May 2025 Adventure
The Ride of a Lifetime: My upcoming journey on the GAP and C&O Canal Trails
I believe in adventures and the thrill of riding my bicycle into the unknown, and at 76, I’m not about to start slowing down. On a crisp May morning in Pittsburgh, I’ll clip into my pedals, point my front wheel southeast, and set off on a 670-mile roundtrip journey that will push my body, clear my mind, and remind me what it means to be aging out loud.
I’ll be riding the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and the C&O Canal Towpath—two historic trails that connect Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Washington, D.C., winding through mountain passes, river valleys, and time itself.
The GAP Trail, nearly 150 miles of crushed limestone, follows old railroad beds through Pennsylvania and Maryland. I’ll pass through charming towns like Ohiopyle, with its whitewater rapids and lush state park, and across the Eastern Continental Divide—a milestone that I’m sure will be more spiritual than geographic. Every mile carries echoes of locomotives and laborers who once carved this route through Appalachian mountains.
In Cumberland, Maryland, I’ll transition to the C&O Canal Towpath—a 184.5-mile dirt and gravel path that parallels the Potomac River all the way to the heart of Washington, D.C. Built in the 1800s to transport coal, the canal is now a corridor of quiet beauty and history. I’m looking forward to pedaling past lockhouses, aqueducts, and even remnants of George Washington’s vision for a national transportation network.
And then in Washington, I’m taking a rest day to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Washington Monument. But I’m not done.
After a brief rest, I’ll turn around. The adventure isn’t over—it will be only halfway through. The return ride gives me time to reflect. On resilience. On aging loudly. On the fact that life doesn’t shrink unless you do.
670 miles. Two trails. It’s going to be one unforgettable journey.
This ride isn’t just about the trails. It’s about taking on a bold challenge and choosing movement over stillness, wonder over worry, and purpose over passivity. It’s a reminder that adventure doesn’t retire—it just changes gear.
And I’m already planning the next ride in June to Minnesota to ride the Paul Bunyan Trail for seven days.
Remember: Life is short, time is scarce, and how you spend it determines who you become. Keep moving if you want to improve.
