May 10th - Hancock, MD

After enhanced ramada breakfast, otr at 7.30 transitioning onto C&O and Potomac river runnjng downstream.  Trail is along the towpath, passing locks and a water bridge of the old canal.  Counting down from 75 locks to DC, the trail is a mix of mud, puddles. stone and dirt - i call this the good, the mud and the bumpy (my rack came off, good to have extra bolts). We all got pretty dirty, especially first 11.5 miles with many puddles. Lunch at mountain life kitchen in paw paw, WV, all looking forward to a predicted better surface coming into hancock.  Through the very cool paw paw tunnel - they literally built it through the mountain and ran the canal through. Surface improved a little, some of us rode last 12 miles on the paved western Maryland rail trail, paralleling the C&O.  Hosed down at the Super 8, aint so bad.  63 miles.