The C&O Canal is the place where as a child I got to experience my Tom Sawyer - Huck Finn Adventures
as a child in the 70's I took many rides with friends and alone for adventures on the tow path along side the C&O Canal
we would ride our bikes to the canal
often heading to Old Angler's Inn
the journey was the destination
parking our bikes and exploring the woods in between the tow path and the Potomac
sometimes we brought fishing rods
other times we brought wrist rockets
we brought home black rat snakes
but mostly we carried back memories
my love for the C&O never diminished
as childhood blended into adulthood I still went to these same spots
the adventures were similar but different
still trying to get a taste of the great outdoors
while not traveling far from my suburban\urban home
The Billygoat Trail and The Goldmine Loop
there were long hikes with friends and the dog
there were times when we would ride our bikes on the Goldmine Loop as we did not know where we could legally ride our mountain bikes
and then there were "the cliffs"
swimming in the canal and Potomac is prohibited
riding bikes on the natural surface trails adjacent to the canal is prohibited
the cliffs... definitely prohibited
we ignored this prohibition
above is a photo of my friend Jason Farrell doing some unthinkable moves off the cliffs
this was a pretty natural experience
we did not go there to party
no beer... no pot...
we went there for the adventure
we went there for the experience
my teenage boys have adopted my love for the canal
going to the Billygoat without me... hiking with their friends
then... continuing the legacy of "the cliffs" by jumping with their friends just as I did when I was their age
then as I got older my ambitions changed as did my social groups
as a child we brought the family dog
as I grew to be an adult I had my own dogs
then my own family
I would take my dogs and my family to experience the canal just as I had experienced it
there were many trips to The Goldmine Loop and the Billygoat Trail with my boys
then of course... there was the bike
just as I rode my bike on the towpath as a child
I brought my children to do the same
hiking.. fishing... riding bikes...
my kids experienced much of what I experienced as a child along the C&O Canal
weekdays always better than weekends
the question of "What to do on a Federal Holiday?"
was often answered with a bike ride or a hike along the canal
so many great experience at this local National Park
what a wonderful sanctuary!
so close
so many entry points
over the years I have had so many great moments exploring this park
I have ridden the stretch of the C&O from Cumberland to Georgetown a number of times
tackling the 184.5 miles in a different fashion each time
riding the distance in 3 Days... 2 Days... and then even One Day
then of course
the post work rides along the canal and all those dog walks with the dog in those woods on weekends
exploring different access points
finding new adventures in places that I had passed but never experienced
now the C&O has a new life
The GAP Trail to Cumberland then Cumberland to DC has become some sort of cyclists bucketlist
the car free nature of this long trail makes it a great bicycle touring adventure
car driver's suck
getting killed by a car driver would really suck
so... I see why this long and occasionally monotonous trail would have such a draw
yes...
what a great place to go...
a great place for a solitary adventure
a great place to go with friends
seasons are changing...
the canal is a four season adventure
when and if the water freezes
ice skating on the canal is a wonderful way to experience this unique National Park
don't get me started on Paw Paws
