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Have decided to post up here, just to be sure.  Some notice of this went out via PM earlier to the locals.  Figures to be a local event set for Saturday, 7/15. Yes, I know, that collides with the PVGP, but there it is.  Think of this as a "come as you are" party. The exact route has yet to be finalized, but will include Upper Montgomery and Howard county back roads, and the further intent is to include a Potomac river crossing at White’s Ferry.  The overall plan:

Begin to gather Friday, as situations might allow. Early arrivals treated to a swim and BBQ dinner at Babs’ house in Highland, MD.

 Saturday: Gather at Babs’ house for coffee and such with the idea to depart at or around 9:00 - ish; make the run, have lunch along the way; return to Babs’ in the PM for another swim and dinner.

 Sunday: whatever for whomever,  and depart for home . . .

 For those that may wish to enjoy the week end vs. run in and run out all on Saturday, at my house and Babs’ there are four guest rooms available, first to ask, first served.  Likewise, any close locals who want to commute, are surely welcome to run in and out for Friday and/or Sat and/or Sun too.

And yes I know it might be hot.  And yes I know it might rain.  Such is summer around here.

Affirmative responses best registered at ElFrazoo at verizon dot net.

 That is what I have so far.  Please advise soonest of your attendance.

Kelly

2007 JPS MotorSports Speedster

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And so it was.  A Canadian high pushed the rain and humidity out of town for a day, and the Drakes and I went hither and yon.  a few of the roads less traveled put a serious strain of the shocks, and some of the old vertebrae being carried along.  One road went to gravel, then creek bed, complete with creek flowing.  So that was a fail -- elected to reverse course as opposed to shipping water over the gunwales.  Found White's ferry, and lunch in Leesburg.  A few shots:

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Waiting on the Jubal A. Early to cross the Potomac.

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Quick stop at the old train station (still in use) at Point of Rocks.

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This last one: a short gnome taking over navigation duties -- i.e., we're lost again, and can't see the damned LED screen in all this glorious sunshine. "Turn left at Rte 315" it said.  Not one Rte number sign anywhere on the road.  Is this the right road? What does the GPS say?? But we did make it out and back -- lots of SOP navigation.

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White's Ferry Fees - Good thing Bicycles were cheap!

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About 15 miles farther downriver, there's a great national park with a demo of one of the remaining canal locks.  They pull the canal boat with a mule and give tourists rides through the lock.  This boat will come up to where the deck is higher than the surrounding walls.

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The lock gates are hand-operated (these days, by tourists).

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And THIS is the reason for the canal - about 8 miles outside of Georgetown/Washington DC is a stretch of un-navigable rapids.  I don't know if this is close to the train at "Point of Rocks" or not, but it's a pretty stretch and very close to downtown DC:

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And here is the towing mule (Roger) and driver:

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Great Falls is the evidence of change (fall-line) from coastal plains and the Piedmont region geographically speaking.  Great Falls is quite a bit south of Point of Rocks, which itself is a bit north (up river) of White's Ferry.  The Potomac river basin: a pretty big watershed, extending well into PA. You have seen the notations on the house at Whites Ferry from the picture Drake took: high water marks, Hurricane Agnes, '72, and etc.  You have seen also the view Gordon provides of the Great Falls section, and this shot shows water running at a pretty good level.  Gordon and the others are looking down from the edge of what is known as Mather Gorge, and are a safe and comfortable distance above the water. Maybe 40 - 50 ft.  At their level on the VA side, there is a museum and park area, picnic tables and an old Merry Go Round or carousel. Very nice.  At the center of this promenade, not far from the gorge's edge is a tall pole maybe another 30 or 40 ft tall.  Very near the top of this pole is another mark for high water, and several others lower down.  Standing below this pole and looking down on the water in the Gorge, it is very hard to understand that much water.  But there it is.

No, but I remember a point on that bike trail (actually, the tow path of the C&O canal and almost all a gravel surface) when we had a particularly wet and muddy day.  By the time we got to the lunch break, the bikes were a mess and the rear deraillures were caked with mud and shifting poorly, if at all.

Lunch was a rest area on the trail, right along the river, and there was a boat ramp a short walk from the lunch tables.  After lunch, we walked our bikes over to the boat ramp and then down the ramp, where we held the bikes flat, horizontally and dunked them several times into the river to get the mud off.

 PRESTO!   We could shift again for the rest of the day.

Last edited by Gordon Nichols

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