Originally Posted by
redrhodie
Wow, was it really that beautiful, or did you omit the MacDonalds and Walmarts? It really looks like the place that time forgot.
My version of the tour was to leave Cumberland at 5 pm on Monday and not see civilization again until about 4:30 on Wednesday - though I did hear it.
Monday - Photo ops by the mule at the Visitor's Center. Eat ice cream in Cumberland. Ride 4 miles and camp. Campsite was beside the towpath with portapotty and water pump. A nice spot except for the NOISE from the train track on the other side of the canal. Trains screeching all night long about every 15 minutes. Not much sleep until I put in earplugs. Dinner was Mexican food of brown rice, chicken, black beans, corn, and cheese.
Tuesday - DB and 7rider arrived at 9 am, we all rolled out of camp at 10 am. We planned to meet Kalidurga at 11 am to ride the Paw Paw tunnel together, but we were late and missed her. Later she met us riding back to her car as we were approaching the tunnel. At this point, Zen bailed out with KD, send home her camping gear, and rejoined us the next day as a muffin. I planned to camp either just before or just after Little Orleans where the muffins were staying. The campsite before had no water so went on to the campsite after, where I had a nice night alone, and the rail line across the river had trains only every 30 minutes. Dinner was stove top stuffing with turkey, peas, cranberries, and boiled potatoes. In sleeping bag at 7:30.
Wednesday - DB and 7rider and Zen arrived at my campsite about 9 am. We got in a nice groove riding and stopping to enjoy all the local history and scenery. Discovered and ate paw paws along the trail, since the others had been introduced to them the day before at Bill's Place. Zen took the Western Maryland Rail Trail while the other 3 stayed on the C&O. Stopped in Hancock to eat pie at Weavers. Zen decided by mid-afternoon that her saddle wasn't working well enough to complete the full trip, so she called a friend and headed home. As we neared Williamsport, I scoped out the campsite but decided there was so much local walker and jogger traffic there (1.5 miles from town) that I wasn't comfortable camping there alone so enjoyed the amenities of the Red Roof Inn with the others. We showered, had dinner, and bought a 6-pack of beer and bag of Ruffles for a debate watching party. Even did our laundry.
Thursday - rain forecast for afternoon, but instead we had on and off drizzle in the morning and a dry afternoon. 7rider had minor crash after lunch. Arrived in Harpers Ferry about 2:00. Good thing there were 3 of us so we could each make 2 trips up the stairs with our bikes and gear to walk the footbridge over the river. Checked into the Town Inn where we had a room with 4 beds and a private bathroom down the hall. Ate ice cream. Went for a walk uphill to Jefferson's Rock and the cemetery atop the hill. Had dinner with beer/wine. Went to sleep at 9 pm.
Friday - 2 mile walk uphill to breakfast. Stopped at Appalachian Trial Conservancy Office on the way back. Then checked out of the hotel and spent a little time at the NPS museum and historical buildings. Then we rode our bikes around on Virginius Island and checked out the ruins of old water powered mills along the Shennandoah River. Finally back through old town Harpers Ferry and over the footbridge again, where we repeated the two trips down the stairs with bikes and gear, and rode off on the C&O about 12:30. Did 25 miles to White's Ferry. Ferry and hotel shuttle into Leesburg, VA for the night. Mexican dinner and more beer.
Saturday - Met Zen and Madscot for the final 22 miles into DC. Lunch at Great Falls. Stopped at an open lockman's house, where all our burning questions about canal operation and mule management were answered by the NPS interpreter (and where we found a portapotty we were in great need of). A convoluted route through Georgetown, previously scouted by DB, brought us at last to Mile Post 0 for a 15 minute photo op. Then a 2 mile ride to the Metro station, 2 elevator rides to the train platform, a crowded train, 2 more elevator rides, and more 2 miles of pedaling to 7rider's house completed the trip.
fauna: turtles, deer, one large snake, great blue herons, pileated woodpeckers, wrens, bluejays, crows, etc.
flora: paw paw trees and fruit, osage orange tree and fruit, lots and lots of poison ivy but we all avoided that.
Last edited by DebW; 10-22-2008 at 03:07 AM.
Oil is good, grease is better.
2007 Peter Mooney w/S&S couplers/Terry Butterfly
1993 Bridgestone MB-3/Avocet O2 Air 40W
1980 Columbus Frame with 1970 Campy parts
1954 Raleigh 3-speed/Brooks B72