Gear Check on the C&O Canal

Deidre and I went for a quick overnight last weekend on the C&O, partly because it was great to get out into the woods, and partly so she could practice using her go-pro and garmin. We started out from Point of Rocks park in Maryland, where I came within moments of leaving my car in a tow-away zone. 

Thanks for the pic Deidre

Thankfully I saw the no overnight parking sign just as we were riding off and we moved to the C&O parking lot. 

Our plan: ride 20 miles to the Antietam campground just south of Shepherdstown, set up camp then ride further to grab dinner in Sharpsburg, spend the night, and ride back the next morning.

The C&O is great for its regular camping spots along the way, complete with composting toilets and water pumps. This one, however, came up dry after much pumping by Deidre.

The history along the trail is interesting too. We rode over/through two aqueducts, which enabled cargo ships to pass over the river in the canal. Quite impressive. And the stonework is beautiful.

The pathway along the aqueduct.

View of the railroad crossing from the aqueduct.

Tributary of the river. Quite muddy looking in the pic. 

The aqueduct was recently renovated and they had this little display showing the new and old stones.

This is the view of the aqueduct from just off the trail.

Deidre's excellent pic of the aqueduct

The homes positioned at the many locks along the trail appeal to my introverted nature. They remind me of lighthouses: small, simple outposts designed for a single person to live and keep the watch--or operate the lock. The lock work would be quite a bit less lonely than the lighthouse work, I imagine, with the boats coming through with their crews, news of up stream, and their teams of donkeys, 

Me "scampering" down the rocks to get a better look at the river 😂.

And the view when I got there.

Deidre crossing into Harper's Ferry for water.

The convergence of the Shenandoah and the Potomac that made this such an industrious spot in the day.

As we approached Harper's Ferry, the river filled with tubers, dotting the landscape with multi-colored donuts and happy people. You can see them in the distance in this pics. 

But there are even more in Deidre's pic. They are all in the distance, floating among the rocks.

The automobile bridge (thanks for pic Deidre!)

Looking back at the canal side of the river.

A door knob on the shop where we bought our water - because I like to take pics of architectural details. Not interesting to others, I know, but I think this stuff is beautiful.

Harper's Ferry came at about mile 12, so with our water replenished, we hit the trail again for the 10 additional miles to camp. Most of the C&O looks like this: flat, packed gravel, lots of trees. I sometimes find it boring if we're going to be riding long distances, but I actually thought the trail was much more interesting north of Harper's Ferry, with regular views of the water that give a sense of perspective and local context.  

We set up camp at Site 11, but a note for next time, Site 9 had nice views of the river, which is just down the bank behind our tents.

The walk to the river was pretty steep from our site. But you could slide a canoe or a kayak down the bank and put in right from your site if you wanted. Just look out for the poison ivy!

As usual, when you have a lot of time, you use it, and Deidre and I managed to do that. Despite only having to ride 20 miles, we didn't get to camp, get set up and ready to ride to dinner until about 6:30. By then the camp host had recommended against Sharpsburg (he didn't like the restaurant or the roads on the 3 mile ride to get there). We floundered for a bit, unable to decide between taking the longer (4.5 m) ride to Shepherdstown on the trail, sticking with the Sharpsburg plan, or just staying in camp and eating our freeze dried lasagne. Eventually, we decided to try going to Shepherdstown, knowing we could always turn back if needed. 

The sun was setting on this graffiti (with its ironic sun), reminding us of our limited time just as town came into view.

Opposite the grafitti sits the Bavarian Inn (that Deidre reminded me we stayed at when we did the Back Roads Century in 2016--I'm terrible at remembering that stuff!).

The river with its graveyard of bridge pilings.

At last we found the Blue Moon Cafe, which was charming.

I loved the blue glass in the window. I only recently learned that blue glass on window sills (and blue doors) both of which I have loved since going to Greece for our honeymoon, is supposed to trap bad spirits.

The back garden area where we waited ONE HOUR for our food - on a night when I'd never been hungrier! At least the setting was pleasant and the beer (Big Timber IPA from Elkins, WV) and company were good!

The beer menu for future reference.

And then it was time to ride home in the dark! 

It's amazing how not used to real darkness we are. 

 

The night was cool and quiet. I love night riding. Deidre snapped the below pic.

When we got back to camp, we decided against a fire, even though the camp host had donated some to us (second gift of fire I have received as a cyclist). Instead, we went straight to bed and slept well. I woke periodically and listened to the Bard Owl that was hooting in the nearby trees. Then I woke to a lot of light and thought sleepily, "I didn't know there were lights in this campground." Then I woke further and realized it must be the moon. When I looked out of my tent, it was right there above Deidre's tent, shining through the trees. Of course, the picture does nothing to show its brilliance.

Morning was cool and sunny - not cold like last time! Deidre had her coffee. I had my oatmeal.

And we were off.

The ride home afforded more great views of the river. At this point, the breeze was blowing, our wheels were rolling, and there were even a few colorful tubers on the water. Kind of idyllic.

Below is Deidre's Strava record - showing all 900 ft of elevation. Woop! 

Distance: 54 miles (including ride to dinner)

Speed: 10-ish mph