True, i need a rough road to evaluate fully. It would be a real shame to get a saddle sore or wear out my butt or find out my bags won't stay put on the first two days of the trip. That could be worse than bad weather. I have 48mm Schwalbes so that's a help. But I need to bounce things around a bit.
I forgot to mention plan B: Amtrak offers roll-on bike service from DC to PGH. No boxing, just hang it up and sit down. Get to downtown around midnight, hotels within a couple of blocks that welcome bikes. Next morning take the commuter train to the Library station, which is a trailhead for the Montour, and I'm on my way. That eliminates 4 days and the C&O/GAP, which would be too bad, but if the weather or the mud is bad I can skip it if needed. The bike racks go fast so I already bought the ticket, just in case. Forty bucks, and if I don't use it the credit is good for a year.
- Ed