2001: A Trail Odyssey
The Third Yokatomac Trek a Rail-Trail and Towpath Ride
Washington DC  to Pittsburgh PA June 9 to June 17, 2001

Celebrate inter-city trails on the C&O Canal Towpath
and the rail-trails of the Allegheny Trail Alliance
by riding the length of the nearly-completed trail

	Ride for a week with LITTLE TRAFFIC
	Bags transported for you each day
	Choice of camping or indoor lodging

The trail from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC is nearly finished!

Come journey by bicycle along the C&O Canal Towpath and the completed trails of the Allegheny Trail Alliance. We'll ride from Washington DC to Pittsburgh PA on nearly-level trails that once served canals and trails..

Cycle the Trails Through the Mountains

We will travel for about 300 miles along the flattest route ever built between Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, . By taking eight days, we'll have lots of time to appreciate the river scenery and spectacular mountain gorges. Explore the remnant structures of railroad and canal that line this now-sylvan corridor. Lodging will be close to the trail, so we'll bike right to the door of most of the motels and B&Bs.  Choose the indoor lodging option or the mostly-camping option; campgrounds are right along the trail. Lodging capacity is what limits the size of the trip, so we will need to make full use of rooms. Plan on sharing rooms. 

This year we'll return to the route of the inaugural Yokatomactrek '99. There will be a van to carry bags and camping gear each day. But only very limited support is possible on these remote trails. Plan to carry, with you on the bike, those things you'll need for each day's ride. Be ready to help a fellow rider, if a problem should occur.

The entire Y2K Trek is being undertaken in the same spirit of cooperation which built the trails it traverses.  We're organizing this as a cooperative, self-supported trip with a group of people interested in trails and history. We'll work together with you to coordinate some of the logistics effort. 

Be aware that the C&O Canal Towpath is much rougher than our fine crushed limestone rail-trails. In the rain the towpath puddles up, becoming slippery. A decent mountain bike, with good tires and shocks, is recommended. However, some hybrid riders have done well on the towpath. If you're inclined toward skinny tires, we suggest you take a day trip on the towpath ahead of time, perhaps out of Cumberland. See the bicycle and tire suggestions in Linking Up.

The Itinerary at a Glance 

Indoor Lodging and Camping Options

You need to tell us whether you're interested in the indoor lodging option or the camping option. Note that with the indoor option, you'll sleep every night in a B&B, inn, or motel. The camping option offers either primitive or other type camping for six of the eight nights, and indoor lodging the other two nights. 

Indoor capacity is limited, so we need to share rooms. The rates quoted in the table above are less taxes, and are based on full occupancy. Couples will room together, so tell us the name of your roommate. In some places a few single men may have to share one room, and single women another.

You're pretty much on your own for getting to Washington DC, but we'll try to match up carpools. We hope that an assortment of family members and friends will want to drive to DC for the weekend. Amtrak or a rental van are other possibilities.

If you don't have your favorite list of things to pack for a week-long bike trip, see the one from Linking Up. This was drawn up for a motel-and-hostel trip, so it doesn't cover any camping equipment. Other things to bring:
        Bike Helmet                     Biking Gloves
       Bike Lock                      Spare Inner Tubes - that fit your rims!
       Insect repellant/spray      Fels naptha soap/calamine -  for poison ivy
       Toilet paper                    Flashlight for Paw Paw Tunnel

Estimated Costs

We are asking that you send $100 to indicate your interest in the trip. This amount should approximately cover the shared costs. Reservations are being accepted on a first come, first served basis. Make your check payable to "RTC", and send it to PO Box 186, Latrobe, PA 15650. Be sure to tell us whether you prefer indoor lodging or camping, and name your roommate.

Equipment, lodging costs, and meals are each participant's own responsibility. Bring your credit card!

Cost figures for the trip are in the process of being determined. The following is only a rough estimate:

Costs to be shared by the entire group

Individual costs

Please bear in mind that the effort of running this trip is to be shared by the participants. It is possible that other expenses may arise. Note that this is a cooperative trip by the riders, and is NOT a fully-supported outfitter tour!

Need more information?

Explore the Allegheny Trail Alliance website at www.ATATrail.org.You can explore the websites of each of the member trails from there. From the ATA site, Other Links will lead you to a wealth of information about traveling in the areas along this route.

A great source of information on trips along these trails is the booklet Linking Up, by Mary Shaw and Roy Weil. We highly recommend that anyone who is considering this trip should get a copy from a local bike shop, or from the ATA bookstore.

Mary and Roy also wrote up a trip report after they rode this trip in 1997. See also Last Year's Yokatomactrek and the original Yockatomactrek in 1999

Good C&O Canal guidebooks are Thomas Hahn's Towpath Guide to the C&O Canal, and Mike High's C&O Canal Companion. Read the more recent High before the trip for background, but bring Hahn in your saddlebag for an on-the-path explanation of the canal's operating features. Order through the ATA bookstore.

Sound like fun? Tell us of your interest in the trip!

We plan to do most of the communicating with trip participants via email.

Get on the list of interested folks by sending email to: ATAmail@ATAtrail.org          

Trip coordinator is Duane Wolley

The Trail Odyssey web pages are hosted by the Allegheny Trail Alliance. This page last updated 04/20/07.