Last year on the day after GeoWoodstock XII, about 50 geocachers got together to do some geocaching by bicycle on the KATY Trail in St. Charles, MO and had a great day touring the Creve Coeur Lake Area. This years event features a similar opportunity to explore some great bicycling trails in Western Maryland.
This event is open to all geocachers who would like to extend their Geowoodstock stay in MD and take advantage of some great opportunities for bicycling and caching along the C&O Canal and/or the Western Maryland Rail Trail which intersect in Hancock, MD, a short 35 mile drive on the Interstate away from the main Geowoodstock event in Boonsboro. Everyone is welcome whether you are an experienced rider or a novice like Mr and Mrs. Kcepenn, your official hosts representing the GeoWoodstock IX event committee.
The event will begin at 10:00 AM on Sunday May 24th at the C&O Bicycle Shop where you can rent a bike if you don't want to bring your own. The C&O Bicycle Shop is a full service bicycle shop with access to rest rooms, snacks, drinks, bicycling parts and supplies, showers ($5 fee) and a bicycle rental shop and convenience store. From10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, we will gather at the bike shop where you can sign the event log, exchange travel bugs, gather your gear together, stock up on snacks or drinks, meet some old and/or new friends, and get the lay of the land. There are about 20 adult size bikes and 5 kids bikes available for rent at $7.00 per hour. Bikes can be reserved by telephoning the bike shop at 301-678-6665 and providing your height and inseam length for best sizing of bicycles. With an advance reservation, bikes will be held until 10:00 AM without payment , however, after 10:00 AM bikes that have not been picked up may be lost if a paying customer wants your bike. There are plenty of local caches, so the best advice is that if you reserve a bike, try to pick it up between 9:00 -10:00 AM. To rent a bike, you will leave your drivers license at the bike shop for security and pay for your rental at a rate of $7.00 per hour when you bring the bike back. The bike shop hours are 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
The basic plan will be to plan on geocaching while exploring some of the great WMRT rail trail (paved) and/or the C&O canal towpath (gravel) for about four hours before ending the event with either a meal and/or some refreshments at a local Inn. Participants are welcome to ride and cache at their own speed and in whichever direction you wish to go, however, based on the recommendations of Dennis Hudson, owner of the C&O Bicycle shop, the basic plan would be to head west from the bike shop with the goal of caching about 11 miles upstream along the more quiet and beautiful section of the trail. At the end of that section, bikers would have the option of heading back the same paved trail, or crossing over to the C&O canal path gravel trail for the return trip. Details are still being worked out for a post event meal and the event page will be updated as we get closer to the event date.
Stay in touch and receive updates about the event by posting a will attend log and you will receive announcements about the event details as they evolve further. Event description has been edited based on my recon trip on April 27th, 2015.