Got up before 6am so we could hit the trail early, since we had a 75 mile day planned. It was sprinkling when we started, but not too bad. Mom and Dad dropped us off where we finished the previous day and we rode 18 miles to the Paw Paw tunnel where they met us with breakfast. By that point it was definitely sprinkling harder and we huddled around the back of the van or under umbrellas eating our food. After we ate we headed into the tunnel just in front of a huge school group that arrived in a couple of buses and was coming on a field trip to learn about the canal.
The tunnel was pitch black so we were using our headlamps and headlights to navigate down the walkway, which was suspended about halfway up the tunnel wall on one side. We were walking on the towpath where the mules would go as they towed the barges up the canal. The floor of the tunnel of course is the canal itself, so is all water.
On the other side of the tunnel the rain had let up a bit and we had at least an hour of very pleasant riding in which we could use our cameras, etc. After that the sprinkling returned and gradually became a steady hard drizzle. We knew there were no possible pickup spots until Hancock which was another 32 miles past the tunnel so we just kept plugging. In addition we had no cell service anyway. Somewhere along the way Jonathan's knee started really bothering him so he and I rode slower and Paul and Sheena went ahead. We rode at least three hours in that hard drizzle and although we had on our Gortex jackets, they were not up for the task. By the time we got within 2 miles Jonathan was soaked through to the bone and shivering. Thankfully we were close and he was able to get changed right away and warm up. Somehow, although my jacket soaked through as well, my fleece underneath managed to keep my torso toasty even though my face, hands, legs, and feet were cold. And here Paul was just recovering from being sick for three days and he did the same thing as us! Insane! He seemed to do fine, though, and wasn't cold at the end.
In addition to all of us getting drenched, our electronics didn't fare so well. The ziplock bag that my phone was sealed in got holes in it and my phone was sitting in about 2 inches of water. Probably no more pics or facebook posts for the rest of the trip.
We decided not to ride the last 15 miles down to the Lockhouse because it was so rainy and we were all just DONE for the day. Paul and Sheena took advantage of the showers at the bike shop in Hancock while Dad drove me Jonathan and the girls down to the Lockhouse. After we unloaded most of the stuff, he went back to get the others. The plan for tomorrow is to drive up early to Hancock and ride the segment we missed and get back to the Lockhouse by breakfast. Hopefully the rain will have stopped!
We are staying in Lockhouse 49 and it is awesome. Totally primitive--actually we do have electricity (we thought we wouldn't), but no running water. The girls are so excited about doing everything "old-fashioned"! They fetched water in the bucket from the pump outside, did the dishes in the washbasin, swept the whole place with the straw broom--the whole nine yards. I even sharpened a pencil for them with a knife so they could write in their journals. We definitely have to come back here again--they are so into it!
Got all the soaking wet gear draped around one way or another in hopes that it'll be somewhat dry by morning. The electronics are all in a bag of rice we bought to absorb the moisture. Ending the day with fireflies winking all around. What a day!
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