After the First Snowfall

Sunday, December 6, 2009
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
My son, our dog, Dallas, and I took a short hike on the towpath from Carderock south to mile marker 9, about 3 miles round trip.  The first snowfall of the season was yesterday and the path was slushy and the tree branches still held some soft snow.  The weather was cool, in the low 40's, and it was overcast.

From approximately mile 10.5 to mile marker 9, we passed four locks (14-11) and went under the Capital Beltway (I-495).  This is in an area known as "Seven Locks" where there are seven locks (#8-14) very close together.  This photograph is of Lock 14

The noise near the beltway is deafening.  It is a strange experience to walk under it and hear the roar overhead and echoing all around.  We were glad to be clear of it.

There were three shallow places on the canal where several ducks congregated.  They were all mallards except one brown one with a white bib.    We also saw one pileated woodpecker, many robins and cardinals, several sparrows and finches.  My son saw a deer and I said "no, that's two deer" and then we realized we were actually seeing three, only a short distance across the canal but in a heavily wooded area.

Several bicyclists passed us.  One had a white dog, with black muddy spots from the tires splashing through the slush, perched in a wire basket on the rear.  We saw a few other hikers and runners.  Otherwise, we had the path to ourselves and enjoyed lively conversation and discussed my plan to hike all of the C&O Canal in the coming year.  I am excited.  My son suggested I get a map and begin marking off the areas I have already hiked.

It is hardly visible when the leaves are on the trees, but the Potomac River view was pretty between Carderock and the beltway and the sound of rushing water was very clear at one rocky point where the elevation dropped.

The snow enhanced the natural beauty of the day.  It gave the canal character and was a wonderful backdrop for the dramatic trees and water views.

Back at Carderock park, we let the dog off leash and threw snowballs for him.  We walked to the edge of the picnic area overlooking the river and enjoyed the pretty view below. Even at 3:00, the sun was falling and the shadows were long.

view of the Potomac River from Carderock Park

Thanksgiving Weekend, 2009

After two glorious days of walking on the C&O Canal on the two most perfect days of the Thanksgiving weekend, it occurred to me that I have been to Great Falls and along the Canal a lot this year, and that it is now time to start recording my experiences.  

This begins A Year on the C&O Canal.

Saturday, November 29

2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

My son and I ate turkey sandwiches in the car en route to Great Falls, Maryland to begin our hike.  We noticed how badly deteriorated the park entrance road was and how the downed leaves makes such a difference in the visibility through the woods.

We spent 3 hours walking from Great Falls to Carderock and back.  There were many other people, and a lot of dogs looking silly wearing sweaters.  Fortunately there is enough room that we could escape and have some time to ourselves.

We saw many buzzards soaring overhead and joked that we must look dead as they spiraled closer.  We saw an old-looking blue heron standing on one leg watching the water.

Squirrels ran about picking up things to store for the colder days of winter.  We were more aware of them because of the crunching noises they made as they scratched about in the brittle leaves.

A few things jumped and splashed in the canal.  As the sun sank lower, we pointed out the reflections on the canal and the beautiful colors of the light shining on the bare trees.  It looks very much different when the leaves have fallen.

The sun was low in the sky by the time we reached Carderock and needed to turn around.  We arrived back at Great Falls almost at 5 and walked out to view the Falls as the sun was going down over the horizon.  I have never been there that late in the day. There was a bit more mist and the water was higher than it was on my last visit.  It is such an impressive view and the sound of the water pounding over the rocks is so loud that it drowned out the sounds of all the other visitors.

We covered about 7.5 miles on our hike and left for home and more Thanksgiving leftovers!

December 1, 2009
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
It was my dear friend's birthday and we decided to defy old age and get in a long walk before our celebration dinner.  We headed toward Washington, DC with our water bottles and snacks; we had both forgotten to have lunch before our hike.

It was a big day for pileated woodpeckers.  Our first sighting was about 2 miles from Great Fall.  We heard their calls and then saw two of them swooping about between trees, stopping, peeking around at us and hammering before moving on.  My photograph is taken from some distance away.  They never stayed in one place long enough and never got very close to us.  Later we saw at least four more.  This is one of the big advantages of bare trees.

We also saw sparrows, titmice, cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, robins, and a kingfisher.  Mallard ducks congregated on the canal in the shallower parts where there were plenty of reeds and water plants for protection.   With one mallard group was a single male Northern Pintail duck.

We saw one red-tailed hawk soaring overhead and several buzzards.

The sycamore trees were exceptionally beautiful against the blue sky when you can see their white trunks and dramatic branches.

We walked almost 4 miles from Great Falls and passed Carderock before turning around.

On the way back, near Great Falls, I had just finished commenting that we had not seen a Blue Heron when my friend spotted one close to the canal shore.  The sun was low in the sky and the reflection of the trees in the water made an interesting background for his portrait.

It was a good day for a walk, and a birthday.