If this link works it will be more usefully direct: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectH...rojectID=14837Originally Posted by ki0eh
My wife and I , both experienced winter backpackers, will have about a week in February for an outing. In the past we've usually gone to NY's Catskill Mountains but this year I'd like to try something different and am considering the C+O Canal Trail. I've never been there before and don't know anything about the trail. My idea was to park in Harper's Ferry, find a shuttle to our starting point and then hike back.
I'd like to hear opinions from those of you who know the trail, what do you think of this idea. I guess my biggest questions are about finding water and resupply along the way. Food, we could carry enough for the entire trip if need be but water is another story.
OK, let's hear your opinions and ideas.
I'd rather ride it than walk it. I guess you're starting in Cumberland and hiking east? Campsite are every 5 miles with water pumps, don't know if they work in the winter but the Potomac is just over the bank. Towns are every 4 or 5 days walking I guess. Get the guidebook, it will have all of the town, food, lodging info in it for you to plan by.
[COLOR="Blue"]Hokey Pokey [/COLOR]
You could use Amtrak for your shuttle if you're going all the way to Cumberland to hike back to Harpers, but due to scheduling you'll be in Cumb. after dark in the winter so 1st night might be a hotel stay.
So you'd take AMTRAK from Harpers Ferry to Cumberland (western terminus) and walk back to Harpers Ferry? As Kioeh said, the train arrives in Cumberland after dark - around 7:30. There's a Holiday Inn right by the station and a few restaurants along a pedestrian mall downtown for dinner. The HI has breakfast the next morning or walk around the corner to the Queen City Creamery - a nice cool local place.
I agree with Hikerhead that cycling is the preferred way to see the C&O - I wouldn't do a backpack because it's a totally flat hard surface. But as long as you know that and still want to try hiking it, keep in mind that in the winter the water pumps are turned off at the campsites and drawing water from the Potomac isn't easy - you have to scramble down a steep (and possibly icy slope). There's water in the canal (stagnant and likely covered by ice) and some tributaries which would be your best source.
Cumberland to Harpers Ferry is 124 miles. The Park Service campsites are every 5-8 miles but as I said above, water is uncertain. After about 6-7 miles out of Cumberland, the Canal is very isolated - the few roads that approach it from the north dead-end because there's no bridge over the Potomac - and you don't come to a town until Hancock which is over 60 miles from Cumberland. That's probably your best bet for resupplying. There's also a couple of inexpensive motels in Hancock and most importantly, a bike shop which saved my bacon when I cycled the Canal last year (oh that's right, you're walking!).
After Hancock, you have 2 other Trail towns: Williamsport and Shepherdstown. There's a Red Roof motel in Williamsport and several B&Bs in Shepherdstown which is a real nice historic town with neat shops and restuarants. If you really want to splurge like I did, stay at the Bavarian Inn overlooking the Potomac and treat yourself to schnitzel or saurbraten.
As you know, your progress in winter will be slower for 3 reasons: (1) winter hiking takes more out of you in cold temps; (2) shorter daylight hours; and (3) the unknown: what about snowpack? With its flat terrain, the Canal would be excellent for X-Country skiing - the trick is knowing what the level of snowpack is when you plan your trip. All I can say is as you draw nearer to your trip, check in here on WB and call the Park Service for an idea of the snow level.
And if you haven't done so yet, go to the Park Service's website for details about the mile points. Good luck with your planning and let me know if you'd like more info.
I believe you can resupply at Paw Paw and Little Orleans before Hancock. I didn't go there. I read that there's a bar/store in Little Orleans just on the other side of the tracks/tunnel. Again, I didn't go there. It's in the guide book.
[COLOR="Blue"]Hokey Pokey [/COLOR]
That Little Orleans store is rather marginal. It's basically a bar with a few drinks & chips and some other stuff. I wouldn't count it for much especially in the winter.
I forgot to mention something you should see on the Park website: there's a detour section beyond Williamsport requiring a roadwalk - 4-5 miles I think.
Hello LIHikers
I've been a member of a C&O Yahoo group for several years and have 2 C&O and 1 GAP / C&O bike rides completed.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coTowpath/
Many locals post or lurk there so throw your questions out for answers that might have more current info. The Little Orleans store is "Bills" Place. Owner was having health issues last I heard. There is a B&B w/ restaurant in Paw Paw and a convenience store there too. Hiker / biker campsites along the C&O have pitcher pumps, but the handles are removed in winter and when water fails sanitary checks. Don't know if the porta pottie s stay out all winter. It's a fun challenging bike ride but as a winter slog, it could get old. Bavarian Inn in Shephardstown is a great but costly diversion. Sauerbratten is excellent. Antietam Battlefield is good for a daylong tour. And don't even think about not taking the detour around Williamsport, it is a bushwhack with no trail and very remote. City Cab from Haggerstown will come out and drive you from W port to S town or past the detour. Negotiate for a sharp fare. Good luck.
To clarify, the detour on the road is fine. The missing tow path segment, (it), is the bushwhack you want to avoid.
Thanks for all the quick info.
I guess the next thing I should do is order the guide book so I can get the flavor of the trail and make some decissions.
Oldtown (between Cumberland and Paw Paw) has a restaurant in the former school (my mother-in-law graduated from it, the school not the restaurant), and a bridge (of sorts) over to Green Spring WVa that's even part of the ADT.
There are some B&Bs accessible from the Little Orleans road crossing who will pick you up if you arrange in advance - they're too far from the Canal to walk. The Yahoo group mentioned by Chiefiepoo probably gives you the links.
In the spring I plan to continue my canoe trip down the Potomac, this time from Antietam Creek to Whites Ferry. I plan to use the hiker/biker campgrounds along the way but my problem is spotting them from the water - having them in my GPS would take all the guesswork out of it. I've been able to "eyeball" their locations with Google Maps and approximate their coordinates but I was wondering if anyone compiled an actual list of waypoints in the same way we have AT shelters?
“The press of my foot to the earth springs a hundred affections.” Walt Whitman
It so happens the stretch you're planning to paddle is in the range of River & Trail Outfitters who have been in business for about 40 years out of Knoxville, MD across the Potomac from Harpers Ferry. I suggest you contact them - I'm sure they can help you.
Leaving tomorrow for Western MD - starting another W-E cycling trip of the C&O Canal. Leaving the car in Rockville, MD on Thursday, taking AMTRAK to Cumberland where our bikes & gear will await us at the Holiday Inn, start riding Friday. Planning to camp all the way.
Keep us posted on your trip......well, an update when you get back anyway. Curious how the camping goes, how frequent the areas are and how crowded given the popularity of the trail.
I'd like to do a hike of this path sometime.
For bike camping, the C&O can't be beat... If hiking, you never need to carry more then 2 days of food at anytime.. Paw Paw has a Dollar General right across the river from the C&O, less then a mile walk which makes the Cumberland-Hancock section much easier if you are hiking. The several times I have ridden the C&O canal, only once did I see a hiker-biker overpacked (group of boy scouts at Jordan Junction H/B near Williamsport). But do expect to share your H/B site with others, especially on a weekend. The only section a hiker would have to worry about is the section out of Washington, as there is no camping allowed between mile marker 0 until a private camp site at mile marker 16, then the first free H/B site isn't until Mile Marker 26. Usually the water is turned on at the H/B sites around April, although it can also be a hit or miss. Biggest annoyances are the sounds of the train and bugs.
I couldn't imagine hiking the C&O. I've cycled it 3xs, camping along the way, and would do it again if I had a horse. But on foot? To straight & flat.......
Some campgrounds are low & muddy, while some are excellent. Hope you like iodine-flavored water!
Be Prepared
Sections I have been on look like they would be a great ride. Not sure if a road bike would be the best option. I think a trail bike would handle the sections I have seen as they are a bit rutted and muddy. Be sure to hang out at Paw Paw Tunnel for a little while and go to Little Orleans. Pretty cool places.
I took the train to Cumberland and hiked back to DC in the 1970's as a teen. I recall being alone the whole way, but enjoyed the walk and camping. Went into towns for food, never had any trouble getting food or water. In the fall there are excellent apples in the orchards along the trail. Paw Paw tunnel is fun. Do a little research so you will appreciate the historical sites like aqueducts, buildings, locks, etc.
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