184 Miles. I remember that when our troop leaders set this lofty goal for us at a meeting one night, that they must be crazy. There was no way we could make a trip like that with full packs and in the weather systems that we had in the Metro DC area. Dad worked hard to make sure I had adequate gear – sleeping bag and liner, ground covering and a back pack that transferred most of the weight from my back to my hips. The boots that I started with did not last long as I outgrew them and they no longer fit. Nothing like blisters when you are hiking, even on the C&O. Several of the boys mentioned the blessing of the mile markers. They kept us grounded and on pace. They also remember trains rattling by as we tried to sleep at the various hiker-bikers, foraging for firewood, sitting around nightly campfires, and lots of trail conversations as we hiked. The canal and those trips provided the necessary experiences for us to attain countless merit badges.
Support. It was an early lesson in life, but one that was demonstrated time and again for our troop. Our parents gave up weekends and weeknights to get us ready for the trips. They provided the equipment we needed for camping and cooking our meals. They accompanied us on the canal hikes over those dusty miles. I can only imagine now, the transportation nightmares they faced coordinating our departures and arrivals days later. I would love to be able to sit down with several of them now and ask for their memories – but they are all long gone.
The river. The river was always there with us – day and night. People were drawn to the river for all kinds of entertainment. There were the swimmers seeking a secluded cove, the fisherman seeking solitude and the outdoor enthusiasts seeking communion with nature. We shared the trail with bikers, runners and other scout troops. We hiked both north and south on the river, but it was always there – providing a backdrop of sound that washed over us. After college, I returned to the DC area and watched as my future wife challenged me to a fishing contest & promptly pulled several large catfish out of the river right off the towpath.
The C&O was the stepping stone. Our troop moved on after completing the canal to the Appalachian Trail (section hiking from PA to Virginia), summer camps at Goshen, and Philmont in New Mexico. For me the early lessons I learned from the C&O, led to a life of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. The boys in my troop became attorneys, insurance underwriters, teachers, engineers, contractors and more. We have spread across the US, but the canal always calls to us and invites us to come home. There is a special place in my heart for the people that maintained the towpath and the canal. There is nothing like it.
Troop 1323’s home is ST Paul’s Methodist Church in Laytonsville, MD. We completed the C&O Canal several times in the late 60’s and early 70’s so multiple scouts could attain the coveted C&O Canal patch and the segments and medal. The names that I remember: Robert, John & Joe Zucarro, Chris O’Connor, Pete Page, Tim Bowns, Larry Riggs, Greg Weiger, Randy Griffee, Todd McCarrick, John Titrington, Charles Hurt, Ed Hatter, Tom McCarty, Fritz Roka, Richard Jackson, Joe Greenville, Dickie Evan, Richard Shaw, Fred Silbernagel, Jay Rodgers & his Dad and Mr. Moore – Troop leader Pete O’Connor Atlanta, GA
Credits:
Created with images by John Gensor, Jim Kirby, Anna Messett, Nicholas Clements, Brian Rimm, and Craig Little