Do you have an activity on your bucket list that you have wanted to do since you were a kid, but something has always been in the way of you completing it? For me, it was riding a full out-and-back of the Ghost Town Trail.
Prior to June 2018, I only had ridden sections of the trail. I would put limits on myself like time, mileage, lack of company, and ill equipped bicycles or gear. The furthest I ever would ride was 10-15 miles before telling myself I need to turn around because it would put me back at my car in just the right amount of time. Ride from one trail stop to the next 3, and turn around. I had other things that needed to be completed for the day.
The first time I experienced the GTT, I was around 5 years old and it consisted of me riding over a brown snake, screaming, and wrecking while my grandma watched in dismay. I made it 3 miles (round trip) that day, nowhere near our family’s goal of 6 miles out (12 round trip) to the Eliza Furnace in Vintondale, PA. Time had passed and our family tried the trek again, same goal, and this time we had success.
The Ghost Town Trail (GTT) is part of the CCCRA trail system in Cambria and Indiana counties of Pennsylvania. It has been recognized as the 2020 Pennsylvania Trail of the Year, a pretty spectacular achievement for this geographic region! If you want a beautiful scenic view as you ride, this is one of the trails you must put on your list. All seasons, it has something to look forward to. Streams and bridges, coal country history, natural beauty & wild life, and small towns, this trail will offer it. The GTT’s main system is 32 miles in length, stretching from Ebensburg, PA to Saylor Park in Blairsville, PA. (If you are riding from Ebensburg to Blairsville, make note that you will be riding down the grade.) There are extensions off the trail, and the association continues to add more each year with grants and funding. The CCCRA does a great job with these trails and maintenance. They have mile markers, restrooms, and picnic areas all along the trails. They have maps and visitor info at the multiple trail heads with plenty of room for parking. Check out this link for more info from the CCCRA on the GTT and other trails: http://www.cambriaconservationrecreation.com/ghost-town-trail/#
So how/why did I finally manage to do this full 64 mile ride at the beginning of June 2018? All the pieces just fell together. I had been riding more miles thru the spring. I made a list in my head of things that could go wrong and none of it seemed like it couldn’t be managed. I had a bike and gear that would complete the task without being too strenuous on me. I had a like-minded friend enthused to do the trek: The birthday boy Nick! I made the time do it, with no limits on when I needed to be done for the day. We parked a vehicle at each end of the trail, Ebensburg and Saylor Park. In case we had any issues with flat tires, fatigue, or injury, we had an out if needed. Thankfully we didn’t have any serious ride-ending issues. Our plan: start at Saylor Park, ride up the grade to Ebensburg, and then ride back down the grade to Saylor Park. Overall the grade gradually changes 1120ft beginning to end. You don’t really notice the change. We kept with an average speed of 12.5mph overall. Going up the grade we tried to keep the speed average around 12, and coming back down we tried for 15mph avg. I think the top speed I had was 20mph for a short period. With Nick’s bike and physique, his top speed was 30mph. We completed the ride in 5 hours.
Gear for this chick:
2013 Fuji Traverse 1.3 ST (hybrid bicycle), Five Ten cycling shoes, crankbrothers hybrid pedals, helmet, water bottle containing 50:50 Gatorade and water, honey stinger chews and energy gels, peanut butter and banana sandwich, peanut butter and PICKLE sandwich, Ozark Trail hydration backpack, biking padded shorts (a must), IPhone 6s, wireless headphones, charging pack for phone, Garmin Forerunner35 watch, hand pump, multi tool.
Gear review: First off, for any long ride, run down the gear list with your buddy. Compare what you both have and see that you’re not over carrying or missing anything. My bike was great for this trek, but with a hybrid, you settle for average at times. I had to exert more energy to keep pace with Nick on his road bike. But it was definitely less work and energy than if I had been on my 10-speed Mt. Climber (Walmart) bicycle I purchased when I was 8 years old. Riding long miles, especially on a rails-to-trails system is way more comfortable with clip-in pedals. To be able to not only push down but pull up on the pedals helps increase your efficiency of the ride. Making sure you have plenty of hydration and caloric recovery resources will help before, during the trek, and after you finish. You are going to burn the calories on these long treks. The chews, energy gels, drinks, and sandwiches were light and plenty to carry for the ride. We also had more food and drinks in the vehicles at half-way and end, so we weren’t carrying it all. Pickles and pickle juice are great recovery for any physical activity. Padded shorts will save your butt, literally! I’m not saying you need a pillow, but if you’re riding with the standard seat, having some cushion between it and your behind will make a big difference. The multi-tool came in handy for making minor adjustments for a more enjoyable ride. It’s important to listen to your body on every journey, because every ride will be different. Personally on this trek, 10 miles in, I could feel my right hip flexor straining as we rode. We stopped, I dropped the seat slightly and from there on out, no pain in my hip. Easy fix, but if I hadn’t made the adjustment I could have seriously injured myself. You can’t always tell how a trail surface is going to feel until you’re actually on it. Tire pressure is something that may likely need adjusted to make a more enjoyable ride. Prior to a ride, I usually have more air in them than needed. I start the ride, feel how it’s going and let out air as needed to adjust to the surface. Sometimes though the surface changes mid-ride and you would benefit from increased tire pressure. Hello hand pump! Make the adjustments and go. Having the phone with the Strava app, and the Garmin Forerunner35 was good to see our cadence throughout. It’s not needed, but it helps.
If you are an average individual like me, be prepared for DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It hits you 24-48 hours after a vigorous activity. We did this ride on a Saturday and it hit me that Monday after the ride. My calves, quads, hamstrings, back, abs, and arms screamed at me for 4 days. But it was soooo worth it to finally do this ride.