This episode covers my third day riding the C&O on my no-contact, self-supported, self-contained ride. After a night of thunderstorms would a soggy trail slow me down on my return trip home or did I get my biking legs back?

Tour Journal: Social Distancing on the C&O Towpath

This was a no-contact, self-supported, self-contained ride of the C&O that didn't stick to plan, had a low point or two, and if I'm being honest probably won't end up on my list of all time tours... but I have to wonder if it won't be amongst the most memorable.

Check out Pedalshift 199 for the initial plan (spoiler: I did not stick to it),  Pedalshift 200 for Day 1, and Pedalshift 201 for Day 2.

This covers my third day riding the C&O on my no-contact, self-supported, self-contained ride. A few things I want to mention at the top of the show:

• At the time I was on the C&O, the campsites were officially open even though the water pumps and bathrooms were all closed (indeed strapped shut!). Since then, the Park Service has closed the campsites. Please do not camp the C&O until that closure has been lifted. I know I will not.
• As I sit here toward the middle end of April, there's a lot of mixed messages I'm receiving  on what 2020 feels like for bike touring. I know the pod will continue and I have some older tour journals that have never been featured  on the pod. So one way or the other, you're stuck with listening to me talk bike touring! Next week... takeaways and thoughts on   bike touring this spring, this summer and beyond 
• Hey, the SprocketShift happy hours continue! We've done four live shows and the date of there next one is posted at pedalshift.net/happyhour. Check it out... a tight 40 minutes on one topic and we always get kicked off Zoom in a comical way.

Statistics - Day 3 Miles ridden  64 Functional water fountains in Brunswick, MD 0 Functional vending machines in Whites Ferry, MD 1 Road routes considered then rejected 1 Beavers 0 Slow leaks 1  

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like The Kessel Run and The Missing Link bike tours! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Kimberly Wilson Caleb Jenkinson Cameron Lien Andrew MacGregor Michael Hart Keith Nagel Brock Dittus Thomas Skadow Marco Lo Terrance Manson Harry Telgadas Chris Barron Mark Van Raam Brad Hipwell Stuart Buchan Mr. T Nathan Poulton Stephen Dickerson Vince LoGreco Cody Floerchinger Tom Benenati Greg Braithwaite Sandy Pizzio Jeff Muster Seth Pollack Joseph Quinn Drue Porter Byron Paterson Joachim Raber Ray Jackson Jeff Frey Kenny Mikey Lisa Hart John Denkler Steve Hankel Miguel Quinones Alejandro Avilés-Reyes Keith Spangler Greg Towner Dan Gebhart Jody Dzuranin Lucas Barwick Michael Baker Brian Bechtol Reinhart Bigl Greg Middlemis Connie Moore William Gothmann Brian Benton Joan Churchill Mike Bender Rick Weinberg Billy Crafton Gary Matushak Greg L’Etoile-Lopes James Sloan Jonathan Dillard John Funk Tom Bilcze Ronald Piroli Dave Roll Brian Hafner Misha LeBlanc Ari Messinger David Gratke Todd Groesbeck Wally Estrella Sue Reinert John Leko Stephen Granata Phillip Mueller Kevan Olhausen Robert Lackey Dominic Carol Jacqi McCulloch John Hickman

Music

You've been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Sunfields' latest album may be their best yet. Go get it.

https://soundcloud.com/sunfields