Great American Rail Trail – Eastern Leg

September 19th to October 4th, 2022

Every other year since 2016, Ian’s Ride has done a lengthy trek to demonstrate the need for accessible infrastructure in the outdoors. In 2016 we rode from Canada to Portland. 2018 brought us from Idaho to the Pacific and 2020 was 10 days down the Redwood Coast in Northern California. After our 2020 ride we decided it’s time to start highlighting safer trails rather than Highway bike routes. So, this year we will be doing the easternmost ~475 miles of the Great American Rail Trail (GART)! We will start in Washington DC and finish in Columbus, Ohio, then drive up to Elyria to spend the day chatting with our platinum sponsor, Invacare, the manufacturer of Ian’s power wheelchair. It will take us about 12 days, we will do daily blogs describing our progress and we will have other wheelchair users join us whenever possible. We are honored to be collaborating with United Spinal Association and the Rails to Trails Conservancy in this ambitious undertaking.

We did it!

Our goals

• Demonstrate what's possible for those living with mobility impairments and utilizing power wheelchairs.

• Highlighting the Great American Rail Trail as an exceptional piece of infrastructure for people of all abilities.

• To encourage others to get outside and experience their own adventure. Life often begins when you step outside your comfort zone.

Daily Routes

• September 19 – Fly from Seattle to DC

• September 20 – Prep day

• September 21 – US Capital, DC to White’s Ferry, MD – 38.6 miles

• September 22 – White’s Ferry, MD to Sharpsburg, MD – 41.1 miles

• September 23 – Sharpsburg, MD to Ernstville, MD – 38.6 miles

• September 24 – Ernstville, MD to Paw Paw, MD – 40.7 miles

• September 25 – Paw Paw, MD to Mt Savage, MD – 38.7 miles

• September 26 – Mt Savage, MD to Fort Hill, PA – 42.5 miles

• September 27 – Fort Hill, PA to Broad Ford, PA – 40 miles

• September 28 – Broad Ford, PA to McKeesport, PA – 40 miles

• September 29 – McKeesport, PA to McDonald PA – 40 miles

• September 30 – McDonald, PA to Steubenville, OH – 39 miles

• October 1 – Brinkhaven, OH to Centerburg, OH – 32.0 miles

• October 2 – Centerburg, OH to Columbus, OH – 36.9 miles

• October 3 – Spend the day at Invacare HQ in Elyria Ohio

• October 4 – Fly from Cleveland to Seattle