It is time to allow ourselves to sleep in, or at least lie in bed for a while. “I can’t believe we’re getting back on the bikes today,” Becca moans candidly. Marty is tasked with bringing the laundry we hand washed last night to a nearby laundromat to make sure everything is dry: he comes back with $18 in quarters. There’s instant oatmeal and a Keurig in the lounge area of the B&B, where we have breakfast before embarking. On the way back to the trailhead are a couple of sight-seeing items, George Washington’s ‘Headquarters’ and the ‘first national road’ among them.
Immediately after leaving town we realize we’re struggling. It’s almost noon on a 90-degree day, and for all his planning Marty failed to recognize that today, not yesterday, would be the biggest elevation increase of the whole trip. With no protection from the sun and gravel covering the long, slow incline, our pace has slowed to 6 or 7 miles per hour. Making matters worse are the omnipresent cicadas, with their kamikaze flight paths and deafening mating calls. Becca even puts in her custom earplugs to “take the edge off.” We take frequent breaks and eventually make it to Frostburg, MD where we run into Kinton again. We decide not to go into town here (as it would require going up yet ANOTHER huge hill) but to fuel up on snacks and hold out for the next town for a proper meal.
After continuing through some cool tunnels and crossing the Mason-Dixon Line into Pennsylvania, eventually the continental divide. From here it’s all downhill to Pittsburgh! The miles pass more quickly and easily now. We know the town where we’re staying tonight is tiny and closes early, we get our fill of hoagies, ice cream, and fresh water in the lovely hamlet of Meyersdale.
We put on their headphones (podcasts for Becca, Zeppelin for Marty) and bike the final 12 miles like it’s nothing. Our bed and breakfast in Rockwood, PA is literally on the trail. We’re thankful to not have to ‘commute’ into town and get busy settling in, doing some laundry by hand, and calling it an early night. Tomorrow portends thunder showers in the afternoon again, so we plan to get as early a start as we can.
