We Rode the Whole Thing!

Check out our ride...we did the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath in three days!

Our Bike Trip on Sunday, Sept.14th

I barely missed running this guy over!
Enjoying the sun!
"Tom, what are you looking at?"

Paw Paw Tunnel~Bike Ride on Sunday, Sept. 14th

You've heard of the light at the end of the tunnel...here's proof that it really exists! :o)
The temperature difference inside the tunnel and the outside was about 30 degrees.

The tunnel is 3,118 feet long
This sign cracked us up! It was so isolated on the trail and then this???

For a moment we thought we were at Machu Picchu!

Last Set of Pics, Bike Ride on Sunday, Sept. 14th

The trail was a sloppy mess...as you can see!

Another trip finished...

Total miles: 38.52! It was hot...over 90 degrees and very humid but we had a FANTASTIC day!

25 Miles...What a Ride!

I can't believe that it's been almost 2 years since posting on this blog and a year since my last bike ride. Tom and I were biking regularly and as life tends to do sometimes, it got in the way of our beloved hobby. I guess kids, work, stress, and weight gain all played a part in our bike trips being put on the back burner.

Our ride was fantastic. We rode for 25 1/2 miles on the Western Maryland Rail Trail. (about 1 1/2 miles of it was on the C&O canal towpath)

We saw quite a bit of wildlife today to include: several wild turkeys, 5 or 6 deer (one had a fawn with her...see pic), a red squirel, several grey squirels, a groundhog, a beautiful hawk, lots and lots of butterflies, and of course many types of bird too. I saw two indigo buntings...I was excited because I don't get to see them very often. They are such beautiful birds with remarkable blue plumage.

Today was so much fun and it felt great to be out on the trail again!

Hancock to Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct

Cement plant ruins 3 miles out of Hancock

The canal path outside of Hancock

The Devil's Eyebrow.

Whew! Georgetown to Great Falls was beautiful, but it was nice being far from the maddening crowd this weekend. The rail trail took most of the traffic away from the canal path, and it was mile after mile of open road. The first sight of note was the Devil's Eyebrow. Tom, a former wrestling fan, noticed a strong resemblance to "The People's Eyebrow" and shouted, "Finally, The Rock has come back to Hancock!!!!!!!" I'm guessing that most of you are shaking your heads right now. That's the second reference to pro wrestling on today's post. I promise to never do it again.

The old cement factory is just beyond the Devil's Eyebrow, and the lime kilns on the hill are worth seeing, as is the tall brick chimney pictured above. All of this is located on a bend approximately three miles outside of Hancock.

Hero on a Halfshell!

Turtle Power...Candee saved the day, but her new friend was none too appreciative

Candee nearly ran over this fine fellow, and her scream shattered glass from Hancock to Oldtown! The critter on the turtle's shell is a leech--not to be confused with Robin Leech. "Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams!"

Another View...

Cacapon Junction, what's your function?

The Cacapon River enters the Potomac on the West Virginia side. The stone structure is the railroad bridge, and the bridge behind it is on the road into Great Cacapon.

Scenes from Sideling Hill Creek

"Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you..." Whoops, sorry, it's the Potomac. My bad.

Driftwood along the banks of the Potomac below the Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct, if you can catch my drift. Get it, huh, huh????

Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct

It was a relatively short ride today (24 miles), and we turned around at the Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct...heretofore to be called SHCA. I'm a lousy typist, and the long version really annoys me. Anyway, the fishing looks really good at the SHCA, so I would recommend bringing a pole, if possible, when visiting here. Beyond that, it looks like a great place to hang out and spend a day. You know what they say...

"It's fun to stay at the SHCA...
It's fun to stay at the SHCA..."

I will leave you on that note, but not without saying that this is a very nice part of the C&O Canal. Hope to be back soon with more C&O pics and news!!!!!!!

Three pictures from the Western Md. Rail Trail

"On Polly Pond"


"If you can sm...ell...ell....ell...ell...ell what the rock's got cookin'."


Autumn day on the rail trail

We went from Hancock to Sideling Hill Creek on the canal path, but something was missing. We didn't see the much ballyhooed Polly Pond, so on the way back we took the rail trail. The scenery was relatively good, but it lacked the serenity of the canal. And, yes, Polly Pond was a major disappointment.

Great Falls to Georgetown...30 miles round trip!

We started our ride at Great Falls Park and rode into Georgetown. For scenery, this is perhaps the most exquisite section of the canal. The south end of the canal looks much as it must have while it was in operation, and canal boats still carry tourists near Great Falls and Georgetown. Much of the northern end is mile after mile of dry ditch or occasional puddles, with a major exception being the section running from Town Creek to a couple miles past Oldtown.

The first fourteen miles of the canal are very crowded, and the blue herons seem to be very used to all of the people. One in particular appeared to be posing for pictures! We saw some turtles, too, but the wildlife was less abundant than in the more secluded northern end. The fishing, however, must be very good because numerous anglers were trying their luck.

There were three of us riding today, and Great Falls to Georgetown got an A, B, and C- respectively as we each graded it. Candee gave it the highest mark because of the scenery. The rapids at Great Falls were her favorite. She was also pleased that there was something new to look at around every bend. Candee's only regret was that her odometer was stolen from her bike in Georgetown while we were eating lunch!!!!!

Tom thought the scenery was some of the best so far, but the crowds were not to his liking. He dubbed the locals as "cretinous humanoids" with stereotypical "doe in the headlights" expressions, who walked five abreast down the middle of the path! To put it bluntly, the walkers, and many of the riders, were very rude and didn't want to move for anything or anybody. "You don't see this ridiculous behavior in Hancock, Little Orleans, or Paw Paw!," he muttered--something like fifty times.

Keegan, the teenager in the crew, gave this section the lowest score, claiming to be bored more than anything. He also got his shots in concerning the "city slickers," describing their behavior as "Tres rude!" This was the Keegman's first big ride, and he did his thirty miles like a trooper!

Let's break it down:

Scenery...A+. The highlights being the falls, actually seeing water in the canal for a change, and the mules pulling the barge in Georgetown.

Weather...A+. Seventy degrees worth of fall splendor!

The people...C-. This rating is for the thug that stole Candee's odometer and the trail hoggers. We did meet two nice guys who were completing their 184.5 mile run from Cumberland, Md. to Georgetown. It was fun talking to them about their experiences on the trail. We also met three guys in Georgetown that gave us suggestions on where to eat lunch. Good recommendation...Thanks!

Great Day!

Posing for the Tourists!

Blue Heron along the route.

Lockhouse # 8

Georgetown~Mule Powered Barge Ride!

Shepherdstown

Yeah, we finally got on the trail again! We started in Shepherdstown(mile marker 72) and headed North. We rode for about 3 miles and saw several caves nestled in the hillside. We stopped to look and take pictures. One of caves seemed really big so we walked up the hill to check it out. Have you ever heard the expression, "timing is everything", well that describes what happened when we entered the cave. It started to pour, and I mean pour! We stood at the entrance of the cave and watched and listened to the rain for about 15 minutes. I was convinced that it was a bear cave and Tom thought that was funny! He kept yelling to the back of the cave to roust the "sleeping bear". I told him that he better be able to run fast because if he woke the bear I would run faster than he could!!!

We headed back on the trail after the rain stopped. We rode only a few more miles before it started to rain again. I was soaked and muddy from head to toe! We rode 10 miles today....pretty good considering the weather conditions!

It is supposed to be around 71 degrees tomorrow so we are going to hit the trail again. We are still discussing which section of the trail we should do....of course I will let you know!

Wild Turkeys

Wild Turkey Facts!

As we were riding, I heard the familiar gobble sound and I stopped in time to see 12 turkeys crossing the path behind us! I have never seen more than 2 or 3 in a group together so this was a special treat! We were only able to watch them for a few moments before they disappeared into the underbrush.

Location: Town Creek Aqueduct

Ride #1

Yesterday we biked for 50.7 miles! We rode on the C&O canal path from Paw Paw to Evitts Creek Aqueduct and back (Almost to Cumberland!) Approximately 12 miles up the path, we stopped in a quaint little town in Maryland called, Old Town. Quite by accident we found out that the local highschool closed about six years ago and they now use the school cafeteria as a restaurant. The School House Kitchen was sparsely decorated, however, the walls were lined with the graduation pictures from each year the school was in operation. The graduating classes mirrored the size of the town and I believe the year of '49 had only eight graduates! Tom had the special of the day which was chicken fried steak and I had a grilled chicken sandwich~both were good tasting and resonably priced.

Directions: If you are approaching from Paw Paw, when you arrive in Old Town turn right and cross over the bridge. Go to the end of the road and turn right at the stop sign. The restaurant is located approximately two tenth's of a mile on the right. There is a big sign on the school and you can't miss it!

The trail from Paw Paw to Old Town is so far my favorite section of the C& O towpath. It is extremely scenic and very peaceful. On the trail we saw 12 wild turkeys, a beaver, 6-7 deer, 2 Blue Herons, geese, a large variety of birds, a groundhog, and lots and lots of squirrels! It was wonderful seeing so much wildlife and the weather was perfect!

I was very proud that we were able to do a 50+ mile trip, however, the last six miles were VERY difficult! I wasn't in pain but I just felt like I didn't have any power. I think we need to make sure that we eat more often when we are on the trail!

Let's Start at the Very Beginning....a Very Good Place to Start!

Prior to starting this blog, I have ridden approximately 170 miles, most of which has been on the C & O canal. I have taken a few rides on the Western Maryland Rail-trail as well. My goal is to see the entire 184.5 miles of the canal towpath. I have seen approximately 70 miles so far.

Eventually, I want to ride the entire length as a 4-5 day trip!