We got up early, showered at the campground and wonder of wonders, the camp manager brought Ralph's bag to his. It seems it had fallen off the truck that brought us from Bill's to the campgroung and we hadn't noticed it. Someone turned it in to the campground office and they brought it to us.
After having breakfast, fixing lunch for our packs, we left at 8:30 AM to ride back to the tow path, joining at about MP 140. Away we went on a 47 mile trip that rose slightly, sent us through the more than 3,000 foot PawPaw tunnel, past numerous locks including the interesting ones titled 64 1/3 and 64 2/3. Seems the builders decided they needed a couple of extra locks to handle the change in elevation but the contracts had already been let for locks 65 and beyond so rather than renaming them the simply changed the designations to those above. Anyway the story continues that the lockkeeper, who was paid $600 a year plus lodging in the lockhouse for him and his family and provided a garden plot, was a favorite of the canal workers, called Canawlers. He collected rare and antique coins. Seems someone decided to steal them, killed the lockkeeper, burned his house and went away. Sometime later someone was seen buying drinks and paying for them with the rare coins. The canawlers saw this and nearly killed the guy and when the police finished with their investigation they found more of the coins in his house so the killer was convicted and hanged.
The Paw Paw tunnel is quite a structure even now. It took 14 years to complete. We walked through. It is much longer than it appears and cuts through the mountain saving over 6 miles for the trip.
They had worked on the trail in some parts and the gravel they put down was softer than the rest of the trail. A little difficult to ride although better than the ruts and roots that showed up later.
A group rode by us, only the second group to pass us since we left DC. A short time later we came upon them crawling out of the canal. They had crashed and three of them fell into the canal. We helped them get out and left them once we saw they were alright. Didn't see them again though for the rest of the day. We had lunch at one of the lockkeepers houses. Ralph kept bumping a post holding up the porch roof and we were afraid it was coming down on us. It didn't so away we went. We arrived in Cumberland safe, sound and very dirty, at the Fairfield suites. It is a real bikers paradise. They have a room to store our bikes, are right at the end of the trail, and gave us a place to wash the bikes even providing clean up rags. It is a bikers paradise hotel with lots of business from the trail riders. We cleaned up, used th jacuzzi and pool, toured the town, had beverages and then dinner and to bed.
Tomorrow we go up and over the eastern continental divide. Big climbing day before finishing at a hostel, that's right not a hotel, in Rockwood, PA.
This continues to be great fun and we are looking forward to the rest of the trip, fast coming to an end on July 5.
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