DESTINATION Generic 165 Photosets
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| Hiking | 18.35 Miles |
319 AEG |
| | Hiking | 18.35 Miles | 5 Hrs 36 Mns | | 3.28 mph |
| 319 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Today was my second of two Halloween week hikes along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath.
My first hike, on Sunday ( [ photoset ] ), was supposed to be from Carderock Recreation Area to Pennyfield Lock 22, or milepost (MP) 11 to 20, but I bailed at Great Falls Tavern (MP 14.4) due to heavy rain. I considered a number of options, including skipping the six miles I did not complete, but when I finish hiking the C&O Canal, I want to be able to honestly say, “I did the whole thing.” 
So, today I did the missing six miles from Great Falls Tavern to Pennyfield Lock 22, then did my planned Wednesday hike, the next eleven miles to Edward’s Ferry at Lock 25 (MP 31.0).
Despite the clouds, the lack of rain meant there was decent enough light to take pictures of canal artifacts and low-hanging leaves. (Leaves high up in trees still appeared black in my viewfinder, requiring a bit more post-processing to draw out their natural color.) 
Getting pictures of the fall colors was especially important to me because the Potomac River appeared just past peak, whereas usually on Halloween I’m lucky there’s any color left at all.
For the most part, I had the towpath to myself. Maybe because I was hiking 18 miles? 
If you don’t have anyone willing to shuttle for your 11- or 18-mile hike, you can do an out & back hike from any lock / trailhead to any other lock / trailhead in roundtrip distances ranging from a mile on up.
The picnic areas and campgrounds scattered along the C&O Canal typically have a picnic table, grill, fire pit, well hand pump, outhouse and doggie doo bag dispenser. Unlike hiking in Phoenix, bags full of canine crap were not scattered along the C&O Canal. Camping is only legal at designated camp sites, but it’s easy to mistake a picnic area for a campground as they have all the same amenities.
I picked up a fresh water bottle from my wife at Pennyfield Lock 22. (I rarely bring any hiking gear on my flyaway hikes.) I refilled my water bottles from the water fountain at Riley’s Lock 24 and the well hand pump at Horsepen Branch Campground. The well water looked clear in my hand, and tasted okay, but was tan / yellowish in my bottle. But all pumps are treated with iodine, so it didn’t give me the squirts.
The best fall colors today, on the C&O Canal, were between Great Falls Tavern and Violette’s Lock 23: A smorgasbord of yellows, oranges and reds. Past that to Edward’s Ferry, with this notable exception [ photo ] , yellow predominated. 
The first nine miles today, I averaged 3.4 mph. That dropped to 3.3 mph in the third quarter of my C&O Canal. After taking my only sit down break of the day, at Horsepen Branch Campground, I got my average back up to 3.4 mph. I was truckin’.
Hike Video: https://vimeo.com/481659435
In 1917, Thomas Edison's film crew took a silent cruise in the opposite direction, downstream.
Fascinating footage:
Part 1: [ youtube video ]
Part 2: [ youtube video ]
Part 3: [ youtube video ] |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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