Camping, Canal, and No Cars

Dear friends and family,

I am past the halfway point of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal route today. I have only 60 miles to the finish in Cumberland MD, where the next route starts towards Pittsburgh.

This route started in heavy and steady rain. All day and all night my first days out. My tent was soaked through, so I opted for a cabin the second night to allow my stuff to dry out and me too.

It was about as basic as you could get. It was dry and had power. It did not offer inside running water, a toilet, sheets or towels. Since I have full camping gear, that was not a problem and I slept really well and allowed everything to dry. It’s funny how nice dry can feel after camping in the rain.

Riding along the canal, whether it is raining or not, is really a pleasure. The trail can be soft when wet or under water, but with no traffic and no hurry, I am enjoying every mile. I am 124 miles in and with the dry days and cool weather, biking could not be more enjoyable.

After a longish day yesterday, with seven hours of riding and resting, I opted for a B and  B lodging. It was fun to hang out and discuss riding and bikes with other tourers.  It turns out that this is such a famous ride that people fly from all over the country to ride it. There were riders from California, Colorado, Virginia, and New Hampshire at the Inn last night. Most are on a vacation from work so may have envied my “it doesn’t matter how long it takes me” attitude of not having a schedule. 

The tiny towns along the way are fun to explore. Yesterday in Brunswick, MD, I stopped in at a coffee shop in a church. When I walked in, it matched a dream I had after reading “The Eiger Sanction” book way back in the 70’s. The professor,  (played in the movie later by Clint Eastwood) lived in a church and had his bedroom up in the choir loft. This matched that dream of mine exactly, and spooked me a little for walking into a dream from over 50 years ago. It might have been the coolest coffee shop I have ever been in, but maybe the dream part helped that feeling. Know any churches for sale or rent?

I had wanted to live in a church, even after I dropped out of seminary, thinking it a cool and adverse way to be. In 2003 when I and my friend Jim started a training company we tried our darndest to rent an abandoned church in Chimacum, WA for our headquarters,  but were unable. 

I am noticing my fitness improving, I guess training for 5-6 hours a day does make a difference. Still, when there is the occasional hill, that heavy bike feels heavy. 

Without traffic, there is plenty of time to allow the mind to wander and to just think. I may have mentioned before that it is often like a multi-hour meditation, here between the Potomac River and the dried up canal and riding through the falling leaves which cover the dirt trail. 

To quote what my father would say when doing something simple and rewarding: “I wonder what the rich people are doing?”

Sending love,

Charley