A River & A Canal

7 February 2009

With the forecasters calling for temperatures in the mid-50F (13C) range, we decided to enjoy some outdoors time today. Throwing a couple of snacks and our point & shoot cameras in our backpacks, we headed out shortly before 11:00a. By 11:20a, we were parked at Theodore Roosevelt Island and off on our trek — a 9-mile (14 km) round-trip hike on portions of the Potomac Heritage Trail (Virginia) and the C&O Canal Towpath (Washington DC).

The section of the Potomac Heritage Trail (PHT) that we hiked follows the Potomac on the Virginia side of the river. The trees are bare this time of the year, affording beautiful views of Washington DC's Georgetown skyline for the first mile or so. We took our time on the 4-mile (6.5 km) PHT hike, stopping frequently to enjoy the scenery and snap photographs of anything that caught our eye.

Panorama of Georgetown from the PHT.

The trail started out relatively flat, but soon became less so, necessitating some scrambling over and around rocks. Nothing that we could not handle. When we came across some waterfalls frozen in time, we scampered up for a closer look at icicles dangling from the cliffs. In a few places, fallen trees blocked our path, but we found alternate ways to ford the rivulets that were streaming down to the Potomac. We encountered very few people on the trail, which added to our pleasure in the outing. There was quite a bit of ice on our side of the river and the sound of it crackling as it softened and broke up was just about the only sound breaking the silence. I imagine most, if not all, of that ice will be gone by tomorrow when the temperature is expected to soar to the low-60F (16C) range.

Mui at the most impressive of the three icefalls we came across on the PHT.

We found the PHT to be an easy trail, but it certainly threw up a challenge or two along the way. The most demanding portion was at the very end when we had to climb up to reach the Chain Bridge to cross over to DC. The incline in this spot was quite steep. In a few places, we had to pull ourselves almost straight up using iron railings bolted to the side of the cliff. For the workout we got here, we were rewarded with a bird’s eye view of the Potomac River and the surrounding landscape.

Munching on the apples we had brought with us, we crossed the Chain Bridge and joined the C&O Canal Towpath for an easy 5-mile (8 km) walk to DC. Constructed between 1828-1850, the historical Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal was a shipping canal connecting the tidewater on the Potomac River in DC with the headwaters of the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania. It stayed in service, transporting goods until 1924, by which time the railroad had captured almost all of the carrying trade.

The level walking trail on the towpath is a welcome change from the boulder-strewn PHT.

Despite the sun that was streaming down warming rays, the water in the canal had a layer of ice on it — a reminder that spring has yet to come. Compared to the number of people we encountered on the PHT, there were a lot more walkers and runners enjoying the towpath — including Senator Kerry and his wife, whom we ran into as we neared Georgetown. More exciting than that chance encounter, however, was the glimpse we got of a great blue heron perched on a log, warming itself in the sunshine.

When we eventually reached Georgetown, it was chock-a-block people — young and old; locals and visitors; foreign and domestic. Many of the eateries already had a waiting-list, but we managed to find a window-side table at Pizzeria Paradiso. The ice-cold Belgian beer recommended by the waitress turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to our simple meal of Insalata di Tonno e Fagioli (tuna and white bean salad) and Pizza Bosco topped with tomato, mushrooms, spinach, red onion, and mozzarella. We skipped dessert at Paradiso, opting for some Belgian chocolate-chocolate ice cream from the nearby Häagen Dazs shop instead.

By the time we concluded our stroll through Georgetown, we were ready to throw in the towel. We were simply too tired to walk across the Key Bridge back to Roosevelt Island. Hopping into a cab, we cheated and took the easy way back to the parking lot. It was 6:00p when we finally pulled into the driveway — dead tired, but very pleased with our trekking adventure.

The article that was the inspiration for today’s trek listed five hikes. Time and weather permitting between now and April, we hope to do at least a few more of the recommended trails. They all lack the altitude we need to really get in shape for our upcoming Perú treks, but when you live at sea level, you take what you can get.

For a pictorial journal of our trek, browse our online gallery.