought the TV was a bit over the top – but that is probably because I don’t watch TV and just wanted silence and to hear the birds and not the news or a ball game.
With my accommodation secured - and having recovered a bit - I was ready to explore the town. I love a good bakery. Paul, our host, pointed us to the one and only bakery just over the bridge in the main part of the town. Gary’s Chuckwagon was an unusual name for a bakery. I was not disappointed. I got small peach pie for $3. I ate some right away and saved most of it for dessert. Back at the campground, I found a spot by the river and started writing a poem. My camping mates joined me, and we did some gentle yoga to help with the day’s aches and pains. They were much fitter than I but, even so, we all benefited from a twenty-minute practice.
The showers and toilets are worth their own paragraph. Lots of hot water, gorgeous wood aesthetics, plants growing in the shower. There were two showers and two toilets and plenty of hooks to hang your stuff so it didn’t get wet and benches and shelves also to put your gear on. There’s nothing like a good hot shower after many hours of biking. I like to end with a burst of cold. I wasn’t disappointed. The other campers purchased some wood from the host for our firepit later that evening. They went to The Trailside burger place about ½ mile away, while I enjoyed cooking up my chicken and vegetables. I simply sautéed the potatoes and carrots in some oil. After a few minutes, I added a little wine and water and covered them for 3 minutes. Then I added the cut-up chicken and kept gently stirring until the chicken was cooked through. The cooking pan was also my plate. Hence the placemat and napkin to handle the heat. The whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable. The rest of the peach pie was the crème de la crème. Oh, and the cup of red wine in my spice bottle hit the spot. It all felt gourmet. Probably because it was.
How easy it was to clean up – I had a counter, a sink, hot water, and dish soap – easy peasy. I wasn’t expecting to have any of these things that now seemed luxurious. When my fellow campers returned, they started the campfire. I contributed my firestarters (dryer lint stuffed in empty toilet roll holders) – they worked seamlessly. There was a Blue Moon that night, but there was too much cloud cover to see it. I turned in early and stacked the cushions from the living area under my sleeping pad. My body thanked me. The temperature had dipped to below 60 degrees, so I was glad for my down bag. I turned in wearing my long pants, merino cami, t-shirt, and fleece and merino socks. Having on the fleece allowed me to leave my arms outside of my bag.
I was grateful for my eye mask and ear plugs. There was a train track right across the river. Yes, trains passed by throughout the night. An eye mask is always helpful to create a “black-out” effect. I slept Ok and awoke with the sun and the smell of coffee! It was chilly - about 53 degrees. I got up to use the restroom and get coffee and snuggled back into my bag to watch the sun come up. My camp mates left within an hour or so, but I took my time getting up and waking up, which is always a slow process for me. I decided to make oatmeal even though I don’t usually eat breakfast. I had premeasured ½ cup of oats with 2 Tablespoons of raisins. I added the oatmeal mix to a cup of boiling water, and simmered and stirred until it was the right consistency. It was delicious. I had a cup of tea. I did a little reading and took pictures of my gear for this newsletter.
I decided to go for a one-mile bike ride to see the camp host’s A-frame house he was building. ‘Glad I did; it was lovely. As I was pedaling, my body was letting me know it was not happy with me. I wondered how I might make it back to Pittsburgh. But my body warmed up soon enough. I told myself, I would take more breaks and take things 4-6 miles at a time. I set out just after 11am. My first four miles took me to the spot where I had lunch yesterday. I had some water and a snack. Another four miles and I was at Dravo Cemetery and a campground. It’s a lovely spot with a big picnic shelter and two Adirondack shelters. There was river access and latrines. I had lunch and decided to call Doug for support. I felt like I could make it to Boston – another 6 miles. I checked my GPS. He would have to drive 33 minutes to meet me. I road on to Boston and found a charming tea shop called Betsy’s Tea Shoppe. It was cool and shady on the porch, and Shawna, the server, took good care of me as I waited for Doug – the lure of tea and homemade scones helped.
We put my bike and gear in the back of our Honda CRV and drove to the Waterfront where I had left my car in the Eat n’ Park parking lot. I had checked with the staff who said it was fine and reminded me that I was parking at my own risk once the restaurant closed. But they assured me I would not be towed. Good to know.
It was good to head home and shower. Before long, I was sitting out the back of my house, freshly showered, cold beer in hand, and eating a bowl of chili made by my husband! We debriefed the journey, and as the sun was setting – barely 8pm – I was ready to go to bed. So I did. I slept better than I had in a while.
The next day’s recovery included a sauna followed by a 5-minute cold plunge at Sneha Yoga Collective. Then a 90-minute Yoga Rhythmics class with Nicole Zellie Lann. There were 12 of us in the class. It was so fun to do it with my husband, Doug; son (Lucca), and Lucca’s girlfriend, Gabi. Best choice for a double date night! The playlist was a perfect blend of mellow, slow-moving, to dancing and up-beat tunes that truly made my day. Nicole offers this class each month on the first Friday of the month. It’s a great combo of rest, yoga, movement, dance – no experience in any of those things is necessary to participate. The next morning, my body felt great, so I got on my bike and went to Bakery Square. There was a free gentle yoga class offered by Cara Bessko. Fifty people showed up. It was a gorgeous day for outdoor yoga. The class is being offered through September. Check the Bakery Square Calendar to register.
I hope you try some of these things for yourself. If you do, please tell me about it. It was a great way for me to end the summer and get back into my writing and teaching schedule.
As always, thank you for reading this far.
Ways to Engage
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More next month on what I am writing about next!
Sending you love and hugs,
Joanne