Biking The C&O Canal Towpath - Part 2

October 6, 2002

On August 18, 2002 I completed the first 60-mile portion of my quest to bike the entire length of the C&O Canal Towpath. I thought I would attempt the second portion a week or two later. Unfortunately, seven weeks passed before weather and scheduling were favorable. So I began my second ride on a chilly Sunday morning in early October.

At 7:00 AM we loaded our car with biking gear at a Red Roof Inn in Winchester, VA and drove directly to Harper's Ferry, WV, about a 40-minute journey. The local thermometer read 49 degrees! I wore a long-sleeved shirt under my biking shirt, but decided to wear biking shorts and no gloves. I thought it would be better to suffer in shorts a little during a cold start than to suffer more in long pants when temperatures rose later in the day.

I planned to begin biking at 8:00 AM. C was able to drive down into the historic heart of Harper's Ferry and drop me off right next to the bridge over the Potomac River. Since it was early on Sunday morning, no one came to chase us away from the no-parking zone.

Starting in Harper's Ferry at the building where abolitionist John Brown and his followers made a last stand.

A short walk across the bridge brought me to the 60.7 mile point on the trail where I ended the first leg of my canal journey in August. My watch read 7:45 as I set off pedaling. The morning chill quickly became unpleasant. The biking trail was in shadow. Fog banks frequently engulfed the neighboring river and scenery. I pedaled easily at first, partly to loosen my muscles, and partly to diminish the wind chill. Soon, both my hands and feet were numb as I cut through the damp cold. I wished I had brought gloves.

During the first ten miles I noticed several interesting white fungi in the woods. They were enormous, about the size of a bowling ball or bigger, and pure white. At first, I thought they were white plastic shopping bags blown into the woods by wind because their whiteness looked so out of place. Eventually, I realized they were giant fungi. Aside from the fungi, I saw little through the fog. The cold made me stiff and tense. In the gloomy woods along the side of the trail I saw several caves in limestone cliffs beckoning me to explore, but, without a flashlight, cave exploration would have been futile. I passed by the caves.

At 8:45 a motorboat came roaring up the Potomac pulling a crazy water skier. Who would water ski on such a frigid morning? Noise from the boat motor shattered the peaceful stillness and annoyed some campers who were just awakening by the side of the trail. By 9:00 my feet were starting to thaw. I could feel the temperature rise. In the first hour I covered less than 10 miles. After two hours roughly 20 miles had passed. I wanted to maintain a 10 mile-per-hour average speed, so I was right on schedule. Finally, the fog began to clear, my hands were no longer numb, and the trip began to be enjoyable.

The towpath somewhere between milepost 70 and milepost 84.

Eating and drinking were evenly spread out during the journey. I brought three water bottles, two bananas, an apple, and a sandwich bag filled with raisins and cookie crumbs. The apple was an unwise choice because it took too long to stop and eat it. The raisins and cookies worked best. Before leaving home I filled a plastic sandwich bag with raisins. Then I broke two cookies into small pieces and mixed the crumbs with the raisins. A few mouthfuls of this mixture consumed at regular intervals during the trip really hit the spot and kept me energized.

I completed my first 60-mile towpath trip from Georgetown to Harpers Ferry on a hot humid August day. This second expedition had a very different feel to it. It was much cooler, and the air frequently carried the autumn smell of dead leaves. I wondered how beautiful the trail would look when the leaves had truly changed color. Perhaps I’d see beautiful autumn colors if I could manage to ride the final 60-mile section in a few weeks.

Between milepost 84 and milepost 88 flooding had damaged the towpath making it impassable. Towpath travelers had to take a detour on paved country roads. The detour began just after milepost 84 where a pretty dam, called dam number 4, is located on the Potomac.

The Potomac River seen from the top of dam number 4.

I followed detour signs through pleasant countryside and returned to the towpath at McMahon's Mill at milepost 88.1.

View of the Potomac and towpath just past McMahon's Mill.

The town of Williamsport, MD was once an important center of commerce when the canal was operating. Today it features a well-preserved section of canal filled with water.

A well-preserved lock on the approach to Williamsport, MD.

Just after Williamsport at mile point 99.5 I crossed the Conococheague Aqueduct which carried the canal over the Conococheague Creek.

The top of the Conococheague Aqueduct in Williamsport, MD.

Beautiful arches supported the aqueduct. I was able to ride down to the creek bank to photograph the arches.

Arches supporting the Conococheague Aqueduct.

The trail seemed slightly rougher than it was for the first leg of my trip back in August. I blindly rode over branches and bumps hidden by fallen leaves. Now, as I passed Williamsport, my rear end was getting tender from absorbing so many bumps. I also seemed a bit more fatigued than on the August trip, probably due to accumulated stress from my college teaching work.

The towpath somewhere between milepost 100 and milepost 106.

The C&O Canal was strategically important during the Civil War. The canal delivered crucial supplies for the Union. The towpath also provided a good road through wilderness for troop movements. I stopped several times during the journey to read historical markers. About ten miles into my trip the canal crossed Antietam Creek near one of the most famous Civil War battles. The battlefield itself was not visible from the towpath, and I didn’t leave the towpath to find it. At Falling Waters, further along the way, I passed the spot where General Robert E. Lee crossed the Potomac River during his retreat from the battle of Gettysburg.

Dam number 5 on the Potomac River.

At mile point 106.8, after 46.1 miles of pedaling, I came upon dam number five. I could see cliffs on the opposite side of the Potomac from which, according to historical plaques, Stonewall Jackson’s artillery fired across the river in an attempt to destroy the dam. The dam diverted river water for the canal, and Jackson was trying to cut the canal supply to Washington. The lock keeper’s house near the canal must have come under fire from Jackson’s bombardment.

The lock keeper's house near dam number 5.

Nice view from the trail between milepost 107 and milepost 108.

During the final miles I passed a series of well-preserved locks where a small thriving community once flourished when the canal was operating. Some of the old community buildings still stand. Informative plaques at this site explained how mules pulled barges down the canal. Each barge had four mules. Two mules rested in special stalls on the barge itself while the remaining two mules walked along the towpath and pulled the barge. The barge operators treated their mules like family members. Among the remaining buildings in the small community stood a barn where barge operators would house mules for the winter.

Sunny towpath somewhere between milepost 109 and milepost 112.

The dry grass-lined canal on the approach to Hancock, MD.

Fatigue grew as I approached journey’s end in Hancock, MD. The trail was straight for most of the final miles. I watched carefully for bumps and branches to save my tender rear end from unnecessary punishment. At last I arrived at a small bridge leading to the attractive town of Hancock.

Nicely preserved section of the canal in Hancock, MD.

After about 63 miles of pedaling I had arrived at mile point 124.1 at 1:40 PM. The trip took 5 hours and 55 minutes.

Happy biker after completing 63 miles to Hancock, MD.

Only the final third segment of the canal remained. The tale of the third journey will appear in the next post.