C&O Canal MP 11-20 Photoset • kingsnake • 2019-10-27 • HikeArizona.COM

C&O Canal MP 11-20, MD

	2019-10-27
	15 by kingsnake

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C&O Canal MP 11-20, MD

Hiking	5.39 Miles	168 AEG

Hiking	5.39 Miles	1 Hour 58 Mns	2.74 mph
	168 ft AEG

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C&O Canal Path

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My plan for this week was to hike from Carderock Recreation Area (MP 10.5) to Pennyfield Lock 22 (MP 19.6) today, then hike from Lock 22 to Edward’s Ferry (MP 30.9) on Wednesday. Roughly halfway on today’s hike, I would meet my wife at Great Falls Tavern, so we could ride the historical Charles F. Mercer canal boat, which runs only on weekends.

It was predicted to be rainy today, but I really couldn’t put off the hike to Monday or Tuesday, and still have time to rest for the hike from Great Falls to Edward’s Ferry on Wednesday. Plus, I was hoping it would clear up.

The rain stopped by the time we arrived at Carderock. Wearing a just-in-case rain jacket, off I went.

No sooner had I started down the C&O Canal towpath than it began drizzling.

The Marsden Footbridge is at MP 11.5. The bridge crosses the C&O Canal to a pullout on MacarthurBlvd. that can hold about six vehicles. Anglers Footbridge, at MP 12.3, crosses the canal to Old Anglers Inn, where there is parking for dozens of vehicles. Anglers would be a good option for a short out & back to Great Falls followed by one — or several — cold refreshing beers at the Inn.

By the time I reached Widewater (MP 12.6), the drizzle had changed to rain. Nothing I couldn’t deal with the next seven miles to Pennyfield Lock 22. Though Widewater looks like a lake, it is actually the ancient remains of the Potomac River. Other than Great Falls, the towpath along Widewater was my favorite part of this segment, as it edged along boulders and even among pine trees.

By the time I reached Lock 15 (MP 13.6) at the north end of Widewater, the skies were pouring buckets. Lockhouse 16 (MP 13.7) is boarded up, so I was relieved to find shelter under the Stop Gate at MP 13.8. I stayed under Stop Gate for about 15 minutes, until the rain sufficiently relented that I could continue my hike without washing down to Washington, D.C. 🌧

Normally, the C&O Canal towpath drains pretty well, but I was sloshing through big puddles. By the time I reached Lock 17 (MP 14.1) I had decided to bail when I met my wife at Great Falls Tavern. (Unfortunately not serving adult beverages, nor with a warm fireplace.)

The Great Falls Overlook Trail intersection is at the upstream end of Lock 17. It’s only a ¼ mile, one way, to the overlook on Olmsted Island. I didn’t realize at the time how spectacular the Great Falls are: I was happy with the first cascade.

Unfortunately, the Charles F. Mercer was already in drydock for the winter, between Lock 18 (MP 14.2) and Lock 19 (MP 14.3). Great Falls Tavern, located across a bridge at Lock 19, now houses a National Park Service visitor center. The rangers there were very friendly, and I picked up a couple of maps. Thankfully, my wife had no problem meeting me at my intended halfway point. Now, instead of handing me a fresh bottle of water, we instead skedaddled back up MD-28 and MD-85 to Frederick.

We encountered the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen while driving, on I-70 just west of Frederick: On a Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., both sides of the freeway — three eastbound lanes, and two west — were at a near standstill for several miles. I thought maybe there had been a mass accident. Then I thought “climate protesters”, but the road was not actually blocked. I wondered if Pokemon Go was still a thing because there were vehicles on both shoulders, and in the median, with people milling aimlessly about. Weird!