We slept well and woke up to light rain. We ate a slow breakfast to let the trail dry a bit, but we still encountered regular puddles. Today’s ride was the final leg of our eastward progression, ending in Washington, DC, just below the Kennedy Center at the C&O Canal Trail mile marker 0 post. It was a bit of a strange experience getting there, with the final section feeling like we were riding through a rowing club’s private dock space. We were about to turn around, convinced we were in the wrong spot, when we noticed the marker.

We took the obligatory pictures, ate a small snack, and headed to the Washington, DC, Mall. It was surprisingly uncrowded, given that it was September 11; we had expected big crowds.

We saw several of the war memorials. They really make you think about the blessings of living in a time of relative peace. It also makes you think of the sacrifices so many have made for our collective freedoms.

As with previous trips, the Lincoln Memorial was the most touching. It is amazing to think about the impact he had on our country. I’m so grateful for his courage and character.

We rode home along the same path that we had ridden on in the morning. This marked the beginning of our 335-mile ride back to Pittsburgh. While on the trail, we met another couple on a tandem bike. They had started in Pittsburgh the same day we had. In fact, the shuttle we had to take around a trail closure waited for both tandem bikes at one point, but the driver eventually decided to take just us. It was fun to talk to them and see their bike setup. It was much lighter than ours, a regular upright tandem with a lightweight frame.

As we were leaving them, but still not riding, my foot went off the trail. I hadn’t noticed that in the thick undergrowth, there was no dirt. It just went straight down to the canal. Our bike tipped over quickly, but we kept it on its side on the trail, and Natalie, the other tandem biker, and I picked it up and put it back on the trail. I gave the side of the trail a lot more respect for the rest of the ride.

On the way back, we stopped at Great Falls, Maryland. It is a beautiful series of small falls, but with a lot of water and beautiful huge rock formations.

(link opens in a new tab)

Back at home, we cleaned the bike, took showers, and made dinner. Last night I had purchased frozen manicotti at the grocery store, so we cooked that tonight. It was delicious. As was the salad and the steamed broccoli and cauliflower we paired it with (and the ice cream). We probably drank at least a gallon of sparkling water and orange juice. It is interesting how one’s body seems to think it knows what it needs after all this exercise. Now I have to slow down my eating for a couple of days as we rest until Monday.

I probably will not write again until Monday night. We look forward to resting. We look forward to spending some time with some Virginia friends. And we look forward to getting back on the trail. Next week we’re going to ride six days in a row. The first three days are on a gentle uphill slope, working up the lock system to Cumberland, Maryland. Once we hit Cumberland, we have 24 miles of relatively steep grade with no flat sections. We plan to do that Thursday morning, and perhaps in the afternoon. We might be riding at 3 to 4 mph for 6+ hours. After we reach the top of that hill, we should have a relatively easy ride to Pittsburgh over the next 2 1/2 days. We plan to arrive in Pittsburgh on Saturday, pack the bike, and fly out on Sunday.