Hiking the C&O: Day 12 Finish (July 1, 2019)

Arrival into Cumberland, Maryland. The end of the road for me.

End of the C&O towpath and canal.

I was eager to begin the day on July 1, 2019. It was the last day of my hike, and I had 4.5 miles to go. My feet were ready to be done. The walk into Cumberland, Maryland was enjoyable. Had a brief conversation with a woman near the end. I used to live just outside of Cumberland many years ago, just for about a year. There were several familiar sites that were lost in my memory, now brought back to life. The whole time I lived in Cumberland, I never stepped foot on the towpath, which I thought was strange. Anyhow, before I knew it, the towpath and the canal ended, signaling my hike was done. The Potomac River continues to flow out into the western reaches of Maryland, where it begins from a little trickle of a spring. The bike path continues north to Pittsburgh PA I believe.

From the end of the towpath, I hiked a short distance to my hotel room which was already available. After a cleansing shower, I walked a short distance again and bought some pizza and snacks. I stayed holed up in my room the rest of the day, binge watching a show called Fast and Loud.

The next morning, I had another short walk to the Amtrak Station, and took a 3 and a half hour ride back to D.C. I felt great. There I met my mom and my sister and her two kids who were in town visiting from Texas. They had spent the day visiting the new dinosaur exhibit at the Smithsonian. We all took the Metro back to the car and then to home. The trip was over. Logistically, the easiest hike I've ever done...