Well, today was sort of an uneventful day. Not quite, but not as eventful as the previous two days. The big adventure today was passing through the Paw Paw Tunnel. I don't trust the National Park Service's website much since it often is not updated, and the Paw Paw Tunnel has been under construction and/or renovation for several years now. Allegedly, it was open, but it took me 33 miles or so of riding to confirm that.
Today was predicted to start out very chilly. The weather app on my phone told me it was 48°F when I woke up. I didn't step outside for at least an hour, and only then so I could check out the "free" breakfast the motel was offering. It was not worth hanging out for, so I grabbed a cup of coffee and went back to my room and made plans to hop across the highway to the Potomac River Grill, which opens early for breakfast. Last night's dinner had been a very filling meal, and breakfast was no different.
With all that running around, I had determined that it was nowhere near 48°, not even in the low 50s, so by the time I pushed off, all I felt like wearing was a light jersey; no need for my rain jacket/windbreaker today.
So in no time, I was back on the towpath. Unfortunately, the next 20 miles or so had a fair share of mud holes/puddles, which slowed my progress significantly. I rose early, however, and was on the road by 9:40 AM. With 60 miles to go, as long as I moved along at 10 mph, I would make Cumberland by 4 o'clock or so, which is plenty early enough. So here are some pictures of the canal I took along the way.
On the way out of Hancock, I passed beneath the bridge carrying US-522 over the Potomac River. It's a notable structure for a number of reasons but primarily (in my eyes) due to the nature of the supports. As a young engineer, my firm was retained to look at these fracture-critical structures and determine their vulnerability for unexpected failure. I was involved in the inspection of these structures, and it's nice to see they are still standing!
Remains of eight kilns used to burn lime to ash to make cement. Cement made here was used to build the US Capitol and the Washington Monument. Nice to see restoration work underway.
And if mud holes are not enough, you have the challenge of also navigating around recently fallen trees. All the ones I encountered were easy to get around with little or no lifting.
The towpath is quite bucolic. Although the green surface of the water may not be a healthy sign, depending on if this is duckweed or algae. Still, it looks pretty.
And more mud! I was used to it by now, but you can see how it can just continue sometimes. I'm not sure how long it takes to dry out given the shade and cooler temperatures. Plus, all the traffic really disturbs the surface.
The only unknown was the Paw Paw Tunnel. When the tunnel is closed, you have to take the Paw Paw Tunnel Trail, which is really a bypass trail that goes up the ridge line and over the tunnel. It's quite arduous and steep and not easy to navigate with a loaded touring bike. So, I had to allow time to navigate that, were the tunnel to be closed when I arrived.
But that was still 33 miles away, and I had a lot of dodging of mud holes and puddles to do in the meantime. There was, however, one very pleasant interlude. At about MP 25, I ran into this cute little fawn that was hanging out on the towpath all by itself. It looked a little confused but was not bothered by me in the least bit. No fear whatsoever. I had just navigated a mud puddle when I saw the fawn, and I immediately scrambled for my phone so I could get a picture. I had plenty of time, though, and was able to get multiple pictures. The fawn even made its way back towards me, maybe thinking I was a mother doe, sniffed my panniers a bit, and then wandered on its way behind me, looking for, I suppose, mother. Later, I did some research and read that fawns can survive on their own after about 45 to 60 days with Mommy, so hopefully this one will do fine.
On my ride today I saw the cutest little fawn, apparently lost or separated from his/her mother.
It even approached me and sniffed my panniers, maybe looking for milk. I know you are never to get between a bear and her cub, but what do you do with a doe and her fawn? No doe showed, so I never found out.
After that encounter I had to navigate more mud holes but also some pretty decent and dry towpath before approaching the Paw Paw Tunnel. I knew I was close because, lo and behold, there was a sign telling me that the towpath was closed ahead. I didn't know whether to believe it or not. The website had said it would be open, but I also know that construction schedules change and that the contractor may now have it closed. This could also just be an old sign that was never taken down when the tunnel opened up again. As it turned out, the latter was the case, and I pointed this out to the personnel working on-site as I passed through. There was active construction going on, but it was for the placement of rock anchors on the approaches to the tunnel. When cyclists or hikers showed up, they would stop work and allow you to pass through, which is what I did as well as others I saw coming in the opposite direction.
You are probably tired of seeing pictures of mud. So am I!
I figured the awning was there for more than shade, and I was right. That is where you wait for them to stop work and you pick up your escort through the work zone. I pointed out the sign, 1-1/2 miles back saying the towpath was closed. He was unaware (and apparently unconcerned).
The tunnel is impressive, especially when you consider how old it is, something like 150 years or more. For the most part, it has the original brick lining. It is quite long, so make sure you have supplemental lighting (I used my phone) to make your way through. I also walked my bike as the passage is narrow.
The tunnel portal as you approach from the east (downstream) side.
I "rode" my bike through with great caution and eventually gave up on that and walked it, using my flashlight on my cell phone. I have a light system, but that was too involved for this short stretch.
Tom FlournoyTo Karen PoretI don't know if you know / remember the Six Million Dollar Man show in the 70s, but if you do, there was an episode with the Bionic Woman and Sasquatch where they went into this spinning tunnel. This reminds me of that episode. -Mark Reply to this comment 2 days ago
Karen PoretTo Tom FlournoySorry.. didn’t watch that.. my tv days are of the “Leave it to Beaver” era… 😬 Reply to this comment 2 days ago
On the far side, the towpath was much improved with very few mud holes or puddles until I got close to Cumberland, where it got very bad again. So bad that I actually took two spills while trying to navigate them. This happened mostly because my wheel slipped from the edge of a bypass surface into the puddle, and I lost my balance and fell. No injuries, but maybe I was being a little anxious about getting to my destination point.
Here is a good view that shows the canal somewhat wider and filling the natural terrain. The canal builders, for the most part, used the far slopes to retain the water and only built a continuous levee with the towpath on the Potomac River side.
So, all that said, I arrived around 5:00 PM, about an hour later than I had scheduled and with a very dirty bike. Part of my delay had been time I spent talking with other travelers, including the last one, who told me there were plenty of bike wash stations in Cumberland.
So that was Job Number One — get my bike washed before I went to the hotel. I couldn't find one, so I went into Cumberland Trail Connection, a bike shop right off the canal trail, and asked where I could find one. Without hesitation he offered me a hose behind the back of the shop and a bucket of water and brushes. I did a nice job cleaning up my bike before heading to the hotel. If you are ever in Cumberland and need a bike shop, I recommend Cumberland Trail Connection. It's a large shop and seems to have everything, so give them a look if you need anything.
The local bike shop, Cumberland Trail Connection, offered me (and I presume anyone) free use of their hose, a bucket, and brushes to clean my bike. Nice job, Tom!
