Can you bicycle appalachian trail

I am a mountain biker among other things and I enjoy writing about both topics I know but also about new things about mountain bikes that I learn. If you enjoy tackling trails and tracks and everything in between, then this is the blog for you. The Great Divide is the longest off-road route in the world. In total, you will go downhill more than 8, feet and it is considered an advanced trail. Be Prepared on the Long Trails Just remember to be prepared for those long trails.

That is what I mean when I say I am a foul weather hiker and a fair weather cyclist. Admittedly, however, it has been a while since I last backpacked or hiked on our beloved AT. I was cycling! It was legal. It was allowed. It was even encouraged. That means day hikers enjoying a casual stroll, birding, or taking in the historical sites as well as backpackers thru hiking or out for just a few days or weeks, as well as cyclists covering just a few miles or peddling the entire distance between Pittsburgh and DC, are sharing the trail.

The guide book I was using said nothing about it. I knew that hikers and cyclists shared the bridge crossing the Potomac but I did not know they also shared a section of trail. As soon as I could, I stopped, climbed off my bike, and asked my cycling companion, Vince, to snap a digital photo of me leaning against a trail marker. During our ride from DC to Pittsburg we encountered numerous walkers, day hikers, and runners, but the only backpackers we saw were on this short mile and a half section where the Appalachian Trail and the C and O Canal Towpath traverse the same ground.

Seeing those white blazes for the first time in a couple of years ignited within me a desire to get back to the Appalachian Trail as a backpacker rather than a cyclist, to put some serious thought into hiking a major section, and even undertaking my own thru hike. Now, a new project is taking shape in the Virginia highlands that could eventually rival the A. A decade ago, Chris Scott saw the growing interest in long distance mountain bike trails like the Colorado Trail, Arizona Trail, and Continental Divide Trail in the West and got an idea.

Scott and his partners were already leading multi-day cross country biking tours in George Washington National Forest and directing the Shenandoah Mountain through their company, Shenandoah Mountain Tours, so they decided to take it to the next level. This region of the Blue Ridge is already well established as a premier mountain biking destination, but Scott was looking for something more. After riding to Moab, we realized probably the best off-road riding we did was right there in Virginia.

He is just one of the many locals involved in the conceptual realization of the long distance route. Currently, the IMBA does not have any direct involvement with the route, but over the years, they have provided non-funded support for the VMBT by assisting in networking and planning.

The core of the actual trail work is being done by volunteers from various biking communities and clubs. Like the A. The trick was linking them all together into one continuous ribbon of singletrack. After an initial multi-day trip on the northern portion of the trail in with pro rider Jeremiah Bishop and pro coach Tim Johnston, the fall of marked the first attempt at riding the entire length of the trail. The group rode it over a period of four days, climbing a combined 65, feet in the process.

While the trip was deemed a success, the VMBT has a long way to go and faces many challenges ahead, the first being the nature of the trail itself. It passes through some of the most rugged and challenging in the state, especially on a mountain bike.

When dealing with almost miles of trail, keeping the trail clean and navigable is a tough task, especially given the remoteness of some of the sections. Scott says the biggest challenge is trail maintenance. Then you have to get the brush cut back and the trail cleared, which takes a lot of time and effort. Scott has enlisted the help of volunteers from organizations like the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, Mid Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts, and more to assist in the bulk of trail maintenance and preservation.

Local mountain biking clubs are also instrumental in raising awareness of the project, which in turn helps gain more support. The U.