April 14, 2021

We had one of the first truly amazing weekends and my friend Val had the day off. It was seasonably warm and sunny with a slight breeze. Simon and I met up with Val and Babyface. We shuffled trailers and ponies around and ended up with both ponies and one rig parked at one access point, Lock 34, and the other trailer parked at another access point, Brunswick. It is notable that the Lock 34 parking area in Harpers Ferry involves driving under some train bridges with lower clearance. My bumper pull fit with about two feet of clearance.

Before we got mounted, we enjoyed a chat and some adult lunchables, ie. a portable charcuterie board compliments of Val’s husband, Jon.

If you have not ridden, biked, or walked the C&O, you might not be aware that it is long, flat, relatively straight graveled trail that was original a tow path. It is wide enough for comfortable two way traffic. To one side there is an active train track, and to the other side is the Potomac River. The C&O, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, starts in Cumberland, Maryland, and runs to DC covering 180 some miles.

We parked near Lock 34 on the west end of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and rode to the Brunswick, Maryland parking area. We clocked just about 11 miles. There were busy areas where we were crowded in with hikers and bikers, and there were other areas that were wide open that we could let the ponies kick up their hooves and cover some ground. We stopped to let the ponies dip their toes in the river and get a drink while we enjoyed the scenery. Val and I both were thrilled to continuously point out all the turtles along the trail sitting on sticks, rocks, and logs in the over flow water. Who doesn’t love a turtle.

Truly a lovely day, and such a nice change from my usual rides in mountains, with climbs, rocks, low hanging branches and knee knocker trees. I still love the National Forest, but the C&O is a real treat.