Last Monocacy work day of the year

Our final trip involved removing some blowdowns, checking out a possible reroute, and moving this sign about six feet.

C&O end-to-end, miles 137-143

This section of the C&O was personally notable, as it was the first time in this endeavor I did a section downstream first. More generally, it was a very pretty section, with hills crowding the river into narrow hairpin turns.

I joined up with a trail crew buddy for this section of the C&O. We left from the Fifteenmile parking lot and headed downstream almost three miles, just past mile marker 138, to where the WRMT joins the towpath. This was where I had left off last time. We then headed back, with a side jaunt to look at the big gate over the railroad tunnel entrance. The tunnel is now an important bat hibernaculum.

Upon reaching Fifteenmile, we continued upstream around another peninsula, past mile marker 143, to where the WMRT ends. A short path connects the towpath with the end of the WMRT here. We used the path and the WMRT itself to shortcut the peninsula back to the car.

I am now 3/4 of the way done - which puts me in a little bit of a ract to finish before the end of the year.

Hike Across Delaware, again

We interrupt this endless procession of canal for ... a different canal. For the second year in a row, I participated in the Wilmington Trails Club's Hike Across Delaware. The hike follows the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal from Maryland to the eastern shore of Delaware City, 15 miles total.

T joined me for it this year, despite having to get up at a painfully early hour to make the 8:30 check-in. After driving into the sunrise, we collected our bandannas and got on the bus to the starting point.

The weather was perfect, the pavement was hard, and it was good to have company.

C&O end-to-end, miles 130-137

I parked at the small Cohill parking lot (it is unpaved, without a restroom) and hit the trail, uncertain of how many miles I felt like doing that day. The air was cool and autumnal, and whispers of mist crept along the Potomac River.

Just before Poly Pond, the towpath detoured onto the WMRT due to a bridge damaged in the flooding. I could see that the soil under the bridge footings had shifted, and the bridge sagged in the middle. I might be willing to try crossing it, but I could see why anyone with an ounce of concern of liability would close it. Luckily, this section of the WRMT was pretty.

I considered turning around at the Pearre Road parking area, about mile 136, but I didn't feel ready. Shortly after mile 136, the detour ended. I kept going until just before mile 138, where the WRMT temporarily joins the towpath, due to a closed tunnel. I returned via the WRMT all the way to the eastern end of the detour before towpathing it back to my car.

Ending here means that next time, I can't start exactly where I left off - the first time I have done this on my C&O journey. I either have to repeat the nearly two miles from Pearre Road, or backtrack.

C&O end-to-end, miles 124-130

I headed out on the C&O alone again for another out-and-back and found another section that was surprisingly more interesting than expected. The highlight of it was the Roundtop cement plant and the Devil's Eyebrow, which sit side-by-side after mile 127.

I had considered returning via the Western Maryland Rail Trail, but it is elevated and fenced near the Cohill parking lot where I turned around. One could climb up to it, but it is obviously not encouraged.

Starting with this hike, I am now headed southwest overall until mile 158 - although with a lot of bends in the river, I will rarely be walking southwest.