Even before
Vince and I rolled into Point State Park, I knew that someday I would have to
return to the C and O Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage to fill in the
section between Hancock and Frostburg that we shuttled over. The question was
when and how.
Before I
cycled most of the DC to Pittsburgh route with Vince, I would not have considered
a solo ride. Afterward, having experienced a long distance ride, and familiar
with both the Towpath and the Gap as well as the starting and ending points, I
was not just open to riding from Hancock to Frostburg alone but more or less
committed to it.
Cycling
from Frostburg to Hancock was out of the question. Vince and I had undertaken
an east to west ride and that was how I wanted to complete it. Cycling from
Hancock in the east to Frostburg in the west was the only option for me even
though I knew it would probably b e more difficult.
I knew I
could not ride the approximate seventy-five miles in one day, especially
considering the elevation I would have to climb from Cumberland up to
Frostburg. I also knew that the route from Hancock to Cumberland would be
fairly level and that I would not start gaining elevation until after
Cumberland. Therefore I planned to drive
to Hancock, where I would leave the car, and cycle the Western Maryland Rail
Trail and the Towpath to as near Cumberland as I could while still camping. The
next day I would cycle through Cumberland to Frostburg and take a shuttle back
to Hancock and the ca I was using.
A little
over two months since Vince and I had completed our trip, the weather and my
schedule finally provided the opportunity I needed to undertake the trip. After driving about three hours from home to
Hancock, I drove around Hancock a few more minutes searching for anything that
looked like free overnight parking near the Towpath and Western Maryland Rail
Trail. Not finding any, I stopped in at C & O Bicycle to find out where I
could park the car for an overnight trip.
The
salesperson behind the counter told me that I could purchase a $5 overnight
parking permit for a lot just a couple blocks away and almost on the Rail Trail
and near the Towpath. That seemed like a fair price and the best option and is
what I ended up doing.
 |
| At the western terminus of the Western Maryland Rail Trail |
Since I was
going to be out for only two days and a night, I had far less gear than when
Vince and I had set out from DC headed for Pittsburgh. I was able to easily fit
everything in my two rear panniers and on the back rack between the panniers,
foregoing the front panniers. Once those panniers, tent and sleeping pad were
attached to my bike, I was cycling westward on the Western Maryland Rail Trail
by 12:45 PM.
Two months
earlier, Vince and I had ridden into Hancock via the Western Maryland Rail
Trail, so that is why I decided to follow it westward rather than riding the
Towpath. After cycling the dry and
smooth rail trail for a little over eleven miles, I finally reached its western
terminus and transitioned over to the C and O Canal Towpath. I wasn’t on the
Towpath more than a few minutes before I encountered a mud puddle and claimed
my first splash. Mud puddles were not all I encountered, however. I also saw several
deer and some pheasants soon after I transitioned to the Towpath.
I had planned to stop for a break at Bill's Place in Little Orleans but totally missed any signage and rode right by. I later learned that I was not the first person to have missed the turn off. I therefore kept cycling until I finally took a break about 20 ½
miles after leaving Hancock at the Stickpile Hill Hiker Biker Campsite where I enjoyed a
pepperoni roll as a late lunch and filled up both of my water bottles. I also
popped an Advil. I would have preferred to take an Aleve but mistakenly
grabbed the wrong bottle out of the medicine cabinet when I was packing for the
trip.
As I rode closer and closer to the Paw Paw tunnel I was looking forward to experiencing some natural air conditioning as the temperature was quite warm and a little higher than I expected. Of all the tunnels I have encountered while cycling, some of which bear signage that recommends cyclists dismount and walk their bikes through, I have always chosen to ride rather than dismount. The Paw Paw Tunnel was another matter. No other tunnel I have ridden through consists of a small, unlit walkway with a water filled canal on the other side of the railing.
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| After exiting the Paw Paw Tunnel |
I walked my ride through the tunnel and enjoyed its natural air condition, but it was not as cool as I had hoped. It was, however, wetter than I expected. At times I felt drips off the side wall hit my scalp and face. At times I felt like I was walking across flowstone in a cave rather than on a walkway. When I encountered a few pedestrians I pushed my bike as far to the side and stood off to the side so they could pass. That was how narrow the walkway was. I could not imagine having tried to ride through the tunnel.
After exiting the Paw Paw tunnel and about thirty-seven
miles out of Hancock, I stopped once more, this time at the Town Creek Hiker
Biker Campsite, where I again filled up my water bottles. While I was taking a
break at Town Creek a volunteer trail ambassador from Paw Paw rolled in. I
asked him if the pump at the Iron’s Mountain Hiker Biker Campsite, where I
planned to camp for the night, was working, but he did not know. He told me he had
cycled only as far as the Spring Gap
Drive-In Camp and assured me that the
pump was working there, so I planned to fill up my water bottles at Spring Gap
in case the pump at Irons Mountain was not working.
As I
continued to ride I realized that I was making good enough time that I might be
able to pull off my third half century ever, the other two having been just
this season. Just two miles short of a half century and with time running out I
stopped at Spring Gap to fill up not just my two water bottles in cages but
also an empty liter Nalgene bottle in my pannier. I was so close to completing
a half century that I really did not
want to take the time to do this but I also did not want to risk having to
ration water if none was available at Irons Mountain.
At 6:35 PM,
with ten minutes to spare, I stopped at milepost 175 after having cycled 50.5
miles! My third half century! And I accomplished it with panniers and gear on
the back, riding uphill, 4/5 of it on the unpaved and sometimes muddy C and O
Towpath!
Less than a
tenth of a mile later I arrived at the Irons Mountain Hiker Biker Campsite, my
intended destination for the night. Not only was the pump working, meaning I
would not have to ration water, but the campsite was level and lush with a nice
view of the Potomac. It was also unoccupied. The only downside was the nearby
railroad bridge crossing the Potomac just upstream which meant the sound of
passing trains throughout the night.
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| Camping at Irons Mountain Hiker Biker Campsite |
As I was
making camp I debated whether or not to put the rainfly off my tent. Without it
I would more ventilation and sleep cooler. When I checked the weather forecast, however,
I learned that there was a chance of rain during the night so I went ahead and
put the fly up, but it never did rain that night.
After a
freezer bag dinner of Salmon Couscous Pilaf I reflected on my day’s ride. I had
been cycling about 14-15 mph on the Western Maryland Rail Trail but slowed down
to 12-13 miles as soon as I transitioned to the Towpath. Near the end of my
ride, as I was tiring but still hoping to pull a half century, I was struggling
to maintain a 10-12 mph pace. I wish I
had brought and attached the plastic Axiom splashguard I had purchased moths
before in Hancock but the weather had been so dry I thought I wouldn’t need it.
In reality, I encountered more mud puddles on the Towpath than I expected. Some
of those puddle had standing water. The splashguard would have kept some of
that mud off me and my bike.
As dusk
approached I began to think that I might be enjoying this beautiful hiker Biker
Campsite all to myself. As it turned out, I did. One couple riding west to east
passed by after I had arrived but they did not stop. Not only was I cycling
alone, I was also camping alone.
Here are the link to previous installments in the "Spinning Wheels" series:
From DC to PGH - Day 7 (24th Installment)
From DC to PGH - Day 6 (23rd Installment)
My First Tour the Montour (22nd Installment)
From DC to PGH - Day 5 (21st Installment)
From DC to PGH - Day 4 (20th Installment)
From DC to PGH - Day 3 (19th Installment)
From DC to PGH - Day 2 (18th Installment)
From DC to PGH - Day 1 (17th Installment)
From DC to PGH - Day 0 (16th Installment)
From DC to PGH - Prologue (15th Installment)
Transitioning (14th Installment)
Flats (13 Installment)
Beware Dehydration (12 Installment)
Creams & Powders for your Butt (11th Installment)
Group vs. Solo Rides (10th Installment)
Competitiveness (9th Installment)
Stats (8th Installment)
Accidents Happen (7th Installment)
Pedals for Cleats (6th Installment)
Riding Shoes with Cleats (5th Installment)
Be Kind to Your Behind (4th Installment)
Combating Hand and Arm Numbness (3rd Installment)
Reading and Riding (2nd Installment)
Group vs. Solo Rides (10th Installment)
Competitiveness (9th Installment)
Stats (8th Installment)
Accidents Happen (7th Installment)
Pedals for Cleats (6th Installment)
Riding Shoes with Cleats (5th Installment)
Be Kind to Your Behind (4th Installment)
Combating Hand and Arm Numbness (3rd Installment)
Reading and Riding (2nd Installment)
Starting Over (1st Installment)
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