Onward to the C&O Canal Trail

We are packing the vehicles for our next leg of the Great American Rail Trail- the 187-mile C&O National Canal Trail. It stretches from Cumberland, MD and goes to Georgetown, outside Washington DC. It is a very old trail with lots of big ancient trees shading the trail and tons of history along the way including locks, lock-houses, aqueducts, etc. We expect some rain which we have not had to deal with before, and so we are fashioning some “tear away” rain pants for Todd so he can urinate while on his bike (with his nearby trusty urinal hanging from an open cloth bag). We must try very hard to keep him dry and warm with a compromised neurogenic body that can’t manage his body temperature. 

The same Team Todd support group is going again, Beth-Ellen Pennell from Maine (she went all the way home to take care of some car maintenance); Rod Mann, who also took care of some shuttle van maintenance, and the Krater’s, Walt & Leslie, who took care of planting their garden and mowing. Danny Stein will not be joining us for this leg. I was also going to purchase some plants and finish putting in our warm weather crops but I aggressively weeded my dandelions last night and the many ups and downs caused the crystals in my inner ear to move and relocate in an ear canal where they did not belong, giving me vertigo and making me sick and incapacitated. I could not get up without the room spinning and knew I had to do something. Our angelic neighbor, Marlene Terlingo, our retired GP, came to my rescue and performed a maneuver which moved the little fucker out of the canal. I am still residually feeling off and fragile but at least I can finish packing and tomorrow, drive and ride almost 30 miles. The show must go on!

Todd told me his first night at home in his bed on our break, that he was thankful to be able to come home as “he didn’t know if he’d ever see his home again.” I looked at my Drama King and said, “Really?” And he said, “Sometimes you don’t.” We just lost our third SCI friend from rehab last week and I guess it was fresh on his mind. Todd was very happy to see that his body could perform so well and cover 150 miles with no ill results, but quite the contrary. He is feeling strong and anxious to get going again. He is “nervous” about the next stretch, but he wouldn’t be our Todd if he did not put in a sizable amount of time worrying about all sorts of things that could or probably not, occur in the future. As if he has put in his time worrying to keep the bad  mojo away. 

This stretch, I have rented a Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) cabin right on the trail where we will be resting for a couple of nights, and then on to the beautiful historic farm of Joel Anderson and his lovely wife Brigetta. Brigetta joined our little group of long distance mountain bikers years ago when we were cycling the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail. It will be great to ride with them again and find respite at their wonderful property.

Ask the trail angels to be with us in this next stretch and that we have as good of an experience as we did on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). I was fortunate to have half a dozen newspapers cover our endeavor and help raise awareness for the need of accessible trails for the disabled. That’s the whole idea behind this endeavor. Here are some stories to entertain and inform you. Thank you for the support, dear ones. 

http://www.cindyrosstraveler.com/ride-to-recovery/

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/lifestyle/couple-tackles-cross-country-cycling-trip-one-by-bicycle-and-one-by-adaptive-trike-due/article_e822caa4-e76c-5740-bf7d-8a5791b4b4a3.html

https://www.centredaily.com/news/article305223026.html

Challenging the limits of disability, Todd Gladfelter begins his 2,000-mile Road to Recovery Ride