I suppose a good place to start is with a bit of background information about me, that's a bit more in-depth from what can be squeezed into a user profile. I'm a 61-year old retired law enforcement officer, currently working a retirement job at a suburban Pittsburgh school district.
When I was much younger, I was in my high school's backpacking club. In addition to hiking in various spots around Pennsylvania and West Virginia, every spring we hiked the portion of the C&O Canal between Paw Paw and Little Orleans. Ever since my first weekend on the towpath, I've wanted to through hike the length of the canal.
The towpath itself in 184.5 miles long. I'm going to start in Cumberland on June 7th, 2024, and will hopefully reach Georgetown on June 21st. I selected that direction because its nominally "downhill." I've built in a couple of rest and resupply days in Hancock, MD, and Shepherdstown, WV. The plan is to cover approximately 14 miles per day on average, Generally, I'll be camping along the way, but I have booked lodging in a few places, like Hancock, Shepherdstown, and Harper's Ferry. I also managed to book a stay in one of the old lock houses.
I've been slowly aquiring gear since I made the decision to set off on the journey. I do have to give a shout out to the fine folks at REI for helping me with equipment and training suggestions!
So I hope you'll follow along with me and some of my friends who are joining me for parts of the adventure and as I prepare for the trek. Any advice and tips from more seasoned hikers are welcome as well!
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