I spent a week ‘bikepacking’ over 330 miles from Pittsburgh to DC. The solo journey was challenging, but I’d absolutely do it again.

The 333.3-mile route spans two major bike paths: the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal Towpath.

It follows the remains of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, Union Railroad, and Western Maryland Railway — and passes through landmarks like the Mason-Dixon Line and the Eastern Continental Divide.

I felt like my bike was a time machine, and I was getting a glimpse of America’s past.

As I pedaled, I imagined my friends and colleagues who spent their vacations traveling to sophisticated European cities and breathtaking international beaches.

Here I was, wet and miserable in the middle of rural Pennsylvania with miles more to bike until I reached my destination.

“What am I doing?” I asked myself.

Luckily, the weather gradually improved after that first day on the trail. By the third night, the rain had disappeared.

I quickly learned there are many different ways to tackle this experience

I met cyclists who were riding on e-bikes to make the inclines more bearable. Some were staying at hostels and bed-and-breakfasts along the way or paying for shuttles to transport their belongings from one location to the next.

I also encountered cyclists who weren’t putting in a ton of daily miles, instead spending hours at a time stopping in the many historic towns and museums along the trail. Others were pedaling much faster than me, only making stops to eat and sleep.

Bikepacking gave me the freedom to change my plans

As someone who has bounced around from one major city to another since graduating from college, I’ve become accustomed to restaurants that are always open and public transportation that’s always running.

The small towns I visited along my ride operated a bit differently.

I’m not sure I would’ve ever gotten the opportunity to visit the charming borough of Meyersdale, Pennsylvania (home of the annual Pennsylvania Maple Festival) or the breathtaking mountain town of Frostburg, Maryland, if it weren’t for this journey.

But visiting these communities — and chatting with the residents and business owners who live and work there — was the highlight of my trip.

About halfway through my ride, I met a lovely woman who was born and raised in Meyersdale. She found what she referred to as “the perfect maple leaf” and gifted it to me as a souvenir.

Getting to know the communities and learning as much as I could about each town I visited gave me the energy I needed to keep pedaling.