Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail 15ish to 20 plus-Frostburg to Mason Dixon Line
This is the nightmare part of the trip. If you are traveling from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. It is a climb from Frostburg, MD to the E. Continental Divide is 560 feet in six miles. Most of it in the 5 miles to the Mason Dixon Line. It is grueling.
In addition, this section of the trail which is Frostburg to Deal has no towns or other amenities. I watch the bikers that are going up and they look tired. It took me two days to recover from the hike. But the trail has the perks of being beautiful and the Mason Dixon Line! And Fatboy’s Pizza Shack!!!!!
15 ish-Frostburg Parking Area and Forested Areas
Fatboy’s Pizza Shack. The grease is so good after a long hike. They are up a hill from the parking area but well worth going. The facebook page for them. They are some of the nicest people around and I bet they deliver to the trail head.
If not, that pizza and a soda was under 10 dollar. I eat every last bite!!!! Mmmmmmmm….
I really love this trail head. I also want to go back and see the town. It is a trail town with a camping/hotel just up the hill by the rail road station. Museums and a rail road station that are closed due to Covid19 but when they reopen, I will be back to visit Frostburg. This is a great place to stop for a rest before taking on the hill.
The trail start going over this little section but go straight into…
This little valley of trees.
But opens up quickly to the forested area.
The trail seems to end, I was concerned that I would be going straight downhill especially knowing that this was an uphill trip….
But thankfully, it just this bit of trail that goes downhill…
And you are back to climbing uphill slowly…
But the trees are so green…
With views of the mountains and valleys on one side…
And rock walls on the others as you travel down the trail.
And mile 16 just before the turn in the bend.
Mile 16-Rocky Walls, Mountain Views, and a Little Brook.
I am just so impressed with the trees that have broken into the wall walls along the trail and created a place for themselves.
After the rock walls, you open up to a split in the trail. Just keep going uphill.
For those of you coming down the mountain, go to the right.
The trail opens up with a bit of a field on the side.
But quickly goes back into a more wooden area. Also note that it looks like there at two trails. And there are. The trail on the left is part of the locals trail which allows motorized vehicles, i.e. I saw ATV’s and a truck. So, watch during this part of the trail for those.
And be careful about going over the side of the trail. A lot of places are straight down.
The goes on to these beautiful views on the mountain top across the way.
Turning to the right…
Slowly almost like a horseshoe…
But look over the hill of the trail when you hear the blabbing brook. It is easy to miss…
And you arrive at Mile 17 as the trail opens up into a short straight away. And your legs are streaming for mercy but wait, you are only a mile into the climb.
Mile 17-A Little Brook and Borden Tunnel
After the Mile 17 marker, you have a bit of a straight away.
But look over the edge of the trail to the valley below.
It is amazing what you can find.
Then Borden Tunnel comes into view.
Bordon Tunnel is 957 feet long and a bit colder inside then outside.
At some point in the tunnel, you are no longer in Maryland but have crossed the state boarder into Pennsylvania.
The tunnel opens up to a bit of construction site but no one was working that day…
On this side of the tunnel is a little path for those that want to get on top of it.
The path is a bit straight until this turn to the left.
But just before the turn, you have arrived at Mile 18 marker.
Mile 18-Deer nursing her Fawn, a Country Walk, and a Pond
I found a mother deer with two fawns. One was nursing. I also found that I need a new camera. But it was nice to watch the wild life.
The trail goes to the left with a nice bit of trees lining the way.
And you enter a valley with more trees then rocks.
If you notice the tilled trail, that is not a bad camera angle, that is the trail not being evenly flat.
It is weird to walk on because you can fill that your feet are tilled as well.
If you can see through the trees, there are some beautiful view of the mountain across the valley from the trail.
As you turn the corner, you see that you are still turning to the right but…
You open to a straight away…
And you get a better view of the mountain across the way.
I also found that when you see those white flower tree or bushes, you also find a water source close by.
Because they seem to disappear from the trail for a bit but reappear near water. This must be how Natives Americans and Pioneers know where water was in new areas.
I always noticed when you have a fence, there is something to see. But I did not see anything so I am think that it is only true during the winter months.
You turn to the right a bit but then…
You get a bit of a straight away…
A turn to the left…
At the turn you are at the Mile 19 Marker
Mile 19-Little Rocky Walls, Old Rail Road Item, A little Waterfall, and an Owl.
A little turn to the left…
The rock walls come back for a bit.
The tree roots looking for water look like fingers reaching for you.
Opening back into the forested area.
Only to have the walls build up again in the dark area in front of you.
At the end of the darkness, these old railroad things. Not sure if it was to stop a hill or a mail pick up or something.
But defiantly man made.
But then the trail is both closed and open. Kinda just a middle ground for a bit.
You can see the forest and the trees…
A little waterfall on the left side…
On the right side, the creek that runs down the hill to fill a river.
But back to the trail and a bit of a straight away into a turn to the right.
Into a bit of a forest.
To a nice little straight away…I am not sure I like straight a ways. They are just straight and you know what you are getting. But I love turns as you are discovering something new almost every time.
But then this owl crosses in front of the trail and lands in this tree. I saw him and he was looking straight at me. Can you see him/her staring straight at me?
As my legs are burning and it is getting late, the owl has given me the energy to go on and thankfully…
The Mile 20 Marker is just before the turn in the road…
Mile 20-Fabulous Greens and the Mason Dixon Line
After the mile marker, this just feels like a blanket of green covering you as your legs that are burn from the uphill climb but do not quit now, you are almost at the Mason Dixon Line.
The trail opens up a bit with a frame for the sky above.
A bit of a straight away…
Lovely view of the valley below…
A turn to the right….I just wanted a nap at this point.
A bit of a straight away…
And around the bend opens up to the Mason Dixon Line. A nice rest and back to the car in the dark as I started late and the hill took me forever to get up the hill. But I did only have to use my phone flashlight for about 30 minutes before I hit the car in complete dark can not see you hand before your face…
Brief History
The Mason Dixon Line was drawn between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to resolve a border dispute between Maryland Pennsylvania, and Delaware during the Colonial American times.
Cecil Calvert and William Penn where granted the same lands by Charles II due to a inaccurate map. Calvert was given the Maryland charter in 1632, which granted him land north of the Potomac River up to the 40th parallel. Penn was granted a charter for Pennsylvania in 1681.
An additional grant was given to Penn in 1682 by Charles II to resolve the issue which would later become the Delaware Colony but Maryland, i.e. the Calvert family believed that they owned this land.
In 1732, Charles Calvert, Proprietary Governor of Maryland and 5th Baron Baltimore, signed a provisional agreement with the sons of William Penn. But Calvert later claimed that the agreement he signed did not include the items he agreed to and refused to abide by the agreement which started the Cresap’s War.
The Cresap’s War started in 1730 and ended only when King George II compelled a negotiation of a cease fire until the courts could settle the case. The Court of Chancery ruled that the 1732 agreement was legal.
But it was not until Frederick Calvert, the 6th Baron Baltimore ceased contesting claims and accepted the agreement in 1767. The final settlement included the commission of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to survey the new boundaries between the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, and the Delaware Colony.
The Mason Dixon Line would come up in later American History, see my next post on the GAP Trail for more information.
A side note for all those that are in conflict with others. The Mason Dixon Line fight was over 3 generations before it was finally settled and agreed too. Costing lots of lives, property damage, and other issues including conflict between neighbors, families, and states over a line in the sand. Only to have that land lost to the American Revolution less then ten years later.
Is the conflict that you are in really worth it? Because if these players where not fighting between themselves, would the American Revolution have started? It was not the main reason but it was one of the many matches that started the flame.