Hiking the C&O: Day 2 (June 21, 2019)

morning along the Potomac

hiking along the Billy Goat Trail

Old chimney at the Marsden Tract

Great Blue Heron

Great Falls

replica of a typical canal boat that was once used

White egret

Quiet camp for the night

Day 2 on the C&O Canal. Some light showers fell the night before, and the forest was filled with the noise of things falling out of the trees and plopping on the ground. I believe they were hickory nuts or black walnuts. Anyhow, I woke up to a perfect morning, breezy, and zero humidity. It was Friday morning and I was going to be hiking through Great Falls, probably the most populated section of the trail. At least the crowds would be smaller on a weekday. Knowing that I had dozens and dozens of miles still to go on the towpath, I decided to alternate between hiking on trails along the river and the towpath for some variety.

I've forgotten how nice Great Falls is. I go there often, but 99.9% of the time I go to the less popular areas to escape the crowds. I hadn't been to the main falls in probably two years or so. The variety of rock formations, trees and plants made me feel like I was out west somewhere. By the time I reached the falls, a nice bright blue sky was breaking through the clouds. I ate lunch near the visitor center on a picnic table and refilled my water bottles at the water fountains there.

As I traveled north past the falls, crowds began to thin dramatically. My body was hurting pretty good too. The usual ailments, sore feet, chaffing, sore hip sockets. I took my first afternoon swim in the river, at a spot with very little current. This became a daily ritual which really decreased irritability. I felt great afterward.

By late afternoon, I found a nice quiet spot to camp. I was caught between hiker/biker campsites and felt like I'd better listen to my body and call it a day. I enjoyed watching the clouds and the birds along the river. Some folks across the river on the Virginia side also set up camp for the night. Looked like they were doing a canoe trip. It was nice to have some company, even across the river...