Day Six Harpers Ferry to Georgetown DC-CandO Canal

The weather for the last day of the ride was predicted to be the opposite of the first. Instead of cool clouds and rain, they were calling for hot sun and humidity. They were right!

It seems like we kept getting in later and later from the rides even though we kept leaving earlier. Today the goal was to be on the road by 7:00AM. We grabbed a bite to eat, checked out the bikes and headed down the hill toward the bridge and then home.

We left going down the hill Scott told us we should have climbed last night. well, I guess he was right. This would have been a much easier route to the hotel but that's water under the bridge (at least it was after Scott pointed out our error e few more times). We took a group shot as we left town and then we headed back across the bridge over to Maryland and the tow path.

This was the earliest we had been on the trail but we saw the most people this morning and would see a lot more before the day was out. We even saw two "tow path patrolwomen" on their bikes.

The first point of interest, for me anyway, was the town of Brunswick. I was looking forward to passing this town! Not that I have any problems with the town, but this was where I had to bail out last time. I think my mind was playing tricks on me. As I approached I could feel that pain I had in my knee last time. not near as strong but it was there to remind me...maybe it was all in my head.

Just as we passed my previous bail out location, Scott got a flat. I looped back and stayed long enough for him to fix it. I took off as he was pumping up the tire. Tim was with him and I was biking slow enough that they would catch me soon enough. It ended up taking a while because he ended up cutting the fill valve before he was done and had to use back up tube #2.

I continued on till I met up with Jim and Steve who were waiting for us to catch up. Mark and Dan had gone ahead towards White's Ferry. When Scott and Tim arrived, we got together and started the ride again. Jim pulled us most of the way as re road tire to tire making up ground quickly.

This was working fine till my tire clipped Steve's and I bit the dust. The wipe out wasn't too bad but I did land on my already sore wrist and busted off my left bag. A little dusting off and my two bungee cords got me and my bike moving again.

It wasn't long before we arrived at White's Ferry where Dan and Mark were waiting for us. Seems like they also had a flat this morning. We grabbed some lunch, relaxed on the path and watch the Ferry haul cars and boats across the Potomac. The shop across from the Ferry store, was nice enough to let some of us use their compressor. Seems like the tiny pumps we were carrying did not have the mustard to get the tires up to full load.

With just over 35 miles to go, we were itching to finish the ride. We headed off again towards DC. We all road together and the ride was most uneventful till mile 20!

Again we were all in a row moving at a good rate due to the dry trail and our motivation to finish. At some point we passed a biker with a flat. Scott radioed that he wanted to stop and ask if the guy needed help. We, he stopped! A few of us did not. Tim who was in the back of our 7 ran into Steve. Tim was also hit from behind. how you ask? Well it seems like 3 other riders decided to join our fast moving train. After the accident, the leader of the freeloaders decided to point out to us that it was not his fault for hitting us and that it was our fault for stopping too fast w/o signaling properly. OK, I'll give you that our use of radios was not the best way to signal a stop and that the crash would have happened with or without them but come on! This is the tow path near DC. These riders had NO IDEA of our experience level or plans. This is the trail where 50% of the time you shout "on your left" people jump in your way. As with skiing, I really feel it is your job to avoid the people in front of you. Not to mention riding tight behind a close line of 7 riders you don't know is just plain dumb. After we exchanges some "friendly" words, they moved along. Anyway back to the accident. Seems like as we were arguing, Tim's sock was getting covered in blood ala RedSox World series run. He got a nice gash just above the ankle. Luckily we had some first aid equipment and were were able to patch him up. (It latter ends up that he got 3 stitches!). After letting him get settled, we loaded back up and headed on... not as close as before.

We made it to great falls and took some pictures. It had been a long ride and after flying by a lot of scenery, I decided I was going to Slooow down and shoot some pictures as I finished.

As the group headed on, I could hear on the radio that they were expecting me to take my good sweet time...and I did.

I got some nice shots and headed on again. I knew they would be stopping at mile marker 5 so I rode hard in the heat trying to meet up with them. I got to five where they had walked down to the river again near a kayak slalom course. As I dunked my head into the water I was looking forward to a nice break. Seems like everyone else's break was over so they drug me along back on the trail. I was slagging back taking it easy in the now HOT weather. (I think it was in the upper 90's and the "feels like" meter was over 100). The worst part was along the trail just before Georgetown, there is another tail paralleling the tow path. Even though the hard and bumpy path was taking its toll on me, I continued on taking the tow path.

I reach the one mile marker and met everyone but Jim who was still ahead somewhere. The trail is a little tricky here, because you have to get across to the other (left) side. Everyone but Dan got over the left side one way or the other. Dan radios in saying he is up on M street and wants to get a beer. We convince him to come back down and meet us for a final picture. Of course we get to the end of the trail and there is NO mile 0 marker.

I While some want to go get a drink and head for the metro I point out that I AM going to FIND the marker. Someone says, "Are you going to spend 2 hours looking for it" to which I rely, "I've been looking for it for 6 days!". We head back toward 29th Street and head down toward the river. I know it is by the boat house down there, I just need to find it. Scott picks up the marker on his GPS from some Navagation points he loaded prior to the trip and we find it in no time. We take some pictures and go back to G'town for hydration and the Metro.

The ride out of town on the Metro was easy. We even had our picture taken by someone from another country who wanted to show her friends back home because they can't take bike on their subways.

We got back to Scott's fine. Tim headed off to get his stitches but most of us were hosted to some fine "Red Hot and Blue" BBQ. The night ended and our families took us home.

The ride was great and I would recommend it to anyone. The grades were not bad, the GAP trail had a better surface and the canal locks and tunnels are just amazing to see and think about the manpower it took to build them. I am ending this blog and I plan on visiting one of the many trail support groups to donate some money so they can keep this great ride alive...

I don;t know if I'll do the whole ride again unless my kids talk me into it but I do look forward to riding parts again especially in the fall. Seeing the turning leaves would make this beautiful trip even more spectacular.

Thanks for everyone who helped make this trip possible from my family to the great guys I got to ride with to the people online who helped answer my many planning questions.



65 miles - total 353 miles