Normally, my wife & I visit our younger son and his family in Hagerstown every Easter and Halloween. This year, we made an extra trip in July for Jason’s 40th birthday (the 18th) and my 60th birthday (the 17th). My first wife actually went into labor on my 20th birthday, but Jason was not born until the next day. I’ll never forgive her … Kidding! š
As is our routine, we fly in to BWI Baltimore on Thursday, I hike on Friday, we visit on Saturday and Sunday, I hike again on Monday, then we return home on Tuesday. My goal is to hike at least once everywhere I visit, including Scotland. This was my first “away” bike ride since 2014: Today, on the C&O Canal, from Hancock to Fort Frederick, then back (MP 112.2-124.5).
Biking is a popular activity on the C&O Canal, so I had no problem finding a shop right on the canal, in Hancock, to rent from: C&O Bicycle. Because C&O Bicycle does not have bike racks for rent, I would have to first ride from Hancock to Fort Frederick, then double back for my GoPro video.
I started biking southeast, “downhill” towards Fort Frederick, at 8:50 a.m. I rode for about seven minutes on a single track, then stopped to check my GPS. The C&O Canal is usually wide hardpack, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t on the Western Maryland Rail Trail. Thankfully, I was on track.
When I restarted, my rear tube literally unraveled from the tire, wrapping itself around the axle. There was no fixing that mess! The tire would not rotate, so I was forced to literally push the bike 1ā miles back to C&O Bicycle. I slid it along the grassy towpath edge to lessen the resistance, but my arm was still sore the next three days. š«
The good folks at C&O Bicycle were very understanding, replacing my bike, getting me back in the saddle by 9:35 a.m. I used my ride out from Hancock to Fort Frederick to take photos, and fix in my mind where the cool stuff was for the return ride, when my GoPo would be rolling. Including stops, I made the 12Ā½ miles to Captain Wort’s Sutler Shop at Fort Frederick in just over 90 minutes.
After refreshing with an ice cold ice tea and ice cream drumstick atĀ Captain Wort’s Sutler Shop, I did my video intro by the fort part of FortĀ Frederick, then began the video portion of my bike ride,Ā Picking up where I left off last April. The only real elevation change of the day was 60 ft. downhill in ā mile to MP 112.2 of the C&O Canal.
The first interesting feature of today’s C&O Canal segment is Big Pool, a lake at the bottom of FortĀ Frederick’s hill. Part of the canal itself, Big Pool is 1Ā½ miles long, and 250 yds. at its widest. I saw some folks fishing on it. Just past the north end of Big Pool, the towpath passes under a branch of a decommissioned railroad bridge (MP 113.9). I was surprised there was no graffiti. š£
MP 114.4:Ā There is a connector across the C&O Canal to the Western Maryland Rail Trail, which parallels the north side of the canal from the hamlet of Big Pool (pop. 85), 28 miles to even tinier Little Orleans (pop 54). At its greatest extent, the Western Maryland Railway ran from Baltimore to Webster Springs, WV, with a branch through Frostburg, MD, to Connellsville, PA. Several “heritage” — i.e. tourist — railroads still use the tracks, including theĀ Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
MP 116.0:Ā Licking Creek Campground has the usual portapotty, picnic table, grill, fire pit, direction & distance sign and doggie doo bag dispenser. The well hand pump had a handle, but a dozen pumps did not even produce a dribble. Camping is free. Just beyond the campground is Licking Creek Aqueduct, the shortest water bridge on the C&O Canal at only 50 ft. long.
MP 116.7: Tuscarora Trail is another connector to the Western Maryland Rail Trail and, beyond that, to the Appalchian Trail, 100 miles north. The trailhead has room for a couple of vehicles. Traffic noise from I-70 — only 100 yds. away — is often loud the next 3Ā½ miles to Little Pool. š
MP 120.2:Ā Another connector acrossĀ the C&O Canal to the Western Maryland Rail Trail, and a paved trailhead with room for several dozen vehicles. Not sure if it has pit toilets: I didn’t check. This milepost is the eastern end of Little Pool, another canal lake, which is half the length & width of Big Pool. The west end of Little Pool is coated with lilypads.
MP 120.7:Ā Little Pool Campground has a portapotty, picnic table, grill, fire pit, direction & distance sign and doggie doo bag dispenser. Camping is free. The well hand pump had no handle, which I thought odd, as I assumed the ones I noted missing back down the C&O Canal were purposefully removed by the Park Service during winter.
MP 122.7:Ā Lock 51’s highlight is theĀ ruins of limestone and red shale lockhouse. Lock 52 is 300 yds. past Lock 51. The Bowles House, which doubles as the Hancock Visitor Center, is on the far side of the C&O Canal. Another hundred yards on is Tonoloway Aqueduct. The cement to build Tonoloway Aqueduct came from someone actually named Captain Hook. Argh! š“āā ļø
MP 124.2:Ā Other than climbing ten feet out of aqueduct crossings, the only other elevation gain between FortĀ Frederick and Hancock is a 10 ft. mound anchoring the bridge to the Western Maryland Rail Trail’s Church St. trailhead. From there, it’s “downhill” the final ā mile to the Hancock Boat Ramp (MP 124.5).
FortĀ Frederick Directions: From I-70, take exit 12 south onto MD-56 / Big Pool Rd. In 1.2 miles, turn right into FortĀ Frederick State Park. In 200 yds., the road splits: Right to the visitor’s center, left to the actual fort. In 0.5 miles, park next to the sutler’s cabin, across from the fort itself.
Hancock Directions:Ā From I-70, take left-lane exit 3 west onto Main St. / MD-144. In 1.6 miles, in the middle of downtown Hancock, turn left onto Pennsylvania Ave. At C&O Bicycle, turn right onto Berm Rd. Take the next left, across the C&O Canal. Park in the Little Tonoloway Day Use Recreation Area.
GPS File:Ā CO_Canal_MP112to124_Ft_Frederick_to_Hancock
Distance:Ā 28.81 mi.
AEG:Ā 198 ft.
Time:Ā 3h 17m
BikingĀ Video
NEW! C&O Canal: Biking Ft. Frederick to Hancock from Preston McMurry on Vimeo.
