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| The Yockatomac Trek ™ | ||
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OK, JUST WHAT IS THIS YOCKATOMAC TREK THING ANYWAY? In the mid- to late- 90’s, a trail lover’s dream was taking shape across western Pennsylvania. The rails-to-trails movement had gathered steam, and several trails projects on abandoned rail right-of-ways were becoming reality. A time was envisioned when these trails could soon be linked up to form a long-distance trail that would connect Pittsburgh, PA with Cumberland, MD, and also enable access to the 184 mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath trail, which would provide the ability to extend a long-distance ride to Washington, DC. In 1997, a handful of trail supporters decided there was enough trail completed to attempt a bicycle ride from DC to Pittsburgh as a demonstration that the trail was indeed becoming real and viable. There was such interest in the trail community in this endeavor that in 1999 the first loosely organized trip was held for several hardy adventurers. That early trip was so successful that an informal core group of trail supporters and trail lovers has staged a repeat tour every year since, with lots of variations. The Yockatomac Trek name arose some years ago in recognition of the route which is predominantly along the Youghiogheny and Potomac rivers. 2006 will be the eighth running of what we affectionately call “The Trek.”
SO WHAT’S THE DRILL? Each day you’ll ride an average of 40 miles on the trail at your own pace, stopping along the way to take in the sights, sounds, smells, and experiences of bicycle travel through a natural and traffic-free corridor, arriving at each night’s lodging when you wish. Camaraderie and riding in large or small groups is certainly encouraged, and is indeed a primary attraction of our tour, but you are also free to strike out on your own and do your own thing. Our support van will deliver your luggage to each night’s lodging, and be available at selected points along the way for cold drinks and snacks. We’ll usually gather for a picnic lunch at a pre-selected point of interest along the day’s route. Evenings may be spent at your leisure strolling through the small towns, chatting with your new-found friends on the porch of a B&B, or wandering in solitude along a nearby riverbank. It’s your trip! Our agenda is fun and relaxation.
WHERE DO I SLEEP? Wherever possible, we’ll stay in quaint bed & breakfasts and historic hotels and inns along the route, lodgings with unique character and charm. Most times you’ll be able to bike right to the door of your night’s lodging. We will have designated lodging for each night’s stay, with rooms held for our group. You will be responsible for making your own reservations at each place of lodging and taking care of your own bill. Room sharing is encouraged and we will assist you in finding a roommate if you desire. It’s a cooperative trip….remember?
WHERE DO I EAT? This group rides to eat…or maybe we eat to ride! Sometimes we’re not completely sure if we’re a biking group with an eating problem or an eating group with a biking habit. For sure, you’ll eat well if you so desire. We’ll dine each evening in a local restaurant, or a catered meal will be provided courtesy of our B&B or inn hosts. Lunches will be on your own. Usually we carry a sandwich with us from a local convenience store. You will be individually responsible for your own tab for your own meals, with the exception of some group dinners and the final celebration at ride’s end, which will be prepaid and clearly indicated as part of the registration process. Eat a little or eat a lot, it’s your choice. Your calorie expenditure may exceed your calorie intake, but probably not by much.
WOW, AN AVERAGE OF 40 MILES A DAY SEEMS LIKE A LOT! (or… GEE, 40 MILES A DAY DOESN’T SEEM LIKE MUCH!) You can bike 40 miles on these trails in 4 to 5 hours of actual biking time, leaving plenty of time for exploring, sightseeing, absorbing historic sites, chatting with your companions, and just general wandering. You won’t ride as fast on these trails as you do on pavement. This is not an endurance ride and we expect to start out easy and taper off from there! You will however, want to have a foundational familiarity with bicycling and a fair amount of cycling experience. Check the recommendations for pre-ride conditioning in Linking Up. We don’t have many “hammerheads” on this trip and you won’t be checking your averages and seeing who gets dropped. The emphasis is on just plain fun and relaxation, camaraderie, and a well-rounded outdoor adventure.
ALRIGHT, SO WHO COMES ON THIS TRIP? We’ve had participants as young as a thirteen year old student who came along with Granddad for a week’s bonding time, to an 80-year old gentleman adventurer who kayaks, runs marathons, and has gone on the Trek for several years straight. For the most part it is mature folks who may have their families reared, careers accomplished, or lives settled, and who now have time for and crave a bit of soft adventure with like-minded folks in the great outdoors. Accomplished cyclists to occasional riders, trail lovers and supporters, couples, singles, young-at-heart and not-so-young, we usually have a convivial and lively mix.
IS MY BIKE OK? Probably. The Towpath is a bit rougher than the well-groomed trails of the GAP Trail. It will puddle up in the rain, and mud can become a concern. We recommend a multi-geared, better quality bicycle, hopefully not of the department store variety, either a mountain bike or a hybrid. If you’re inclined toward a skinny tire bike, we suggest you take a day trip on the towpath ahead of time to gage its suitability for the surface. There are some bicycle and tire suggestions in Linking Up. And of course, you’ll want to be sure your bike is in top mechanical condition, and comfortable enough that you can stay on it for eight days.
IS THE WHOLE TRAIL FINISHED? Nope, but darn near! We are anxiously anticipating the day when we can run the Trek for the entire route on two wheels, entirely on the trail. This year will be the first that has the option for completing the entire Trek via bicycle power. Out of Cumberland, MD, we’ll either cycle the last gap in the G.A.P. (a 9-mile road detour out of Cumberland, MD to get to the presently completed end of the trail at Woodcock Hollow), or enjoy the 9-mile scenic interlude up the mountain on the Western Maryland Scenic Railway excursion train, paralleling the planned rails-with-trails route slated for construction this year. The trail gaps get smaller every year, and new trail sections are part of the mystique that draws trail lovers back year after year. Several miles of new trail will again be part of this year’s trek; we’ll travel some newly completed sections of trail on the Allegheny Highlands Trail. Except for those who choose this optional train ride, we’ll cover the entire route on bikes!
WHERE’S THE START? I CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE! Sure you can…! We’ll start from Milepost 0 on the C&O Canal Towpath in Washington DC on the afternoon of June 17. You’re pretty much on your own to get you and your bike to the starting point (or to get back from the ending point), but there are many workable options. Many participants join up in car pools, and we try to facilitate that. Maybe some of your family or friends will want to drive to DC (or Pittsburgh) for the weekend. Amtrak has scheduled service on the Capitol Limited, but departs Pittsburgh in the wee hours of the morning and is notoriously unreliable in staying on schedule. There are private shuttle providers who specialize in getting you and your bike to either end of the trail. Greyhound has scheduled service, and of course rental cars can be rented one-way. Our support van will have a limited number of seats available for the trip on June 17 from Pittsburgh to DC, for a nominal additional fee. And if you just need help in getting your bike there, we can handle that. You can get there, people do it every year, and we’ll help all we can. Be inventive and collaborative!
SQUEEZED FOR TIME? Some folks for various reasons can’t join us for the entire week. That’s OK; you can ride with us for the portion of the week that fits with your schedule. The registration fee will be prorated for the days that you ride. Of course, you’re on your own for transportation to and from your starting and ending points.
OK….Um….SO WHAT’S IT COST? The Yockatomac Trek is undertaken in the same spirit of cooperation which built the trails it traverses. It is organized as a cooperative, self-supported, non-profit tour by a group of people who love trails, history, and the great outdoors. Your registration fee will cover shared costs incurred by the group, such as the support van and driver, insurance, administrative expenses, and supplies. Also, limited specific individual costs for a few group meals and activities will be pre-paid at registration. Beyond that, each individual rider will be responsible for their own expenses at designated lodging, meals, snacks, and miscellaneous expenses. Although your total expenses will be somewhat within your control, the following can be used as an estimate based on previous year’s trips and double occupancy at the primary lodgings for this year’s trek.
Preliminary Trip Cost Estimate:
Shared Costs per Rider (based on 20 riders) $220
Lodging at designated B&Bs and hotels $350 - $400
Dinners, lunches, snacks $200 - $250
Miscellaneous personal/incidental expenses $30 - $50
Approximate Total Trip Cost $800 - $920
(not too bad, compared to comparable costs for 6-day commercial camping-only group rides)
YOU HAD ME AT “HELLO”! Want to go? Sound like fun? It is! You’ll need to fill out the Registration and Release Forms, and send them along with your registration fee (which will cover your shared costs) to:
Mark Imgrund
114 Evans Drive
McMurray, PA 15317
HMM…LET ME THINK ABOUT IT…WHAT ELSE CAN I READ? Explore the Allegheny Trail Alliance website, and the C&O Canal National Historical Park site, as well as other links which will lead you to a wealth of information about traveling the trails along this route. You can get a flavor of the trip from last year’s itinerary; however, this year’s itinerary will be different. Also, a great source of information on trips along these trails is the booklet Linking Up by Mary Shaw and Roy Weil. We highly recommend anyone considering this trip should get a copy from a local bike shop in the area of the trails, or from the ATA Bookstore.
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. The authoritative guide to the GAP Trail is Bill Metzger’s The Great Allegheny Passage Companion. All are available through the ATA Bookstore.
Our 2006 Yockatomac Trek is in the final planning stages. Lodging arrangements and other logistics are almost complete and we’re excited about another unique adventure taking shape. The itinerary will be posted to this website and registration will begin in late February. We hope you’ll check back soon and join us this year for the “TheOCTrek – Our Eighth Great Passage.”
We will use email for most communication about the trip. Join our email list to receive more information as it becomes available and be notified of future postings by sending an email to:
join-yocktrek@listserver.atatrail.org .
For specific questions about the trip, feel free to contact the Yocktrek 2006 Coordinator, Mark Imgrund, at yocktrek@atatrail.org .
“Experience a Yocktrek; assert
your rights of passage”
~T.S. Eliot (or not)
[ Yockatomac Trek Intro ] [ 2006 Yockatomac Trek Intro ] [ 2006 Yockatomac Trek Q&As ] [ 2006 Itinerary ] [ 2006 Registration Form ]
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