Rail Trails for Vacation Stops
Gina and I have been taking short trips this year in place of our usual big bicycle trips. It started this year with me dislocating my right shoulder and tearing the rotator cuff in a freak ski fall at Bromley in January that put skiing out of reach for the rest of the season.
After the shoulder was put back in place (long story) and before I could have the repair surgery Gina and I decided on a short trip to West Va. for a soak in the hot springs of Berkeley Springs State Park in Berkeley, WV. The springs feature a Roman Bath with individual 750-gallon tubs and you can request any water temperature. It was great for soaking the shoulder. Just to the north of Berkeley is a rail trail called the Western Maryland Rail Trail. It’s 27.5 miles long and is paved along the northern shore of the Potomac River paralleling the famous C&O canal trail. We rode the trail in the upriver direction so it would be down hill on the way back. My shoulder survived the ride, so we did more of it the next day.
In March we took a road trip to Charleston SC. Again, our goal was to do some rail trail biking while getting in some biking not available in Schenectady. Needless to say, we stopped at Berkeley Springs on the way south. Also, on the way we stopped at Raleigh NC and rode on the Neuse River Greenway trail a 34-mile paved trail along the Neuse River and by the Falls. This was a pleasant ride with a bike shop at the trail head where I had the bike shifters adjusted. When we reached Charleston, we were impressed with the reuse of the old industrial buildings in the Old Town section. Due to the weather and historic sights available (Ft Sumpter, Drayton Hall, Museums) we didn’t get in any bike riding. But there are several good trails available: West Ashley Greenway (8 mi) other small trails & Swamp Fox Passage a 47 mi. gravel/dirt fat tire trail that is part of the longer Palmetto Trail going from the Atlantic coast to Spartanburg, NC. That would be an ideal extended ride for serious mountain bikers or e-bike fat tire riders.
On the way home, we stopped at Greensboro, NC where we rode on the Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway. The trail includes the Guilford Courthouse where the pivotal revolutionary war battle was fought that ended the march by Cornwallis through the south and led to his eventual surrender at York Town. The battle was immortalized in the movie The Patriot with Mel Gibson.
In June we did some riding in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. We stopped at Titusville PA and rode along the Oil Creek State Park Trail (18 mi) that passes through the original oil boom towns of Western PA. The park has a replica of the first US oil well. From there we went to Wheeling WV (Wheeling Heritage Trail) and Morgantown (Mon River & Deckers Creek Rail Trails) riding on bike paths in both towns.
More recently, with my shoulder on the mend, I drove out to meet my brother in Oshkosh Wisconsin where I have done some bike riding in the past. Out of Oshkosh is the Wiouwash State Trail (47 mi paved/packed gravel) that travels mostly flat along an abandoned rail line and passes wetlands and farm fields. South of Oshkosh is Fond Du Lac where Wild Goose State Trail (34.5 mi) starts. This is an old rail trail flat, well maintained through farms and forests. I have a favorite ride (Peebles Trail) from Fond du Lac that goes up a glacial escarpment to the east and puts you in the middle of a very large wind farm with state of the art wind turbines in the corn fields.
More information on the trail system can be found on the Traillink.com website. Traillink gives the length, surface material, altitude of the trails. Plus, there is a general description of the trail conditions, what to see, food and water, and where to park your car. The Rails to Trails Conservancy has guide books with descriptions of the most popular rail trails in the US and is a good resource for bikers and walkers.
Good Riding to you all. Bill Kornrumpf
