GART Day 2 - Autumnal Equinox

In 1831, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal became operational with the primary focus of shipping Allegheny Mountain coal to various destinations downstream along the Potomac River. This endeavor included the construction of 74 locks, 39 of which we’ve passed so far on this trip as of the end of day 2. The beauty alongside the banks of the Potomac has impressed all of us on the team, to say the least. We didn’t know anything of the complex history of the C&O Canal, and we had heard that it was pretty up this way, but to begin to see it all with our own eyes has been enlightening, and I can only say that our curiosity has been piqued. Let me back up a little bit to the beginning of the day and try to describe a little bit of what we’ve been seeing.

Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep last night either. Uncomfortable nights are inevitably a part of traveling for me, but the last couple of nights have been particularly rough. The fact that my wheelchair charger tripped two hotel circuit breakers in the night only added to my anxieties for the day. We didn’t notice the first breaker trip until far too late, and the second attempt at charging led to a tripped breaker at 6 am. In short, by the time I decided to get up and into my wheelchair, it hadn’t been charging for long at all. Fortunately, we were able to outfit this chair with a LiFePO4 battery pack that provides me with 75+ miles of range (thank you, Zane). So in the end, my battery held up for the 42 mile day.

This morning was rainy. A first round of rain came through around 8 am. We left the hotel at about 9:30 am. We’ve learned that when you are in close proximity to so many state borders, it’s important to specify the state when you pull up directions to a destination. Along the Potomac, there are often destinations on each side of the river with the same name. So White’s Ferry, Virginia is quite a different destination than White’s Ferry, Maryland. We first arrived at the former only to look at the latter (our desired location) from across the river. 40 minutes of driving later, we were at the right side of the river at our intended destination. For a good portion of that 40 minutes of additional driving, it rained hard. By the time we arrived to the trailhead, the rain had stopped, so it all worked out in that regard.

We picked up where we left off yesterday, heading (dominantly) northwestward along the Maryland side of the Potomac. My haggard self started feeling better the instant we started moving on the trail. The rain had beat down the dust and it packed the path making for a faster ride. The smoothness of the trail led to our making good time. At some point, we had to tighten my front right caster mount with tools that my trusty caregiver Edwin had procured yesterday. It had been rattling at times, and the slight tightening completely addressed the issue. Onward we rolled. We noticed frogs hopping across the path or plopping into the canal water. The air felt clean. At times, we smelled the fermented scent of old pawpaw fruits crushed on the path. Occasionally we could smell a dead animal rotting away somewhere nearby. But largely the air smelled fresh behind the morning’s rain squalls. Between Dr. B and Jimmy’s company, the beauty of our surroundings and the passing of miles, I felt better and better.

I’d like to take a minute to mention a couple of particular people who we have crossed paths with on the trail, one yesterday and one today: Martha, who was on a mobility scooter yesterday, spoke of how much she enjoys getting out on the trail to see turtles, birds and everything there is to notice out on the trail; and Chris, who was in a manual wheelchair today exploring the trail with a good friend of hers. I chatted with each of them, and our common stories resonated between us. We all like getting outside to commune with the greater world around us, and we all are appreciative of each and every opportunity that we get to do so. It was a pleasure to chat with both of these women.

Somewhere between Point of Rocks and the town of Brunswick, we encountered a detour. A bridge was out, so a makeshift trail veered to the left then steeply went down to a temporary bridge before going back up to rejoin the regular trail. I cautiously approached the rocky and pitted descent, unsure that I’d be able to retreat back up if I went down it. Jimmy went down first, scoping it all out. He crossed the bridge and assessed the climb back up on the other side, which was less steep and in better shape. He left his bike over there and came back, and with him countering gravity by pulling on the back of my chair, I started forward. Dr. B was the cinematographer in charge of catching the scene. Jimmy’s checkered Vans held traction on the gravelly and rocky slope, and we smoothly made our way down. I crossed the bridge over the creek, looking for fish while doing so. Then, to be on the safe side, Jimmy and Dr. B gave me pushing hands on the steepest part of the climb back up. Other than that and a couple of very short (several feet here and there) rough spots, the trail today was smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Throughout the day as we rolled away from the Atlantic coast, we noticed that the fall foliage was increasing in intensity, especially on the American Sycamores. But many species are showing more colors as we continue inland. Speaking of fall foliage, this evening just after 9 pm Eastern time marked the Autumnal Equinox. So as of writing this blog entry, it is now officially fall!

At each of the locks along the 184.5 mile long C&O Canal, there is a canal home, a lockhouse of sorts. While the canal was in operation, locktenders lived in these houses along with their families. They would tend to the mule-powered boats that carried coal, lumber and other goods along the canal, closing and opening the lock gates, raising and lowering the water levels so that the boats could pass. The path that we are riding now was used by the mules towing the boats and by the people tending to it all. That’s part of the story. The Baltimore and Ohio Rail Company, which was in conflict with the C&O Canal, built railroads along the canal between Point of Rocks and Harpers Ferry, among other places. The competition was fierce. The Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers both carve low spots in the Appalachian mountains, providing east-west access. Ultimately, the railroads prevailed, and the canal fell to oblivion. But fortunately, now we can use these paths, and we have this astoundingly beautiful trail system along a gorgeous river in what essentially is a 184.5 mile long park. We are blown away by this. Furthermore, backpackers and bike packers can sleep in some of the canal homes along the way, kind of like a rustic version of the hut systems of Europe.

There are layers and layers of human history to add to the complex commerce transportation backgrounds that we’ve been learning about. From Indigenous cultures to the Civil War, there’s much to learn. I’m far too tired to delve into any of this right now, but Civil War battlegrounds and battle camps surround the areas that we have travelled through so far. All I can say is that as we travel through the landscape, we are trying to learn as much as possible about this part of the world.

We are staying the night in Harpers Ferry, WV, not far at all from the confluence of the Shenandoah and the Potomac. Earlier, we rode by this confluence, and it was one of the most beautiful spots we’ve seen in all of our Ian’s Ride travels. Like John Denver sang, it was

Almost heaven, West Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains

Shenandoah River,

Life is old there

Older than the trees

Younger than the mountains

Blowin’ like the breeze

We’d like to give a special thanks to our sponsor of the day, United Spinal Association. United Spinal is a national organization dedicated to empowering people with spinal cord injuries and disorders to live successful and fulfilling lives. They advocate for disability rights and provide resources and support across the US with over fifty chapters. Thank you for your support!

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