Wandering the Rock Maze

We finally got our first vacation of the year (I know) in September, when he headed out to Western Maryland for several days of camping at Deep Creek Lake. Our first day there was plagued with small problems (like the car battery dying, oops), but we got past those and were finally able to do a small hike later in the day.

Rock Maze was perfect for this, as it's a third of a mile in, then wandering around giant boulders for a while. It's suitable for anyone capable of doing any hiking at all, not difficult. My understanding is that at more popular times, it can get busy, but we only saw two other people.

The giant boulders, and the patient trees with very long roots on top of them, are impressive. 

C&O end-to-end, miles 99-108

I finally got into double digits on this hike! Picking back up from scenic Williamsport, I headed out for a hike of uncertain length. I wasn't sure how many miles I had in me, or if I'd be able to do it one-way with an Uber.

Hiking out of town, the first point of interest was the aqueduct over the creek, which I think is the only one that is still watered.

Up next was a campsite. Then the next parking area, which is very, very small.

Approaching Dam #5, the trail detoured to a low-traffic road due to construction around the dam. The detour was longer than the actual construction, as that's where the convenient road access is. This was only the second detour I've encountered - and the first one where I hadn't previously done that section of trail. Because of the detour, the parking lot was closed, although some cars were parked along the road instead.

Partially because neither parking situation is great, I opted to continue on rather than turn around. This brought me to Four Locks, a nice, big lot 10 miles from my start. With three bars of service, and proximity to Williamsport, I was confident I would be able to get an Uber. Alas, the app didn't work, nor did Lyft's, so my only option was turning around and doing 20 miles. Could I? Yes. Did I enjoy it? No.

However, it was at least a beautiful day, not hot, and I had the time, food, and water needed.

C&O end-to-end, miles 88-99

With this hike, I finally got to where I should have at the end of June - the midpoint of the trail! I've reached milepost 99, soon to hit triple digits. 

I started off at McMahon's Mill, hiking almost exactly 12 miles to Williamsport. The first mile or so was along the Big Slackwater concrete walkway. The trail then returned to the woods, and the (dewatered) canal reappeared. I reached the marker at the middle of the trail, caught occasional glimpses of the river, and passed a campground and a lockhouse. 

Around mile 91, the trail abruptly changed character, as there are cabins between the river and the towpath - right up to the towpath. After another campsite, the trail approached Williamsport. It went under a railroad bridge and and the freeway before opening up to a watered canal section, a lockhouse, an old coal plant, and the Williamsport visitor center. This visitor center is the much-photographed Cushwa Coal Brick building.

I took advantage of plentiful ride shares to get a ride back to my car, so I saved myself a round-trip hike.

C&O end-to-end, miles 84-88

The heat finally broke, so I got off my treadmill and back on the C&O. 

I started at the very nice Dam #4, then headed off on fairly typical C&O towpath trail. To my left, a tree-covered embankment, then the Potomac (here, wide and smooth), then West Virginia. To my right, a tree-covered embankment, then the dewatered canal, then more trees (with some houses). This section north of the dam is called Big Slackwater, and I anticipated the entire four miles would be similar. Thus I was very pleasantly surprised near mile 87 when the left side opened up. 

Here the canal towpath has been reconstructed as a concrete walkway. There are steep cliffs to the right, no canal, and great views. There are also a lot of boaters for whom speed is the point, and perhaps loud music, so it's not tranquil. But it is pretty!

I turned around after four miles at McMahon's Mill (still standing). There is a long stretch without parking, so this was my attempt at breaking it up into reasonable sections.

Along the way, I didn't see milepost 85. When I came to milepost 86, it was on the "wrong" side! All the mileposts between Georgetown and mile 84 are on the river side, not the canal side. But the next few were on the canal side. On the return journey, checking both sides carefully, I still didn't see it. (Funnily enough, milepost 87 is missing on the app, but it was there.)

If you want to hit the highlights here, I'd park at the mill and just take in the rebuilt section, both north and south of the mill. It's only a couple of miles, so easy hiking.

C&O end-to-end, miles 77-84

This next section of the C&O was a very typical section, with the only scenic standout being Dam #4 at the turnaround point. Otherwise, it was a forested tunnel with the river to the left and the dewatered canal to the right.

The weather was hot and humid, making a 16-mile (round trip) hike a bit much for my body, but I am eager to catch up to where I should be at this point in the year. 

The other notable thing, and I am not sure if this is seasonal or a result of recent flooding, was that the sycamores were shedding bark in massive quantities. Not only did it litter the trail, I could hear and see it falling. 

This section was still suffering a bit from flooding overall. It was totally walkable, but earth-moving machinery was parked along the trail. One of the campsites had a broken picnic table and a port-a-potty that hadn't been serviced since May 13. The next site had a port-a-potty that had evidently been flooded, was full of trash, and had a very full tank. I would be cautious camping, as limbs could still fall, and the port-a-potties may have left the ground less than sanitary.

My trip highlight was Dam #4, which I had few expectations of. It's very obviously man-made, but it is still an enjoyable roar. And the towpath has a cute covered bridge leading to the parking lot. 

I did this one as an out-and-back, so while I walked 16 miles, I covered half as much trail. The next hike will be a relatively short one, since after that is an 11-mile stretch with no parking.