GAP / C&O Ride II, 9/6/15, Cumberland

Staying at a B&B can be fun or annoying. There's a certain expectation that you're going to converse with others at breakfast.   The B&B, Riverrun, was just a few feet from the trail and developed specifically for use as a B&B for cyclists using the Towpath.   Thus, the arrangements work out well for all as the owners, Susan and Sinclair, prefer a B&B where the guests are not staying up talking all night and the cyclists are usually tired and need to get to bed in order to start out in the morning. 

My breakfast companions were a couple from DC who had driven up to and parked in Cumberland and were then riding to DC over three days.   Another DC couple, Dave and Allison, had driven to Hancock and were spending some time just riding the Towpath.  Breakfast was extremely pleasant since we all had bike stories to share.  And to top it off, Susan served veggie sausage. 

The paved Western Maryland Rail Trail runs parallel to the Towpath for 20 miles and I gladly rode it as far west as I could in order to reduce the time on the dirt. 

But the WMRT does end and so it was back on the Towpath on the way to the terminus in Cumberland. 

There were many locals enjoying the Potomac on Labor Day weekend near the Little Orleans mile marker. 

I attempted to take many photos of turtles. They love to sun on rocks and branches above the water. However, they are very skittish and always jump in when I stop to snap a photo.  This turtle was definitely the largest one I'd seen on the trip and was big enough to not care about me. 

On my last trip I went through the Paw Paw tunnel with no one else around. On the holiday weekend, however, there were many local families taking their kids through.   It was weirdly busy. 

The approach to the Paw Paw Tunnel...

And the exit...

And the history...

It was now lunch time and a few locals told me to stop at the town of Paw Paw in just a few miles. Well somehow I missed it and ended up with a late lunch at Oldtown near lock number 70 (the breadth of the endeavor of the canal is still amazing to me). 

As I left the Towpath and headed towards the town I checked my phone and had five bars. I pulled up Yelp to decide on a location, the first spot was .2 miles and the next was 11.  That was easy.  Lunch was at a converted school cafeteria. 

The last high school graduating class in 2000 had 20 students.  

With vegetarian choices sorely lacking, my sandwich and fries could have been a school lunch. 

I don't know what type of bird this was but it stayed absolutely still while hunting lunch. 

Since lunch was later than planned I didn't have a long afternoon of riding before I reached Cumberland where I'd stay for the night. 

This is where the canal ends after 185 miles. 

Tonight's stay is a fairly non-descript Ramada that is bike friendly. 

Earlier in the ride today I noticed the telltale bottom bracket creaking on my bike.  I hoped that it would go away but it only got louder as I approached Cumberland.  Tomorrow is a 75 mile ride that begins with a 21 mile climb out of Cumberland from 605 feet above sea level to 2392 feet. (It's long but not steep as trains took the route and can only ascend at a maximum grade.).  I was concerned that I might have trouble with the bottom bracket as I'd be exerting quite a bit of pressure to climb the mountain. After I checked in to the hotel I called the local Cumberland bike shop, Cumberland Trail Connection, that was open on a Sunday at 4:30 and he told me to bring it right in.  The bike mechanic listened to the problem, put the bike on the stand and tightened the bottom bracket. The creak was mostly gone but then he tightened the seat stem and the handlebar stem.  Voila...no more creak.  And for this emergency service, he charged me $12.  I told him how much I appreciated him taking me in so quickly and for alleviating any concerns as I rode tomorrow.  I left the shop thinking that the world is going to be OK. 

I had dinner at Uncle Jack's Pizza.  I made a mistake in getting the 10" NY pizza instead of the 14" as I burn lots of calories on these rides.  The Guinness was good but it took a bit to get past the Bud Light logo. 

GAP / C&O Ride II, 9/5/15, Hancock

The Econolodge was acceptable. Really the name says it all.  Wireless access and breakfast was included.  Even though I was on the first floor, there wasn't much noise.  

At breakfast I ran into a father and his adult son from yesterday. They were really going easy on the trip and only riding 40 or so miles per day.  They planned to stop and see whatever they liked.   They were very flexible and planned on camping or staying in hotels depending upon how they felt. 

Hydration is important on the Towpath, although it's often covered by a tree canopy, it's still easy to ride hard and get dehydrated.  I load up with Catharine's suggestion, Nuun. It works better than Gatorade and without sugar.  Thank you, Catharine. 

I rode back to the Towpath and had to descend the steps again but I was on my way for 63 miles to Hancock, MD. 

Yesterday I ran into two guys from Pittsburgh doing the ride over five days as I plan.  As I spoke with them a woman pulled up and spoke with us. She was making the ride from Cumberland to DC. She said that she was only riding 40 or so miles per day and staying at nice spots and eating well. She had an oddly decorated pannier and explained it to us.  The bag that was attached was the remaining bag as she had met a friend at a stop and given her main bags to the friend.  The main bags and this remaining bag were for kids from Toys R Us.   She had ordered her bags from Amazon but they didn't arrive on time so the morning of her ride she drove over to REI but it wasn't open yet so she went to Toys R Us.  This was the first woman I'd seen riding alone (I'd seen none in 2012.). She said that while she didn't like the movie, she was inspired by Wild to make the ride.

If you think that's strange in terms on planning and timing, then you'll really be interested in Thomas from Germany. Thomas lives near Washington, DC and has been here in the U.S. for 12 years.  On Friday night Thomas packed a light bag, his sleeping bag and yoga mat and rode 20 miles from DC when he stopped and camped for the night.  I ran into him at Dam 4. 

Thomas planned to ride to Cumberland today, a total of about 130 miles one way then try and figure out a way home. We talked for a bit and I gave him a protein bar.   We bumped into each other later. 

As you ride along, the Civil War history is everywhere. 

And more...

I stayed in Shepherdstown in 2013. 

Right before Big Slackwater you recognize that the term "food desert" applies as Williamstown, MD is the only place for lunch at mile marker 100.   I seem to remember a Sheetz from my last trip so that's the goal. 

A short ride up the hill from the Williamsport mile marker was lunch.  It was nothing special but it hit the spot. 

I ran into Thomas again in Williamsport. He had taken the high ride and had lunch at an Italian restaurant.   I left before him but he caught up to me a few miles outside of Williamsport and suggested that we meet in Hancock at the bike shop there. He needed riding gloves and I needed a new headlight. 

There was quite a bit of Civil War action at Dam 5.

There were good crowds on Labor Day weekend. 

I almost ran over this poor fellow crossing the trail.  He looked like a stick from a distance. 

The Western Maryland Rail Trail runs parallel to the Towpath shortly after Fort Frederick so it was a relief to ride on pavement for ten miles until Hancock. 

I popped into the Hancock bike shop and purchased my headlight. Thomas showed up shortly thereafter and bought his gloves.  He was eager for ice cream so we headed to Buddy Lou's Eats Drinks and Antiques.  He started with a glass of chocolate milk and I went with a local IPA.  We had a very pleasant conversation, as a postdoc researcher at the NIH he knows some of the researchers at Pitt. I told him to contact me if he ever rides to Pittsburgh at we live close enough to the trail that he could stay the night before heading to DC.   He skipped the ice cream and began the ride back to DC. 

My next stop was my B&B, the River Run.   After a shower I took a short walk around Hancock. The area around the trail is nice but there's not much to the rather provincial downtown.   I purchased an eclair at the local bakery where the woman at the counter told me that the"foreigners are buying up Hancock". I then noticed the gun sign and the fitness club. 

The Civil War in Hancock...

There weren't too many options for dinner within walking distance so it was back to Buddy Lou's.  Not many veggie dinner choices, but it worked out. 

Must every restaurant have a TV?

Today reminded me that the people are the best part of the ride. Tomorrow is another fairly short trek to Cumberland,MD and the end of the C&O Canal Towpath and the start of the Great Allegheny Passage on Monday.