I biked 333 miles alone on the C&O Canal and GAP Trail in five days this October.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- As I’m learning how to record myself while biking, manage video storage, color correct, edit, find music and more, I’m realizing that I am comparing myself to other TH-camrs who have been doing this for years and possess skills that they’ve crafted over time. I’m reminding myself just to post- I don’t have to make things perfect, because if I try to, I will never post anything at all.
So cheers to a mostly silent film. Cheers to figuring it out along the way. Cheers to listening to the sounds of nature rather than overlaying each clip with some random music. Cheers to keeping things simple, learning to be okay with mediocrity, and becoming comfortable with being flawed.
I biked the entire C&O Canal and GAP Trail in 5 days with three nights of solo camping (one of which was wild camping) and one Warmshowers stay until I arrived in Pittsburgh. My first host offered to drive me back to DC since she already was planning to go there later that week, which ended up extending my trip by three days.
I spent a great portion of my trip thinking about Israel, Palestine, genocide, antisemitism, colonialism, bullying, harassment and sexism. I had a great deal on my mind during this trip, none of which I knew was coming my way until I was bombarded with online harassment and the news from the attacks on Oct 7th. Bikepacking is one of those wonderful things where there is nothing to do aside from bike from Point A to Point B. This leaves ample free time just to think. To wonder. To listen to podcasts. To talk to friends (albeit, only when there is service and the wind isn’t too loud). To question your beliefs and understanding of the world. To wonder why some people take one side while others take the opposite side.
I learned a lot on this trip, and not just about how beautiful biking is in October.
MY SOCIALS:
Tiktok: / livingbybike
Instagram: www.instagram....
MY (GENUINE) FAVORITE PRODUCTS (yes I do get a small commission if you purchase from these links ☺️)
Outer Shell (the first brand to ever support me- San Francisco based company that makes high quality bike bags for commuting to bikepacking): use code LIVINGBYBIKE for 15% off your purchase
Ortlieb (they make durable and reliable bike bags for bikepacking/bicycle touring): bit.ly/47g8Csw
Ornot (San Francisco made stylish cycling kits to keep you comfortable on your next adventure): bit.ly/40hWrsV
REI (my go-to for most of my camping supplies):
Osprey (sport specific backpacks for hydration and more): bit.ly/3tWCT13
#bikepacking #biketour #biking #solotravel #travel
Music: *Just a Taste*
*by [Beat Mekanik](freemusicarchi...
source (Free Music Archive) and license type (CC BY)
Fantastic video, thanks for taking the time to set up all the shots!
Ofc! Happy to have done so!
I rode C&O and the GAP Trail this year too. Loved it. Good to see familiar places
It’s such a good little ride!
SOOOOO glad I happened upon your channel.....Looking forward to catching up on your adventures! Awesome narrating BTW...And yes...Keep sharing your heart!!!
Awesome! Thank you! 😊
I love seeing you stopped in at Beans. I had such a nice visit there while on a work trip. I wasn't biking, but I had time to explore from northern VA between customer site visits.
yeah it was a really cute place!
I’m listening to your interview on bikepacking adventures and subscribed to your TH-cam. Enjoying the video. Beautiful views. Thank you😊!
Awesome, thank you!
Great bike packing adventure 😊
Thank you 😊
So, I watched you make the same mistake I made when using those pumps. Washing my dishes at the grate there at the pump returns the dishwater to the well. It’s the reason that these wells cannot be potable water. The river when it floods has the same effect.
Did not know that! Thank you for sharing
Very nice video, I hope to do those trail one day, congratulations from new-Brunswick,Canada
Thank you!!
Thanks for the very nice video. I agree, the world is so F'd up. There is nothing new under the sun. History shows that a state of peace is the exception. The older I get, the more I marvel at how violent the world is, how much greed there is, how little humanity there is, and how special kindness is when one finds it, especially given how little it costs. The wounds that people feel are very close, though. I understand that, as well. Biking, alone, sometimes, gives one some peace. I am very thankful for cycling.
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to edit and upload it.
My pleasure!!
Man wish I had access to trails like these looks so relaxing. it's really hard to get away from cars where I live.
Yeah this is the only really nice trail near me (require a 1.5 hour commute to get to). I’m really glad to have it somewhat nearby
Work is dumb.. but someone had to build the bike your riding, the infrastructure your riding on, make the clothes your wearing, grow the food your eating, develop all the technology your using.
Read the book "bullshit jobs" by david graeber. Of course some jobs are necessary. But a massive portion of the jobs we have today are not. With the rise of technology and automation, we were predicted to have shorter works weeks. Now, we still have 40 hour work weeks, and a growing work force, with women working, and child labor laws being loosened in many states. We need to eliminate the bullshit jobs that plague our society, destroy our culture of hyper-individualism, and rework society where we can have shorter work weeks. Countries abroad have been experimenting with 4 day work weeks and have found them to increase worker productivity and happiness. Work is a necessary part of life, however capitalism is forcing us to work longer and harder to less pay. We need to restructure our society and approach to life. We should not have to work this hard. We should not live to work.
@@livingbybike I'll take a look at that book. Of course a better work life balance is needed. The point I was making is that it takes a huge amount of people to get up every day and go to work to make the life you're living possible (and mine too) and we should not take that for granted. Thanks for the wonderful video!
A little update on my plans.
I was going to spend 6 of the 8 day vacation in the area of the Great Alleghany Passage Trail and the C&O Canal Trail. Four of them would be riding along the trails starting at one point and going a certain distance, pausing at many locations to enjoy what is around me. Sure, I would only be on around 75 of the 330 miles of the route, but I never biked three days in a row. My leg joints are going to love me for it.
Anyway, I cut it back to 3 days of biking. It would be a total of 110 miles of biking on those three days before heading on home. That would be on only 55 miles of the 330 miles of the bike route.
I am hoping after a day of rest to bike on 34 miles of the Delaware and Raritan and the Delaware and Lackawanna Canal loop later in the week
leaving on a 333 mile adventure in Oregon from Portland to Ashland
Hell yeah
Good stuff! I rode 40mile Sunday, and my hip and legs are DEAD.
Hahaha I feel that!!
Great video young lady! I can totally relate to your opening rant on life. I usually bike alone and most of my rides ,I end up solving all of the world's problems in my head! As a vegetarian butcher by trade with a fine arts degree, my views an opinions tend to run a huge spectrum! Not to mention the differences of opinions among friends and associates. I know I tick off some of them but I have to be ok with wearing the liberal hippie badge that I have pinned on myself. Keep speaking up! Everyone doesn't have to agree with you but they have no right to keep you quiet! Ride on! Om Yo!!
Hell yeah!!! Cheers to us and our “wild” opinions. Proud liberal hippie over here :)
I gotta ride this trail
it's so so worth it!
New to your channel, found you on Instagram. Your doing a great job! 🤠
Awesome! Thank you so much!!!
Oh my God 🙊
Nice trip 😊
It was! Thank you for watching!
Fuuck those are some nice views. I need to go further. Alls i saw when i did the C&O was gravel and i probably stopped at the first lunch table before turning back. Sucks when you're the only one that likes biking long distances.
What kinda drone do you have? easy to pack?
it's so so worth doing the whole thing. and I got a DJ SE mini from some person on facebook- it was small and discounted, so that's why I got it!
Don't short change yourself. It looks like you rode both trails for a total of 300 plus miles
oh you're right- I got the numbers mixed up!
Awesome video, do you happen to know the name or mile marker of that first campsite
No idea but most of them are the same and are all about 5-10 miles apart. I think the very first is like 20 miles in? I could be wrong tho
There are tons of idiots on the internet and the guy that wants you to be quiet is one one them. You have to ignore idiots like him!!
Hell yeah
Not fit enough to do what you and others have done... ride the whole trail. I'm looking forward to doing sections of it this year.
You got this!! Adventure comes in many many forms
Great video of your bicycle/camping tour. I always zip tie my panniers to the frame, I always worry they may get stolen when i'm on a long tour and have to go into a store etc. lol. I also bring bear spray, not so worried about the bears, more the bold coyotes. :) That idiot online, i'd block his dumb ________ :)
Zip ties honestly are one of the best tools/tricks for bikepacking!
To have to start your trip dealing with an insensitive comment on your feeling w.r.t. the Gaza crisis really touched me. It's amazing that people we have zero contact with can attack us for having feelings of empathy to Palestinians (note I did not say Hamas) because of the terror they are being subjected to today. Now we're two months on, and the terror escalates every day. To oppose the unrelenting attacks on Gaza is seen by those with far too narrow a view as either pro- or anti-Israel when it is neither. Feeling empathy and compassion for the families of those killed and captured by Hamas on 7 Oct should not be any different from feeling empathy and compassion for the families of those killed by the Israeli government's heavy handed response. Certainly, war is a heavy handed exercise. But, to wage war on Hamas with extreme force showing seemingly little regard for the lives of innocent Palestinians is also not acceptable. You have a right to feel as you do. You should know that many in the world feel as you do while harbouring zero anti-Semetic feelings.
Really really. Screaming at you in you DMs 🤦🏻♂️.
i was looking forward to watching your video until you started off with the crying and your political views. thats not what i wanted to watch because im not interested in your opinion as im sure you dont care about mine
Lmao okay thank you for sharing your thoughts?
Cool@@livingbybike
' i a greed.' Lakota know of such. wounded knee . i helped aim, we are now part of us. but not agree with the tresspassers of our sacred black hills. not for sale, bad extreamists on both sides. generaly most all just want to live and get along. i held my toung. family friend fled nazi. he books movie shaped my life. gave us bikes to tour. hunt agats now bro owns shop, i hope to get on another ride.
Great video and FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸 shoutout to you for standing on your principles 👏
You look so happy when riding.
I think you might have pushed yourself a bit hard to make up the miles, but still enjoyed the journey.
I wish you could get out into the open and riding away from traffic easier.
I was physically fine with the number of miles I had to do in my short time (I was meeting up with a friend on saturday and had to make it in time) but I wish I had had more time to simply go slower and take more time to appreciate the nature. Physically, I was totally fine. Mentally, also fine, but wished I could have relaxed more. It's a beautiful place to be.