May 7 Wet Day Bicycling on C&O

Virginia Bluebells were blooming

This is the first day of a two day ride on the C&O Canal towpath. My plan is to bicycle from Shepherdstown WV to Hancock MD, 51 miles upriver. It began as a cool nice day with promising skies. I breezed along at a good pace to the "river" section of the canal. Here the limestone cliffs which line the river, come right up to river with no space to build a canal. Rather than cut massive hunks of limestone out to build the canal, the engineers built a dam across the river, backing up the Potomac for 13 miles. It is known as the Big Slackwater. This allowed boats to enter the river and pass without encountering rapids and rocks. The boats floated in the river and a towpath was cut into the limestone cliffs allowing mules to tow the boats. The section had been closed for many years and just recently reopened. It is one of my favorite spots on the trail. However, today as I was passing this section, I began to hear thunder. This is the only part of the trail I would be riding where you are exposed right on the riverbank, without any protection. I knew it was a few miles, so I pedaled hard to get back into the forest.

Waiting for storm to pass

As I was standing next to the McMahon Mill, putting my poncho and gaiters on, an old station wagon driven by an elderly fellow stopped.  The fellow yelled to me. I could get under his open air metal carport to wait for the rain to pass. I did this and once I had my bike under the metal canopy, I began to think that maybe this was not the best place for me to be. As the storm neared, I decided I would leave my bike here and just walk up to this guy's garage which was open air. As I did this, I could see the old fellow motioning me up to his place. We sat in his garage for a while. I learned his name was Bill and he was 83. He told me he had been a State Trooper, FBI, CIA, Secret Service and back to the CIA. I was skeptical but went along with the story. As the storm intensified, rain began coming in the garage and the temperature cooled. Bill then invited me inside but warned me it was a bachelor pad. I suspected it would not be pretty, the garage was piled high with junk. As we entered the house, the first thing I noted was the odor. Cats scurried everywhere when I walked in. Did one of them die recently?, I thought. There so much junk everywhere, only a path through the living room with room to maneuver into two chairs. The TV was on and so were 4 closed circuit monitors connected to cameras around the outside of the house. Next to Bill's chair I noticed a piece of paper with phone numbers on it. One number was for the CIA. So I asked what he did while in the Secret Service and CIA. He told me he was head of technological detection. He traveled all over the world to embassies trying to detect microphones and listening devices. But, no he never found any. He explained it was so much easier to get information the old fashion way: have women befriend male embassy employees. Also, at some point, they learned spies could listen to conversations via electric wire which supplied electricity. I was enjoying the stories but also wanted to continue riding and get away from the odor. I kept watching the rain on the closed circuit monitors. Finally, after about an hour, it let up and I could continue on.  

McMahons Mill next to CIA Bill's home

Columbine on cliffs next to river

The towpath was riddled with puddles now. I was forced to ride on the grass and progress slowed. After only a few miles I heard thunder again and realized I was about to experience round 2. Just as it began to sprinkle, I came upon the Potomac Fish and Game Club and the many deserted summer cottages. I located one with a covered picnic area and waited for this storm to pass.

3 mile section of towpath where boats used the river 

Once again I'm riding amid the puddles and grass. The temperature had cooled and I was cold and wet. Then I took a hard fall and scraped up my leg. After washing it as best I could using one of the hand pumps at a campsite, I decided I'd have to cut the ride short and end it in Williamsport instead of Hancock.

"Guard" Lock where boats entered the river

A visitors center in Williamsport was open and I was able to learn where I could stay and eat. It was now 2:30 and had I gone on to Hancock, it would be after 6:00.