Today we started riding on the C&O Canal, a 184.5 mile towpath between Cumberland and DC. The canal is a National Park and it is not as well maintained as the GAP. It is notorious for its roughness, overgrown vegetation and especially, the mud.
We rode through camping areas, by the town of Oldtown, aqueducts and locks. Our first landmark was the Paw Paw Tunnel after 30 miles of riding. Until now, the trail has been rough and bumpy, but dry for the most part. We hiked in the area earlier this year so the tunnel was not new to us; the only downside of doing it with the bikes is that there is no way to avoid the puddles inside the tunnel and you must accept that your feet will get wet.
The Paw Paw Tunnel is one of the most remarkable features of the C&O Canal. It is one of the world's longest canal tunnels. It was projected that construction would take two years; technical difficulties, riots and strikes delayed its construction for 14 years. This significantly delayed the completion of the towpath and contributed to its demise. The tunnel is not lit and you need a flashlight; it is also damp and cold inside. After the tunnel the surface improves a little bit. About 5 miles after the tunnel, we saw a bobcat strolling along. This was the sight of the trip!
We rode for 15 more miles to reach Bill's Place in Little Orleans, an institution along the Canal. It is the grocery store-restaurant-bar-major's office-post office-historical society-country club. By itself, it is also the downtown of Little Orleans. We had lunch there and signed a dollar bill to add to the collection that decorates the ceiling.
After lunch, we rode for 4.5 more miles until we reached the Western Maryland Railroad Trail. This is a paved trail that parallels the Canal for 22 miles. We took it and bypassed the Canal to arrive to Hancock. The surface felt great after riding 50+ miles on the towpath.
We arrived to Hancock earlier than we expected and stayed at the 1812 Inn. Our room was nice and our hosts were great. Served us coffee and tea and afternoon refreshments, and a good breakfast the next day. We were the only guests that day, so we got to enjoy the huge arts and craft house by ourselves. We did laundry again, and were left with very few dirty clothes. We were not able to rest our legs by coasting during the whole day, but we did not find much mud and very few mosquitoes.
Beer of the day: Blue Moon at Bill's Place
Dinner: Tri-Angle Restaurant, Hancock, MD (only restaurant with a liquor license in town)
Bird of the day: Louisiana Waterthrushes singing inside the tunnel (runner up: Broad Winged Hawk perching near the Canal and flying over our heads).
Dinner: Tri-Angle Restaurant, Hancock, MD (only restaurant with a liquor license in town)
Bird of the day: Louisiana Waterthrushes singing inside the tunnel (runner up: Broad Winged Hawk perching near the Canal and flying over our heads).