# Prepare me for the C&O Canal Trail....



## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

5+ nights probably on the C&O Canal..

I need to know

1) how to take a sponge bath and not freeze... even using warm water and that no rinse soap stuff, you still get the chill in the colder temps..

2) Where does everyone goto the bathroom? Are there a ton of cat holes at camp sites?
Are there port-o-johns?

3) Are there bears? Do we need to hang food from the trees 30-50ft feet up or whatever the requirement is?

4) Anything else I need to know/prepare for?


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## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

bas said:


> 5+ nights probably on the C&O Canal..
> 
> I need to know
> 
> ...


There are bears.

I never have ridden the C&O. But, last December, I saw a bear on the Western Maryland Rail trail, which parallels the C&O trail. http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=81104&highlight=bear


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

bas said:


> 5+ nights probably on the C&O Canal..
> 
> I need to know
> 
> ...


#1 Ask your mama.
#2 Lots of port-os every campsite
#3 Perhaps but just check with the park service before you start.
#4 I prefer a one day trip but zeytins threads in the "C&T Map" stickie should give you a good idea. http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=38078 http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=99850


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## Becky (Jun 15, 2004)

Baby wipes make for easy bathing on the trail. Just remember to pack them out along with all your other trash. 

Everything that I've heard about the water pumps on the trail indicates that they're safe to drink from. However, they taste like crap...treated with iodine, I think. We packed our MSR water filter and filtered drinking/cooking water just for taste's sake.

Have fun and post some pics when you return!


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## zeytin (May 15, 2004)

As MB1 noted I took longer trips on the trail and love it. The portopotties are clean and the campsites nice. The pump water is very cold, perfect in the summer not so in the winter. You may want to babywipe it and plan a stop in Hancock where you can stay (see my report) or just pay for a hot shower.

Cheers,
Z


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## ethebull (May 30, 2007)

This site is loaded with info for biking the tow path. Should be a good resource for you.

http://bikewashington.org/canal/index.php


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

zeytin said:


> As MB1 noted I took longer trips on the trail and love it. The portopotties are clean and the campsites nice. The pump water is very cold, perfect in the summer not so in the winter. You may want to babywipe it and plan a stop in Hancock where you can stay (see my report) or just pay for a hot shower.
> 
> Cheers,
> Z


can you post the link that post? I can't find it.

I'm suprised trash doesn't end up in the portopotties.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Dude, don't you even read your own thread?*



bas said:


> can you post the link that post? I can't find it.....


I posted the links in my reply plus if you do a forum search on C&O Canal or Tow Path you will find lots of additional threads.


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

MB1 said:


> I posted the links in my reply plus if you do a forum search on C&O Canal or Tow Path you will find lots of additional threads.


Well, I spent time searching the forums on 

"C&T Map"
"C&O Map"
"C&O"
"C and O"
"CO"

0 RESULTS for all searches.

I looked in the stickies in this forum, nothing.

I didn't see your links as I spent all my time searching. I'll check the links now.


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

MB1 said:


> #1 Ask your mama.
> #2 Lots of port-os every campsite
> #3 Perhaps but just check with the park service before you start.
> #4 I prefer a one day trip but zeytins threads in the "C&T Map" stickie should give you a good idea. http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=38078 http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=99850


Are the mosquitos/bugs out this time of year?

I hate wearing deet as it causes me to sweat to much and feel icky.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

bas said:


> Well, I spent time searching the forums on
> 
> "C&T Map"
> "C&O Map"
> ...


137 results for C&O Canal, I think I'll check a few of them out myself.

This one should work for you too;
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=98440&highlight=C&amp;O+Canal


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

MB1 said:


> 137 results for C&O Canal, I think I'll check a few of them out myself.
> 
> This one should work for you too;
> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=98440&highlight=C&amp;O+Canal


But 
C&O -- Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms. <<- wrong
C & O --Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms. <<- wrong

C & O Canal -- results

I would have expected C&O or C & O to return something.. if they didn't, why would C&O Canal return something?... oh well.. guess I found a bug in the search.


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## ethebull (May 30, 2007)

I got 200 hits searching C&O canal - straight simple search, searching title only = 18 threads. Searching C&0 (zero) might mess ya up, but that's not what you typed above.


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

zeytin said:


> As MB1 noted I took longer trips on the trail and love it. The portopotties are clean and the campsites nice. The pump water is very cold, perfect in the summer not so in the winter. You may want to babywipe it and plan a stop in Hancock where you can stay (see my report) or just pay for a hot shower.
> 
> Cheers,
> Z



My rear end is all bumped up.

I aborted at mile 47, Point Of Rocks.. I got fed up/tired at mile 94 or so, and decided today was my last day, and if I could get out, I was.

My hands are all numb from the gravel road.. I average 9.0 1st day, 8.6 total 2nd day, 8.7 total 3rd day, and brought my average up to 9.0 total last day. 

I was able to stand and ride after having my load on the trailer really strapped down solid. And learning how to be soft on the handle bars.. else the trailer would start wobbling. Plus the smoother roads from mile 70'ish to 47 helped out (more dirt than stone crap).. So I was able to crank out 12 mph the last couple hours.

Those damn trains ran almost all night long that first night.. maybe 6-8 an hour. That was unbelievable. What the hell are they transporting at that hour all night long? coal?? 

I had no desire to 'finish' the whole route.. my friends (or former friends now ) are still out there. They are planning 2-3 more days.. I had had enough. Maybe I could have handled 1 more night camping, and if I knew the trail would get better for that long stretch, I might have been interested.

The detour wasn't in effect on the one section coming towards dc.. so we went on it.. they were filling in dirt today getting close to the pointy rocks. one of the guys went into the cave that was about 20 feet up. He said it went pretty far back. 

All my crap is out on my balcony..hopefully all the spiders and bugs will vacate out there and stay out there.. will start washing everything tomorrow.

Will post some pictures I get after I get my camera developed.


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## zeytin (May 15, 2004)

Which end did you start at? I find that the end near Cumberland is much much better. What kind of trailer were you pulling? 9 hours riding???? Yikes. What kind of bike did you have?
I remember the trains and wild turkeys too; I guess I sleep through a lot.

Sorry you had such a bad time; I love that trail.


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

zeytin said:


> Which end did you start at? I find that the end near Cumberland is much much better. What kind of trailer were you pulling? 9 hours riding???? Yikes. What kind of bike did you have?
> I remember the trains and wild turkeys too; I guess I sleep through a lot.
> 
> Sorry you had such a bad time; I love that trail.



Started at Cumberland on Saturday, about 3:30.. 

It is a BOB trailer.

I had 16:10 total ride time for 148 miles , 9.1 avs.. (the ATM time clock rolled, so I assume it is 16:10).

Gary Fisher Tassaraja, 2003 - looks like this one:










I kind of wish I left my aero bars on.. but I didn't cuz of the added weight.. not sure if I could have balanced it with the trailer.

Yes, 2 sets of wild turkeys.. those are pretty common in PA. It didn't feel like nothing I never saw before.. It felt familiar - maybe because I saw similar things as a child (locks/canals).. but the rock cliff sections felt very familiar, like I have hiked it before or something... Also a group of deer and solo deer, 1 black snake that I almost nailed on the path, and 1 water snake swimming around at the cliffs.

So are the rock cliffs mostly natural? I found it strange to have a canal path next to the rock cliff..and wonder if they cut away part of the cliff, or did they claim that part from the Potomac River? I assume all those trees grew in since the days of the canal.. Was the canal road always there back to when they built the canal? 

I prefer smooth roads, and my road bike.. I only use the Tassajara for every day beatings while commuting.


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## zeytin (May 15, 2004)

The cliff parts were created with blasting; yes the towpath was always there it was needed for the mules to walk on to pull the barges. The trees have grown up since the closing of the canal.


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## Red Sox Junkie (Sep 15, 2005)

I have done the entire towpath a couple of time in the past year. A cross bike is by far the best bike for the route. I've seen tons of wildlife there over the past couple of years, deer, snakes, foxes, turkeys and about 1,000 squirels. I like the Cumberland end a lot better than the DC end. Williamsport makes a nice place to stay. There is a Red Roof Inn about a mile off of the path with a Waffle House in the parking lot. Who could ask for anything more? Not much into camping on the towpath, but I do love riding it. Even better than the towpath is the Great Allegehney Passage. I tacked on 75 miles of that before I rode the towpath this year.
The trains tormented me during the night in Ohiopyle and Cumberland!


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

Red Sox Junkie said:


> The trains tormented me during the night in Ohiopyle and Cumberland!


I'd go back for that torture experience again. There can't be anything like that any where else.


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## zeytin (May 15, 2004)

*Huh...Torture???*



bas said:


> I'd go back for that torture experience again. There can't be anything like that any where else.


I like to take some time and enjoy the views and the sights as well as the stops. We average 40 miles a day. I ride an 1984 steel Trek single speed and I've not had problems with discomfort other then my carpal tunnel.
There is so much history and so much to explore. The first trip we spent an hour or so talking to the old man that owns White's Ferry he told us how he opened it after the war. We also talked to the daughter of the owner of Bill's. The couple that run the shop in Hancock are good people too. In addition my father tells amazing stories over the campfire.


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

zeytin said:


> I like to take some time and enjoy the views and the sights as well as the stops. We average 40 miles a day. I ride an 1984 steel Trek single speed and I've not had problems with discomfort other then my carpal tunnel.
> There is so much history and so much to explore. The first trip we spent an hour or so talking to the old man that owns White's Ferry he told us how he opened it after the war. We also talked to the daughter of the owner of Bill's. The couple that run the shop in Hancock are good people too. In addition my father tells amazing stories over the campfire.


At bill's, we got the guy from the canoe place who was 'helping out'.

He put the order pad down on the table and said to fill it out. LOL.. a little too smoky in there.

what's up with his ~$3,000 in $1 bills on the ceilings.. or did I add that up all wrong.
I don't think the US Mint would appreciate it.


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## zeytin (May 15, 2004)

bas said:


> At bill's, we got the guy from the canoe place who was 'helping out'.
> 
> He put the order pad down on the table and said to fill it out. LOL.. a little too smoky in there.
> 
> ...


One of those $1 bills is mine.... just think the old place burned down a few years ago...wonder how much burned. There was no smoke when we were there...there was no one else in the place. I think folks are covering for the old man who is sick at the moment.


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