I have been thinking about this ride for a long time--since I learned about the trails on a road trip stop in Cumberland, Maryland years ago. It was on my to-do list and I had already worked out the basic logistics.

  My buddy Tom invited me to his home in Hagerstown, Maryland with the offer of some rides in the area. I told my wife I didn’t want to do the C&O piecemeal; I wanted to do the whole thing. Tom’s offer to ride part of the C&O was the impetus. I put the whole thing together in three days using my previous planning.