I was thinking today would be easy. I was thinking wrong.

Things started out just fine. The GAP ride from Frostburg to Cumberland was payback for call the gradual climbing I’d been doing since Pittsburgh.

In some spots the GAP Trail is effectively a ledge in a steep hill. Deer were appearing seemingly out of nowhere, leaping from the downhill side to my left and bounding straight up the hill to my right.

Banks of fog hung over the landscape to my left. Fog occasionally gave the trail a spooky aspect.

I saw a pair of turkeys with two babies following. And at one point saw a line Turkey running down the trail; it looked like a miniature emu.

In Cumberland two bike tourists help me find the only breakfast restaurant in town. Th r food was okay but the process took well over an hour.

Google gave me perfectly useless directions to a grocery store. After some wandering I found it and stocked up for the 65 mile haul to Hancock on the C&O Canal towpath. I ended up carrying seven bottles of water because none of the water along the canal is potable.

Potable or not, water on the towpath itself made for an arduous slog of a day. From Cumberland to Orleans, about 45 miles, the towpath was one mud pit after another. It was impossible to enjoy the scenery as I rode because all my attention was focused on choosing a line through mud.

Some puddles had potholes in them. Others had rocks and sticks. I only dismounted once for an especially wide puddle that spanned the path. I swung my right leg over the rear of the bike and planted my right foot only to realize that the edge of the towpath dropped straight into the canal. Luckily I managed to get a toehold and avoid falling backward into the algae-covered water.

I arrived at the Paw Paw tunnel detour. The tunnel is undergoing repairs so the National Park Service built a 1.5-mile hiking trail for people like me. Imagine going hiking in Shenandoah National Park while pushing 80 pounds of bicycle. The path reminded me of Little Devil Stairs.

At several points the path was so steep I had to scream and grunt and driven with my legs to move the bike. All of this during a hot, muggy day, my first in weeks.

I was soaked at the top and now had to hold The Mule back as we made our way down. It was a great relief to be back on the muddy towpath. I saw a YouTube video last week in which a man does the detour with his bike and makes it look easy. It might have been east for him but it was at least as hard at Middlebury Gap.

In addition to the mud, the towpath feature five downed trees. A couple of them required taking panniers off the bike to get over.

From time to time my bike was so gunked up I had to stop and use a big zip tie to poke the mud out of the brakes and from under the fenders.

After hours of this, I realized I hadn’t been eating . I can tell I’m missing calories when my attitude goes in the dumper.

I stopped and ate a turkey sandwich from that grocery store back in Cumberland . It tasted soo good. I washed it down with a bottle of water from my stash and felt infinitely better.

After another five or so miles the mud lessened. At Orleans it all but disappeared. My speed picked up by about five miles per hour. I could finally take in some of the scenery.

13 miles before Hancock I switched over to a parallel, paved rail trail. Except for dozens of root heaves the paved rail trail was vastly superior to the towpath. Except, that is, for the scary rock slides. One in particular looked lethal. I could see evidence of others from repaired damage to fences that ran along side the trail.

I am staying in a Super 8 in Hancock, the same motel I stayed in under similar circumstances on my 2018 tour.

The hotel gives out rags and has a hose so trail riders can clean up their bikes before bringing them inside.

As for me, I had a layer of mud and limestone grit from my shoes to my knees. The shower was worth every penny I paid v for the room.

Dinner was a salad of sorts from Sheetz. It contained lettuce, onion, steak, and shredded cheese. I ate it with something called Boom Boom Sauce, an appropriate dressing on this Fourth of July.

The gas station was holding a promotion: regular gas for 1.776. Pick ups were lined up in every direction. One driver said he was paying “Trump prices”. I guess he missed the part about the Trump economic calamity that came with the cheap gas.

Tomorrow I plan on riding the rail trail to the towpath and carrying on to Harpers Ferry or Brunswick. If the towpath is a mess I might take roads to Frederick.

Miles today: 81.5

Tour miles: 2,503

I had dinner last night at a family restaurant about a five minute walk from camp, There were only two other customers, usually a sign of crummy food but the fish I had was very good as was the crock of chicken cheese soup that came with it.

I slept in an Adirondack shelter. I can’t say I slept well but fitful sleep and sleeping outdoors go hand in hand with me.

After waking and packing up, I decided to give fixing my brakes another go. This time I wasn’t tired from a day of riding so I was more patient. After a few failed “fixes” I figured out what was wrong, the brake’s tensioning spring was out of alignment. This meant that when I turned the screw to adjust the tension and pull the brake pad away from the rim, nothing happened.

I tweaked the position of the spring and turned the screw and voilà the brake pad pulled away from the rim. Success!

I celebrated with breakfast at the same restaurant as last night. I had an odd concoction of breaded chicken, fried eggs, biscuits and gravy, and, miracle of miracles, hash browns.

I hit the road headed to one of my favorite places, Ohiopyle State Park. The trail becomes a tunnel of green. The canopy protected me and the annoying limestone grit from off and on light rain. Small water falls appeared on my right, the Youghioheny River roared with storm run off to my left. Trains on the opposite side of the river thundered by. Birds tweeted. I could do this all day.

So I did,

After Ohiopyle came a series of viaducts and tunnels that were a blast to traverse. Overlooking them were massive wind turbines along a ridge line in neighboring Maryland.

Showers came and went all day. I’d give up and stop to put on my rain jacket and the rain would stop five minutes later. If I took the jacket off, the rain would begin again.

At one point I stopped to adjust something. I had The Mule propped up against a picnic table that had a covering. Instead of cower under cover I put on my rain jacket and made a run for the Pendleton Tunnel. It turned out to be the heaviest rain of the day. Two northbound cyclists sheltering in the tunnel told me that it hadn’t rained on them at all until that moment. This bodes well got the condition of the C&O Canal towpath tomorrow.

In Rockwood, where I abandoned my 2003 tour, I had a long chat with a woman staffing a trailside help kiosk. She kept trying to get me to stay at either a B&B across the trail (it looked like a terrific place) or the new hostel in town. I had to say no because I need to set up my days on the canal. There is no potable water and no food on the canal so starting and stopping points are important. Also, tomorrow is the 4th of July and I expect many resources will be closed.

I got online and booked a bed at the Trail Side Inn, a bunkhouse, in Frostburg. I was the owner’s first customer in 2018. He didn’t remember me but tonight like then I am the only guest here.

Miles today: 76.5

Tour miles: 2,421.5

I’m now 215 miles from home.

Earl and Anne prepared me a hearty breakfast and sent me on my way to the GAP Trail.

It was only four miles and a couple of steep hills from their house. No complaints here.

The trail winds through areas once dominated by the steel industry and eventually changes to a ride through the woods with the Youghiogheny River on my left. For the next 120 miles the trail climbs at about a one percent grade.

The surface is hard packed dirt with crushed limestone on top. It rained for the first half of the ride so limestone grits worked it’s way into every part of The Mule.

Over the past few days the brakes on The Mule have started to fail. This is caused by brake pad wear and cable stretch. I’ve put these brakes through hell so, if anything, I’m surprised they lasted this long.

After having lunch at a trailside food truck I stopped at a bike shop in West Newton where a mechanic adjusted my brakes.

They seemed to be working great but the grit did its thing and they started to rub. I didn’t figure this out until I arrived at Connelsville.

Connelsville had Adirondack shelters to sleep in. About a half mile from camp is a hotel that offer campers a shower for $15 and a hose and rags to clean off your bike. I partook of both and that’s when I learned of my brake problem.

I seem to have fixed the front brake but, for the third straight tour, my rear brake defies proper adjustment. I’m upgrading to a $200 brake when I get home.

If the rubbing continues I’m going to disconnect my rear brake. (The front brake does most of the work anyway.)

There are four other DC-bound riders in camp tonight. All five of us are going to get soaked tomorrow. Man, I am done with rain on this tour!

Miles today: 55

Tour miles: 2,345

Mikes to go: 290

I rode 1,702.5 miles in June, all of it on The Mule during my bike tour. I rode in eight states. I got wet. I climb and descended.

For the year, I’ve clocked 6,086.5 miles.

My butt hurts.

After hoovering the hotel breakfast bar, I headed downhill to New Castle. This being Saturday on a four-day weekend traffic was light.

Once in town the final climb began. New Castle is one of those river valley towns. Climbing out of the valley and over to the next is hard work. I took my time and made it up to the town of Energy. For the next several miles I rode rollers until my descent to Elwood City where I was stopped dead in my tracks by a 5K foot race. It took about 20 minutes for the last of the participants cleared the road ahead and I could get moving again. After Elwood City I descended further to the Beaver River.

I crossed and re-crossed the river and eventually ended up on a four-lane highway. I really, really wouldn’t want to ride this road on a busy weekday. At Rochester crossed the Ohio River to remain on a four-lane highway.

Being along the river meant that the terrain was level, a rear treat in this mountainous area. I also had a decent tailwind so it looked like smooth sailing.

I re-crossed the Ohio on the Ambridge Bridge. It was close to noon and storm clouds were approaching so I looked for a diner-type restaurant. There were none in Leetsdale or Sewickey so I re-re-crossed the Ohio to Coraopolis. My search for a diner was interrupted by a cloud burst. I rode around town looking for a diner until I gave up and had lunch at McDonalds.

Next came Neville Island then back to the south bank of the Ohio before crossing the McKees Rocks bridge into Pittsburgh.

In Pittsburgh I climbed up into the Brighton Heights neighborhood before descending right back down to a paved trail along the Ohio. As the path turned along the Allegheny River it passed a huge Casino and a small water feature.

This trail took me directly to PNC Park where the Pirates were about to start a game. Thousands of fans were lining up for admission. I dismounted and salmoned my way through the throng.

Free of the masses to crossed over to downtown where, unbelievably, I encountered scores of people dressed as furry creatures. I had stumbled upon the aftermath of the Anthrocon parade.

Finally clear of the masses of dubious humans I followed my Google master as it guided me in a big arc around the steepest part of the Pittsburgh hills. It made for a long climb and a frustrating time trying to follow the instructions through park pathways and alleys. I finally quit “bicycle mode” and the app put me back on the bigger streets.

At about 4:30 I arrived at Earl and Anne’s house in Wilkinsburg. I’ve known them since my Boston days in the 1970s. We spent the evening reminiscing, eating and drinking, and searching in vain for an all night pharmacy for a family friend.

Tomorrow I ride to Homestead where I pick up the GAP Trail and begin the 350+ mile, off-road trek homeward.

Miles today: 71.5

Tour miles: 2,290

Today was a day that I was not looking forward to: the dreaded hills of Pennsylvania. As it turned out, the hills weren’t bad at all or, maybe, the White, Green, and Adirondack Mountains taught me a thing or two about climbing.

The day started with a pretty darn good hotel breakfast. Biscuit and gravy, wee cheese omelette, Raisin Bran, a slice of buttered bread, coffee, and OJ.

Getting back to the route 1.5 miles away in downtown Meadville was simple enough. Once on route I headed south and up.

Up 300 feet, down 200, up 200, down 400 etc. All day long. None of the climbs seemed particularly steep. I’d find a gear, get into a rhythm and just spin. No walking. No stopping.

The smoke from the Canadian wildfires was back so I put on my new N95 mask, acquired for free from CVS.

I lost my second item today, my first being a razor back in New Hampshire. Today I lost a sun sleeve. (It’s a sleeve you wear on your arms in lieu of sunscreen.)

I was initially going to stay in Mercer with a Warmshowers host but I decided they’ve 40-mile day would leave me with too much distance and climbing for my ride to Pittsburgh tomorrow.

I decided to ride to New Castle, near the Ohio state line. My route went from Meadville to Cochranton to Sandy Lake to Mercer to New Castle.

The road quality declined near the end of the day. I started to see potholes and other winter wear on the roads. I also had to deal with the odd depression in the travel lane caused my Amish buggy horses.

Speaking of horses, I saw one colt with its mother near the road. I stopped to take a picture and mom was not having it. She started to trot away with her youngster in tow.

I grabbed lunch at a Subway, my first of the trip, that was attached to a gas station convenience stores outside an Amish man was filling up a gas can. He parked his horse and buggy off to the side.

After yesterday’s very good experience at a Holiday Inn Express, I decided Gyp spring for another. Nice hotels sure beat the skanky ones I usually stay at.

I’m staying with friends in Pittsburgh tomorrow night then, if I get some weather luck, I can camp for the remaining five days of the tour.

Time to go check out the burrito joint next door.

Mikes today: 59.5

Tour miles: 2,218.5

My Warmshowers stay in Erie was yet another success. Two meals, a private bath, a queen-size air mattress, secure bike parking, and a chatty hostess is hard to beat.

I hit the dusty trail around 8 headed west out of Erie. Before leaving town I took a roughly 20-mile spin through Presque Isle State Park. The park occupies an peninsula that protects the Erie harbor. It was here that Commodore Perry built the ships he used to defeat British naval forces during the War of 1812.

On this weekday morning the park road was a delightful place to be. Views of the bay and lake alternated with wooded fresh water marshland. As I rode to the end and back I was entertained by countless birds tweeting and chirping and calling.

I stopped to check out the Perry monument and have a chat with a family of Canada geese.

After a couple of hours I was back on my route headed west. After a stop for coffee, muffin, and pie-in-a-box, I made it to the end of my westward journey. I turned south for the final leg of the tour.

Up to this point the day’s ride had been on level ground but now I began to climb away from the lake. Except for some down and up river crossings, I was riding uphill on a one or two percent grade for about 12 miles. I gained 500 feet of elevation in the process.

The smoke seemed to finish as the day progressed (although it appears to have returned as I right this in the evening).

I gave up 100 feet with a short down hill before riding once more on level ground until I arrived in Meadville and went back up.

In town I had a humongous lunner or lupper. A big bowl of broccoli and cheese soup and pot roast on bread with mashed potatoes and gravy, all washed down with my usual iced tea.

I checked into the Holiday Inn Express a few minutes later. The desk clerk handed me a cold bottle of water and advised me that there would be complimentary popcorn in the lobby at 4 and ice cream and cookies at 7. This will be dinner.

Tomorrow the hilly stuff begins. I’ll climb to 1,550 feet before giving the elevation back in fits and starts until I reach Mercer. I hope to score another Warmshowers situation but, failing that, there are two motels in town. If I’m feeling my oats I could continue to New Castle which had beaucoup hotels.

My front tire is starting to show signs of battle fatigue. It has about 7,000 miles on it so I’m not surprised. I carry a spare tire and can always buy a new tire if need be.

Miles today: 60.5

Tour miles: 2,159

The hotel proved to be a great find. The complimentary breakfast was a feast. Eggs, sausage, a bagel, a bowl of Cheerios, coffee, and OJ.

My Warmshowers host in Erie texted me to say that smoke from Canadian wildfires had shut down all outdoor activities in town. She suggested waiting a day to ride but I decided to forge ahead wearing my N95 mask.

The mask worked great. It slowed me down mostly because I had to stop and take it off to eat or drink. Fortunately the terrain was very forgiving but for a couple of climbs near the end of the day.

I was riding along Lake Erie but didn’t see it much because of all the shoreline homes. I did see a red and acres of vineyards. This area is crazy for the grape.

There were several interesting oddities along the way. One was a stone lighthouse. Another was a sign looking for workers that quoted a song from the 70s. A third was a promotion for a book about which I know nothing. Finally there was a drive in movie theater, a dinosaur of a business.

The haze from the fires increased throughout the day. I can see why Erie called a time out.

On my way to my Warmshowers host I rode down Millionaires’ Row, a street lined with century-old mansions of all manner of design.

I am sleeping in the basement of my hosts house. It’s very close to my route. Tomorrow I am springing for a Holiday Inn because I can’t stand the thought of another skanky motel. The smoke is expected to be gone tomorrow but I picked up another N-95 mask just in case.

If all goes to plan I’ll be in Pittsburgh in three days.

Miles today: 51

Tour miles: 2,099.5

Last night I settled on a burger, chips, and a beer at a bar near the hostel in downtown Buffalo. This was after trying to buy Mexican food at a fast food place where the staff seemed indifferent. I was tempted to order a second round of food and beer after the day’s effort but decided to head back to my room to avoid getting caught in another downpour.

My hostel room had beds for 14. There were two people in it, both of us bike tourists. My roommate was starting his tour tomorrow, going to New York City via Albany.

In the morning I took off about 7:30 in search of breakfast. Downtown Buffalo doesn’t wake up until 8 so it was a while before my tummy was taken care of.

I rode south through downtrodden Lackawanna. As I proceeded into Orchard Park the houses became nicer and the business went from tattoo parlors and bars to medical practices and chain retail stores.

I looked and looked for a diner until my tummy forced me to eat breakfast at McDonalds. It’s actually good, inexpensive, and fast so I can’t deny that it was a good choice.

After Orchard Park came some more suburban riding, now in the rain, until I reached the town of Hamburg. The rain stopped so I did some shopping. I hit a grocery store for on-bike food and a bike shop for some chamois cream (to protect my bum).

After blowing an hour in Hamburg I took the very pleasant Pleasant Avenue to Old Lake Shore Drive along the south shore of Lake Erie.

The riding all day was nearly hill-free but as the day went on the winds, headwinds increased.

Near The town of Derby I checked out a Frank Lloyd Wright house called Graycliff. I tried to get a look at the house from the parking area but it was deliberately screened from view by a tall hedge. not wanting to spent a bunch of time and money checking out a house I’d never heard of I went back to the business of riding.

In Lake Erie Beach I went to the grill at a public golf course. The cook was playing golf so no lunch for me.

Riding along the shore is frustrating because so much of it is in private hands. Many of the lakeside estates were decades old making me think that this area was a summer escape for railroad barons and industrialists.

I traversed the Cattarragus Resevation where cigs, weed, and gasoline are a bargain.

In Silver Creek I stopped for a late lunch. Massive burger, fries, and iced tea.

After eating I researched hotel choices near Dunkirk, about ten miles away. There were several that were relatively inexpensive but some of the reviews were nasty. I decided to choose the only hotel that was in my line of travel.

It turned out to be a much nicer place than the reviews had indicated. Unfortunately, getting to the hotel involved a 13-mile slog into a 20-mph headwind. At least it wasn’t raining.

The hotel turned out to be quite nice. It even has a restaurant which allowed me to avoid a walk into town. This is important because it started to rain again.

There’s another bike tourist in the hotel. He’s headed to Chicago from Boston.

Time for some sleep. Next stop Erie, PA or beyond.

Miles today: 61

Tour miles: 2,048.5

I woke up with the birds, sort of. As usual I barely slept but somehow it was 5 a.m. the weather forecast called for thunderstorms at 8 so I packed up my things grateful that everything was dry.

I said goodbye to The Erie Five and headed west on the canal for Lockport. It was a pretty ride but the towpath surface was muddy in spots making for slow going.

In Lockport the path is paved. At the very end of the canal the path goes straight up. I mean a 10% grade or steeper for a few hundred feet. I went to shift into my granny and the chain wouldn’t move. I resorted to pushing The Mule up the hill. I realized that the wet limestone grit on the trail had gummed up my front derailer.

At the top of the hill I started looking for a hose to get the grit out. Unbelievably, the town had a little park set up for canal riders, and in it was a hose hooked up to a fire hydrant. The hydrant had a pressure reducing valve attached to keep people from damaging their bikes. It worked like a charm, freeing up the movement in the front derailer.

Next up was breakfast. Lockport has some sketchy looking diners. After two duds I found a good one and ate eggs and sausage and toast and home fries washed down with coffee.

After breakfast came more bike maintenance. I cleaned and lubed the chain and put drops of lube on the cables to free them up.

I hit the road, traveling due west for the Lewiston-Queenston bridge to Canada. The skies were darkening. I stopped to put on my rain jacket. A man in his driveway told me a bad storm was coming and I should seek shelter. He suggested at a gas station about a mile ahead on the Tuscarora Reservation. He said that after that there was nothing for miles.

I took my chances and kept riding past the gas station. What rain there was was very light. The road took me straight to the bridge to Canada. After 15 minutes in line, I was admitted to the Great White North without ceremony.

After a bit of confusion getting out of the border complex I found the Niagara River Trail that took me north past massive hydropower operations and a botanical garden.

A few miles late I arrived at “The Falls” as the road signs say. The place was very crowded as expected so I walked The Mule past American and Horseshoe Falls.

It took quite a while to extricate me from the crowd. Every time I thought I was clear of the throng a bus would stop and disgorge another wall of people.

Once clear of the tourists in switched to the Niagara River Parkway. Traffic was very light and I started making good time until the black clouds ahead and I met.

Pouring cold rain with thunder, and eventually lightning, mixed in for atmosphere.

In no time I was soaked. The only thing to do was to keep pedaling do I did. It was a residential area with no place to shelter except an ice cream parlor. I feared that if I stopped I’d get hypothermia so I kept plowing into the storm.

At the Peace Bridge to Buffalo I was a good boy and walked The Mule. It must have been a mile. Customs and Immigration was by the numbers, soon I was following my Google master to the hostel smack in the middle of downtown and only a mile or so off route.

I promptly threw all my clothes into the washing machine and took a hot shower.

What a day. At least I can now say I’ve ridden outside the U.S.

Tomorrow promises more rain. Why not?

Miles today: 64

Tour miles: 1,987.5