64valianttav
Well-Known Member
Beauty!
Glamour Shots.. '62 Valiant Wagon
- Thread starter slant six
- Start date
-
9/14/24:
The box from Instrument Specialties arrived yesterday nite.
it had the Plastic bezel in it that I dropped off at Carlisle in July.
I took it to the car show and did the swap (2 knobs with release tangs and 4 Phillips head screws) right at the car show.
It makes a big difference in the detail from the inside driver's position.
Old to Restored:
Now, I just need to get the proper '62 Radio Bezel and knobs.
The box from Instrument Specialties arrived yesterday nite.
it had the Plastic bezel in it that I dropped off at Carlisle in July.
I took it to the car show and did the swap (2 knobs with release tangs and 4 Phillips head screws) right at the car show.
It makes a big difference in the detail from the inside driver's position.
Old to Restored:
Now, I just need to get the proper '62 Radio Bezel and knobs.
10/21/24:
A few weeks ago, I received a mysterious package from a fellow slant six forum member with some proper 1962 Valiant Radio Knobs in it.
I have been loosely searching for these elusive knobs. Plaudits to Michael for helping my incorrect radio and bezel look more apropos for the 1962 car. (my copy of this 1962 Valiant V-200 Wagon was never factory-equipped with a radio anyway.) so piecing together loose bits for a 62-year-old car can be a bit challenging.
New Radio Buttons Match the other dash control surfaces more uniformly.
On Saturday, I took the family for an afternoon jaunt in the 'ol Valiant Wagon. We took a ~ 250-mile trip up into the mountains and high country of PA (which is not hard to do from my location if you travel anywhere vaguely to the east.) We aimed the Torsion Bar-equipped front end vaguely northeasterly.
Many of the views from Saturday's drive looked like this:
The view on US Route 22 Heading East and up in elevation:
The view on PA State Route 53 North:
Our First stop was for dinner at Black Moshannon State Park, not too far from Beaver Stadium (A geographical reference for those of you who pay attention to college football.)
We packed a grille and some provisions for dinner:
While there, I took the opportunity to gather some Glamour shots...
After our dinner, the sun was hanging low in the sky for another hour or so.
This was the view out of the Park on PA State Route 504 South, back toward Phillipsburg, PA
I found some curbside items to document along the way to our next State Park:
A few weeks ago, I received a mysterious package from a fellow slant six forum member with some proper 1962 Valiant Radio Knobs in it.
I have been loosely searching for these elusive knobs. Plaudits to Michael for helping my incorrect radio and bezel look more apropos for the 1962 car. (my copy of this 1962 Valiant V-200 Wagon was never factory-equipped with a radio anyway.) so piecing together loose bits for a 62-year-old car can be a bit challenging.
New Radio Buttons Match the other dash control surfaces more uniformly.
On Saturday, I took the family for an afternoon jaunt in the 'ol Valiant Wagon. We took a ~ 250-mile trip up into the mountains and high country of PA (which is not hard to do from my location if you travel anywhere vaguely to the east.) We aimed the Torsion Bar-equipped front end vaguely northeasterly.
Many of the views from Saturday's drive looked like this:
The view on US Route 22 Heading East and up in elevation:
The view on PA State Route 53 North:
Our First stop was for dinner at Black Moshannon State Park, not too far from Beaver Stadium (A geographical reference for those of you who pay attention to college football.)
We packed a grille and some provisions for dinner:
While there, I took the opportunity to gather some Glamour shots...
After our dinner, the sun was hanging low in the sky for another hour or so.
This was the view out of the Park on PA State Route 504 South, back toward Phillipsburg, PA
I found some curbside items to document along the way to our next State Park:
10/21/24 Part 2:
We arrived at our next State Park, Prince Gallitzin, at the request of my Daughter who wanted some Ice Cream at the Pirates Cove Restaurant.
The Pirates Cove Restaurant in Patton PA, is a summertime favorite and we incorrectly assumed that they would be open until 9 PM like they are in May-August. That assumption was wrong, but we had some time for some fantastic "Golden Hour" pictures and Glamour Shots.
Someone wanted to pose with the State Park Sign and the car:
In all, we had a great family outing, covered some ground in the 62-year-old machine, and found some Ice Cream before the end of the nite.
We arrived at our next State Park, Prince Gallitzin, at the request of my Daughter who wanted some Ice Cream at the Pirates Cove Restaurant.
The Pirates Cove Restaurant in Patton PA, is a summertime favorite and we incorrectly assumed that they would be open until 9 PM like they are in May-August. That assumption was wrong, but we had some time for some fantastic "Golden Hour" pictures and Glamour Shots.
Someone wanted to pose with the State Park Sign and the car:
In all, we had a great family outing, covered some ground in the 62-year-old machine, and found some Ice Cream before the end of the nite.
That thing is so badass it's not funny.10/21/24 Part 2:
We arrived at our next State Park, Prince Gallitzin, at the request of my Daughter who wanted some Ice Cream at the Pirates Cove Restaurant.
The Pirates Cove Restaurant in Patton PA, is a summertime favorite and we incorrectly assumed that they would be open until 9 PM like they are in May-August. That assumption was wrong, but we had some time for some fantastic "Golden Hour" pictures and Glamour Shots.
Someone wanted to pose with the State Park Sign and the car:
In all, we had a great family outing, covered some ground in the 62-year-old machine, and found some Ice Cream before the end of the nite.
3/11/25:
The girls wanted to go to a reptile show in Johnstown, PA which was ~55 Miles from home on Sunday, the weather was fantastic! There was some dust remaining on the roads from the winter salt and gravel of doom treatments. However it was clean and clear enough from the salty demons for a nice trip in the '62 wagon.
We stopped for Ice Cream on the way home and took mostly the scenic routes there and back, for over 100 miles for the day.
The ridges still had snow showing on the forest floor but it was sunny and dry here in the low lands and on the asphalt jungle. We gained well over 1000' of elevation between my location crossing over the ridge before coming back down into the Conemaugh valley.
It was a fantastic day of slanted driving in a 63 year old Toad Wagon.
The girls wanted to go to a reptile show in Johnstown, PA which was ~55 Miles from home on Sunday, the weather was fantastic! There was some dust remaining on the roads from the winter salt and gravel of doom treatments. However it was clean and clear enough from the salty demons for a nice trip in the '62 wagon.
We stopped for Ice Cream on the way home and took mostly the scenic routes there and back, for over 100 miles for the day.
The ridges still had snow showing on the forest floor but it was sunny and dry here in the low lands and on the asphalt jungle. We gained well over 1000' of elevation between my location crossing over the ridge before coming back down into the Conemaugh valley.
It was a fantastic day of slanted driving in a 63 year old Toad Wagon.
Car show today.
Daughter was selling her wares and made some ca$h.
Show was in a county park near the bike trail so I took the bike as a show prop and useful instrument of health. Got 13 miles on the trail during the middle of the show.
It was a good day.
Daughter was selling her wares and made some ca$h.
Show was in a county park near the bike trail so I took the bike as a show prop and useful instrument of health. Got 13 miles on the trail during the middle of the show.
It was a good day.
You're makin some great memories!
Thanks! Me too!
Looks like we’re going to have to call you the wagon master .
Nice collection .
Nice collection .
9/1/25:
Ahh it is late August - the days are growing shorter here and the weather is still dry and warm.
The garden is beginning to wrap up: The Corn is done, and the sunflowers and pumpkins are in their prime as I planted them a month later this year.
I just completed the first longish trip in the '62 Valiant Wagon, (over 700 miles, 3 days).
It Averaged 17 MPG with a 3.55 Rear Gear, 215-70-14 Tires and no overdrive, traveling mostly ~65-70 MPH.
We went to Blacksburg, Virginia to meet up with my friend Lou, and then also going to the Roanoke Valley MoPar show which was held at the Salem Civic Center about 30 miles away.
It was Labor day weekend and we took our time traveling, stopping at restaurants and sights along the way. The weather in the region was just sublime for a weekend open air road trip, Windows down, dash vent open and no A/C. Temps were in the High 70's to low 50's at night.
I took the bike along to explore the NRV Bike Trail as well. It was about ~30 miles South west of Blacksburg.
The Wagon is packed up ready to go for the trip. The Sunflowers love the Dry, sunny weather as the shadows begin to grow long again this time of year.
We headed south on I-79, I know the route well. This time the sun was on our right side casting a nice shadow with the bike on the roof.
Eventually Mountain ridges are seen in every direction on this trip as it cuts through mountain county of West Virginia.
We stopped for a Bite to eat. For this trip, I had the family along which makes things go a bit slower, but that was okay.
This Cracker Barrel outside of Farimont, WV was still using the Original Logo on the outside.
I was proud of my daughter for not having any screens at the meals or in the car for the entire trip.
We had played cards while waiting for this meal.
It was late by the time we got to our hotel in the University Center Section of town. Pheww,!! no Home VT Hokies Game to worry about.
Does Valiant look out of place in this parking lot next to all the monochromatic suv shaped appliances?
The next morning I went for a quiet walk before meeting up with friends at the Salem Civic center.
Price's Fork at Woodland just before sunrise.
I met up with Mark and Lou at the show. They are also slant 6 and Early Valiant nuts!
Lou Brought his slant 6 equipped 1934 Dodge Coupe, and Mark brought his 1960 Valiant Sedan.
There was a lot to see at the show.. My personal Favorites can be found here
After the show I went back to the hotel and met up with my family at the pool for a while before dinner.
For Dinner we went to Lou's house where He and Victoria served up a fantastic meal, and we shared some stories around the campfire, made S'mores while the kids enjoyed the tree swing and trampoline in the yard.
We loaded up the bikes on the wagon the next day.
Lou and I headed to Draper, VA to get on the NRV Bike trail. It parallels the path (mostly) of the New River from Pulaski to Galax.
We made it about 7 miles past Allisonia, VA before wheel bearing troubles on Lou's bike forced us to turn back and retreat.
After biking, I met up again with my family and we had lunch in town before leaving for the weekend.
We had a pretty relaxed drive back to PA, most of it looked like this:
On the way home we stopped at the newest National Park - New River Gorge NP and Preserve.
I have Driven through this area so many times loaded with the Race car and rig, so that I often do not have time to stop and appreciate the place.
My Wife and Daughter wanted to visit the gift shop mostly, as they do not enjoy some activities with me like hiking or biking etc. (Plaudits to them as they will do a weekend trip in a 63 year old Valiant)
Ahh it is late August - the days are growing shorter here and the weather is still dry and warm.
The garden is beginning to wrap up: The Corn is done, and the sunflowers and pumpkins are in their prime as I planted them a month later this year.
I just completed the first longish trip in the '62 Valiant Wagon, (over 700 miles, 3 days).
It Averaged 17 MPG with a 3.55 Rear Gear, 215-70-14 Tires and no overdrive, traveling mostly ~65-70 MPH.
We went to Blacksburg, Virginia to meet up with my friend Lou, and then also going to the Roanoke Valley MoPar show which was held at the Salem Civic Center about 30 miles away.
It was Labor day weekend and we took our time traveling, stopping at restaurants and sights along the way. The weather in the region was just sublime for a weekend open air road trip, Windows down, dash vent open and no A/C. Temps were in the High 70's to low 50's at night.
I took the bike along to explore the NRV Bike Trail as well. It was about ~30 miles South west of Blacksburg.
The Wagon is packed up ready to go for the trip. The Sunflowers love the Dry, sunny weather as the shadows begin to grow long again this time of year.
We headed south on I-79, I know the route well. This time the sun was on our right side casting a nice shadow with the bike on the roof.
Eventually Mountain ridges are seen in every direction on this trip as it cuts through mountain county of West Virginia.
We stopped for a Bite to eat. For this trip, I had the family along which makes things go a bit slower, but that was okay.
This Cracker Barrel outside of Farimont, WV was still using the Original Logo on the outside.
I was proud of my daughter for not having any screens at the meals or in the car for the entire trip.
We had played cards while waiting for this meal.
It was late by the time we got to our hotel in the University Center Section of town. Pheww,!! no Home VT Hokies Game to worry about.
Does Valiant look out of place in this parking lot next to all the monochromatic suv shaped appliances?
The next morning I went for a quiet walk before meeting up with friends at the Salem Civic center.
Price's Fork at Woodland just before sunrise.
I met up with Mark and Lou at the show. They are also slant 6 and Early Valiant nuts!
Lou Brought his slant 6 equipped 1934 Dodge Coupe, and Mark brought his 1960 Valiant Sedan.
There was a lot to see at the show.. My personal Favorites can be found here
After the show I went back to the hotel and met up with my family at the pool for a while before dinner.
For Dinner we went to Lou's house where He and Victoria served up a fantastic meal, and we shared some stories around the campfire, made S'mores while the kids enjoyed the tree swing and trampoline in the yard.
We loaded up the bikes on the wagon the next day.
Lou and I headed to Draper, VA to get on the NRV Bike trail. It parallels the path (mostly) of the New River from Pulaski to Galax.
We made it about 7 miles past Allisonia, VA before wheel bearing troubles on Lou's bike forced us to turn back and retreat.
After biking, I met up again with my family and we had lunch in town before leaving for the weekend.
We had a pretty relaxed drive back to PA, most of it looked like this:
On the way home we stopped at the newest National Park - New River Gorge NP and Preserve.
I have Driven through this area so many times loaded with the Race car and rig, so that I often do not have time to stop and appreciate the place.
My Wife and Daughter wanted to visit the gift shop mostly, as they do not enjoy some activities with me like hiking or biking etc. (Plaudits to them as they will do a weekend trip in a 63 year old Valiant)
9/1/25 Continued:
Lastly on our way home I stopped at the scenic lookout About 20 Miles south of I79 on US 19. I probably have pictures of every vehicle that I own and have tripped through this region at this place. Now I have some more glamour shots of the '62 Wagon as well.
As we forged ahead north on Sunday night, the sunset was on our right this time. Some fantastic shadows appeared again:
It was a good trip with no major mechanical issues, as well as spending time with family and friends.
There are some little things that I want to do with Carb tuning and jetting to hopefully increase the Highway MPG before embarking on a 5 speed swap.
'Til next time!
Lastly on our way home I stopped at the scenic lookout About 20 Miles south of I79 on US 19. I probably have pictures of every vehicle that I own and have tripped through this region at this place. Now I have some more glamour shots of the '62 Wagon as well.
As we forged ahead north on Sunday night, the sunset was on our right this time. Some fantastic shadows appeared again:
It was a good trip with no major mechanical issues, as well as spending time with family and friends.
There are some little things that I want to do with Carb tuning and jetting to hopefully increase the Highway MPG before embarking on a 5 speed swap.
'Til next time!
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9/11/25:
When I bought this car, the previous owner had upsized the wheels from the original 13" x 4" wheels to a mix of 340 swinger sized 14" x 1/2" wheel and some 14" x 4 1/2" wheels.
I got 2 more of the 14" x 5 1/2" wheels, bead blasted them and got my local paint shop to "camera" the paint to get a Match for PPG.
I just got the 2 wheels back from the painter, semigloss on the back with color on the front. Now all 4 wheels match in width.
5 1/2" wheel Left and 4 1/2" wheel on the Right:
While My Daughter was at band rehearsal tonight, I drove on over to the shop, and swapped the tires from the narrow rims to the newly painted rims.
I also was able to install new TR413 Valve stems and Toss the wheels on the balancer for a static balance.
First scratches with the wheel gun and poppin' the dogdish on for the first time makes me all warm 'n fuzzy inside.
When I bought this car, the previous owner had upsized the wheels from the original 13" x 4" wheels to a mix of 340 swinger sized 14" x 1/2" wheel and some 14" x 4 1/2" wheels.
I got 2 more of the 14" x 5 1/2" wheels, bead blasted them and got my local paint shop to "camera" the paint to get a Match for PPG.
I just got the 2 wheels back from the painter, semigloss on the back with color on the front. Now all 4 wheels match in width.
5 1/2" wheel Left and 4 1/2" wheel on the Right:
While My Daughter was at band rehearsal tonight, I drove on over to the shop, and swapped the tires from the narrow rims to the newly painted rims.
I also was able to install new TR413 Valve stems and Toss the wheels on the balancer for a static balance.
First scratches with the wheel gun and poppin' the dogdish on for the first time makes me all warm 'n fuzzy inside.
10/13/25:
I got some small things done on the wagon that I have been meaning to get to. First, I removed the residual pressure valves that I installed on the front and rear brake lines. I tricked myself into thinking that I needed them when in reality I did not!!!??!
When I rebuilt the rotors and calipers a few years back, I took the old K-H 4 piston rotors to the local Parts store to get cut. Most places do not even have a brake lathe any longer, so I was happy to find a local place that does. THey cut rotrs for me before with no issues.
I got them cut and installed on the car. Then I had this mystery low pedal issue after I got the car all sorted and together... If I pumped the pedal, I got a good, hard pedal, but every time, no matter how much I bled the brake,s it was soft again.
I thought it was some master cylinder or residual pressure valve issue, so I replaced the MC... no good, same issue.. Then I added additional inline RPV's..... - no good, same issue - so then I measured runout on the Rotors I had cut.
WOW!! They were really @^*#&^ bad!
They gave me a little brake shimmy, but they were also knocking the front pads off the rotor surface so far that I had to give it a few pumps to knock the pads back out every time. This was a new one for me. I also think that brake shimmy with a non-flat rotor feels more pronounced with floating calipers vs fixed calipers?
Who knows, but I put new flat rotors on, and that solved my low/soft pedal. I just finally got around to getting rid of the valves in the lines. The pedal still feels good and has less shoe and pad drag when the car is being driven.
I also realized that it is time to change the oil, which I will do today.
We took the car to the Ligonier Days Festival and parked at my wife's aunt's house. It was a good day for a trip and a visit.
I am also still fine-tuning my Primary Jet / Rod and Spring Combination for best performance and MPG.
Getting ready for a fine western Maryland Mountain trip here at the end of the month to the Open House at Vintage Restorations LTD. in Union Bridge, MD.
I got some small things done on the wagon that I have been meaning to get to. First, I removed the residual pressure valves that I installed on the front and rear brake lines. I tricked myself into thinking that I needed them when in reality I did not!!!??!
When I rebuilt the rotors and calipers a few years back, I took the old K-H 4 piston rotors to the local Parts store to get cut. Most places do not even have a brake lathe any longer, so I was happy to find a local place that does. THey cut rotrs for me before with no issues.
I got them cut and installed on the car. Then I had this mystery low pedal issue after I got the car all sorted and together... If I pumped the pedal, I got a good, hard pedal, but every time, no matter how much I bled the brake,s it was soft again.
I thought it was some master cylinder or residual pressure valve issue, so I replaced the MC... no good, same issue.. Then I added additional inline RPV's..... - no good, same issue - so then I measured runout on the Rotors I had cut.
WOW!! They were really @^*#&^ bad!
They gave me a little brake shimmy, but they were also knocking the front pads off the rotor surface so far that I had to give it a few pumps to knock the pads back out every time. This was a new one for me. I also think that brake shimmy with a non-flat rotor feels more pronounced with floating calipers vs fixed calipers?
Who knows, but I put new flat rotors on, and that solved my low/soft pedal. I just finally got around to getting rid of the valves in the lines. The pedal still feels good and has less shoe and pad drag when the car is being driven.
I also realized that it is time to change the oil, which I will do today.
We took the car to the Ligonier Days Festival and parked at my wife's aunt's house. It was a good day for a trip and a visit.
I am also still fine-tuning my Primary Jet / Rod and Spring Combination for best performance and MPG.
Getting ready for a fine western Maryland Mountain trip here at the end of the month to the Open House at Vintage Restorations LTD. in Union Bridge, MD.
10/31/25:
Happy Halloween!
I had taken out the '62 Wagon for probably the last trip of the year last weekend.
It was a good one, Including Biking, Car show, Trail riding on the Quad, and exploring some abandoned places.
Here are some shots of the rig all loaded up at the house before I put on any miles for the trip.
As I left the driveway, I was undecided as to whether I was going to spend the night(s) camping or couch surfing. I had brought all of my gear for camping, but it is all lightweight camping gear intended for my bikepacking planned excursions in May - September. It consists of a 4 pound one one-person tent, 91g, pillow, etc, etc.
I started out Friday night, headed for my buddy's house situated just off state land in the Micheaux State forest, PA. Had I not brought along a 37-year-old Honda Quad (more on that later), I would have taken all non-interstate roads. However, I decided to take the interstate for about ~120 Miles, then some back roads to my destination.
As the overnight lows were projected to be in the ~30°-35°F, I opted for the couch surfing option.
Heading East toward Laurel Hill on I-76, climbing the well-sorted grade.
In this shot behind the salt dome in the Laurel Hill Mountain, is the old Laurel Hill Tunnel - Long abandoned, now it is owned by Chip Ganassi Racing for Wind Tunnel Testing. It is private property, so security cameras keep an eye on you, and no exploring is allowed. You can, however, drive above it if you take Tunnel Road from PA State Route 31 in your Jeep or other 4WD Vehicle.
The clouds were beginning to clear just at sunset as I pulled out of the Sideling Hill Plaza.
I arrived at the forest house after 8 PM, unloaded the quad and trailer. It was very dark! great for stargazing.
The next morning, there was frost on the little wagon.
The next morning, I got the windshield defrosted, then headed on my way through the forest to a Car Show in Union Bridge, MD.
Some more forest driving yielded these windshield pictures:
I wanted to take some glamour shots with the autumn leaves as the forested backdrop, but I never made time for it on this trip. :-(
After a breakfast stop, I made it to the Vintage Restorations Limited Open House and Car Show
I love this show because there is a little bit of everything to see at the shop's open house. Here is my photo album from the show if you care to see some of the cars.
After the show, I drove to the C&O Towpath on the Potomac River for some biking. It was about an hour drive on a beautiful October day in Maryland.
I am planning a ~330-mile trek in May 2026 from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA along the C&O and the Great Allegheny Passage. The combined routes of the 2 trails allow a traffic-free trip from DC to Pittsburgh.
The little snippet of the trail that I rode on for this adventure, from Limekiln to Lock #40 (13 Miles one way) gives me a good sense of what to expect in the not-so-crowded areas of the trail. There are many primitive, Hiker-Biker Campgrounds along the way that I do expect to utilize for my spring 2026 trip.
On the way to the trailhead off of US 340 in Maryland, some fantastic twisty river valley roads led through the Potomac River Valley on the Maryland side. This is Sandy Hook or Harpers' Ferry road.
Happy Halloween!
I had taken out the '62 Wagon for probably the last trip of the year last weekend.
It was a good one, Including Biking, Car show, Trail riding on the Quad, and exploring some abandoned places.
Here are some shots of the rig all loaded up at the house before I put on any miles for the trip.
As I left the driveway, I was undecided as to whether I was going to spend the night(s) camping or couch surfing. I had brought all of my gear for camping, but it is all lightweight camping gear intended for my bikepacking planned excursions in May - September. It consists of a 4 pound one one-person tent, 91g, pillow, etc, etc.
I started out Friday night, headed for my buddy's house situated just off state land in the Micheaux State forest, PA. Had I not brought along a 37-year-old Honda Quad (more on that later), I would have taken all non-interstate roads. However, I decided to take the interstate for about ~120 Miles, then some back roads to my destination.
As the overnight lows were projected to be in the ~30°-35°F, I opted for the couch surfing option.
Heading East toward Laurel Hill on I-76, climbing the well-sorted grade.
In this shot behind the salt dome in the Laurel Hill Mountain, is the old Laurel Hill Tunnel - Long abandoned, now it is owned by Chip Ganassi Racing for Wind Tunnel Testing. It is private property, so security cameras keep an eye on you, and no exploring is allowed. You can, however, drive above it if you take Tunnel Road from PA State Route 31 in your Jeep or other 4WD Vehicle.
The clouds were beginning to clear just at sunset as I pulled out of the Sideling Hill Plaza.
I arrived at the forest house after 8 PM, unloaded the quad and trailer. It was very dark! great for stargazing.
The next morning, there was frost on the little wagon.
The next morning, I got the windshield defrosted, then headed on my way through the forest to a Car Show in Union Bridge, MD.
Some more forest driving yielded these windshield pictures:
I wanted to take some glamour shots with the autumn leaves as the forested backdrop, but I never made time for it on this trip. :-(
After a breakfast stop, I made it to the Vintage Restorations Limited Open House and Car Show
I love this show because there is a little bit of everything to see at the shop's open house. Here is my photo album from the show if you care to see some of the cars.
After the show, I drove to the C&O Towpath on the Potomac River for some biking. It was about an hour drive on a beautiful October day in Maryland.
I am planning a ~330-mile trek in May 2026 from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA along the C&O and the Great Allegheny Passage. The combined routes of the 2 trails allow a traffic-free trip from DC to Pittsburgh.
The little snippet of the trail that I rode on for this adventure, from Limekiln to Lock #40 (13 Miles one way) gives me a good sense of what to expect in the not-so-crowded areas of the trail. There are many primitive, Hiker-Biker Campgrounds along the way that I do expect to utilize for my spring 2026 trip.
On the way to the trailhead off of US 340 in Maryland, some fantastic twisty river valley roads led through the Potomac River Valley on the Maryland side. This is Sandy Hook or Harpers' Ferry road.
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10/31/25 Continued:
Ah, finally made it to Limekiln - A nicely shady and not crowded spot.
Time for some seat time on the 'ol Cannondale.
Lots of sites to choose from for campers along the way.
I made it to Lock #40 (about 13 Miles north of where I began) in about an hour before I decided to turn back.
The C&O is relatively flat, save for the 8' elevation changes at each lock.
I grabbed some shots of the calm, serene Potomac on this October afternoon.
After the Bike Ride, I packed up and made it back to my buddy's forest house around 7pm.
It was dark, and we had some dinner and decided to turn in for the night.
The next morning, I treated myself to a Hike on the AT. My buddy's house is about 1/4 Mile from the trail.
Off through the woods I trundled.
Crossing into official state land, I encountered these cool markers on the trees:
I was hiking on a section called Rocky Mountain - as you might imagine, there are a lot of rocks up there on the ridge top.
After the hike, about 7 Miles round trip, we had lunch and then rode quads until dark. That was super fun!
The next morning, I woke up to head home. I grabbed some breakfast and then decided to tow the quad and all the other stuff on US 30, headed west. I avoided the highway to Breezewood, PA, about a 50-mile trip. There are some pretty good mountain climbs on US 30 from Chambersburg to Breezewood, but the 'ol Slant 6 in the Valiant just asked for 2nd gear on the column-shifted manual transmission a few times.
Once in Breezewood, I parked the rig at the Abandoned PA Turnpike Trailhead. I have wanted to explore this area for a while. It was a serene and eerily calm atmosphere in the air that morning as I began to pedal back east, eventually through 2 abandoned tunnels toward Sideling Hill.
I did take some glamour shots while I was parked here, before sunrise:
Ah, finally made it to Limekiln - A nicely shady and not crowded spot.
Time for some seat time on the 'ol Cannondale.
Lots of sites to choose from for campers along the way.
I made it to Lock #40 (about 13 Miles north of where I began) in about an hour before I decided to turn back.
The C&O is relatively flat, save for the 8' elevation changes at each lock.
I grabbed some shots of the calm, serene Potomac on this October afternoon.
After the Bike Ride, I packed up and made it back to my buddy's forest house around 7pm.
It was dark, and we had some dinner and decided to turn in for the night.
The next morning, I treated myself to a Hike on the AT. My buddy's house is about 1/4 Mile from the trail.
Off through the woods I trundled.
Crossing into official state land, I encountered these cool markers on the trees:
I was hiking on a section called Rocky Mountain - as you might imagine, there are a lot of rocks up there on the ridge top.
After the hike, about 7 Miles round trip, we had lunch and then rode quads until dark. That was super fun!
The next morning, I woke up to head home. I grabbed some breakfast and then decided to tow the quad and all the other stuff on US 30, headed west. I avoided the highway to Breezewood, PA, about a 50-mile trip. There are some pretty good mountain climbs on US 30 from Chambersburg to Breezewood, but the 'ol Slant 6 in the Valiant just asked for 2nd gear on the column-shifted manual transmission a few times.
Once in Breezewood, I parked the rig at the Abandoned PA Turnpike Trailhead. I have wanted to explore this area for a while. It was a serene and eerily calm atmosphere in the air that morning as I began to pedal back east, eventually through 2 abandoned tunnels toward Sideling Hill.
I did take some glamour shots while I was parked here, before sunrise:
10/31/25 Continued #3:
The white square is the light at the end of the 3,532' long Rays Hill Tunnel:
There was quite a breeze in there the morning I rode through.
Some shots from the east end:
Onward toward Sideling Hill: The riding experience is odd. It's rough in places due to the finish layer of asphalt being gone, potholes, cracks etc. At the same time, it sounds like you are riding on loose cobbles because the top layer of asphalt(when present) is no longer bound to the binder layer underneath, so the bits of asphalt click and clack when biking over them. Some sections are so rough that I lost my water bottle and my rear flasher light off the bike.
Entering the Loooong Sideling Hill Western Portal heading east.
The Sideling Hille tunnel is over a mile long at 6,782'.
When you enter, you cannot see light at the end due to the changing grade in the middle.
Out the other side- more than a mile later.
The abandoned road is fairly well blocked off to vehicular traffic.
I continued pedaling a mile or so on back roads to the new sideling hill trailhead at the rest area on I-76.
I took a bit of a rest, turned around, then headed back for home, on the interstate with my bike and quad in tow.
It was a pretty good trip for a 63-year-old station wagon and the 37-year-old quad. I had tons of fun and made some great memories along the way.
No Mechanical issues or breakdowns with anything.. the way I like it.
The white square is the light at the end of the 3,532' long Rays Hill Tunnel:
There was quite a breeze in there the morning I rode through.
Some shots from the east end:
Onward toward Sideling Hill: The riding experience is odd. It's rough in places due to the finish layer of asphalt being gone, potholes, cracks etc. At the same time, it sounds like you are riding on loose cobbles because the top layer of asphalt(when present) is no longer bound to the binder layer underneath, so the bits of asphalt click and clack when biking over them. Some sections are so rough that I lost my water bottle and my rear flasher light off the bike.
Entering the Loooong Sideling Hill Western Portal heading east.
The Sideling Hille tunnel is over a mile long at 6,782'.
When you enter, you cannot see light at the end due to the changing grade in the middle.
Out the other side- more than a mile later.
The abandoned road is fairly well blocked off to vehicular traffic.
I continued pedaling a mile or so on back roads to the new sideling hill trailhead at the rest area on I-76.
I took a bit of a rest, turned around, then headed back for home, on the interstate with my bike and quad in tow.
It was a pretty good trip for a 63-year-old station wagon and the 37-year-old quad. I had tons of fun and made some great memories along the way.
No Mechanical issues or breakdowns with anything.. the way I like it.
abdywgn
dismantler
Thanks for all the pictures and taking us along. Looks like lot of places I'll never make it to so I get to enjoy the scenery and history thru your posts. Thanks!
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