Fifty Plus (50+) - Heading out on the C&O/WO&D Loop

My wife and I are heading out on the C&O/WO&D Loop (http://www.bikewashington.org/routes/wodco/wodco.htm). This is a 75-80 mile round trip from DC to Leesburg VA and back. We are staying overnight at a B&B that caters to bikers in Leesburg. I will try to remember to bring back some nice photos. Weather is cool and partly sunny - for now :)

Enjoy the ride:)

Be sure to take lots of pictures. I hope to do some of the C&O one day.

Plx please. A number of years ago, I took the train from home in Charlottesville, VA to DC and rode the C&O towparth to its end in Cumberland Maryland and then rode back home on roads through West Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. It was a fabulous trip that probably took about a week or so.

While in Leesburg, I was drinking from a bottle of orange juice, when I felt a crunching sensation in my mouth. Turned out to be a bee who had gotten into the bottle, He stung me on my tongue, which is something you never completely forget. So, be careful out there. He may have relatives.

I'll look forward to the ride report. The Allegheny Trail / C&O is on my list of things to do before I go to room temperature.

We are back. All in all a very nice, relaxing ride. 72 miles round trip. Here are the pics including lots of the obligatory bike shots:

Along the WO&D - the entire trail is paved like this. Makes for nice riding. It is a long, very gentle climb toward the mountains. Unfortunately we faced a 15-20 mph headwind the entire 35 miles.:(
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/207w.jpg

Reston Town Center where we stopped for lunch. I have lived in DC since 1980 but have never been here. Reston is one of the first planned communities in the US.
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/209w.jpg

A cute general store and BBQ pit along the way
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/214w.jpg

Cows along the WO&D. You see a lot of this country when you get way out of town
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/217w.jpg

The Norris House Inn where we stayed the night in Leesburg. Nice place, that caters to bikers. We ate a a nice French Restaurant across the street.
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/220w.jpg

White's Ferry where we crossed over the Potomac to the Maryland shore. THe B&B proprietor gave us a ride to the Ferry
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/223w.jpg

DW and bike along a nice section of the C&O tow path. The first 12 miles of the path were muddy and bumpy. It is like that all the way to Pittsburg - so be careful NOT to go when it is rainy. Luckily we were two days past the rains or the ride would have been a drag
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/229w.jpg

Great Falls on the Potomac - a premier kayaking area
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/233w.jpg

The obligatory shot of me and bike along the C&O
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/238w.jpg

Here are a couple of more shots. There is a ten pic limit.

DW looking out at the river below Great Falls
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/236w.jpg

The section of the river she was looking at
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/235w.jpg

We were at Great Falls on the MD side last week. There was a TREMENDOUS amount of water going through the 3 separate channels. I heard over a million gallons per second.

We met some self-contained bikers who had camped out while traversing the canal. They said the trip was "boring!"

Here are a couple of more shots. There is a ten pic limit.

DW looking out at the river below Great Falls
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/236w.jpg

The section of the river she was looking at
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd44/donheff/235w.jpg

Thanks for the ride report and pics. You bring back some really nice memories of riding both the C&O and WO&D trails. We rode the C&O around Harper's Ferry and the WO&D from Leesburg up to the trail head and then back down to Herndon. Too bad I could'nt convince my girlfriend to ride on into Reston. She would have loved it, but the ride back into Leesburg had her worried a bit too much.

We plan to ride the entire length of the C&O one of these days.

Cheers,
Ron

The first 12 miles of the path were muddy and bumpy. It is like that all the way to Pittsburg - so be careful NOT to go when it is rainy.
-------------------------------------- corrections-----
I've ridden all sections West of Lees Ferry both ways
1) its Pittsburgh (Pittsburg is in kansas)
2) not exactly true C&O is like that all the way to Cumberland but Penna. portion of GAP trail uses a pea gravel so it drains pretty fast vs C&O being basically the clay based historic mule trail
3) 10 miles either side of Hancox is a paved trail running parallel to C&O so there is an option to get off
the dirt for 20 miles
4) It seems like the rough trail surface is typical for MD. NCR trail (Hunt Valley, MD to York, PA) MD portion is rough like C&O, when you cross PA line one finds sweat pea gravel

Sounds great. I love rides like that. Plan to do a few this year, perhaps one next week.

Great pictures of a nice trip. I hit some of the same headwinds on my ride home. That country store is neat and serves great barbeque. The Pedal Shop is in the same set of stores and the owner, Mike, does great work.

Several years ago I did a 70+ mile WO&D / C&O loop on a heavy steel road bike with knobby tires. It was exhausting. Since then I've ridden the C&O a few times and the WO&D on my commute. There are some very nice views.
The C&O ride from the Beltway into D.C. and the National Mall / Capital Hill is a nice trip.

Nice Pics. I recognize all those places (except the B&B). Will be passing many of those places this weekend. Leaving in a few minutes to ride the W&OD, Vienna to Purcelville and back. Will probably ride from Falls Church to Great Falls tomorrow.

I'd like to do that loop, but probably as a one-day. I can leave from my front door and be on the W&OD in 10 minutes.

I and BF poster NeilFein are riding through there in two weeks, leaving from Pittsburgh on May 30 and arriving in DC on June 7 or 8. If any posters want to meet up with us, please PM me so we can work something out.

Neil B.

Here is the slideshow our our group's ride on the C& O a couple of years ago.
http://www.greenevillehikers.xtn.net/photo_album-C%20&%20O%20Canal.html