C&O Canal Towpath - 10/9/18

Bob planned a bicycle tour from Dickerson, Maryland to Roanoke, Virginia, with his high school friend, Mike.  He asked me if I was interested in joining them, and I jumped at the opportunity.  Bob drove us to his niece's home in Dickerson, and we stayed there Monday night.  Mike drove from Owego, New York, to Dickerson on Tuesday and we left enroute to the C&O Towpath, which runs along the C&O Canal, also known as the "Grand Old Ditch," and the Potomac River.

Our route to the Towpath was on some very nice country roads in Frederick County, Maryland. (pics below)

We went by Sugarloaf Mountain, which was used as a signal station by Union forces in 1862 (pic below).

We got on the Towpath at Monocacy Aqueduct (pic below).  From 1833-1924 this aqueduct carried boats on the C&O Canal across the Monocacy River.  (A boat overpass)

Below are some pics from the Towpath.

Pic below shows the canal to the left of the path and the Potomac River to the right.

Below is a pic of one of the many locks along the canal.

White's Ferry, pictured below, is the last operating ferry that crosses the Potomac River .

We made it to our campsite next to the Potomac River at Swain Lock on the Towpath.

Below is a picture of the sunset from our campsite.

After I arrived at the campsite, I walked to a building nearby to charge my cell phone.  When I returned to my campsite, I walked up on a theft in progress.  There was a squirrel tearing into my trail mix bag.  I shooed him away and decided to hang my food from a tree limb.  Hopefully that will keep him at bay, or at least make him work a little harder to get my food.

Total miles today:  35