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Bill Bikes My bicycling expeditions and jaunts |
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Gettysburg ::: Rappahannock ::: Katy ::: Breckenridge ::: Grand Junction
Rappahannock, September 2018
Across the Continent, part 7: A Photographic Log
6 September 2018, 10 miles
I'm driving solo across the continent, with the Ogre in the back of the Forester. Some days I hop on the Ogre to ride a few miles out-and-back or in a loop. That slows my forward progress, but enables me to explore some interesting places along the way. Here's my full itinerary.Seventh stop, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
I arrived safely in Fredericksburg with a couple of days to spare before the big wedding (not mine), which is why I was under strict orders to get here on time regardless of how much bicycling I wanted to do along the way. My ace support crew arrives by jet airliner tomorrow. I still don't understand why she was so reluctant to spend nine or ten days in the Forester with me and the Ogre, sleep in cheap motels, and eat nothing but fast food.
Anyway, I had a couple of hours to myself this morning before more of the extended family started pouring into town, so I decided to check out the bike paths along the Rappahannock River and its canals. The weather forecast called for 95 degrees with so much humidity you could squeeze water from the air with your bare hands. Everyone was warned to stay indoors, stay hydrated, and try not to move or breathe. Good advice, but I headed out for a few miles early enough to avoid the worst of the lovely Virginia weather.
PS: The last time I bicycled in Fredericksburg, my nephew James accompanied me. He's the one who is getting hitched this weekend.
Trailhead for the paved river trail and canal trail and unpaved river trail.
I saw at least a dozen riders on the trails today.
Rappahannock River, looking upstream.
Rappahannock River, looking downstream.
In colonial days, this was the head of navigation, and ships could go no farther upriver. That's why Fredericksburg was built here.
Hot day. Everybody's taking a dip.
At this spot in 1608, John Smith from colonial Williamsburg encountered Amoroleck, chief of the Mannahoac.
I think this is the old power plant building.
Other than the Civil War battlefield, Fredericksburg is most famous as the home of Carl's, which has been everyone's favorite ice cream joint for more fifty years. I have personally consumed mass quantities of these highly delectable delicacies.
Another sign at a trail intersection.
Bridge over the canal.
More than fifty miles of canals were built along the river, originally for shipping to bypass the rapids, then for water power for mills, then—in conjunction with a dam on the Rappahannock—for a hydro-electric plant.
I think it's safe to say these canals did not rival those of Venice.
The paved river and canal paths eventually looped me back to my original trailhead, from which I then headed upriver along the unpaved river trail.
The Ogre loves to lean against old walls and ruins.
The dirt and gravel trail led me under the bridge carrying the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 over the Rappahannock.
The I-95 bridge columns reminded me of the temples of ancient Rome or Greece.
That's the bridge carrying the northbound lanes of I-95 over the Rappahannock.
Farther along, the trail started turning into muddy singletrack.
A couple of pretty tight spots along the trail.
The trail leads to a flooded quarry.
Careful scrutiny reveals the reflection of a billboard. It's actually located high up on the hillside above the quarry, aimed at I-95 traffic, with the message "Property for Sale."
The Ogre and the flooded quarry.
Summary
Date: 6 September 2018
Time: 9:30 - 11:30
Weather: 80 - 85° F, sunny and humid
Route: Bike trails along the Rappahannock River and canals in Fredericksburg, Virginia
Distance: 10 miles
Bike: Surly Ogre
Riders: Solo
Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I'd like to hear from you.
Reno ::: Antelope Island ::: Independence Rock ::: Badlands ::: Blue Mounds
Gettysburg ::: Rappahannock ::: Katy ::: Breckenridge ::: Grand Junction
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