Walking with the Walrus

C&O Canal Links | AVA Web page | Baltimore, Maryland

10 KM VOLKSMARCH - C&O CANAL - PAW PAW TUNNEL
MARYLAND USA - SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1999

by Kevin Shaw

Wow what a day! Peaches, India and I headed way west on this variably cloudy, cool Saturday into the hills of Western Maryland's Allegheny County for a real treat. The walk was in the Paw Paw Tunnel area of Maryland, just over the Potomac River from Paw Paw, West Virginia, about 25 miles ESE of Cumberland, Maryland. I took a short cut through the Green Ridge State Forest off of I-68 about 10 miles west of Hancock Maryland, through back country hard packed gravel roads that saved me about 30 miles of distance and a fun ride on top of the ridge.

Luckily there weren't a lot of others on those country roads except for an occasional hunter; the road was not very wide most of the time and I couldn't go very fast. I was hustling to make it before the start point closed down at noon; I got to the start point with about 10 minutes to spare.

The 10 km option was used by about 45 walkers; there also was even a 5 km option that actually got you through the tunnel and the spectacular cliff and waterfall area right after you got out of the tunnel, so everyone got the benefit of experiencing walking through the tunnel and seeing the cliffs/waterfalls. There was also a 24 km option, which required pre-registration, since it was a one way route along the Canal from Little Orleans to Paw Paw, with walkers paying extra for a shuttle to get them to the start point. I am just not up to walking that far at one time, either physically or mentally. I am just now starting to get into shape to do a low-rated 10 km walk (today's was rated a moderate 2 by the way).

Diane Ference, president of the Maryland Volkssport Association, helped me out at the start point, holding my dogs while I used the primitive facilities.. I also forgot a flashlight and Diane let me borrow one of hers. After registering and paying my fee, I hooked up with a trail helper on her bike; she didn't have a light so she followed me in the tunnel. Nice to chat with her..

The Paw Paw Tunnel was a trip, a first for me.  Experiencing new things like this does help motivate me, and I was really enjoying myself. Most of the trail was quite dry inside the tunnel and the lighting was interesting i.e ever-changing. The white brick on the ceiling was quite reflective at first, with the slowly decreasing light allowing your eyes to get acclimated to the increasing darkness. Although there are elevation differences in the trail in the tunnel, the route is very straight, and the elevation difference is not enough to keep you from seeing light at both ends at all times. Though you can see the light at the end, the total darkness in between deceives you into believing you aren't very far from the end. It keeps going and going and going, actually winding up to be about 1 km in length, or about 3000 feet. With the uncertain footing, especially when you are doing it for the first time, I certainly walked slowly and carefully. Near the end the trail became a bit muddier, with actual holes in the trail that were full of water, and occasional drippings from the ceiling splashing water on you.

There were a lot of bikers as I passed through the tunnel on the way back; some kids were actually trying to ride their bikes in the tunnel, some even without a light! Crazy! At least they were going very slow...Peaches did not like the tunnel, she kept pulling hard, trying to get to the end. It didn't seem to faze India at all, she seemed to enjoy the adversity.

The spectacular part of the trail to see was as you got out of the tunnel. Steep shale cliffs and cascading waterfalls lined the boardwalked path on both sides for several hundred very scenic yards. I noticed these metal plates and spikes driven into the rock on our right, I guess it is to help stabilize the fragile shale and prevent it from sliding onto the trail. I really regretted not having my camera along; this was really quite a sight to see!

Right after the boardwalk, at the junction with the trail that goes over the mountain (a 3+  moderately difficult rated 12 KM walk option being run on Sunday, though some took it today- one still walked through the tunnel, just that on the way back instead of going through the tunnel again you went on this trail over the mountain) we ran into a group of people on a luncheon outing, being assisted by 3 llamas! Those llamas were quite interesting. I asked the leader if the dogs would bother them. He said no, but that they didn't like dogs in general. I am not quite sure what Peaches and India thought of these "strange looking horses". We chatted for a few minutes (I later on ran into them again).

Gradually the shale sides dropped off and we eventually opened out at a major turn to the Potomac and the common towpath configuration of canal on one side and Potomac on the other. I noticed the lock numbers were rather strange, 63 1/3, 64 2/3, etc.. Wonder why the fractions? I know between those numbers I did not go anywhere close to 1 1/3 miles.. I started running into the long distance 24 KM walkers, Ken Wilson, Diane Evans, Robert Lumbert, etc. and most had something to say, Diane stopping to chat for a moment as I had not seen her for quite a while.

The turn as described above started a different section of the walk with flatter terrain and more forest canopy. Lots of pretty wildflowers were out along this section, particularly bluebell. Ran into a lot more of the longer distance walkers, so it kept me interested in watching for them approach from afar down the path. We reached the turnaround where this lady was sitting in a depression on a rough road crossing the canal. I wondered how they got the water jug down there. She showed me how close the car could get (barely visible through the trees) then the jug was walked the rest of the way. .

Soon after starting on the way back, with no one else around, I let the pooches run and swim off leash for a little while. Near the Sorrel Ridge Campground, I saw the llama group coming so I put them back on the leash, not wanting any sort of confrontation between the pooches and the llamas. They loved being off leash, though, as they really haven't been off leash on a walk like that in quite a while. They had a blast! It gave them a bit of variety, going where they wanted to go, cooling their feet off in the cold water, and going where they wanted to go for a change. But they always kept me in sight, and came back when I called them. Peaches is a bit overweight so she needs more exercise. Sounds like a song I have been singing of late...

The walk back seemed to go faster with the scenery changing faster. Except for the tunnel. That seemed slower. I think it was because of the increased traffic, particularly bikers.

I ran into a few of my fellow Sugarloafer Club members right after getting out of the tunnel on the way back. They had climbed over the top of the mountain and were just scrambling down the last few feet. It didn't look at all like a trail I would want to do now. Way too steep. I understand there are nice views up on top. But since my quadriceps tendon injury back in the fall of 1996, climbing steep terrain, either up or down, especially with lots of loose rock, is not something I can safely do.

I ran into more old trail friends, Jim and Pat Means, right after getting out of the tunnel, and right behind them was my long-time friend from Richwood, West Virginia, Kitra Burnham. We were so glad to see each other, we hadn't walked together for almost a year. We walked the rest of the trail (Probably less than 1 km), chatting away, catching up on all our latest trail and off trail personal news. At the finish after getting our books stamped and turning in our start cards, Kitra showed me these pictures she had taken for her 50th birthday trip/cruise over to Africa. She went through the Suez canal and saw the pyramids in Egypt. Her gown she wore to her birthday party in Jordan was incredible, seen to be believed! After leaving the walk, we got to chat a lot more over a late lunch at a local flavor eating establishment on the outskirts of Cumberland.

I want to thank Diane Ference, Steve Duex, and the many other volunteers, including several of my fellow Sugarloafer Club members for all their great assistance and help in making this one of my favorite all-time volksmarches.

I look forward to the final segment in mid-May, out of North Branch Park nearer towards Cumberland, and actually at the Cumberland Railroad Station in Cumberland, and on the same weekend at the big Canal Days festival. I look forward to seeing Kitra again, too, as perhaps I will be in better shape and I will be able to do the longer distance. Also I noted from next month's flier (the weekend of May 15-16) that the "long" distance is 14 km on both days, a lot more doable in my mind than the 24 and 17 this past weekend. I will still have to work up to that, but at least I feel that is a reachable, realistic goal.

Also this summer seasonal walks are being set up for any of these canal segments that people missed the past few years as I understand it, which sounds great to me! There were over 100 pre-registered long walkers on Saturday and Sunday, along with the 45 10 km walkers on Saturday. All in all a very successful event for a spot quite remote and way far away from the usual beaten paths us Washington DC area volksmarchers normally experience.

Photos by Kevin Shaw

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail Information

Kathy Bilton's C&O Canal Page
C&O Canal Biking Guide  Great site with maps of each segment.
National Park Service Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail
Potomac Conservancy C&O Canal Page Information on volunteer work parties.
GORP C&O Canal Page

Previous C and O Canal Walks

C&O Canal April 19, 1997
C&O Canal and Mt. Airy, May 17-18, 1997
Capital Crescent Trail July 13
C&O Canal July 19, 1997
Carderock - C and O Canal 12/26/98

Area and Walking Information

Seneca Valley Sugarloafers
AVA Walking Clubs and Events
About.com Washington DC
US National and State Parks

More Walking With the Walrus:

Kensington, Maryland April 12, 1997
St. Michaels, Maryland April 26, 1997
Rockville, Maryland, Gunston Hall Plantation, Virginia, May 3-4
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, May 10
Guy Mason Park, DC, May 24
Flower Valley/Rockville MD, May 31
Washington DC National Trail Day Walk, June 7
New Freedom, PA, June 15
Ft. Belvoir, VA July 4
Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg, MD Sept. 13
Bolling Air Force Base GLOBAL Walk Sept. 21
West Laurel, MD Oct. 4
Baltimore Oktoberfest, MD Oct. 11
Annapolis Oktoberfest, MD Oct. 12
Louise F. Cosca Regional Park, Clinton, MD Nov. 2
Westminster, MD Nov. 9
Washington, DC Veterans Day Nov. 11 and Seneca Creek Park
Black Hills Regional Park, MD, Nov 22-23, 1997
Hershey Holiday Walkfest, PA, Nov 29, 1997
Alexandria Scottish Walk, VA, Dec. 7, 1997
Union Station Walk, DC, Dec. 20, 1997
Carderock, MD, Dec. 27 1997
Rockville, MD Jan. 10, 1998
Fairfax, VA Jan. 31, 1998
Rockville, MD Feb. 7, 1998
Washington, DC Feb. 22 and Thurmont Maryland Feb. 21, 1998
College Park, MD, March 7, 1998
George Mason University, Fairfax Virginia and Olney Maryland, March 14-15, 1998
Emmitsburg, Maryland, March 22, 1998
Jug Bay, Maryland, March 28, 1998
Roosevelt Island, Maryland, April 5, 1998
Roanoke, Virginia, April 11, 1998
Cedarville State Forest Maryland, April 26, 1998
Butlers Orchard Farm Market, Maryland, May 3, 1998
Union Mills Homestead, Westminster, MD June 15, 1998
Hagerstown, MD August 15, 1998.
Baltimore, MD 10/12/98
Patapsco State Park, MD 10/31/98
Seneca Creek State Park, MD 11/7/98
Kentlands and Gaithersburg, MD 1/9/99
Darnestown, MD 1/9/99
Calverton, MD 1/13/99
Kenwood (Bethesda) MD 4/10/99
C and O Canal Paw Paw Tunnel 4/17/99
Franklin Farm, Herndon, Virginia 4/24/99