Hiking the C&O: Day 3 (June 22, 2019)

Water pumps treated with iodine: Water didn't taste the best, but these pumps appeared every 5 miles or so along the towpath which really made the water planning dilemma easy.

Lunch spot for the day. Nice shade and views of a farm.

Big sycamore

Old stone ruins at Edward's Ferry

Indigo Bunting

Quiet camp for the night

Sun setting over the Potomac

Day 3 on the C&O was idyllic. I only hiked 13.5 miles for the entire day and enjoyed myself throughout. I woke up for the sunrise and then went back to sleep for an hour. Hit the towpath around 9:00 am after eating some breakfast. The area I was in was all new to me which made it even better. I had seven miles in by lunch, and walked off the towpath and ate along a shaded road along farm fields. An old man on a motorcycle without a helmet sped by, looked at me, muttered something but did not say anything. Weather once again was nice, humidity was low and the heat was not overwhelming.

The afternoon was a bit of a blur, as the towpath became a bit monotonous. However I really enjoyed the plant and wildflower life along the path. I called it a day at 4:00, found a sweet spot to camp along the river, quiet and secluded, under big maples. Most likely this spot was under water a month ago. Not sure if I even spoke one sentence out loud all day. There were some fishermen in small boats that came up the Potomac from time to time. I took a dip in the river to cool off. Cooked dinner on a small strip of sandy beach and watched the birds fly by.