Touring - C&O and mud

I just finished a three day tour from Baltimore to DC then onto the C&O and up to Harper's Ferry, across South Mountain to Cunningham Falls SP then back to Baltimore.
The C&O was incredibly muddy,every twenty feet or so I had to go through or around big muddies. Bike caked with mud etc. I only encountered a few long haulers but none stopped to chat, probably too concentrated on getting miles done. The trail can also be quite monotonous. Didn't see anybody at any of the HB campsites.
The roads around Antietam were very nice and the hills were a nice change form the monotony of the trail. Can't imagine doing the Cumberland to DC length, at least not without an i-pod.

Way to ruin a touring plan, HC203!!! We're planning to ride the C&O starting next Friday (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/summer09tour). I have been quite concerned about the surface conditions of the towpath given the recent rains, etc. Every day I look at the weather in the DC area and ... yikes!! It's been pretty wet there recently.

I have an alternate planned to Leesburg (the W&OD trail) but I'm not really sure of a route from Leesburg to Harper's Ferry. So I'm hoping things will work out.

Just completede a week long tour of the Montour, GAP, and C&O. It rained hard our first day on the C&O (Cumberland to Hancock), never rode thru such tough conditions. We took roads from Hancock to Harpers Ferry, and then rode the C&O from Harpers Ferry to DC. 2 days after the rain the trail was still a muddy, puddled filled mess.

My full report w/pix's here:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=5496&v=59

OK, so I'm seriously into devising a Plan B, using the W&OD to Purcellville then on to Harper's Ferry. Anyone know the best route from Purcellville to Harper's Ferry using roads? We'll be on a fully-loaded tandem. TIA!!

Got one, from Leesburg: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Leesburg-to-harpers-ferry

Got one, from Leesburg: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Leesburg-to-harpers-ferry

Route 9 is fairly busy and doesn't have a shoulder. It has lots of turns as well. You might want to stay on the W&OD path to the end at Purcerville. That's really scenic and best part of the trail.

Roger that, StanSeven. I noted a comment in the Bikely route I linked that said just that: go to Purcellville and take VA 690 north. This avoids much of Rt 9, which I'm happy to do.

Glad the post is of some help. Andy, the trail wasn't as muddy as VT's pics but more dry with many many mud puddles that you either go through or around.

I noticed your route up the west side of South Mountain. I was on 66 and it was a bit uncomfortable, high speed traffic and no shoulder. Bad routing on my part. Your tour looks fun, enjoy.

Our first day on the C & O, in the rain:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3365/3670998149_b5ed0f1d4b_b.jpg

Couple comments. First, I agree that the area around the end of the W&OD is the prettiest part of that path. Second, be careful about getting from W&OD to the C&O as has already been mentioned. Third, fortunately this area tends to be on a drying trend and you may get lucky but I have not been to the C&O for over two months. It did not rain at all last week, save for a few sprinkles yesterday, and the forecast is for dry weather this week. Before that, in May and the first part of June it rained and rained and rained in the DC area, until most places were 30% above the norm for the year. For those 6 weeks it was about at the rate of Bangladesh during monsoon season with a pace of 8 to 10 inches per month.

I was heading north and it seemed to dry up a bit after Harper's Ferry, the area around Harper's Ferry being very dry as it seems to be a bit more elevated and exposed to the sun.
Met a thru hiker coming across the bridge at Harper's Ferry. try to imagine what it's been like for them this wet spring.
Good luck all.

I agree with vt speed tr as I happened to be riding with him. I don't thing the historians pic did justice to the poor conditions. it was really bad from trail strt to hancock... then about 5 miles before Harpers Ferry it was really good only to turn to all heck from just south of harper's ferry to great falls.

Agreed, roads were really nice on the one day we took to them instead.

as for the ipod... twodeadpoets is around here somewhere. I don't think it helped him any to have the ipod going. He still seemed rather annoyed with the trail conditions.

Talk about a tease, a few miles north of White's Ferry, the trail became more elevated and dry with more substrate and I thought "great, I'm out of it" then just south of White's Ferry, the trail was at its worst for the next almost 10 miles. I ramped up the iPod with a little U2 and let Bono bang my brain while I rode tempo thru that muddy puke. Agree with alhanson, that picture above is not what my pics look like but yea, it was a good time.

Talk about a tease, a few miles north of White's Ferry, the trail became more elevated and dry with more substrate and I thought "great, I'm out of it" then just south of White's Ferry, the trail was at its worst for the next almost 10 miles.

This was exactly what I was thinking on the whole length of that trail Just when it seemed things were getting better, they would turn much, much worse. :)

I. I don't thing the historians pic did justice to the poor conditions. .

You can say that again! The picture actually makes things look very pleasant. :)

For everyone else who was wondering (like me), "The C&O" is the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, with bike path: http://bikewashington.org/canal/

On your Crazyguy page:


My poor bike, it deserves better

It deserves fenders. ;)

On your Crazyguy page:



It deserves fenders. ;)

You're correct, and after seeing the Woody fenders on twodeadpoet's LHT, they are my next purchase. They are functional superior to most fenders (ie. don't pack with mud) and they are beautiful. Twodeadpoet arrived after our first day of 60 miles of mud, relatively clean compared to the rest of us. Did he really ride those miles ;-)

...They are functional superior to most fenders (ie. don't pack with mud) and they are beautiful...

The comments about mud have me a little worried. We also are planning to ride the GAP - C&O in early Sept on our tandem pulling a BOB trailer. I just mounted 700x35 Schwalbe Marathons in place of the Conti Gatorskin 28s I had on. Problem being it leaves very little gap (maybe 0.25" to 0.375") between the larger Marathons and the SKS fenders. It should be fine for water, but I don't know what will happen with mud.
CG

Did he really ride those miles ;-)


Glad someone else said it. He had little look of distain... was not that cold and was not that muddy.

Did twodeadpoets SAG it? This could be the second great mystery of the trip.

Glad someone else said it. He had little look of disdain... was not that cold and was not that muddy.

Did twodeadpoets SAG it? This could be the second great mystery of the trip.


There were two riders who SAGged at Oldtown, and one at Paw Paw. Twodeadpoets wasn't any of them.

People sometimes underestimate the value of fenders. When I rode that stretch of towpath in June 2008, I had mudguards. The towpath was muddy, although not as muddy as during our tour. My riding companion was stunned at how clean I was. I then showed him the underside of the guards.....

On your Crazyguy page:



It deserves fenders. ;)

I had fenders and yes they were caked with mud, had to occasionally clear them. I rode 110 miles on the first day of the tour. It was about 58 from my house in Bmore to DC. I planned on only going 26 miles up the trail to the first HB but wanted to get past the mud. Glad to hear i wasn't over reacting to the conditions.
As for the biker planning a trip in September, should be dry by then as mid summer tends to get very dry here with occasional thunderstorms.

Yeah, it's starting to dry up now, at least the end near Cumberland. We haven't had any hard rains lately, just a very occasional thunderstorm. But when the rain goes away the heat starts. Luckily the path is almost entirely shaded.

I rode it once when it was very muddy and fenders saved the day. I ended up very clean compared to my non-fender friends.

. Luckily the path is almost entirely shaded.


Which is good, because the mosquitos hate to get sunburn :P They seem to explode when the rain dies down.

I know there are roads that parallel the towpath. I've seen them in Cumberland and near Antietam, but I don't know what they're like elsewhere.

Can anyone comment on the availability/suitability/hilliness of roads along the towpath in case one needed to bailout because of mud? I can see riding the C&O with a cyclocross bike and getting fed-up with the mud.

I know there are roads that parallel the towpath. I've seen them in Cumberland and near Antietam, but I don't know what they're like elsewhere.

Can anyone comment on the availability/suitability/hilliness of roads along the towpath in case one needed to bailout because of mud?

There are roads scattered all along the trail, but some of them don't lead anywhere except to more roads, causing you to end up lost. Most roads between Cumberland and Harpers Ferry have numerous ups and downs. Coming into Hancock from Cumberland, you'll run parallel to I-70 and ocasionally rte 40. Problem with that is 40 joins I-70 off and on until you get past Harpers Ferry.

And might I add that while most roads are doable for bikes, there are more roads with no shoulders. And traffic loves to break the speed limit on those. Lots of sharp curves and hills, and with speeders, your a bit more on the risky side of being hit by an automobile. So in most cases, your better off dealing with mud.

We found a very enjoyable 52 mile road route from Hancock to Harpers Ferry, although it was a little hilly toward the end. Let me know if interested.

Can anyone comment on the availability/suitability/hilliness of roads along the towpath in case one needed to bailout because of mud? I can see riding the C&O with a cyclocross bike and getting fed-up with the mud.

The river is in a valley for most of it's route. It's a steep climb out in most (but not all) areas.

Route 51 (Industrial Blvd.) will take you out of Cumberland, MD and eventually narrows down from a heavily trafficked, 4+ lane divided highway to a 2 lane highway with limited to no (most cases) shoulders. It would, IMHO, be a bail-out option for someone experienced riding fast-moving rural, hilly roads. Sight lines seemed OK by auto, can't seem to recall blind curves, only a couple of blind intersections from small feeder streets. It's a pretty direct route from Cumberland to Paw Paw, WV. I'd jump back on the towpath at the Paw Paw tunnel access. The options of going through WV (Route 9 to Berkeley Springs then 522) or across the ridges through Green Ridge State Forest (Malcolm and Oldtown-Orleans Roads, or Green Ridge/Mertens/Oldtown-Orleans Roads) leave a lot to be desired. If it's muddy on the towpath, you'll have to contend with unimproved (dirt/gravel) roads through the state forest. Access the towpath at Paw Paw, and deal with the mud until the Western Maryland Rail Trail access point at Pearre.

BTW - did I mention hills?
YMMV,

Judy

Once you get past the Widewater area around Great Falls, there's a footbridge over the canal and you can quickly go over to MacArthur Blvd which is mostly flat and parallel to the river. Most of it in MD has an adjacent bike path alongside. Just before the DC line, you go up a short hill. At the traffic light at the top of the hill, there's a paved path on the far side of the road which drops steeply but briefly down to the Capital Crescent Trail, which is a fine paved trail going all the way into Georgetown near where the C&O Canal ends. The old railroad tunnel the rail/trail uses under MacArthur Blvd. is gorgeous.

Or, you can stay on the towpath until shortly after you enter DC and pass under Chain Bridge and then under an old train trestle over the Canal which is now the Capital Crescent Trail. A bit further ahead, you'll see the Capital Crescent Trail on your right and you can easily cross over for those last couple of miles into Georgetown.

Access the towpath at Paw Paw, and deal with the mud until the Western Maryland Rail Trail access point at Pearre.
The Western Maryland Rail Trail is a nice, smooth, PAVED break from the towpath, even when the towpath is not muddy. It's presently 20+ miles long (there are plans to expand it) and is parallel to the towpath. My friend and I happily rode on it going into Hancock and leaving Hancock the next morning.

http://www.westernmarylandrailtrail.org/WMRT/maps.html

I know there are roads that parallel the towpath. I've seen them in Cumberland and near Antietam, but I don't know what they're like elsewhere.

Can anyone comment on the availability/suitability/hilliness of roads along the towpath in case one needed to bailout because of mud? I can see riding the C&O with a cyclocross bike and getting fed-up with the mud.

I got off the c&o at Antietam right by the Antietam Family Campground and then went up Sawmill something Rd. which was climbing but a nice break from the flat. It was nice until I got to Boontown then I got on a really crappy no shoulder rd. 66 I think. heading to Smithfield then up 77. Hills are good, we need to embrace them.

I got off the c&o at Antietam right by the Antietam Family Campground and then went up Sawmill something Rd. which was climbing but a nice break from the flat. It was nice until I got to Boontown then I got on a really crappy no shoulder rd. 66 I think. heading to Smithfield then up 77. Hills are good, we need to embrace them.

That would be Boonsboro and Smithsburg.I used to live in Smithsburg and now just 9 miles north of there,and your right about route 66 there,its a death trap.I have seen some people cycling that road before but very few.If you had better maps you could have avoided that road .There are two roads that run on either side of it.Crystal falls road runs just on the side of the mountain and is a naice road allthough with short but steep climbs.The other choice there would be White something road can't remember exactly right now but it runs through farmlands and is much flatter but not as pretty a ride.

Things have dried up a lot around the area. I think the canal will be better with the mostly dry forecast.

From Purcellville go to Hillsboro and then briefly on Rt 9. then take Harper's Ferry road and turn left at the end and then right after a few miles and a bridge. That will put you in Harper's Ferry. The roads from Purcellville to Harper's Ferry have little shoulder but are pretty light in traffic if you are out of rush hours. Should be a good ride.

We just rode part of the Great Allegheny Passage. It has a smoother surface than the C & O and seems to recover well from the rain. There were fewer places to camp, but plenty of places to stop and a lot more pleasant to ride on a tandem. http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q251/avnesq/IMG_0457.jpghttp://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q251/avnesq/IMG_0461.jpghttp://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q251/avnesq/IMG_0507.jpghttp://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q251/avnesq/IMG_0509.jpghttp://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q251/avnesq/IMG_0512.jpg

Mud is fun! The Historian and I did the C&O on 700x32 tires in mud, and we were fine. His mini fenders did a good job keeping his drivetrain clean, and this taught me to get fenders already! Historian, do you have any mud stories to tell?

Getting the caked muf off with iodine-laden water from a cistern isn't any fun, though.

The worst thing that happened (outside of a flat) was extracting a branch from my casette and rear deraileur. Clean your chain with a rag every so often, may bring a long a little lube.