Biking The C&O Canal Towpath - Part 1

August 18, 2002

The C&O Canal Towpath is a 184.5-mile bike path running between Washington, DC and Cumberland, MD. In 2002-2003 I had great fun pedaling its entire length in three segments. The quest began in August, 2002 just before my classes began. We drove to northern Virginia, stayed overnight in Manassas on a Saturday night, and drove quickly on Route 66 to the beginning of the trail in Georgetown on Sunday morning. An early start was essential because by noon the temperature would be approaching 90 degrees with generous humidity. Immediately after crossing the Key Bridge into Georgetown we made a right turn next to the Francis Scott Key Park. No parking is allowed on this street, but it was early in the morning, and we were able to quickly unload my bike near the Ukrainian embassy. Within minutes someone came out of the embassy and told us to move the car.

My watch said 6:55 AM as I began pedaling at roughly the one-mile marker on the towpath. There was no sense trying to start at mile zero since that spot was inconveniently located. I carried three water bottles, two bananas, an apple, two cookies, some raisins, and a crummy waterproof disposable film camera left over from C’s disappointing Hawaiian snorkeling adventure. All this, along with my wallet, change purse, and eyeglasses fit in my belt bag and the pockets of my biking shirt!

It was a relief to begin the journey. I worried quite a bit before the trip about how long it would take and how rough the trail would be. It turned out to be no problem. The trail was in excellent condition, much better than the Virginia Creeper Trail. The towpath was fairly soft light-colored dirt, not too loose, and not too hard-packed. Some small gravel was mixed with the dirt, but more than 90 percent of the trail was flat, smooth, and a joy to ride. I hoped to be able to manage an average of ten miles per hour for the trip. When a trail is too rough, however, it can be an effort to maintain such a speed. Again, it was no problem, especially during the last half of the trip. When I rode further north on this trail, I didn’t worry so much beforehand.

Typical scene from early miles - smooth path with canal on right.

The first miles were very pleasant. I pedaled along easily looking at the scenery. The canal was on my right. It was filled with murky, unattractive water. In fact, most of the canal water was uninviting. It was either dirty opaque green, completely covered with green algae, or choked with weeds. Only a few places had clean water! The Potomac River was on my left for the whole trip. All along the way people were out walking, running, or biking.

Unattractive green scum mars beauty of the canal.

After about 10 miles the path became prettier. Although I pedaled slowly, paused several times to take pictures, and stopped to adjust my gear, I still managed to cover about 10 miles in the first hour. That put my mind at ease. I allowed seven hours for the 60-mile trip with an additional hour of insurance time, and I was now confident that I would reach Harper’s Ferry well before eight hours had elapsed. Then C would not have to execute any of the emergency plans we made in case I didn’t show up in eight hours. Between 10 miles and 22 miles the ride was beautiful. I felt exhilarated and very comfortable riding smoothly along the shaded trail. I passed several locks, each accompanied by a little white stone house where the lock keepers once lived.

A lock keeper's house.

I imagined how slowly the barges must have traveled along the canal pulled by horses or mules clip-clopping down the very same towpath on which I was riding. I also wondered if a six-hour journey from Harper’s Ferry to Washington would have been considered impossibly fast in 1850!

Another white lock keeper's house and lock.

I passed by Great Falls Park and stopped to look out over the rocky gorges of the Potomac River. Soon I came to the “rocky breach”, a place at mile point 13.4 where the towpath must have been destroyed. Here the canal widened into what looked like a quarry lake filled with the cleanest canal water I would see. It was also one of the most scenic spots along the journey, so I’m glad I decided to skip the detour around it.

Scene approaching the "rocky breach".

The path at the “rocky breach” became very narrow, and then impossible to ride. Tree roots and boulders protruded from the ground along the edge of the water. For a short distance I had to lift my bike upon my shoulder and carry it over the rough terrain. This was hard work. I had to step carefully to keep from twisting my ankle or losing my balance. Fortunately, this section was very short. I carried the bike for, perhaps, ten minutes or so. Then the nice smooth path resumed.

Rough path in the "rocky breach".

After roughly 22 miles the canal bed was no longer filled with water. The depressed bed itself was plainly visible, but it was mostly overgrown with trees. The lack of canal water was no loss to me! Shade from trees growing in the dry canal was more pleasant than dirty canal water! Now the path became a shady country lane passing through woods. I loved it!

The towpath became a shady country lane.

As the 25-mile point and then the 30-mile point passed, I monitored my condition. I wasn’t tired. I was still enjoying the ride tremendously. The shade was lovely. It wasn’t too hot. The breeze from riding along was pleasantly cool. I continued to eat and drink regularly. My shoulders were very slightly cramped, but hardly a problem. So far, so good, I thought.

The ferry named General Jubal Early crosses the Potomac at White's Ferry.

At the 35.5-mile point I stopped at White’s Ferry to eat my second banana. While eating I stood in the shade and watched a small ferry crossing the Potomac. The fare was $3 for cars and $1 for bicycles. The ferry was named after General Jubal Early, a Confederate Civil War leader from Lynchburg who crossed the Potomac near here during the Civil War in an attempt to march down the towpath and attack Washington. There was a snack bar here and port-a-potties, so it was a good spot to take a break. Even with the 15-minute break, I was still averaging slightly more than 10 miles per hour. As I resumed pedaling I wondered when I would begin to feel tired. While passing the 40-mile point I decided that I was still having a lot of fun. Fatigue hadn’t hit yet. Soon I reached another landmark at mile 42.1 where I crossed the Monocacy Aqueduct. Here the canal, contained within a stone bridge completed in 1833, actually crossed over a river! Metal supports were added in the 1970’s, and these made it impossible to ride across the bridge. It was actually a nice break to get off the bike and walk across while guiding the bike over each bump along the way.

Walking my bike over bumps on the Monocacy Aqueduct.

After the aqueduct the path plunged into shady woods again. The Potomac River was frequently visible to my left through breaks in the trees. People were fishing and kayaking on the river. About every five miles along this section there were campsites with grills, port-a-potties, and hand pumps for water.

Lovely shady woods.

As 50 miles approached it was impossible to deny growing fatigue. My shoulders were getting tired. Perhaps I was 75 percent comfortable and 25 percent uncomfortable at this point. It was good to know I would arrive in Harper’s Ferry with time to spare. 50 miles were completed in less than five hours. I continued to chug away and cover the miles. At the 54-mile point I passed the Brunswick Family Campground where the smell of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers drifted into my nose. I thought folks there might be amused if I told them I had ridden all the way from Washington and would pay $10 for a hot dog!

Harper’s Ferry was not far off now. I expected to see it around every bend. The miles continued to pass. Soon I could see people floating down the Potomac in inner tubes. That meant the journey’s end was coming very soon. I passed the 60-mile mark and knew there was less than a mile to go! I arrived at the base of the bridge to Harper’s Ferry at exactly 12:30 PM. It had taken 5 hours and 35 minutes to bike approximately 60 miles to this spot!

Endpoint of my ride beneath railroad bridges at Harper's Ferry.

I felt a little tired but great overall! I wasn’t exhausted or breathing rapidly. There was time to read some of the informative plaques near the path before carrying my bike up the stairs to the bridge into Harper’s Ferry. A train then crossed a neighboring bridge and passed into the impressive tunnel there. That added a nice touch to the journey’s end. I stepped off the bridge, removed my helmet, and strolled slowly down to the armory where John Brown was captured. I ate a few raisins and drank a little water. Within a minute or two C appeared. She had just arrived.

Our car was parked at the Harper’s Ferry Visitor’s Center about two miles away. C had taken a shuttle bus from the Visitor’s Center down to the town to meet me. No bikes are allowed on the shuttle bus. I foolishly suggested we walk back to the Visitor’s Center together. That was a mistake! The walking trip was much longer than expected. Although I biked 60 miles without too much trouble, this final walk nearly did me in! During the final mile I struggled to push my bike uphill in unshaded 90-degree humidity. By the time we got to the car I was completely exhausted and sweating heavily. It was a real effort to take the bike apart and load all of my equipment in the steaming car. Finally, I changed clothes in the restroom at the Visitor’s Center, and we drove off with air conditioning on maximum.

I'll share the second part of the story in my next post.