The innkeeper in Hancock, Joe, is incredible kind and helpful. He makes us a breakfast that rivals yesterday’s as we meet another couple from Danbury, CT riding the opposite direction on the C&O. Joe helps us retrieve our bikes from the shed (where there is a floor pump), and sends us on our way.
As usual, we set a good pace in the morning. Today’s 60 miles are a slow, steady incline and present slightly more rugged terrain than before. Marty falls once, passing Becca in the wipe-out tally. With the increased humidity we stop more frequently than our previous plan, trying to drink more water and ‘graze’ instead of stopping for longer meal breaks. We see our friend Kinton, who has camped outdoors for the night and is off to a slower start. A stranger at another campsite volunteers to take our photo. We must look like we’re in love or something.
Getting to our midway point for the day proves to be a demoralizing challenge. Construction near the Paw Paw Tunnel forces us to hike (with bikes in tow) for an hour up and down extremely steep, rocky hills. Feeling like Sisyphus, we push on until the trail emerges again. Paw Paw, WV is just across the river. We know it’s not much of a town, but it’s raining and we’re running low on snacks. Spaghetti and grilled cheese await us at a decrepit but homely family restaurant. This, along with a stop at the Dollar General and clearing skies, motivates us to continue.
[The GoPro and iPad are not cooperating this morning, so time lapse video of our treacherous hike in the rain will be forthcoming!]
For now here is the view from the top of the hike, the Paw Paw tunnel that we were denied the chance to ride, and the historical plaque about the history of the town.
Fewer and fewer bikers and hikers cross our path, and no real towns exist between Paw Paw and Cumberland. For almost 30 more miles Becca rides in front, choosing which mud puddles to plow through and which ones to avoid, warning Marty of large roots or uneven ground, and timing our breaks. Wildlife, however, is appearing more frequently. More turtles, rabbits, deer, geese, beavers, another snake, and a BLACK BEAR on the path help to keep us alert.
Pulling into Cumberland, we start to feel a sense of accomplishment: three straight days of 60+ miles! The C&O Towpath, overall, is highly recommended. We rarely have to worry about taking a wrong turn or losing the trail, camp sites with portable toilets and well water appear every 5-10 miles, and the trail is mostly very well maintained. We can count on one hand the total number of pieces of garbage over the past three days. We find our bed and breakfast, lock up the bikes, and look for a place to grab a late bite only to find that most are either closed for the night, only serve meat, or have been co-opted by an angry, loud local band. We settle on a crowded, understaffed pizza pub that oozes ‘townie’ charm. It reminds us of some places back home! Beer and carbs fill our stomachs and lift our spirits but we are as exhausted as ever. Marty in particular is running on fumes (only a few hours of sleep the night before), and Becca is the first to recognize that this was the most physically challenging day so far.
