It was in the mid-50s and blustery when I rolled onto the GAP trail in Frostburg, MD. There was an ominous dark cloud threatening. It stayed windy the whole day and once on, my windbreaker never came off.

I headed up the GAP trail towards Pittsburgh. The plan was to get off the trail in Meyersdale and ride up to the top of Mt Davis and then re-trace my route back to Frostburg where I was visiting a friend from college.

Old Iron Bridge just east or Meyersdale

Riding west out of Frostburg, there is an uphill grade to the GAP, not a lot, but noticeable. The surface is fine crushed gravel with a smooth solid sub-surface. Clearly it is well built and well maintained. But compared to the effort used to blast this trail through the mountains and over the steep valleys, keeping the GAP well graded should be a pretty easy task.

After about 8 miles, there is a big stop on the trail just East of the famous Savage Tunnel. 

“the 3,291-foot Big Savage Tunnel is a marvel to behold.  Built by the Western Maryland Railway in 1912, and refurbished for bicyclists and hikers in 2003, the tunnel offers a cool alternative from the summer sun and a respite from gusty winds in the spring and fall.  It’s fitted with custom arched portal doors and a modern lighting system.  The eastern portal reveals an expansive overlook with benches and a picnic area where travelers can gaze into four states.”

 

After one more mile of uphill, you arrive at the Eastern Continental Divide. This line separates the watershed of the Chesapeake from that of the Mississippi/Gulf of Mexico. 

From there, it’s on to Meyersdale at about Mile 17. Meyersdale has a nicely restored depot and the small town has some pizza and ice cream for re-fueling. After leaving the GAP and dropping down to the river, I took some backroads through poor, rural Amish country for the final 10 mile uphill push to the top of Mt. Davis. 

Between the rural roads and the not-so-stellar weather, there were very few cars out. There were even a couple of rain drops but nothing developed and the wind continued to blow. I did have some arm warmers and leg warmers and a proper rain jacket in my small pack, so that was a nice little safety blanket to have, though I never broke them out.

After turning onto the final approach, I came to a crest with a clear view for 360*. With just one small cabin and the wind still blowing, it was quite the site as well as quite the sight. But I found it interesting that I could be so close and yet not see Mt. Davis, there was no clear sight line to any obvious “peak.” With about another 700 feet of climbing left, it just seemed like my goal should have been in sight.

After more climbing and still no cars, I finally made it to the Mt. Davis Park, a little bit beyond which was the ridge with the big blue sign. I decided to keep on and so started to drop down the other side in order to hit the access road that takes you to the “real” peak. Another mile later and I found not a single car in the parking lot, nor a single hiker at the top. Despite the not so great weather, there was nothing approaching any sort of vista. I started up the firetower, but then with wind and biking cleats on, decided to turn around about half way up. End of the route.

A small climb to get back over the ridge and then it was a very nice downhill (still no cars!) where, despite the wind I was able to get up over 40mph. I was just following the same route back so navigation was easy. Finally arriving at the bottom of Meyersdale it was just one climb to get back onto the GAP and head back to Frostburg. It was still a bit breezy, but the sun was out and overall the conditions were pretty fine. This time, the Savage Tunnel Overlook was everything advertised.

There seems to be a lot of wind turbines on Southwestern PA coal country. If only we had more of them…and only if certain politicians weren’t promising to bring back all of the old jobs digging coal… I don’t really understand what these hardworking folks see in a millionaire grifter who doesn’t pay taxes and has cheated on all three of his wives…

Four and a quarter hours later, I rolled back into the Depot at Frostburg, just in time to see the old steam locomotive. The turntable wasn’t in use any more, but the size, heft, and power of this locomotive was something you couldn’t argue with. Huge parts, many covered in oil and ready to slide!

So that is the highest point in three states down, maybe I’ll get a couple more this summer…stay tuned.