I arranged for Harry Metzler and Dennis Eddings to be the Trail bosses for our ward. Dennis ended up pedaling all day Saturday and Monday. Brother Scott helped provide a menu and some measurements for the food after allot of prodding by Mark and Harry. Mark Picked up most the food before we left and the rest would be picked up as needed. Beth bought us some snacks for the trail and made up some bags of trail mix for us to munch while riding. On my trail mix bags she wrote "Tom" and drew a cupids heart with an arrow through it (I love it when she does that sort of thing.)

I was able to sleep in on Thursday because we were not leaving until about 1:00 PM. Doug and I had previously gone over the bikes and prepared them for the trip. I started packing early by throwing every thing on the bed and then arranging it into daily piles and piles for extra clothing. Out came the Ziplock bags and soon all the clothes were tightly and neatly packed away. I took a queen-size sheet with me in case it was too hot to sleep in the sleeping bag. I also took my pillow. I crammed every thing into a big water-resistant duffel and I was all packed too.

We loaded the van with the three bikes and our gear then headed over to Dennis Eddings to get him. Arrival at church was right on time 2:00 pm. The trailer we borrowed from Brother Nick Gravelle was there ready to be loaded with bikes and gear. Once everyone arrived all the bikes were loaded onto the trailer and tied down, the rest of the gear and people were split among the two vans going up. Then just to make sure that things were not going to go too smoothly the right hand lights on the trailer refused to work. Mark had an extra wiring harness so I spliced it in and it worked great. The old one had a broken pin. Mark towed the trailer behind his van. We arrived at the Suitland stake center about 4:30 pm and were ready to go with the other group within minutes after a potty break.

We caravaned up to the Spring gap campsite, about 10 miles south of Cumberland MD, playing leapfrog occasionally because of differences in driving techniques. Robert drove Mark’s van and it really slowed down going uphill. Once even a tractor trailer rig passed us on a steep uphill grade. This year the weather driving out here was better with no rain. We arrived before dark and were able to set up our tents using remnants of daylight. It was only the second time I had ever set up our new 10 x 10 Coleman lodge tent. Wednesday I set it up for practice. We bought it because it has windows and vents on all sides, so it stays cooler. Harry and I shared our tent.

Friday 23 June 95 the skies look frighteningly like rain, but we endeavor anyway. After a hearty breakfast of Krustys pancakes and some juice we loaded into the van to return to mile Marker 184.5 (The start/end of the C&O canal.) By the time we reached the campsite again, the rain had begun. Before lunch everything we had on our bikes or persons would be soaked by the torrential downpours and riding through endless puddles because there was no way around. My primary riding companion that morning was Robert, before the Paw Paw tunnel and Roel after. When we reached the Tunnel we were happy just to be out of the rain.

Soon were chilled because we were soaked. I took a picture out both ends of the tunnel but the best "Kodak Moment" was washed away with the rain. Harry and Dennis set up a makeshift tarp at the lunch stop. We had lunchmeat sandwiches, cookies, and fruit. Those of us that had rain gear brought it out from the vans. Several including me rinsed our shoes and legs off in the Potomac River. For a very short while we felt almost human again. I did allot of praying the rain would stop and promised I would do better with my home teaching. The rain finally stopped a couple hours before we arrived at Fort Frederick State Park (72.5 miles later) for the night, but not before my bike started acting up, the rear wheel/ tire developed a tremendous wobble. Spaghetti, salad, beans and a quick bath in the Potomac hit the spot. We (the men from our ward) took a side trip that evening to the actual fort. It has been restored and there was going to be a reenactment the next day. I slept much better that night because I was exhausted, but I was already missing my nice soft bed and cuddling partner (Beth). My knee was doing great and hadn’t bothered me yet.

The group stopped at a large cave and Fred Byers (a former park ranger) escorted us. We were able to crawl up a chimney into a room where we became totally immersed in darkness. To get out we slid very carefully back the way we crawled up. When we reached Snyders landing we all joined together and I lead the ride to Sharpsburg and the Antietam Campsite. Of course not everyone kept up because of the massive hills we had to traverse. Once we reunited they proceeded to the campground and I went to find Harry. We all arrived at the campsite and set up the tents. We were on the top of the hill this year and close to the porta johns and the parking lot. I actually got a campsite that was partially shaded from the afternoon sun. Before dinner, we all hit the rope swing on antietam creek. I went off it twice. I was a little scared while up on the tree, but it went great. Using Steve’s advice I grabbed as high as possible with my left hand and then as I swung out grabbed higher with my right. It Worked! No dragging feet this time. My rear-end did graze the bottom on my first jump though. The creek was not as clear as last year and by Sunday it was even murkier. Dinner was macaroni and cheese and chilimac. Afterward we walked to Burnside Bridge and listened to a presentation from a volunteer about the battle. My left knee started acting up during that walk. Late that night the kids had a capture the flag game using glo-sticks. I had to break the game up at about midnight because it was getting rough.

Sunday 25 June 95. We had scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast then got ready for church services. The Boy Scout troops camped nearby started packing out early. One of those troops was cycling and they did not ride the bikes to the canal, they were taken in a car. Sacrament and priesthood were in the Dunker church. It is named that because the original organizers were a German group of Baptist that believed in baptism by immersion. President Blackburn, his daughter, Bishop Krebbs, his wife and daughter came for the services. Doug and I gave the opening and closing prayers in sacrament. I ended up going back to the campsite to get one of the youth speakers that missed the transportation to church the first time. After church we toured the visitor center, watched the film and returned to camp by 2:00 pm for lunch, baked in foil chicken. Sunday evening we took a tour of the battlefield with one brother acting as our guide.

I did some laundry and repaired my bike that afternoon. I don’t know if all the dirt will ever come out of all my clothes. It started drizzling on/off Sunday evening. That night it RAINED hard.

Monday 26 June 95. The rain stopped long enough for us to get packed up and back to the trail. Before we even made it to the trail one bike was out of commission for a blowout and broken spokes. Another rider almost had a blowout due to a large gash in his tire. He swapped bikes with a rider that had quit and soon he was moving again. My knee would cause allot of pain for about the first 10 minutes pedaling after each stop. We hoped the weather would hold but shortly before lunch, the sky opened up. It was raining so hard the trail was more like a stream.

I was riding with Robert and we both stopped to put on our rain jackets, Goretex sure would have been nice. Lunch was meat and cheese sandwiches at white’s ferry. After Lunch, Robert, Mark and I started down the trail when we ran into Jason from one of the other wards. His riding partner’s bike lost it’s left crankarm bolt. We didn’t have anything to repair it so we let mark ride it awhile. About every 6th rotation he would hit it back on with his heal. Mark, Jason and Dave pulled away from us. A couple of miles down the trail we saw mark and he asked where Jason was? We said he wasn’t behind us, he had been riding with Mark and Dave. Mark said Jason had dropped back and should’ve been between our two groups. We said there was no way we could’ve missed him, unless he left the trail. We went ahead and rode the rest of the way in hoping that we were mistaken and he was in front of us. The best Wildlife was seen on Monday's ride I saw an owl. Several deer, one time it was a doe and 2 fawns. I saw a fox on Saturday and chipmunks on Saturday and Monday. Above Great Falls the canal was filled so high that if it was up another 4-6 inches it would’ve flooded the trail. Robert and I took the detour below Great Falls; neither of us had been on it before. The rain had finally stopped but we were covered in mud. Upon arrival at Carderock (63.5 miles later) there were kids riding into the canal to rinse off the bikes, they did Doug’s and Mine along with many others. No one had seen Jason since shortly after lunch. We waited a good while and spoke to the police and his parents before leaving around 6:00pm. We felt he had deliberately hidden from or evaded us. The drive home was uneventful. Around 7:00 pm Monday night the police found Jason at mile marker 9 two miles farther down than he was supposed to go. He did tell his mom that he had left the trail to get some water across a bridge. I guess that’s why we missed him. We really don’t know where he left the trail and he doesn’t either. Next time we will have to enforce the buddy system. The trail from Harpers ferry to edwards ferry was miserable because of all the mud.

We arrived Home around 9:00 pm boy it sure was good to see Beth’s smiling face again and to hold her in my arms.

I prepared all spring for this trip by riding around the base several times a week, I learned how to replace a spoke and repack the axel bearings of the rear wheel. Total on bike miles for this trip were 179.5 and my left knee was in pain by the end of the trip and my rear was suffering from saddle sores, but I loved it. There are some stretches that get awfully boring. If given the chance to do it again I would. I hope it doesn’t rain next time.