September 27 Little Orleans to
Cumberland. Steve our host served us
slow cooked thick bacon and eggs, blueberry pancakes for Rob and gluten free
toast for Diane, with good strong coffee, and OJ. He gave us a brief history of the Lodge
(originally a one-room school house) and took Rob on a quick trip to check out
an alternate route back to the trail (which we decided not to take). Then we
were off on our last day on the C&O trail and eager to traverse the Paw Paw
tunnel.
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| Diane runs the single track and the boardwalk to the tunnel |
Built in 1912 this 3118 feet long unlit tunnel burrows through
solid rock and is faced with brick.
We
walk in the dark along the canal separated from the water by only a board
railing.
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| The photo flash lights up the total darkness of the Paw Paw tunnel. |
The tunnel did not disappoint,
but the remaining part of the 45 mile ride was almost anticlimactic. As we approached the 186 mile marker, i.e.,
the end of the C&O trail, the canal
just disappeared, an ignoble end to a noble idea conceived of by the father of
our country, George Washington. And as
for Diane’s withholding judgment until that part of the ride was complete, it
turns out that Rob had accurately described the trail. This was a great ride!
As we entered Cumberland, the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) began were the
C&O ended. And our home for the
night, the Fairfield Inn was adjacent to the trail. It was a welcome sight after the long day’s
journey.
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| The End of the C&0 Trail... now Diane is a gravel grinding pro. |
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