C&O a little rough on man and machine

Today we rode 91 miles from Cumberland to Hagerstown, Maryland. We climbed 985 feet. 

Tough day. Really tough. Muddy, slippery, cold, hot, lots of flats, and a few falls. We had heard that the first ten miles of the C&O Canal would cause difficulty, but we still weren't prepared. The temperatures at the start hovered in the low 50s and fog hung in the low areas of the surrounding countryside. The early parts of the path had not had a chance to dry out from recent rains, and the resulting mud created a slippery mess. Speeds came down considerably, but people still had trouble negotiating the path. The trail rose and fell around the old canal locks and these areas created their own hazards. We had a lot of close calls and a few falls. We eventually got through the toughest parts of the early day, and as the sun burned off the fog, the day warmed up and the path condition improved. On our left we had the remnants of the canal, while on our right ran the North Branch of the Potomac River. As things warmed up and the trail dried out, we felt more confident and picked up speed. We transited the Paw Paw Tunnel (www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/paw-paw-tunnel.htm), all 3,118 feet, on foot in our bicycling shoes/cleats. We had a nice lunch SAG immediately prior to encountering a 26-mile section of paved trail paralleling the towpath-we chose the pavement. We made very good time on the paved path and carried that momentum back to the towpath to finish the day. We had a few miles of urban cycling prior to landing at the hotel, where we emptied the truck, checked into the hotel, et cetera.

Tomorrow we have the penultimate riding day of this adventure. We've become so accustomed to the routine that yesterday I forgot to mark the fact that we had passed the 3,000-mile mark. We have a big day tomorrow and we hope the towpath stays dry and passable. The last big ride...

Two (!!) days remaining...

Tomorrow we will ride from Hagerstown, Maryland to Arlington, Virginia. We will cycle 109 miles and climb 1,500 feet. 

Totals to Date

Miles: 3,094

Elevation Gain: 92,162

Flat Tires: 60

States crossed: 10

Times crossing the Continental Divide: 6

Centuries: 7

Dog bites: 1