Day Two: Ashville to Linville Falls

Morning sun as we climbed toward Craggy Garden

100th  mile on the Parkway

Again we had to sneak out of the campground in darkness, trying to be quiet and not wake up our neighbors. We stopped for Breakfast at the Waffle House, and had a decent meal for a reasonable price, and the waitress was friendly too.

Derek and Kelly dropped us off at the intersection of Route 70 and the Parkway.  It was a cool but comfortable morning since we were starting at the modest elevation of Asheville.  The climbing started right out of the box, like the day before.  Despite the filling breakfast, I started getting hungry within the first half hour.  I noticed that I had to be eating pretty regularly for the first 3 hours or so in the mornings.

On the way up we had some nice views of mountain homes, and even someone sleeing in the open bed of a pickup at one of the first overlooks.  As we climbed upward we passed mile marker 369, which meant we had completed our 100th mile on the Parkway.

As we continued, we saw a number of local riders out for an early Sunday morning ride.  We passed 2 riders at one overlook, and they caught up to us as we were finishing a food and water break.  Our timing lead to us riding with them.  They were locals who would often ride to Craggy Garden on a Sunday morning and had also ridden to the top of Mount Mitchell once.  They asked about our ride, and gave us enough information about the Climb to Mount Mitchell, for us to feel that we could accomplish it.  We arrived at Craggy Garden a few minutes after they did.

Mount Mitchell, this was a popular sign

View from Mount Mitchell

The road to Mount Mitchell is bit steeper than the regular grades of the Parkway, but it is also extra detour from the Parkway itself.  When Dale was planning the itinerary for this trip, he allowed time to make take the side trip if we thought our legs were up to it, if we were on schedule for that day and the weather/visibility would make it worthwhile.  Since we made it to Craggy Gardens pretty much on schedule, we decided to make a go for it.  The road was also a bit straighter, which made it easier for cars to pass us, We had the gears and the time and put it in the long grind mode.  Near the top another local rider caught us, and I rode with him for a mile or so.  He was checking out the climb to prepare for a ride in October with his cycling friends from his former home in Ohio, to celebrate his 60th birthday.  Near the top a dear dashed across the road in front of us.  Due to my heavier bike and bags, I couldn't keep pace.

Near the top, there is a visitor's center, parking area and a trail to a observation deck on the actual peak.  There was a gentle breeze and the temps were comfortably cool.  We had to stand in line to get a picture at the sign.  While we were hanging out at the top, eating our lunch, I offered to take a sign picture for a young family.  the  a noticed my Penn State socks and said he was a fan.  He (Dean) was actually from the Boston area and wrestled at Edinboro.  He and his family had lived in Chester Springs PA before moving to Charlotte, NC.  They were on a day-trip to visit the peak.

Later in the afternoon, looking back toward the Black Mountains

So all that climbing paid off with a nice descent, back onto the Parkway with even more downhills.  the afternoon destination was Little Switzerland.  The road continued to curve up and down, and we had nice views of the Black Mountains as we headed east.  As we were struggling up one of the many climbs that afternoon, Dale asked me what % of the Parkway so far was flat, and my response was something like "less than 1 %, and that is rounding up".  In other words, the terrain was making it tough on us mentally and physically.  After the nice cool breezes in the higher elevations, it was getting hot at the lower elevations, especially in the few open spots.  We limped into the Little Switzerland General Store for a much needed food and water break.  It was crowded, and there was a line at the cash register but we endured.

Dale had a very good handle on the terrain to come and warned us there was one last 3 mile climb to our evening campground at Linville Falls.  Even knowing we were close and the climb was pretty hard, and it seemed to stretch on forever.  Just when you think the top is around the next bend, it keeps going up.  As we were struggling slowly up a steeper part of the climb, a van passed us and the passenger yelled out "Go, you can do it!"  after a string of cars passed, someone encouraged us again from another van with "Go, you can do it!".  After they were up the road a bit, Dale said "they must be related",

Post Office in Linville Falls

The climb finally did end, and the few miles to the campground were mostly downhill.  The campground was really nice,

We had a great dinner at Spears BBQ in Linville Falls, a very rural North Carolina Village.

Cateye 

77.79 Totals miles
7:35:07 Riding time
42.1 Maximum speed
10.2 Average speed

Day One: Cherokee to Asheville

Morning dawns over the Smoky Mountains, during the early miles of the Parkway

Three things that you need to know; 1) the Blue Ridge Parkway was designed by someone who had no interest in finding the shortest distance between point A and B, and 2) was infatuated with his/her french curve, and 3) was oblivious to how the terrain would affect people touring by bike.  With that knowledge, as a cyclist you are less like to curse the intentions of this well meaning person.

Our starting point at
milepost 469.1

Elk disappearing
into the woods

We left the campground in darkness and had a very filling and tasty breakfast at Peter's Pancakes and Waffles in Cherokee, NC.  We were on the road at milepost 469.1 by 7:40, as daylight expanded.  We encountered our first tunnel and passed Big Witch Overlook.  On the descent to Soco Gap, we encountered an elk standing calmly in a little grassy spot along the road.  As a few cars stopped, it was not immediately spooked.  However, by the time I got my phone out and unlocked, I took a quick pic as it headed into the surrounding woods.  Passerby's said there was a pair of elk just down the road, but we did not see them.  Within a half mile or so, Dale experienced a flat in his rear tire.  A few miles later we passed a single wild turkey along the road.

The road was pretty quiet for the first hour, but as we climbed toward Waterrock Knob, groups of motorcycles started passing us.  The Harley-types could be heard approaching well in advance, and after they passed could be heard many miles in the distance as the wound along exposed sections of the parkway.  Since a motorcycle can pass a bicycle rider within the same lane, our presence on the road did not seem to slow them down very much.  A group of 3 or 4 guys on moto GP style bikes came flying by us and as they entered the next turn their knees were just above the grass as they leaned into the turn...those are the guys we have to watch out for.

View from Waterrock Knob

During the quiet moments we could hear elk bugling and turkeys clucking in the distance.  The air was cool and comfortable and sun was shining, it seemed like conditions could not be better.

View from Richland Balsam Overlook

Since the morning was spent mostly climbing, it was appropriate that our lunch stop goal was Richland Balsam overlook, which at 6053 feet is the highes point on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We pulled in and were cooled by a nice breeze and cool air.  we enjoyed a beautiful view as we ate our lunch.  A few people wandered over to ask where we had started or where we were going.  One couple must hove thought we looked in such sorry shape that they gave us a sleeve of crackers and a bottled water to each.  The kind gestures from strangers we encountered along the way were uplifting.

Sign at Richland Balsam

From the high point, of course there was a lot of descending to do, but really we were either going up or down.  As the day wore on we entered Pisgah National Forest and came closer to the City of Asheville motorcycle and car traffic really began to pick up.  The cycles could easily pass us, but since the Parkway is narrow and has no shoulder cars would have cross into the opposing lane to pass.   As we slogged up a climb we could hear the cars queuing up behind us and then gunning to pass us when they had an opening.  Since the road is always curving, many times cars trying to pass  had little sight distance to safely pass.  Somewhere near Pisgah Knob a large pickup, got impatient and tried to pass, when they were even with us, another pickup was coming the opposite direction and had to go off the road to avoid a front-end collision, it was a very close call.

This Saturday of Labor Day weekend, and there were a lot destinations along this portion of the Parkway that locals were visiting for one last summer weekend.  There were a couple of places where parking areas were overflowing and people were parking on the grass shoulders of the roadway.  the constant flow of traffic with lines of cars passing us at higher rates of speed, caused many stressful situations for us.  On one of the descents a local rider out for a Saturday afternoon ride passed us.  We exchanged a few words of encouragement, and then we tried to follow him on the long downhill.  After about 20 minutes he was out of site.

As we continued to descend we could see that we were getting close to the level of the valley floor.  At a couple view points, we could see the Biltmore mansion in the distance, perched prominently on a hill within the estate.  We continued to desend past the southern perimeter of the  North Carolina Arboretum.  As we crossed the French Broad River, we knew we were at a low point on the Parkway.

From there we had a few miles of rolling hills till we arrived at route 70 where we exited the Parkway.  We finally hit 70 and still had 6-7 miles of riding to our spot at the KOA campground.  For some reason I was struggling with both mental and physical fatigue at that point, and it was probably the hardest part of the trip.  It seemed like such a short distance, but it was on a 4 lane road with traffic lights and intersections.  After the somewhat controlled environment of the Parkway, it was a tough stretch, and the roadways expansion joints added to the annoying aspects of this ride.  When we finally arrived it was quite a relief.

Cateye Computer
93.63 Miles
8:23:47 Total riding time
Avs 11.1  Average speed
MX 41.2 Maximum Speed

Polar

NPS Map - Interactive Map of Blue Ridge Parkway.

Mileposts - Text list of mileposts for important points of interest along Parkway.

Winter 2013/2014

Snow cover in  back yard and...perfect crust skiing, especially in the early AM

Remnants of a snow cave carved by Jacob and Nick.

Winona Forest Tourathon 2014

I participated in the 34th Annual Winona Forest Tourathon for the second consecutive year, on February 22.  It is a 50 kilometer cross country ski race, skied in the classic technique.  It is held on a 12.5 km course in the Winona Forest, just east of Mannsville, NY.  This is in the Tug Hill region, which receives almost 300" of snow annually which mostly comes in the form of Lake Effect snow from Lake Ontario.

The drive from Stevens, Pa to the Tug Hill region can normally be completed in a little over 4 hours, but this was not going to be a normal trip.  After packing and waxing skis, I finally got on the road over an hour behind schedule.  It was a warm rainy day in Pa, and I was concerned about the trail conditions at the race course since the forecast called for below freezing temperatures overnight.  I emailed the race director about whether the trails would be too icy to race.  He kindly responded that the trails should be good, but high winds might be an issue.  I decided since I had taken the day off work, I probably should stick with the plan and head north.

As I drove north, I encountered a lot of fog and heavy rain.  My route was 222 to Reading, 61 to Port Clinton, 895 to New Ringold, 443 to Tamaqua and then 309 to 81 around Hazelton, and then 81 through Binghamton, NY to the Tug Hill region.  There was a detour in Tamaqua, due to a bridge project, and I either missed the signs or the detour was poorly marked, so I ended up wasting 20 min. finding my way.  When I stopped for lunch at a Subway in Hazelton, the rain was really dumping.  By the time I got to Binghamton, the rain had stopped and it was clearing.

As I drove north toward Syracuse, I noticed that the snowpack was actually thinner here in south central NY than it was in most of Pa.  Many of the February storms had tracked south of this area, and lake effect events don't contribute much in this corridor.  There were a lot of bare spots on south facing slopes, and water standing in low spots.  After passing through Syracuse, the snow-pack started to get deeper as I drove north and got closer to Lake Ontario.

Results

Harris Lodging

Bedroom at Harris Lodging

Kitchen and dining area

Lounge

CCC Camp building and icy parking lot.  Race registration and coordination operates out of this building.

Snowbanks along the road leading to the CCC camp and start area.

Winona Forest trailhead and race start area.  This is a dirt road when the snow melts.

Epilogue

Would you do it again?  Maybe.  Would you do it differently?  Probably.

As I told some of you, it was one of the hardest things I ever did.  I suffered in many ways that I expected, and in few that I didn't.  However, the trip was a great experience because of all the people we met along the way, strangers and friends alike.  There was great scenery, historic towns and monuments and even some wildlife in places.  The landscapes varied from old industrial towns, remote rural landscapes, small rural towns, historic and current transportation corridors, and event the nation's capital with all it's architectural grandeur. As the pain subsides (slowly in some places) and things heal, our selective memory tends to focus on the positive sides of the trip.  There were a lot of things that I wished had captured in photographs, but didn't do because of time, fatigue or both.  I tried to describe some of them, but I don't think I really did them justice.

So back to the questions.  I may do this trip again, but there are a lot of other places I would like to see and explore by bike, foot, skis or boat (canoe/kayak).  If I would do it again, I would take 4 or 5 days so I could enjoy some of the towns, sites and side trips along the way.  I would do it in opposite direction for the different perspective, and to have he smooth trail at the end of the trip.  I would either ride a road bike with a steel frame and longer wheelbase that would absorb more trail shock, or a hard-tail mountain bike with a front shock, and 650 c x 1.9 tires.  Incidentally, on the C&O canal trail over half of the through riders were on road bikes.  I would train more on rougher trails, do a couple more long rides in my training regimen and alter my position to be more upright on the bike.

During the trip, I made adjustments to raise my bars and lower my seat.  I adapted a tire lever to clean my brakes and tire clearance on the last 2 days when mud would cake up and cause drag.  I thought about letting air out of my tires to make the trail smoother, but decided I didn't want to add resistance...maybe a bad decision.

I suffered from saddle soreness, mostly just the pressure type.  I had a very stiff and sore neck at the end of the first day, but that area went numb the next 2 days, so that was that.  The soreness in the Achilles tendons ended up being the biggest unanticipated problem of the trip.  I have a few theories about what might have caused the pain; rough trail, seat too high, standing due to saddle sores, and accumulated time on the bike were all probably factors.

I have learned a lot from this trip, and if time permits I can apply this knowledge to a new challenge.  The purpose of this blog is so you can experience this trip through the words and pictures, and hopefully be inspired to do something big, adventurous and maybe worthy of your bucket list.

Glenn

Day 3 - Williamsport to DC

The day started with a quick breakfast at a Waffle House.  I had sausage gravy over biscuits since we are now south of the Mason Dixon line.  Although it is clearlyq unhealthy, I like to order it when I'm in the south and I know I'm going to burn it off before it gets to my arteries.  Later in the afternoon, Chris Thorpe, my long-time friend from Penn State, had agreed to join us on part of the trail.  We calculated some ETA's along the trail and texted them to Chris.

We were back on the trail some time after 7:30 AM.  We were both sore all over, but after about 15 minutes my Achilles tendons were loose enough that I could ride without severe pain.  The rest of the day my Achilles pain would be most severe when starting up after a break and after riding for a long time.  Sitting in the seat would relieve that pain but bother my saddle sores, standing out of the saddle would bother my Achilles.

The C&O trail was OK in some places, but in other places had mud-holes or course gravel, and small to medium sized rocks.  These obstacles never stuck up more than an inch or so above the trail surface, but they were still enough to send vibrations through my rigid frame to my body.

The mile markers were concrete posts positioned on the right side of the trail, painted brown with white lettering.  They rarely seemed to come soon enough, especially at the end of the day.  The C&O trail also has water pumps operated by long handles.  As we went along the trail, we used them to refill bottles and soak our heads.  They became like a oasis to a desert caravan, something to look forward especially during the heat of the day.

Countdown starting

Water pumps helped get us there

For a period of time, the trail had been diverted around a trouble spot between miles 88 and 85, where the trail had been rendered impassable where clung to the side of stone cliffs that ran immediately adjacent to the river.  However, a trail improvement project had recently been completed, so we no longer needed to take the detour.  The trail had been rebuilt during a 2 year project which built miles of concrete retaining wall between the rock face and river, with a smooth riding surface on top.  This was a significant project which probably had a large price tag.  The smooth surface was a welcome relief.

As we progressed east, we could tell we were getting close to a trail head by the increase in local trail traffic (walkers, runners, families on bikes, etc.).  Shepherdstown, WV was the first significant town along the trail, and we noticed a large increase in trail usage on both sides of the town.  The is located on a bluff overlooking the river from about 70 feet above.  I had spent a weekend in 2007 in the town with Anne.  It is a nice place to visit if you have a chance.  Attractions include Shepherd University and the amenities of a college town, antique shops, and Antietam Battlefield is only short drive to the north.

We had a nice view of Harper's Ferry across the river, 
from the trail on the east bank of the Potomac.

The next major town along the trail was Harper's Ferry, WV which is an even bigger tourist destination.  Located where the Shenandoah joins the Potomac River, and then flows through a gap in the Blue Ridge.  the town was where some significant events of the Civil War occurred, and is also where the Appalachian Trail headquarters are located.  The town starts along the railroads at rivers edge and climbs up over a steep slope between the 2 rivers.  It has a lot of old residential, and commercial buildings that have been beautifully restored.  There are a lot of outdoor adventures that you can take part in, around this area.   There was an even larger amount of trail traffic around this town, with people hiking, riding bike, carrying tubes, etc.

The next section of trail was reportedly the roughest section on the C&O, it seemed to be true but at this point anything seemed rough.  Our lunch stop was in Bruswick, MD which was just accross the railroad from the trail.  The diner that Dale ate at last year was closed, so we went to El Sloppy Taco.  I had a chicken burrito, which was large enough to provide the calories we were looking for.  The restaurant was a little rough around the edges, but the food was good and was served pretty quickly.

Further down trail that afternoon, after more mud puddles, rocks, roots and water pumps, we made planned short stop at White's Ferry, MD.  A ferry operates across the river year-round, carrying cars, bikes and passengers.  There is a small store where we loaded up on drinks.  As we were getting ready to leave, we saw triple (bicycle built for 3) pulling up, being piloted by Neil Braunstein, with addtional power provided by his daughter Shoshana and her friend Anja.  I worked with Neil at Lancaster County Planing in the early 2000's and we rode together a few times.  Since then, I have followed his cycling adventures through photos and commentary he posts online.  It was quite a nice surprise to see him along the trail, as they were riding

With Neil, Shoshana, Anja and their bike, at White's Ferry

White's Ferry

Now it seems manageable

When we hit the 25 mile mark, it became clear that we were going to be able to finish, barring any major mechanical problems or injuries.  however, it was not giomg to be easy.  At about mile 21 we were joined by Chris and Andrew Thorpe, which was a real boost to our morale.  Riding with them helped take our minds off our own mental and physical state.  We were able to ride 2 by 2 for a while, and chat about a lot of things.  When we got closer to the trail heads, the traffic became heavier than we had before, forcing us to ride single file at times.  They had entered the trail at mile marker 10, so when we reached that point they treated us to some cold drinks and snacks.  That

Dale warned me that the trail would be rough inside the 4 mile mark.  He also said that there was a parallel paved trail that we could ride on, but that he wanted to ride on the actual C&O trail to the finish.  Considering how bad his saddle sores were, he was very determined to finish this off right.  I said I would stay with him, and blocked the paved trail out of my mind.  He was right, the trail was rough in last 4 miles, so it was last big challenge of the trip.

As you approach Georgetown, MD and DC, you are surrounded by trees and the river, so there are very few signs of any urban area along the way, except when you pass under the beltway and a few other bridges along the way.  When we finally hit Georgetown the trail crossed over the canal and then became very narrow as it was on a ledge between a stone wall and the canal.  We were now surrounded by old Georgetown, which was becoming very active as it is a very popular entertainment destination on a Saturday night.  We started passing people who were using the path as another pedestrian route.  We also had to make a couple street crossings.  We were both sweaty, smelling very bad and our legs were covered with dried mud and dust from the trail, and everybody else was dressed and ready to go out for an evening of fun, but at this point it we didn't really care as we were so focused on finding mile post 0.

OK, so finding milepost 0 is not as easy as you would think, especially when you are completely exhausted mentally and physically.  Since leaving Pittsburgh the trail had been so easy to follow, now it got lost in the streets and paths of Washington between Georgetown and the area around the Watergate Hotel.  We consulted the Trail guide book, used Google Maps, and finally asked someone at the Thompson Boat Center where it was supposed to be located.  We did have to go around the boat center, across a small bridge and there it was.  The last quarter mile is very poorly marked, but we finally made it.  It was a great relief to know that the trip was done.

Mile Zero

Glad to be done

One more leg still remained and that was getting through Washington and back to our car parked at Union Station without getting run over.  Our plan was to connect to K street which headed directly to our destination.  However, we ended up somewhere near the mall, so we ended up riding along the north side of the mall to Capital Hill.  Along the way we passed the White House, the Smithsonian and many other important buildings and monuments, but we were just too tired really take notice.  At this point, if we had stayed in one place too long, we might have been mistaken for homeless people.  So we kept going, and we had to ride up Capital Hill which was probably the steepest hill of the whole  trip.

Driving out of Washington was a real test of patience, since we were both very tired.  We made a couple wrong turns, backtracked a couple of places, and even went the wrong way on a short very steep street in Georgetown.  Finally we were on 270 heading west toward where Dale had parked his truck.  pushing the clutch while driving was very painful for my Achilles tendon on my left leg.  After dropping him off, I got some food and caffeine for the 2.5 hr trip home.  I made it home around midnight very sore, and totally exhausted.

Daily Statistics
Bike computer was not working for a short time around mile marker 30
Total time: 8:20:47
Total distance: 97.33 miles
Average Speed: 11.6 mph

Day 2 - Rockwood to Williamsport, MD

Day 2 was planned to be our long day, as we needed to ride about 130 miles to reach our destination.  Although we knew we had a long downhill into Cumberland, MD, we knew it would still be long hard day in the saddle.  We woke up at 5:00 and rode to a convenience store in the early dawn.  There no eating options in town that were open this early, so we got some breakfast sandwiches at the store.  the morning was damp and foggy.

Meyersdale Station

The first part of the day we still had to climb as we continued toward the high point on the trail.  The grade was a little steeper, maybe 2 %, so even though it wasn't hard it did cut into our average speed a bit.  As the trail continued to climb we had a few glimpses of the Casselman on our left, but it was a much smaller stream as were approaching it's headwaters.

Eastern Divide,  trail elevation 2392.

The Salisbury Viaduct was high enough that the remaining fog almost obscured the ground at the highest point, which was a little unsettling as couldn't see the other end of the bridge, so it looked like were riding into the middle of a cloud.

Entrance to Big Savage

It was still foggy when we took a brief stop at Meyersdale, which had another nicely restored railroad station.  As the sun began to rise a little higher it burned off the morning fog.  We were no longer following a river, but saw a few small streams as we approached the Eastern Divide.  This divide is the high point of the trail at 2392 feet, and marks the place were water flows either to the west which ends up in the Gulf of Mexico or to the east and ends up in the Atlantic.  It is not a continental divide, but it is still a significant watershed boundary.  this is also the ridge of the Allegheny Plateau which dips very gently to the west toward Lake Erie, but drops much more sharply toward the east and the Appalachian ridge and valley province.

Overlook at top Big Savage Mountain

Next we encounter the Big Savage Tunnel, which is 3,294.6 feet long.  It is well lit, so we are able to pass through at normal speed.  Just beyond the eastern exit is a beautiful vista of the valley to our east, and we stop to enjoy the view, take some pictures.  We also are able to make phone calls home, send text messages as we have cell service again.  We did not have service most of the afternoon yesterday, including at our stop in Rockwood.

Overlook continued

The trail now drops off for a very steady 2 - 3 %, so we are able to make good time.  As we descended, we crossed the Mason Dixon line into Maryland.  The line was marked by an obelisk along the trail.

As we approached Frostburg, Md. the trail began paralleling railroad tracks which are and the surface was paved.  These tracks are used by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad which operates between Frostburg and Cumberland.  Some people ride the train to Frostburg with their bikes and then ride the 8 miles downhill to Cumberland.  We passed a group Of about 25 runners spread out along the trail, possibly the cross country team from Frostburg State University which is in town.  The trail does not go very close to the town, so we were only able to see it from a distance.  Further down the trail we encountered Helmstetter’s Curve, a 1/2 mile arc that sweeps across Cash Valley.

A nice view of Frostburg, MD with Big Savage Ridge in
 the background

When we reached Cumberland, it was still a little overcast as the fog/clouds were still burning off.  Cumberland is significant as it has always been a major transportation hub with the National Road (US 40), many railroads and the C&O Canal passing through.  This marks the spot where we transition from the GAP trial and the C&O trail, starting at mile marker 184.  We stopped at the Crabby Pig for brunch, since the trail heading east would not have many food options along the trail.  We loaded up on home fries and other good carbohydrate filled calories and pushed off.  

Mile 184 (start for us) on the C&O Trail in
Cumberland, MD

As we headed east the sun appeared and we were still in the open for some time, so it became very hot and muggy.  The trail surface also became very unpredictable as we headed east, filled with mud puddles, exposed rocks and roots and loose surface.  I had been concerned about the mud and soft trail before the ride, and those did not cause the problems I expected.  The rough surface however, did take it's toll on me.  My road frame is a stiff, aluminum racing frame, with a compact wheel base.  Consequently it didn't absorb as much of the trail shock as steel touring frame with a longer wheel base would.

Paw Paw tunnel

The section of trail we now were on, was very rural and remote as we followed the Potomac as it wound through the Appalachian ridges and valleys of western Maryland.  There were few towns and trail heads, so we did not see many people much of the way.  We did see some wildlife along the trail, at least 3 flocks of turkeys, many deer, squirrels and a few herons (not sure if they were grey or blue).

Mile-maker 167, mid-point of our entire trip.

The next major feature on the trail was the, Paw Paw Tunnel which is 3,118' long and unlighted.  The tunnel was built to avoid a section of the river with 5 very tight bends.  We had headlights on our bikes, but I also brought a headlamp to add more light.  We walked it through the tunnel since the canal parallels the trail through the tunnel with a railing to keep people from slipping on the wet trail and falling into the water.  The cool temps were refreshing and, the walk was a good break from the saddle.

As we continued on the remote section of the trail, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the river with a mountainous backdrop.  Besides the water pumps along the trail, we had a couple places we could refuel and re-hydrate.  We stopped at Bill's Place, in Little Orleans, MD.  It was a short steep climb off the trail, but was worth the effort.  We also stopped at a Sheetz in Hancock, MD also a short distance off the trail.

As the afternoon wore on and the miles piled up, we both started to suffer the cumulative fatigue of the effort and the trail.  Dale and I both were developing saddle sores that made it hard to sit in the seat, especially when the trail was bumpy.  My Achilles tendons on both legs were starting to get very sore, sometimes the pain was dull and other times it was sharper.  During the end of the ride we had the chance to ride on the Western Maryland Rail Trail, a parallel trail that was paved.  Being purists we decided to stay on the C&O for the whole ride.

As we approached our evening destination of Williamsport, MD, my Achilles pain was causing me to have doubts about being able to finish.  The hotel was less than a mile from the trail, but it was all uphill, which made it even harder.  For dinner we found a pizza restaurant within walking distance of the hotel, I hobbled along.  Despite the fact that we were so hungry, I was not able to finish the very large serving of eggplant Parmesan that I ordered.  It is rare that I can't finish what is on my plate.  Our bikes were caked with mud from the trail, so we found a small car wash at a convenience store so we could wash our bikes.

Daily Stats
Total time: ~ 11:10:00 

Trail time: ~ 10:58

Total miles: 131.94

Trail miles: ~ 130

Average Speed: 11.8 mph