C&O Canal Adventures Walking, riding, and cleaning up the C&O Canal

First Snow of the Year!

Another View...

On October 30th, we took a trip to the Brunswick/Point of Rocks area of the C&O Canal as the remnants of a recent freak snowstorm slowly melted away.  The same snowstorm fell as a wet, heavy deluge two days prior and left branches and trees lying all over the Potomac River valley.

Culvert Near Lander Lock House

 

 

 

In fact, the C&O Canal Association’s Heritage Hike in Hancock was canceled on the 29th per request of the NPS rangers.  Snow can be a real nuisance, but it also made for a wonderful backdrop for our visit to the Lander Lock House.

 

 

Lock 29 is near mile marker 51 on the canal and can be accessed from Lander Road as one heads east from Brunswick to Point of Rocks (or vice-verse).  The lock house is a small, quaint structure that is in very good condition, and the parking lot serves as the point of debarkation for those who want to see the newly rebuilt Catoctin Creek Aqueduct.  Likewise, if one continues down the road, there is river access for boaters and fishermen.

Not Ready for Snow Yet!

In all, Lander is the perfect place to begin a twenty mile round trip bike trip in either direction.  Heading downstream, one can see the railroad station at Point of Rocks (mile 48) and the Monocacy Aqueduct (mile 42).  Heading upstream, one passes through Brunswick (mile 54) and joins the Appalachian Trail heading into historic Harpers Ferry (mile 60). A weekend spent doing both certainly takes in many of the more notable highlights to be seen on the C&O Canal.

To the top of the hill!

Peaceful View

One of the Many Unique Tombstones...

Those heading “downstream” on the C&O Canal towpath will notice a a small, but abrupt hill just after crossing the Conocheague Creek Aqueduct.  At first glance, it’s just one of many high spots along the trail, but this one actually has a very interesting story behind it.

Another Example...

It is the location of Williamsport’s oldest cemetery: in fact, town founder General Otho Williams of Revolutionary War fame is buried there.  Also, if the name Doubleday rings a bell, there is another interesting story regarding the hill that dates to the early stages of the Civil War.

An Old Stone from 1808

Abner Doubleday: Battles and Baseball

Major General Abner Doubleday, who invented baseball in 1835, mounted three siege guns (facing the Potomac River) on the western corner of the hill in 1861 when he was a Captain in the Union Army.  Some people believe that there are no such things as coincidences,  but I beg to differ.

Today, many young people from around the world who carry on the love and tradition of baseball gather for the Little League World Series in Williamsport.  The difference is that the series is played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania!  I guess it really is a small world.

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad!

In all, Doubleday Hill covers a few acres of territory, but it’s ridge line is a stone’s throw from the C&O Canal.  In fact, the side opposite of the Civil War shrine runs down to Canal Street.  The hill is a perfect place to journey back in time to check out some really ornate headstones, and visitors can also imagine an era when canal boats churned through the water literally in the shadow of the cannons.   This little piece of history doesn’t have any direct relation to the C&O Canal NHP, so it is often overlooked by park enthusiasts.  However, it’s an interesting place, and I would highly recommend a side trip to the top of the hill.

View of the C&O Towpath and the Potomac River

Newly Rebuilt Catoctin Creek Aqueduct

Many thanks to everyone involved!

For years, the two major structural flaws in the C&O Canal NHP were the two missing spans of the Catoctin Creek Aqueduct and the eroded towpath at Big Slackwater.  Fixing both of these problems has been in the works for a while, and I’m pleased to sat that the Catoctin Aqueduct has been restored to its original beauty.  During our last two through rides, we have noticed the progress being made on the aqueduct, so we decided to take a look at the recently completed product.  It may have been a forty mile drive, but it was time well spent–the new span is nothing short of breathtaking!

This is one of the original aqueduct stones, but it was recovered too late to be used in the restoration project. It is made from Patapsco Granite that was mined near Ellicot City, MD in 1833-1834.

This is an example of the new stones that were used in the Aqueduct. It's made from Woodbury Granite and quarried near Kingston, RI in 2010.

In 1973, most of the old aqueduct fell into the creek, and those who traveled the towpath crossed the stream on a wooden-planked steel bridge (no longer standing).

View From the Top of the Aqueduct

Stone with grooves....

We have mainly biked this section of the canal, and it’s very easy to miss the scenery at 10-12 mph.  However, this immaculate stone structure is sure to stop even those with the worst cases of tunnel vision.

Perfect timing.....view from the aqueduct in the other direction

One of the more interesting aspects of the rebuilding of the aqueduct is that people were able to donate money specifically for the placement of individual stones.  As members of the C&O Canal Association, we recognized the names of more than one contributor.  Now were lamenting that fact that we didn’t buy a stone of our own.

Natural Beauty Near the Aqueduct

As stated, the aqueduct is a thing of beauty, and that leaves Big Slackwater as the next big thing on the structural to-do list.  It is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2012.  I guess you could say that the future of the C&O Canal NHP is looking good.

A Coffee House with a Twist! This old church built in 1910 was transformed into a trendy little coffee house that serves a wonderful variety of coffee, tea, pastries, desserts, and meals.

101 Years Old!

More often than not, our trips down the C&O Canal end in mad rush.  We really do have to learn to stop and smell the roses–or in this case coffee.

Beans in the Belfry is the type of relaxed-atmosphere coffee house that every town needs, and Canal buffs are fortunate that it’s a mere .2 miles from the towpath at Brunswick, MD.  The building dates back to 1910, and was originally a church.  The stained glass windows are still intact and allow just enough light to create the perfect mellow atmosphere.

Today we stopped in for the Jazz Brunch (Sundays from 11am-2pm) and enjoyed live music while dining on soup, pastries, and Eggs Benedict.  The regular weekly menu also has a number of high-carb items that will help the long-distance biker or hiker get down the trail–and let’s not forget the caffeine.  The coffee was top-notch!

View from the balcony...

Stained Glass Windows in the Stairwell

In all, Beans in the Belfry is a very soothing and eclectic place to get off of the towpath for refueling.

As we all know, 184.5 miles of travel means that places to refresh, regroup, and rejuvenate are often few and far between.  Oh, yeah, it’s also a great place to simply hang out for an hour or two when hiking and biking aren’t on the agenda.  Bring along your favorite book, newspaper, or your laptop (free wi-fi)– pick a comfy spot and enjoy!

Sunday Jazz Brunch at Beans in the Belfry with John Ware & Walter Johns

Yoo-hoo, Anybody home?

A quick look on Google reveals that there are several caves in the vicinity of Snyders Landing.  It’s true that many of the citizens of Sharpsburg, Md. hid out in these caves during a Civil War battle that took place there, but our only previous experience with them was to duck out of a cold October rain a few years ago while biking.  We ditched our bikes in the canal and shivered in the opening until it became really obvious that the rain wasn’t going to stop.

Tree Art!

It’s really amazing what one can miss on a bike, but we’re trying to turn over a new leaf and check out some of the interesting places along the C&O Canal.  Our first post on this website was about a bike ride that we started at Snyders Landing, and we promised to return there…someday, so on a last minute whim we decided to find the cave we hid out in long ago.  As usual, the trip wasn’t disappointing.

As I’m writing this, we’re in the midst of another cool evening, and a few more leaves will no doubt change color before the night passes.  It’s odd that the leaves exchange the cool colors of summer for the warm pastels of autumn, but that’s just the way it is.  However, the reds, browns, and oranges of fall offer a spectacular backdrop for the scenic Potomac River.  The waning sunlight danced on the water and offered up a picture that’s well-suited for a postcard.

Blazing Yellow!

Fall Colors reflecting in the Potomac River...

Peaceful!

Near mile marker 76, a small stream flows underneath a culvert and emerges into the river in a small delta, but that’s when the Potomac is running low to normal.  Sometime in the coming months, the snow will fall and melt and the spring rains will raise the river again.  The river will rise, and the muddy brown water will erase the memories of today’s scene.

Culvert near Snyders Landing

Until then, I can only daydream about next year’s big bike ride from Cumberland to Georgetown.  I suppose the only thing to do is to explore all of the little things that the C&O has to offer.  Hmmm….Where should we go next?