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Prisoners, Desert Rose, Detour, Bench Warrant, Cave, More Dirty Laundry



Monday, July 19 to North Mountain (Fort Frederick,MD)

Having missed the first part of the Western Maryland Rail Trail, I decided to give it a try. It was nicely blacktopped, wide, and very unbusy. It better be nice; it cost over a quarter of a million dollars - per mile. I probably would have stayed on it had there not been a crossing to the new canal visitors center a strenuous three tenths of a mile into my ride (it WAS uphill). The guide was informed and informative.

Before getting to the visitors center, I had stopped at the C&O maintenance center and met one of the workers. He said that just down the trail I would see trucks on the canal. The path was getting a 40-mile resurface, thanks to a grant from the stimulus package. Last Spring, they filled in potholes and leveled high points.

The process was interesting. They were using an asphalt spreader to put down an even level of a stone and sand mix. Then they packed it down with a roller to about 3˝ inches. As they were just starting, I got to ride the first 50 feet. I couldn't see the slightest tire mark. Time will tell how this holds up under use and weather, but it is starting out quite well.

Just before Big Pool is this railroad bridge. It was built to connect the Western Maryland Railroad to the B &O Railroad across the Potomac River in West Virginia.

At the other end of Big Pool is Fort Frederick. It was built by the British for use in the French and Indian War, but never involved in any battles during either the French and Indian War or the Civil War. It was used to hold prisoners during the Civil War.
    
North Mountain campsite is downhill from the trail but still doesn't put you on the river.
         
As I was setting up my tent, Harold came along. This guy is a real minimalist traveler. For camping, he throws a tarp on the ground and uses his sleeping bag for a mattress. If it rains (it did that night), he grabs one edge of the tarp and rolls over. His food consisted of jars of jelly and peanut butter and (you guessed it), a loaf of bread. He was now 70 years old, and had worked in the circus taking care of the horses.
   
Harold had an interesting headlamp with 3 separate switch settings, each with its own LED(s). First was a single bright white, good for about 50 wide-angle yards. Next was a pair of reds that were great for reading without destroying your night vision. Finally, a pair of whites, great for walking around and seeing about 20 yards. It is made by Energizer, runs on 3 AAA alkaline batteries, and can be tilted 90 degrees in six different angles from straight ahead to straight down. He bought it at WalMart for under $20, and so did I when I got home.

Tuesday, July 20 to Cumberland Valley (Williamsport,MD)

Above Dam #5, the canal boats leave the canal and venture out onto the Potomac River where the mules used a narrow path hacked out of the cliffs. There were no more mules, but coming toward me were some prisoners trimming branches.
    

    
The Desert Rose Café in Williamsport was about the smallest café I've ever seen. Inside it had only two tables, and you still had to go to the counter to order your food. To be fair, there was additional seating for four outside on the sidewalk. She has plans to expand to create more seating by 2011. And the food was good.
    
The café was named after the owner - Desert Rose. At birth, her name was just Rose, but while living in Kentucky, her parents complained about the cold weather. Rose's nanny suggested they move out west, so they could call her "Desert Rose". The name stuck.

As I crossed the bridge coming into Williamsport, I saw a building that says "Cushwa" on the side of it. This former warehouse is now the National Park's Visitor Center. If you do nothing else at Williamsport, see the two films here. They were made while the canal was still in operation and are excellent. Among other things you will learn is that normal mule speed was 4 miles an hour. My average is … faster.

The towpath is not all scenic.

At Cumberland Valley was a nice campsite, but the pump wasn't working. I stayed there anyway.
    
As I was setting up camp, Sara and Peter stopped to see if they could camp with me. I said they could, even though they weren't bicyclists (grin). They are walking across the United States. Peter was carrying as much gear on his back as I was on my overloaded bike.

Peter, who was in his late 20s, had quit his job in the computer industry because it was no fun. He decided to walk to the west coast to think about what he wanted to do next. At the moment, he thought he might become a chef.

Before leaving, he asked each of his friends if they wanted to come with him. Only Sara, in her early 20s, agreed. My first impression of her was that she was knockout good looking. After talking with her for the rest of the evening, I decided she was smart and had good common sense, too. If I were 40 years younger … I wouldn't have had a chance with her, but that is what fantasy is all about.

Wednesday, July 21 to Big Woods (Antietam,MD)

Eleven miles beyond Williamsport is the detour around the Big Slackwater, adding 8 miles to the ride. Floods had wiped out this part of the canal, so a detour was needed. It is impossible to miss this detour.
    
This is a time when your orientation goes from horizontal to vertical. The beginning of the detour is two inclines on large, rough rock through a farm - best passed over on foot. Then you rejoice when you see smooth pavement, only to notice Springdell Road seems to go more up than ahead (not really true).
    
Turning the corner at the top of this hill presented me with a couple of roller coaster hills. Seeing this, I hitched a ride on a pickup truck to the Downsville General Store for lunch.
    
The rest of the detour is rolling, except the last hill down to the canal. At the top of that hill, there is a sign telling you to walk your bike. Going the other way, this hill is a challenge to the fit. I coasted down, brakes fully engaged, discovering the way back to the towpath was just around a curve, but not yet at the bottom.

NOTE:
Construction has begun to repair the original route; it should be ready for bicyclists and hikers in 2012. Before it's ready, I believe a better choice is to leave the canal at Williamsport, grab a bite at the Desert Rose Café, then continue south on MD-63 (Conococheague St) to Dam Number 4 Road at Downsville.

The Downsville General Store is to your left about 300 yards. It is a convenience store with a grill; call ahead to see if they are open (301-223-6401). Turning right gets you back on the easier part of the detour, joining it a mile to the south at Dellinger Rd.

From where the detour rejoins the canal, I could see the Potomac and decided to go to the base of Dam #4. It wasn't a trail, rather a collection of large rocks that didn't like the cleats on my bike sandals.
              
Once on the beach, I carefully waded in. The rocks were slippery and the waves from the dam made footing difficult.     
After getting thoroughly soaked and cooled down, I looked around and saw a real path going out. It came out onto the discontinued part of the towpath just a hundred yards from my bike.          
The towpath varies from uncivilized to civilized. This is a sample between Dam4 and Big Woods.
            
Roy got to Big Woods campsite just before I did. We ended up spending the next day together. Before we got down into the campsite, these two shirtless guys came along. They were going to ride the 187 miles from Cumberland to Washington, D.C. in one day. It was after 4pm and they had a little over 80 miles to go. Tired as they looked, I think they had a chance to make it.
    

Thursday, July 22 to Huckleberry Hill (before Harpers Ferry,MD)

Roy and I explored most of Killiansburg Cave together. It wasn't long, but it was quite narrow, the footing left a bit to be desired, and went deep enough to make a light useful.

Before getting to Shepherdston, we came upon this couple with a tandem. It was the only tandem I would see on the whole trip. Moreover, this was a road bike with skinny tires and it was fully loaded, serious travelers they.

Shepherdstown is in West Virginia. To get there, one needed to cross the Route 480 bridge, and to do that, had to climb a path with switchbacks.
    


Roy and I had lunch in Shepherdstown and I went to do my laundry. While my clothes were drying, I went next door and got some peanut butter, some jelly and (you guessed it) a loaf of bread.

Roy is from Brunswick and was running from a warrant. I let him use my cell phone to call his lawyer because he thought his would be traced and he would be found. I tried to envision a detective hopping on a bike and racing up canal to capture Roy, but it seemed a bit too much like the Keystone Cops to be a real possibility. We parted company in Shepherdstown.

At about 6pm the sun is almost directly in my eyes. So, I find myself trying to get to Harpers Ferry and Washington, D.C. by riding west! It just doesn't seem right.

Huckleberry Hill was a pleasant campsite above the Potomac.


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