Diana gave a nice introduction to a recent two-day bike/camping adventure I just completed this weekend. As promised, here's a summary of what happened.
What to Bring
For two days, you don't need a lot but it makes sense to pack wisely. Here's a quick list of what I packed (on my 1972 Peugeot 3-speed):
- 2 - 27 oz. water bottles
- 1 US Army canteen
- sleeping bag + flat sheet
- 1 in. ground foam pad
- two-person tent w/ rainfly
- pillow
- tarp
- portable stove (w/ fuel canister)
- mess kit
- survival kit
- spare inner tube
- 2 - spare spokes
- tools: multipurpose bike tool, vice grips, pocket knife, portable pump
- snacks/food
- pair shorts
- pair socks
- long sleeve shirt
- t-shirt
The VA Leg
My main goal was to see if it's possible to do the trip on a 3-speed - clearly it is. But the VA side has more rolling hills than the MD side (C&O Canal towpath). I stopped plenty of times so the pace was leisurely and allowed me to take in the scenery, animal sitings, smells and good conversation with folks.
My first stop was only three miles into the trip where I met Janet (blue shirt) and Beth (white shirt) working in their community garden. Kudos to them both for having heard of commuterpage.com and for letting me blog about them - thanks ladies!
Later down the road, I met with gentleman in his mid-sixties. He joined me to Vienna and shared with me he gets out five times a week, each time logging somewhere between 25-40 miles -- wow!
The ride was pleasant and I stopped in Reston to "run an errand" and pick up a CD from a friend. We decided to have lunch together (I ended up burning close to 2 hrs but I didn't mind) before I headed out again. The heat kept many cyclists (and joggers) at bay so the trail was sparse but I saw plenty of groundhogs. Other sitings included rabbits, mama deer with baby, black non-poisonous snake, cardinals, woodpeckers, turkey buzzards, horses and humongous turtles! I probably saw more species of animals than species of vehicles!
In Ashburn it started raining and I sought refuge under a pine tree to wait out the storm. Thankfully I brought along a tarp and I used it to cover my sleeping bag, pillow and ground pad. After the storm passed, I could see steam rising up from the pavement. Ahh, but the smell of freshly fallen rain - it just doesn't smell like that in Concrete City.
At Leesburg, I veered off the W&OD trail heading into downtown and rewarded myself with a gelato. From here, I had to use King St. and then US Route 15 North to get to White's Ferry. Only a small portion required me to travel on the highway but I never felt threatened by traffic. The turn off Rte. 15 sent me down a lovely country road winding towards the Potomac River. For $1, I crossed the river on the Gen. Jubal Early over to the MD side (cars pay $4). This is the only ferry still in operation and is still privately owned.
The MD Leg
Once on the MD side, I immediately saw the sign for the C&O Canal and headed onto the shaded trail. I was afraid my 700x28 tires (700cm wheels - commonly found on road & cyclocross bikes; 28mm refers to width tires) would be too skinny for the trail, but I never had a problem -- no flats, no broken spokes, nothing. It wasn't long before I came upon the first campsite (Turtle Run) where two guys were already set up for the evening and in bed ready to call it a night. Further conversation revealed they were from west of Pittsburgh on a 10-day journey. What most impressed me was their gear (or lack thereof). They only had one backpack and traveled by mountain bike (no racks or extra accessories). They used a piece of tarp for a tent and lashed together branches for bracing the ends of a lean-to tent. The campsite we shared was basic, providing an open area to set up a tent, a port-a-john and water pump. There was a short trail to the river at the back of the campsite (lots of poison ivy everywhere though). NOTE: water is potable and checked regularly by the park.
The night sounds were filled with frogs calling back and forth and the occasional turkey call mixed in. I was so tired that I went to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. The next day I had breakfast and broke camp by 9 a.m. Back on the trail, I quickly met up with John, a mid-40s Marylander who was training for the Tour de Canal in September. I slowed my pace down and joined him the rest of his journey and we discussed strategies on how he could work in more cycling into his work week (despite the fact he lives in Gaithersburg and works in Tyson Corner). John, maybe I'll see you in Sept.!
More animal spottings on the MD side - on this side of the river it was a beautiful hawk, horses, turkey buzzards, lots of turtles and then many ducks towards the end of my ride. The closer I got to D.C., the more activity there was on the trail. There were fishermen putting in boats at Edwards Ferry (mile 30), a group of cyclists ready to head out at Seneca Creek Aqueduct (mile 23) and canal boat reenactment at Great Falls Tavern (mile 15). NOTE: The C&O Canal is considered a National Historical Park with no trash cans. So whatever trash you bring, you must tote it out.
I'm ready for another trip and already have things I can cross off my "to bring" list. As you can see, it doesn't require fancy gear and you don't need 20+ gears to get through this two-day adventure. So pull the cobwebs off your bike, get it ready to roll and set out on your own adventure. Then tell me all about it!
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Ken Matthews lives and bikes to work in Arlington
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