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.

C&O end-to-end, miles 114-124

I had been dreading this section of the C&O a little bit. T and I did it several times in 2022, as it is also part of the Tuscarora Trail, and we got a bit tired of it. However, we had good weather, and since T joined me for it, I had good company.

The first couple of miles were actually new. We parked at the eastern terminus of the Western Maryland Rail Trail and walked on it to where it connected with the C&O. From there until Tuscarora comes in, a little before mile 117 was all new. Then it was back on well-trod ground.

The highlight of this section is Little Pool, as well as Hancock itself. At Hancock we stopped in at C&O Bicycle before catching a ride back to our car with Smiley's Taxi. (It's somewhat pricy, but there isn't a lot of competition.)

We were surprised to see that, in spite of the government shutdown, the port-a-potties along the trail were freshly serviced; apparently the contract is paid somewhat in advance.