Mile 157 - Judy and Libby |
Day 5: The next morning was a bit chilly, but a real nice break from the heat wave earlier in the week. Judy, Libby, and I ate some breakfast (powerbars for me), and then I broke camp while Libby planned to do some fishing. We wished each other well, and I was off to Cumberland.
With the day's ride being less than 30 miles, this was basically a victory lap for me. The trail is also in excellent condition all the way to Cumberland, so I was not in any big rush. I continued my short off-trail explorations as I came upon the few access points along the way. At mile 165, the canal is once again re-watered for the next mile or so as it passes through the Oldtown, Md area.
Mile 167 - Oldtown, MD |
One interesting point of interest here is the Michael Cresap Museum. This home was basically the edge of the western frontier back in the mid-1700's, and just about every famous explorer stayed here on many occasions, including the well travelled George Washington.
Oldtown is also the location of a private toll bridge over the Potomac River to Green Spring, WV. Some day I will actually need to make this crossing just to see what is over yonder. Tt appears to be a much larger town than Oldtown, but then again that does not really say much <grin>.
Mile 176 - Quiet meadow along the towpath |
I had almost given up on seeing any "real" varments on this trip, when suddenly at mile 170 a red fox crossed my path. This was followed by a second fox just a mile or two later. All in all, very few wild creature sighting on this trip. Deer are usually pretty common along the towpath, but I don't recall seeing many of those this time around. (I think they all moved to woods around my home, where deer are basically over-running the town).
Mile 184 - Victory at Cumberland. |
As you get closer to Cumberland, you notice something strange which is not typical along other sections of the Towpath - homes. In several locations, it seems that the towpath rolls right through the middle of some suburban neighborhoods. At one location around mile 175, an enterprising homeowner has setup a small gazebo complete with vending machines and picnic tables. A perfect spot to satisfy my caffeine addition.
Lunch on the Baltimore Street Mall in Cumberland, MD |
I completed my fourth towpath tour around 11:00 am. A local jogger was kind enough to take my victory photo at the 184 mile maker (a bit overgrown here these days). The actual trailhead is about a half mile upriver from here. There has been significant redevelopment work here in the past few years, with the addition of the new shops at Canal Place (let's just say the jury is still out on this idea). You will also find the NPS visitor center located in the downstairs portion of the the Western Maryland Railroad station.
Final photo at the Visitor Center |
It was still about 2 hours until my scheduled pickup, so I decided to celebrate with a hot lunch and a couple of beers. There are some food options at Canal Place, but I decided to head over to the Baltimore Street mall, about 1 block north of the visitor center. The are a couple of outdoor cafe options along the mall.
It should be interesting to see what happens in Cumberland over the next few years. The really wonderful Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is have a funding crisis and is struggling to keep operating. However, at the same time the Great Allegheny Passage trail should be completed soon, which will then create a 400 mile long trail between Washington and Pittsburgh, PA. I'm hoping to make the full trip in 2006.