Packing up this morning went fairly quickly and we went back into town to Mitch’s for breakfast. The rain had stopped overnight but the trail was still wet which made it slow going.
We decided to do a short day today because both the camping spots we could aim for don’t open until May. Apparently we are doing the trail just a little early for everything to be open. The camping in Meyersdale is available at a festival fairgrounds, but you can’t camp there yet because the PA Maple Festival is happening right now. We had to check it out.
The trail was mostly uphill again, not steep, but noticeable. We rode through the Pinkerton Tunnel, tried to find food in Rockwood for lunch but elected to just keep going to Meyersdale for a late lunch, and then Jon blew a tire tube. It popped so loudly, I’ve never heard one blow before. After a quick repair, we were back on the move.
It seemed to be getting colder so I was glad we’d booked a room for the night. There were only a few B&Bs as lodging options, and they were all full, but last night I found a room in a funky self-serve hotel on AirBnB.
We rolled into town and went right to the Maple Festival grounds. A woman, who I assume works there, saw us stop and look around and gave us all the information. We went back up into town to grab lunch from the food trucks. It was sprinkling a little bit and getting colder while we ate so we went into the fire hall to see the quilt show.
Once we were done there, we went back to the festival grounds and they let us store our bikes in an empty ticket booth while we walked around. There were vendors, a band, and lots of delicious stuff to taste. I did a few cider tastings and visited a distillery booth. They called last call at 4 PM, and right after everyone packed up, the sun finally came out. Of course.
We went the few blocks to check into our hotel at the Morguen Toole Company. They have bike storage downstairs which I really appreciate. Our room with three twin beds was on the third floor. There’s a communal bathroom but we seem to be the only people here. After showering and relaxing, we went back out for dinner.
Only 31.6 miles today, which my butt and my legs appreciate. We’ll be done with the steady uphill riding tomorrow and I can’t wait.
Go, Krissy, GOOOooooo!! ♀️♂️
I’ve done the GAP and C&O 2x. A great ride. Thanks for the memories.