Today’s Date: July 27, 2023

Today’s Start Point: Cumberland, Maryland

Today’s End Point: Hancock, Maryland

Today’s Miles: 61.47 Miles

Cumulative Miles: 4,224.09 Miles

The unknown for the route today was the trail surface. As I mentioned yesterday, today’s course was not a rails to trail conversion, but a preserved tow path used by horses pulling barges down the C&O Canal. I had heard mixed messages that the surface was rocky, smooth, bad, not bad. The truth was all of the above.

I have to admit I had a hard time getting up this morning and since I was only riding 60 miles, I slept in until 6:00 am. The weather looked perfect, with a morning temperature of 59 degrees.

My hotel was only a couple of blocks from the trail, so I was immediately on my way. For the first few hundred yards, the surface was paved. But the trail promptly became rocky, then very rocky. At times the path was only as wide as my handlebars, other times it was dual track with a strip of grass in between. It took a great deal of concentration in picking a line through the rocks and roots. I started to think that maybe I should have woken up a little earlier.

After about 10 miles, the surface changed to finely maintained crushed limestone-perfect. Not needing to focus as much on the trail, I looked around to take in the scenery.

The tow path is raised and sits between the remnants of the canal and the Potomac River. Sections of the canal are either drained, filled with water and lilies, or filled with brackish water that gives off quite an unpleasant smell. The trees are thick along the path, in most part shielding my view of the river. The trees also protected me from the sun.

I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the Potomac River. The river twists and turns wildly, and the trail dutifully follows along. I always associated the river with Washington DC so I was not expecting all of the recreational use and the clear waters. People were boating, rafting, tubing and fishing.

The C&O Canal had many locks to assist the river barges in navigating the rise and fall of the river. What’s left of the locks can still be seen, and sometimes the trail would actually take you right through the lock.

The most amazing part of the day, and one of the coolest man made structures that I have seen on the trip, is the 3,118 foot long Paw Paw Tunnel. Construction on the tunnel began in 1836 and completed in 1850. The was built to bypass the Paw Paw Bends, a six-mile stretch of the Potomac River containing five horseshoe-shaped bends. The town, the bends, and the tunnel take their name from the pawpaw trees that grow prolifically along nearby ridges.

What I thought was interesting about the tunnel is that it was built to allow the canal to pass through the mountain with a raised boardwalk for the horses. Most tunnels I have seen in the past are for trains or cars, not for man-made waterways.

Due to the dark and the uneven surface in the tunnel, I was required to walk my bike. The surface on the tow path was very uneven, and in the dark it was hard to see the ruts, pools and potholes. Did I say it was dark? It was incredibly dark. The light from my bike and my phone seemed to get lost in that much darkness. At one point, my bike started to fall but I was able to bring it back upright.

It seemed it took about ten minutes to get through the tunnel. When I came out, there was a couple admiring the view. We chatted for a few minutes and when he found out I was going to Washington DC, he informed me that I was going in the wrong direction. I said no, I was coming from Cumberland and DC was ahead. He again disagreed, and stated that he was waiting for a Boy Scout troop coming to the tunnel. Eventually he pulled out his phone and realized he was in the wrong place. Good luck scouts!

However it was a fortuitous discussion, because just then a couple came out of the tunnel asking whether anyone had lost a Garmin bike computer. I looked down at my handlebars and was shocked to see that my Garmin was missing. I must have knocked the computer loose when my bike almost fell in the tunnel. How this woman saw it in that pitch black darkness I will never know, but I am thankful that she did. If I hadn’t stopped to talk to the first couple, I would have got on my bike and ridden out of there.

With my guidance system back on board I took off to get to my final destination of Hancock, Maryland. The trail had been well groomed up to the tunnel, but after the tunnel I was back to two lane tracks, although in much better shape than the trail at the beginning of the day.

Tomorrow is a long day with a surprise guest at the end so the remainder of the day is rest and recover.