Oct 05 2010

Western Maryland Rail Trail

You know the old joke, “I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out?”

This picture was taken in September, a
few weeks before the best fall colors
on the Western Maryland Rail Trail.

Okay, this blog has little to do w/ that; but I headed east to ride the C & O Canal Towpath trail, and I discovered the Western Maryland Rail Trail in Hancock, Maryland.

I envy the residents of Hancock, Maryland. They have one of the greatest loop rides in the United States right out their back door.
But don’t fret; even if you don’t live in Hancock, you can still experience this wonderful bike trail with just a wee bit of advanced planning.
If you are approaching the Western Maryland Rail Trail via the C & O Canal Trail, like I did, the best access spot is milepost 138. But since the two trails run nearly parallel and often close together, it’s hard to miss…  


The trail is 23 miles long and is paved, so it makes for smooth bike riding and carefree strolling. While on the trail watch out for turtles crossing the path. The old C & O Canal makes for perfect turtle habitat, except that the canal is flanked by heavily traveled trails on both sides. That’s bad news for the turtles, but good news for bikers. If you start in Hancock, Maryland, it’s quite easy to do a 45 mile loop ride utilizing the Western Maryland Rail Trail and the C & O Canal trail. Both paths are flat trails and can be done with just about any kind of bike, but a road bike would not do well on the towpath trail after any type of moisture.
Read more about the Western Maryland Rail Trail at trailsnet.com.
And, as always, we’d love to hear from you if you’ve ever ridden the Western Maryland Rail Trail or the C & O Canal Towpath trail. Please leave a comment below.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/10/05/western-maryland-rail-trail/

Oct 03 2010

Obesity rate directly related to trail access?

Yesterday’s headline was that Boulder, Colorado ranked #1 in the nation for bicycle commuting. In other words, more people, per capita, bike to work/school in Boulder than anywhere else in the United States. I am sure that has something to do with the great network of trails, such as the Boulder Creek Path, found within Boulder.

Today’s headline in another publication was that Colorado is still the state that consistently has the lowest obesity rate in the nation? And Boulder County has the lowest obesity rate in Colorado.

So that gets me thinking; hum, the lowest obesity rate, the highest bicycle commuting rate, an extensive trail system?  Could there be a relationship between the amount of trails in an area and the obesity rate?

Ya think?

No, I know. There is a definite relationship between fitness and the availability of trails. That’s a no-brainer.

By the way, Washington D.C. has the third to the lowest
obesity rate and it has an incredible trail system.  (-:

But what about other benefits of trails. Let’s take a look at some of those. Access to trails promotes:

  • better fitness
  • less pollution
  • less traffic problems
  • fewer fossil fuels burned, therefore…
  • improved environment
  • cheaper individual transportation
  • cheaper community transportation per mile
  • family togetherness
  • more exposure to the great outdoors
  • positive experiences for our children
  • less time in front of the t.v. & computers
So the next time you hear a politician or company (such as AAA’s recent statement) try to convince you that trails are a waste of money, please don’t let them get away with it. Trails are probably the best and wisest use of money that we have going.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/10/03/obesity-rate-directly-related-to-trail-access/

Oct 01 2010

Should electric bikes be allowed on trails?

The Rio Grande Trail near Aspen, Colorado has recently banned electric bikes and Segways.

Segway on Glenwood Canyon Trail

It’s a sticky issue. For some people such as the elderly and disabled, electric bikes may be just the incentive to get them out exploring our wonderful U.S. trails. If used properly, electric bikes still allow the rider to get exercise while providing assistance on hills or for that last stretch when they don’t quite have the energy to finish a ride under their own pedal power.

On the other hand, allowing electric bikes on trails could also create problems that would be hard for law enforcement officers. Which types should be allowed in which areas for how long? Sometimes it’s just easier to say, no motorized vehicles, period; and leave it at that.

Personally, I’d like to see different rules on different trails, just like we currently have for equestrians, cyclists, hikers, and inline skaters. I’ve enjoyed riding a Segway on the Glenwood Canyon Trail and I’ve ridden a motorized bicycle on the Coal Creek Trail. But mostly, I prefer to ride my bike or hike on trails. I’m a big fan of peace, quiet, and a slower pace on the trails.

This sounds like a new topic for the reader’s survey in the left hand column of this blog.As soon as we’re done with the fall colors survey, you’ll get a chance to let me know what you think? Should electric bikes and Segways be allowed on our trails? (If you can’t wait for the survey, feel free to hit the comment button below and leave your comment about this topic.)

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/10/01/should-electric-bikes-be-allowed-on-trails/

Sep 29 2010

Adventure Cycling catalogue

I just received my Adventure Cycling catalogue (or is it catalog?) of 2011 tours. And I’m drooling.

Most of them are road bike tours, and that’s why I haven’t shown a lot of interest in Adventure Cycling in the past. Even their headquarters of Montana, my home state, hasn’t enticed me to sign up with them.

But now, it appears they also have trail trips including the GAP trail and the C & O Canal trail that I just finished riding. In fact, that’s what sparked my interest in Adventure Cycling again. While I was staying at the Little Orleans Lodge in Maryland, the proprietor was telling me about AC groups that had stayed at his lodge while doing their trail tour.

So now, I’m in the process of checking out their tour of the Katy Trail in Missouri. If I can work out transportation logistics to get myself and my bike to the tour staging area, I’m thinking about taking the plunge and signing up for the trip. It’ll be my first guided tour. Usually, I just do these bike trips on my own. It would be nice to forget about packing all my stuff with me and let someone else carry everything.

Usually it takes me a couple weeks to recover from one trip before I start planning another, but I think I’m already to start the wheels rollin’ again.

If any of my readers/subscribers has ever done an Adventure Cycling tour, I’d love to hear about your experience. For that matter, I’d love to hear more about the Katy Trail in MO. Drop me a line. In case you didn’t read yesterday’s post, I now have a much easier email subscription system, so be sure to sign up to receive blog updates as I post them. To leave me a comment, just click on the link below.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/09/29/adventure-cycling-catalogue/

Sep 28 2010

Sorry for the long delay…

… I just returned from my bike ride on the Great Allegheny Passage, the C & O Canal Towpath trail, and the Mount Vernon Trail.
I look forward to including information and pictures from that trip on this site.

In the meantime, I finally figured out how to offer my readers a chance to subscribe to my blog updates via email, so you can find that new gadget on the right hand side of this post as the second item down.

Please take a moment to subscribe to email updates.

Thanks.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/09/28/sorry-for-the-long-delay/

Sep 14 2010

Aspen tops the top ten fall foliage viewing areas

Autumn is my favorite time of year, and the fall foliage is one of the reasons. And just when I started to tire of viewing the autumn leaves in the same old way, I discovered the joys of seeing the golden splendor of mother nature from the perspective of a bicycle seat on lightly used trails.

autumn trails provide fall colors

I would, however, have trouble ranking fall foliage viewing areas on a top ten list. They each have their own splendor. Colorado trails tend to highlight the golden hues of aspen trees in the fall while New Hampshire trails have more of an abundance of oranges and reds. And who knows what I’ll see on Pennsylvania paths, Maryland meanderings, West Virginia trails, Virginia byways, and Washington D.C. bikeways next week?

Very few people would argue that September and October are two of the best times to take a hike on a local path or to ride your bike on one of America’s beautiful trails. The weather is usually great, the trails less crowded, and, of course, the foliage viewing is wonderful.

So check out the latest top ten fall foliage viewing list and then choose your favorite leaf-looking regions. But try it from the vantage point of  a trail this year. You’ll be glad you did.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/09/14/aspen-tops-the-top-ten-fall-foliage-viewing-areas/