Linden Oak Has Died ~ 1722-2022?

Today I was on my way to the local REI to pick up some fuel for a 10-day, bike/camp trip I hope to begin tomorrow. I glanced to my right to catch a glimpse of the Linden Oak, while driving up Wisconsin Avenue. I was saddened to see the Linden Oak has died. It was thought to be 300 years old and Maryland's second oldest tree. It must have died over the winter. I wrote a post about it in 2016, when I revisited it to get some tree measurements.

Bike/Camping Along Part of the C&O Towpath: Part 3 of 3

Breakfast at Brunswick Family Campground

Point of Rocks

Peak Bluebells

Monacacy Aqueduct

Maryland's Largest Tree

 April 15, 2022

I slept pretty well all things considered. It became chilly and a little frosty overnight with a lot of condensation on my tent. I took my time waking and getting up. I slowly packed up my gear and took some time to dry out my tent. It was a cool, crisp, but crystal clear sunny morning. I made some coffee, recharged my batteries in the campground pavilion. I was still feeling high from the first warm days of spring and waking up from the winter slumber. Colors were vivid, wildflowers everywhere, leaves just budding on trees. The Potomac River looked cold and refreshing. Trains moved down the tracks. My bike was in good working order. After packing up and hitting the canal, I found myself saying to no one in particular "I love this!" 

I had 35 miles to ride back to my car. From Brunswick to around mile 20. I noticed some discomfort in my left knee again after a few miles which I wasn't thrilled about. I stopped for lunch at the Monacacy Aqueduct and scored a picnic table all to myself nearby. I drank in the cool shade and the vivid greens and blues all around me. Downed an Ibuprofen for my knee. After lunch, I stopped by and paid a visit to Maryland's Largest Tree, about a mile detour. I hid my bike in the forest and hiked to the tree. A stiff headwind picked up in the afternoon, but the miles were ticking off easily enough. My knee felt no worse than before. I bought another Gatorade and chips at White's Ferry. Later met a guy with a backpack hiking north on the towpath. I asked him how far he was heading. He said he was walking all the way to San Francisco and had been on the trail for two weeks! As I approached mile 20 and the end of my trip, I slowed down considerably and just soaked in the perfect weather and ease of the bike. Before long, I was back to my car and had successfully completed my first bike/camping trip.