TE-DC Canal Ride

[withm]

Has this fizzled out or is there still interest in doing some section of the canal next weekend? I'd like to come over for that.

This Sunday (6/115) I'm going to do the Bay to Bay ride in Betterton -
http://www.chestertownlions.org/bay_to_bay.htm

But the following weekend could do canal something. Where would we meet up?

Martha

[juliemcd]

I'm not able to do next weekend, but would definitely love to do another ride with you all this summer. I've been doing the canal ride (paved) from Georgetown to Bethesda, and it's lovely under the trees...

[HillSlugger]

I've been busy with other things, but had been meaning to resurrect this thread.

The consensus is looking like Saturday July 12 would allow the most people to ride. Is this still looking good?

[Zen]

I have made a note to not schedule myself to work Friday or Saturday.

the 12th is good.

Now we just have to decide where to ride from. I vote y'all come up this way.
It's less crowded.
Harpers Ferry to Shepherdstown?
Williamsport to Shepherdstown?
Williamsport to Fort Frederick (or farther)?

I'm not sure about mileage for those. I'd like to aim for a 25-30 mile round trip.

[HillSlugger]

I'd definitely like to ride above Whites Ferry since that the furthest I've gone. 30 miles or so sounds good.

[HillSlugger]

I have made a note to not schedule myself to work Friday or Saturday.

the 12th is good.

Now we just have to decide where to ride from. I vote y'all come up this way.
It's less crowded.
Harpers Ferry to Shepherdstown?
Williamsport to Shepherdstown?
Williamsport to Fort Frederick (or farther)?

I'm not sure about mileage for those. I'd like to aim for a 25-30 mile round trip.

Where's the best lunch/pie?

[Zen]

Where's the best lunch/pie?

We could pack something and stop at one of the hiker/biker spots or tote our bikes over the bridge to Harper's Ferry.

[7rider]

I'd support packing and picnicking.....because I'd like to load up the Big Buzz and see how it rides with gear on it.

[divingbiker]

I'm in for July 12. I'll have to order the roof rack for the Xracycle and try the bike and rack out. I vote for picnicing also; I can haul food & drinks. Up Zen's way sounds good.

(Am now in Nebraska getting ready for my ride that starts Wednesday. I took the bike into town this morning and rode back out to my sister's, just to make sure I put it back together right. The wind out here is NOTHING like the wind in MD. It might take me a verrry long time to ride 60 miles each day!)

[Kalidurga]

Sorry, I haven't been paying attention to the forum lately (life/work/etc issues...), but I was informed that I should check out this thread so here I am. I'm going to have to do some schedule finagling to see if I can join you ladies for Saturday 7/12. The store is doing inventory on 7/15 and since I'm the inventory manager, it stands to reason that I may have to work that Saturday

Personally, I think that food options are a great way to decide which section of the towpath to ride Whether I join y'all or not, I'd suggest:

For pie-- Weaver's, the place where Zen got pie in Hancock.

For ice cream-- Harper's Ferry's got good options for ice cream, but not for pie. As Zen can tell you, hoofin' it up and across the train bridge is fun.

Other assorted refreshments-- Shepherdstown's also got an ice cream place, a cool coffee shop and, of course, a tea shop (I have no news on that, sorry, the owners haven't gotten back to me yet. It's probably a no-go at this point ). It's a quick ride across the Route 34 bridge to get into town.

I did two rides last weekend: From Hancock to Ft Frederick, then from Lander Road to Harper's Ferry. Let me warn you, ladies... They keep adding more and more gravel to the towpath every summer. It used to be composed of dirt and crushed stone, but now longer and longer stretches are crushed gravel instead. I'm guessing that it's cheaper for the park service to refurbish with gravel than with stone. Be ready for some serious vibration. After last weekend, I felt like a Big Buzz.


Zen, I was going to do one of my Antietam Battlefield loops today, but what with the rain and all I decided to go hiking instead. I may head back out that way again tomorrow to ride, after stopping to fuel up at the Waffle House on Route 65. I'm not used to riding with another person out there and my pace is all over the place on that route due to the rolling hills, but let me know if you're interested.

[Kalidurga]

Me, again. Just checked some stats from my BikeJournal and here's mileage on the routes below:

Harpers Ferry to Shepherdstown?
Williamsport to Shepherdstown?
Williamsport to Fort Frederick (or farther)?

I'm not sure about mileage for those. I'd like to aim for a 25-30 mile round-trip.

Harper's Ferry > Shepherdstown is roughly 25 miles round trip, with food options at either end. From Harper's Ferry up to Dam 3 is a very beautiful stretch of the towpath/river, I highly recommend this section. Parking's tight on the MD side of the river near Harper's Ferry, though, so you might want to start at Sheperdstown and head downstream.

Williamsport > Shepherdstown is looooong and has the detour in the middle of it. I'm not sure of the exact mileage, but I'd guess that it's over 30 miles one-way. But from Shepherdstown to Big Slackwater (where the detour area begins) is just shy of 30 miles round-trip. And there are two parking lots on the MD side of the river across from Shep'town.

Williamsport > Ft Frederick is approx. 30 miles round-trip, depending on where you turn around. I usually ride to the top of Big Pool (you'll know it when you see it), then head back. Food options are limited in Williamsport, but it's got good parking and a Nat'l Park office/C&O musuem.

Sorry if this has become info overload, but the accumulated knowledge just started spilling out. I've now re-corked the bottle


I also wanted to let you ladies know that I'm not going to be able to do the October through-ride. I'm just not prepared for it, in so many ways. But I'm planning to do my annual Cumberland vacation around that time, so I'd love to join you on the day you go through the Paw Paw Tunnel. That is a lot of fun, and another really beautiful section of the towpath. And, trust me, it's better without a flashlight!

[Zen]

, so I'd love to join you on the day you go through the Paw Paw Tunnel. That is a lot of fun, and another really beautiful section of the towpath. And, trust me, it's better without a flashlight!

You're just looking for a way to noodge me into the canal

[Kalidurga]

You're just looking for a way to noodge me into the canal

Bah. There's usually less than 6 inches of water in that stretch, and there's a railing along the towpath. And why would I want to noodge you into the canal on the first day when I know the Muffin riders are going to noodge you into the river after you've been camping for a couple of days?

Couple more pics of Paw Paw:

In the tunnel, taken with the flash


Facing the opposite direction from the photo of the tunnel entrance

[juliemcd]

I also wanted to let you ladies know that I'm not going to be able to do the October through-ride. [/IMG]

What's the October through-ride?

I'm so bummed I can't join you all--my mom is in town that weekend to go wedding dress shopping with me--UGH...it goes without saying that I would MUCH rather be biking.

[Zen]

Skip the fancy wedding.
Spend that money on bike stuff.
Priorities, woman.
Gotta have priorities.