October 7, 2020
The perfect weather is on a roll
Cycling the C&O from Williamsport to Little Orleans
It was an Egg McMuffin morning. I was headed to the Waffle House but McD's caught my eye. Would it be a waffle or egg McMuffin? The All American breakfast sandwich won out.
I retraced my tracks from yesterday afternoon through Williamsport to the C&O trailhead and crossed the restored Conococheague Aqueduct (I say that needs to be in the National Spelling bee).
The trail was again dry and reasonably smooth by C&O standards. The sound of roaring water signaled that I was approaching dam 5 on the Potomac. This is my #1 favorite spot on the C&O. I vividly recall the day my friend Chuck and I pedaled out of the tunnel of green and were greeted by this magnificent work of nature and man.
Dam 5 is another of the seven dams that fed water into the C&O Canal. The original wooden dam was built 1835. The current concrete dam is 20 feet tall and retains a 490 acre reservoir known as the Little Slackwater. It was a relaxing stop even though I had only pedaled six miles.
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I traditionally veer off the C&O at milepost 112 for a visit to Fort Frederick, a French and Indian War fort built in 1756. I opted to pedal on and came upon Big Pool, exactly what the name implies. I have not cycled this section on my previous four tours. There was a cutover just past Big Pool that put me on the Western Maryland Rail Trail.
The Western Maryland Rail Trail is a 20+ mile paved rail trail that parallels the C&O. It's pure heaven after 114 miles of the rough C&O surface. Hancock sits at the midpoint of the trail. It is a wonderful place to spend some time. A bike shop, restaurants, and many services make it an ideal overnight.
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I had lunch at Buddy Lou's an interesting restaurant, antique store, and local crafts market right along the trail. The food was quite good, mmmm southwestern chicken salad. It is cyclist central with the grounds littered with cyclists and their bikes.
I said goodbye to Hancock with a visit to the C&O Bike Shop, another favorite tour stop. The paved trail ended after another twelve miles or so. It wasn't long and I pedaled off the C&O at Little Orleans. Bill's Place, a trail favorite, was closed for the day. My timing was perfect. The shuttle for the Town Hall Bed and Breakfast pulled into the parking lot.
The Town Hall is an amazing B&B. The current owners rescued the 1920s era hotel and restaurant on the National Road, US-40. The hotel had been closed for many years after the National Road was bypassed by the new I-68. The renovation is quite nice maintaining the authenticity of the building.
Tomorrow's ride takes me from Little Orleans to Frostburg. There will be climbing!
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Today's C&O and GAP Trivia
The total length of the canal is 184.5 miles. 74 canal locks accommodate the elevation change of 605 feet . Over 150 culverts cross small streams. The crossing of major streams required 11 aqueducts.
Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 158 miles (254 km)
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