60: what fish want, a key crossing, a capital mistake, turtles, lockhouses, no formal training, tarzan's place, red fox, falls, the wrench and a weird vibe, poison ivy, 120 bucks to poop outside, complete servicing, the mouse and his ancestors - My Midlife Crisis - CycleBlaze

June 11, 2025

60: what fish want, a key crossing, a capital mistake, turtles, lockhouses, no formal training, tarzan's place, red fox, falls, the wrench and a weird vibe, poison ivy, 120 bucks to poop outside, complete servicing, the mouse and his ancestors

Alexandria to Poolesville

Because of expected high temperatures today I decided to wake up at 5:30 in order to finish before the heat became oppressive. Consequently, I was up before Trixie, and missed her mistaking my face for a trampoline.

The ride to Pittsburgh covers the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath (commonly known as the C&O), which is 184 miles long, as well as the Great Allegheny Passage (the GAP), which is 150 miles long. They connect in Cumberland, MD, and allow passage over the Allegheny mountains with an average grade of less than 1%. The internet claims the maximum grade is 1.75%, but I'm highly skeptical.... I'll let you know.

Regardless, it's apparently a wonderful trail, traveled by thousands of cyclists every year, and a fantastic way to get over the Allegheny mountain range.

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To gain some perspective, the overall amount of climbing to get from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh is 6,888 feet*. The 2025 Tour de France will have an average of approximately 8,200 feet of climbing per day (this includes both flat and mountain stages), and there's one day of the tour which requires 18,000 feet of climbing. In one day.  I'll be doing one third of that, 6,888 feet, over twelve days.

*6,888 feet of climbing doesn't mean I end up at that elevation. It's the total amount of feet climbed:  If I go up 10 feet, down 20 feet, up 10 feet, then down 20 feet, I'll be lower than I started but will still have climbed 20 feet.

heading back to the Mt. Vernon Trail along the Four-Mile Run Trail
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The center stripe says "Every Fish Wants a Healthy Stream."
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and each one has two different fish
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the Mt. Vernon trail looked like this a lot before crossing the Potomac river
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here and there
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I crossed the Potomac at the Key Bridge.
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state (district) number six
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my route took me to the very narrow stairs ahead, and I thought "There has to be a way to get to the C&O without stairs." You can see the trail below.
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....unfortunately, not that I could find, so I had to go down these, but not before stopping at the Starbucks in the background
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Steve Miller/GrampiesThe (poor) idea might be to use the smooth side bits as a ramp and roll your bike up or down as required. Not so bad with an unloaded bike, very hard with a loaded touring set up.
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1 month ago
Mark BinghamTo Steve Miller/GrampiesBecause of all the cyclists in the area, I'm pretty sure that's what it's for, and considered using it. If there had been many more steps, I probably would have. Because of the width, I would have needed to lean my bike over the steps or the bags would've scraped.
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1 month ago
At mile 9.4 I got off the unpaved C&O and onto the paved Capital Crescent Trail paralleling it. My intention was to get back on when they started diverging, but missed the turn at mile 11.6. After that, it was a nightmare trying to get back on it and after a lot of backtracking and wasted time I was finally able to reconnect at mile 14.6, three miles later. Tip for future cyclists: stay on the trail unless you want to end up in north Bethesda. You can zoom in around mile 13 at the bottom of the page to see how I rode all over trying to find a way back.... this WITH directions from RideWithGPS and google maps.
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Steve Miller/GrampiesGoing slightly off route without a plan in advance as to how to get back on route can often lead to confusion.
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1 month ago
Mark BinghamTo Steve Miller/GrampiesI did have a plan, and had looked at a route to get me back before it separated very far. It just wasn't a very good plan. :-)
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1 month ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Mark BinghamSometimes a not very good plan is worse than no plan at all.🤣
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1 month ago
Carl B.Going slightly off route without a good plan in advance as to how to get back on route can often lead to confusion.
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1 month ago
Mark BinghamTo Carl B.The problem with that: I don’t do “good plans.”
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1 month ago
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Working my way back to the trail. You're looking at a 20-foot drop along this footpath.
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Back on the C&O canal towpath I saw hundreds of turtles, and you'll see a commensurate number of pictures.
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Bill ShaneyfeltLooks like maybe sliders.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39776-Trachemys
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1 month ago
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Bill ShaneyfeltThe red showing through looks like maybe a cooter.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39776-Trachemys
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1 month ago
there's no perspective in the picture, but this guy was as big as a hubcap
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Bill ShaneyfeltSnapping turtle

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39682-Chelydra-serpentina
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1 month ago
Lockhouse 6 - more about this one later
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Lockhouse 7
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Lockhouse 8
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I won't be writing much about the locks and the lockhouses because there are plenty of other journals and online resources which have helpful information about them, but I will include some information, as well as few pictures of the lockhouses. 

One of the items that I found most interesting is that the engineers for the C&O Canal, headed by Benjamin Wright, had no formal training. Maybe that was more normal in the 1800s, and maybe the informal training was just as good, but it still blows my mind, especially when you consider that they designed 74 lift locks, 7 dams, 11 aqueducts, 1 tunnel, and over 200 culverts. And that doesn't include his work on the Erie Canal Towpath. The fact that most of it remains standing is a testament to their skills.

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It appears Tarzan lives in the vicinity. Or maybe Tarzan Lite.
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I saw several deer on the trail, and the birds kept me company all day. At the time I used it, my Merlin bird app said I was listening to a tufted titmouse and a blue-gray gnatcatcher.
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later in the day
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black-crowned night heron
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Great Egret
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This guy was pretty shy, and started trotting away as soon as he saw me.
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.

.

Here's what much of my day was like:

I didn't get any good pictures, but Great Falls is worth a stop.
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One very small section of Great Falls. It's palpably loud, and you can feel the earth vibrate from the power of the water crashing past.
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Lockhouse 21 - more about this one later
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Lockhouse 24
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Near DC there there were a lot of cyclists, all going fast and all going in the opposite direction on gravel bikes that weigh about the same as my handlebar bag and its contents. Ummm... or maybe your handlebar bag and its contents, unless you're carrying a bowling ball in it.

After getting away from the city I saw very few other bicycling tourists, but did notice a guy packing up his gear as I rolled by one of the campsites. About thirty minutes later he passed me, and I felt a weird "leave me alone" vibe emanating from him. Unlike most people, he didn't say hello or good morning as he glided by, instead staring straight ahead with an intense, stony expression as if he was afraid I’d say something to him. I did, in fact, say hello, but he didn’t respond.

My curiosity was piqued about his set up....  he had what looked like a wrench sticking out of his pants pocket. Why would he carry it in his front pocket, as opposed to somewhere on the bike? I tried to get a good picture but was too slow on the draw with my camera and figured that at his speed I'd never see him again. 

from here it looks like a set of handcuffs attached to his belt
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Mark M.Heck. I suspect he didn't want to slow down in case he toppled over. He'd have been like one of those turtles, stuck on his back and wiggling his legs in the air until help came along. I've definitely seen comfier looking rigs.
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1 month ago
Mark BinghamTo Mark M.Maybe THAT'S what the wrench is for!
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1 month ago
He must've stopped for something because an hour later he passed me again. This time, though, I saw him coming and had my camera ready... hidden, but ready. It looks like a wrench... ?
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plenty of this alongside the trail
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Bill ShaneyfeltMakes me itch!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_ivy
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1 month ago
and none of this, with the exception of this guy
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There are some impressive burls on this route.
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judging from the size of this, I think there might be large dinosaurs around
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Mark M.It needs a foot for perspective, Mark. (Preferably to one side).
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1 month ago
Bill ShaneyfeltJust don't get between the dino and her cubs!
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1 month ago
not as much mud as I was expecting
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As I was researching places to stay along the C&O I found that you can rent some of the lockhouses. Thinking that it could be interesting I dug a bit further. However, as it turns out, what you get for your money is a bed with four walls and a ceiling. No electricity (although they provide an electric lamp), no potable water, and no restroom. What kind of idiot is gonna pay 120 bucks only to have to go outside to take a poop??

Well, me, apparently. 

The hook was the historical value of the place. Staying in an actual lockhouse is definitely kind of cool…. you know, for reporting purposes, so I can save you the cost of doing it yourselves. Plus, I can briefly pretend I’m philanthropic since 100% of the money goes into restoration of the lockhouses. 

So, here I am.

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my home for the night, Lockhouse #25 - note the PortaPotty
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Carl B.Wait ... it comes with a dedicated PortaPotty?! That's pretty luxurious.
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1 month ago
Mark BinghamTo Carl B.NOT a dedicated PortaPotty! Any old grubby person passing by on a bike can use it…. although it was pretty luxurious with its gold inlay, rose petals on the floor, waterfall scenes with cherubs painted on the walls, and espresso bar.
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1 month ago
the back
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It was a little warm initially, but cooled off quickly after I opened the windows and shutters.
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All of the beds have another bed underneath that slides out, so it can sleep a total of eight people.
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The beds in the other room didn't have roping, nor did they have straw mattresses. Because they were more comfortable I slept in one of them.
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Steve Miller/GrampiesThis, by the way, is where the expression "Sleep tight" comes from. It was important to ensure that the roping was tightened periodically or the bed would sag alarmingly.
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1 month ago
Mark BinghamHuh... Interesting. I didn't know that.
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1 month ago
Laura SeiditaTo Steve Miller/GrampiesGreat history lesson, Steve!
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1 month ago
It took me a minute to figure out how to open the windows...
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This piece of wood was flush with the window frame so it was a little deceiving. There are screens that slide under the bottom part of the window so you can get a breeze after the shutters are open.
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The website makes this statement:
Please note: These historic homes will differ from a typical hotel experience. Canal Quarters are intended as unique interpretive opportunities where guests can experience Canal history firsthand.

A "unique interpretive opportunity" is how they spin it, so a person can see what life was like back then.... which is exactly what I did. I had no electricity so, like them, I used my power bank to charge my cellphone, watch, and laptop. When it got dark I had to dig out a headlamp like they did, and cooked my dehydrated meal on a campstove like those 19th century lockdwellers. They, like me, had a filter to remove impurities in the water.

I jest, and staying there that evening and night did indeed give me a small sense of what it was like living in a lockhouse. I found it interesting, and plan to do it again should I ever repeat this route.

Just in case you're interested in renting one, numbers, 6, 10, and 21 are considered "full-amenity" lockhouses, with electricity, indoor plumbing, heating, and air conditioning. Lockhouse 49 is a "half-amenity" lockhouse, and comes with electricity and heating, but no air conditioning or indoor plumbing. The "rustic" lockhouses are 22, 25, and 28, and they have no electricity or running water. Here's a link to their website

When I arrived at the lockhouse there were three cyclists taking a break at the picnic table behind the house. We chatted a few minutes and I showed them the inside before they headed off towards DC.

The guy with the wrench in his pocket was also there when I arrived, sitting on the other side of the canal under a tree about 50-60 yards away. He was probably playing with his phone, but it appeared he was using it as a prop and staring at the house. I was still getting that weird vibe, so I didn't open the shutters on that side until he left over an hour later. As he was leaving, he came over and tried to open the door, but it was locked. Granted, there wasn't a bike outside and all the windows were shuttered, so the place appeared vacant. I would have done the same thing, especially since he probably saw several people go inside and several people come back outside.  

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Nancy GrahamKinda looks like a homeless guy (carries his home on his back) or someone on the lam! 🙄
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1 month ago
Mark M.If you don't post again, Mark, we'll ensure this pic gets forwarded to the relevant authorities... 🤣
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1 month ago
This is inside the PortaPotty. "Unsatisfactory conditions" leaves nothing to the imagination, but I wondered what "complete servicing" includes.
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Looking out my window the next morning, I didn't learn what "complete servicing" means, but did find out that it takes about ten seconds.
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Dinner, cooked outside behind the lockhouse. Poolesville, the closest town, is about 5 miles away.
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not a shower, but I felt surprisingly fresh and clean when I was done
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Bill ShaneyfeltI wonder if the packet is biodegradable...
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1 month ago
Mark BinghamTo Bill ShaneyfeltI dunno, I just hope it's digestible. :-)
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1 month ago
Bill ShaneyfeltTo Mark BinghamWhat?? You ate the evidence? :-)
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1 month ago
While I was working on the blog I heard a noise in the adjoining bedroom and went to investigate. The little guy didn't even wait until I was asleep, or even until sundown, to eat a granola bar sitting on the bed. It made me wonder if they'd eat through a pannier bag. I can imagine the lockkeepers living here in the 1800s having to deal with the same thing, probably this guy's ancestors.
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I'll be riding on the C&O/GAP for the next twelve days.... will I see some rain and/or mud? Stay tuned.
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Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 1,578 miles (2,540 km)

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