Oct 17 Hancock to Cumberland

Today was a nice early start for another 60+ mile day. Weather was perfect for the ride. I started on the Western Maryland Rail Trail and then the C&O about 10 miles outside Hancock. I made sure I took care of securing a Sheetz sandwich last night so I wouldn't have to stop along the way. I wasn't even sure if there was a place to eat along the way. The guys from NJ did find a place but I would have missed the turn.

Where there is water in the canal is chocked with algae as you can see above. When you toss a rock into the green coated water, a hole appears and in a few seconds is swallowed back up in green. I had fun doing this.

At 3118 feet this tunnel can get mighty dark. Somehow in the middle there are puddles and everyone steps in them. So you leave the tunnel with wet feet. As you can see above, the tow path goes along the left side of the canal in this direction. The tunnel is lined with bricks the entire way. You can also see the staircases leading up and over the tunnel entrances. It is a pretty amazing engineering feat for a tunnel of the era (completed in 1848). Bring a flashlight.

Looking downcanal you can see the lock gates here. Most are gone but a few are restored like these.

There was plenty of wildlife today. I saw 17 deer and 15 turkeys and a few fox squirrels as well as this guy. Twice I watched deer climb a nearly vertical cliff opposite the canal. You could hear the hooves scrapping on the rock as they made their way upward.

It is a pretty sight as you enter Cumberland. The big building is the Allegheny County Courthouse. 

Oct 16 C&O Canal-Harpers Ferry to Hancock

Here is the scene directly across the river from Harpers Ferry. The river travels through a series of rapids here and of course there are corresponding locks to raise and lower the canal water. The lock house can be seen above the lock. Almost every lock had a lock keeper who lived in the lock house. The only exceptions are in a couple spots where 2-4 locks are in close proximity, there was just one keeper. I understand the keeper and family were on call 24 hours a day whenever a boat needed to pass. Often the keeper supplemented his income by raising vegetables or chickens to sell to the boat hands. When the canal finally ceased operating after the 1924 flood, many keepers were permitted to remain in the houses rent free as long as they maintained them. Thus many are still standing and some are even habitable. You can rent several for overnight accommodations. However, conditions are spartan. There is no running water and outhouses are in use. My wife would not be a fan.

I ran into several spots with these Osage Oranges. I thought they were out of place for Maryland but here they are. I'm glad I didn't get hit my one. They are about the size of a bocce ball.

This several mile section of the canal is in the river. The terrain adjacent to the river is as you can see abve, almost straight up. There was no where for the canal to go but into the river. The towpath was carved out of the sides of these cliffs. This is the first time I have seen this section as it was closed up until this week. Flood damage closed this section and a 6 mile road ride was required to bypass it. However, this newly designed and constructed pathway just celebrated its grand opening several days ago. It was built in concrete sections off premise and lowered into place by cranes, then attached. You can see the joints in the pathway above. Designed to allow water to flow underneath the sections have foundations sunk well below river bottom. The cliffs were littered with purple aster and white aster along with a few stray plants of goldenrod.

Riding was much easier today. The rain had disappeared and even the puddles were gone. Lunch was at the DesertRose Cafe in Williamsport. I had a nice Rueben with some vegetables served with a smile. About 10 miles outside Hancock I switched over to the paved Western Maryland Rail Trail. It was a pleasant but not so scenic finish to a long day. Earlier in the day I called the 1828 Trail Inn to secure a room. What a treat this was is. Bill and Darlene cater almost exclusively to bicyclists and have perfected their inn perfectly for that purpose. They also keep up with other accommodations and restaurants along the trail. They are a great resource for the trail. Here I met 3 guys from New Jersey on their was to Pittsburgh and a couple guys from Massachusetts headed to Cumberland. Everyone exchanged stories at breakfast the following morning.

Oct 15 Vienna (Va) to Harpers Ferry

This being my 3rd C&O ride, I wanted to do the entire trail from MP 0 to Cumberland but some logistical problems getting to MP 0 and forecasted rain changed the plan. I was able to get a ride with son-in-law John to Vienna Virginia just up the street from his office. There I started on the Washington & Old Dominion Rail Trail. This paved trail is just over 30 miles but I rode just 21 miles to Leesburg Va. There I was able to negotiate, using my GPS, to Whites Ferry, the only still operating ferry across the Potomac River. The ferry utilizes a cable to cross the river. However, I learned recent high winds closed the ferry. So, even the cable must be vulnerable to those situations. 

The C&O Canal Towpath is within sight of the ferry and above you can see where the original road to the ferry crossed over the canal. From here to Harpers Ferry I did not take any more photos because it rained much of the way. The bicycling was slow and exhausting in the rain. Everything got wet and sandy except for a few double bagged clothing bags. The wet sand built up on the bike and shifting gears became impossible.

Not knowing where to stay, I walked up the never ending hill in the Harpers Ferry to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Visitors Center. Here someone gave me a list of local accommodations. I called the first on the list - Angler's Inn. They had a room and it was just one building down the hill. No matter where you go in Harpers Ferry, it involves a hill. I had a pleasant stay and was able to dry everything except my shoes. 

The next two photos are of the approach to Harpers Ferry, crossing the river. I took the photos the following morning. 

It was a long day and I think I rode about 51 miles. Many of the miles were avoiding puddles and splashing through puddles, sinking in mud and not being able to see much of anything.

Oct 9 Sunkota Ridge

Sunkota Ridge Trail is accessed from the Deep Creek area of the GSMNP. There are many trails in the area and most were roads at one time. Still today these old roads are two track trails. Almost all are open to horses and even a few to bicycles. The waterfall above, Tom Branch Falls is seen on the main trail leaving Deep Creek picnic and campground. Everyone who tubes in the creek floats past this waterfall, so there are numerous photos of it in folks' vacation photos. 

Sunkota Ridge rises up from the creek and enters a pleasant hardwood forest with some very limited views. It was a thrill to hear the drumming of a Roughed Grouse and then see one with his tail fully fanned.

Some late season Indian Pipes are seen above. Wildflowers today limited to White Wood Aster and some purple asters. It was a cloudy and humid day without much bird activity, sometimes eerily quiet.

With so many trails in the area, you have many options for making loop hikes. I chose one which would permit me to hike future loops with a minimal amount of backtracking. I returned on the Indian Creek Motor Trail, not to be confused with the Indian Creek Trail. I was confused by the similar names.