We are camping tonight at Horseshoe Bend Hiker/Biker campsite near C&O Mile Marker 80. It is a peaceful campsite next to the Potomac. I’m writing at 8 PM, and it is dark out. We can hear Canada geese flying downriver over the Potomac.

We woke up early and left our Airbnb at 8 o’clock. We knew we had about 70 miles to do today, and since it was slightly uphill, we weren’t sure how long it would take. We hoped to make it to this exact campsite and get here early enough to set up camp in the light. We made it easily. We rolled in around 4:30 PM. That gave us enough time to find a great spot for our tent and get things organized.

We currently have no rain in the forecast for tomorrow. Last night we scheduled different places to stay for the remainder of our trip. There is something magical about camping, but it is hard to deny the comfort of taking a shower after riding for eight hours. On Thursday night, there is a chance of rain, and we are staying in an Airstream trailer — a bed-and-breakfast rental in Meyersdale.

We like these hiker-biker campsites. They are far enough from any road that only hikers and bikers can use them. It means we have the campsite to ourselves. There are campsites along the C&O Canal almost every 5 to 10 miles. As we ride by, I always tell Natalie, “I think I’d like to stay there!” This trip we only spent two nights camping, which makes me question whether it was worth hauling our tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, camp chairs, and all the cooking equipment. Next year we hope to do this with Vance and Page, and perhaps we will schedule all these stays in advance, avoiding the need to bring camping gear.

The ride today was beautiful. We were really ready to ride after a two-day break. I think our bodies felt strong as we rode, but maybe some of the effects of eating so much over the last three days were also affecting us a bit. It feels good to be on the trail again.

It’s fun to ride back the way we came and see many of the things we saw, but from a different perspective as we head in the opposite direction now. We know what we want to anticipate and look forward to. We know where we want to stop and take pictures. We also know where we want to stop and eat. Today, as we rode through Brunswick, we stopped at Beans in the Belfry again. We ate breakfast there on our way to Washington, DC, and loved it. So we stopped there for lunch today. It did not disappoint. Natalie even got a chocolate lava cake. That was amazing. Gratefully, she shared some. We had to cross the train tracks to get to the restaurant on the way back to the trail. We got stuck as a train went back and forth. It did it for what seemed like 30 or more minutes. We were going nuts. Somebody came along with a survey and complaint form because, apparently, sometimes it happens for as much as two hours in that town, blocking traffic both ways. As the train finally cleared the intersection and we could cross, we noticed a drone flying above it, recording the traffic jam it had created.

While we waited for the train, we talked to an Appalachian Trail hiker who was heading on the C&O Canal Trail to Georgetown. He was hiking about 15 miles a day and had 3 to 4 more days before he got there. It is cool to see people exploring nature that way.

We rode for a short period on the Appalachian Trail, which shares its path with the C&O Canal Trail just outside Harpers Ferry.

The weather today was perfect. If heaven gave me access to the thermostat, I’d set it exactly where it was today. Accordingly, the trail conditions were great. It’s amazing how the lack of rain improves these trails.

The slight incline wasn’t very noticeable. I’m sure we’ll feel it when we hit the rail grade in Cumberland, Maryland.

We only have one bar of service, so I will try to upload photos for this blog post tomorrow.