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Reply to Whites Ferry Update

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Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 2/6/2021 5:58:39 AM:

See the article below for an update on the negotiations in an attempt to reopen Whites Ferry:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/whites-ferry/2021/02/03/94c05daa-6177-11eb-ac8f-4ae05557196e_story.html

John W. from Pittsburgh, PA on 2/6/2021 2:05:26 PM:

Thanks for posting Rivnuts. It doesn’t look like any progress has been made sadly according to this article. For anyone traversing the C&O, this means no Leesburg, VA restaurants or lodging. This also means there will be zero chance at connecting with the Washington & Old Dominion Trail until this is resolved.

John

Willy from Alexandria,VA on 2/6/2021 9:29:59 PM:

Well -it is not zero chance. Take W&OD to Purcelville.
Then take surface streets to Brunswick,MD.
You don't have to take the Berlin turnpike the entire length to Brunswick.
Using Google maps, I took a a relaxed tour through farmland roads mostly.
Granted going from Brunswick to Purcelville means going up a gnarly hill for a few miles coming out of Brunswick, but its doable.
I also hope that the Whites ferry issue gets resolved soon. I always loved the ferry ride across the Potomac.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 2/6/2021 10:51:23 PM:

John W: Between the White’s Ferry fiasco and the Paw Paw Tunnel bypass, the trip down the C&O won’t be as enjoyable. At least, I think, they are doing some more resurfacing south of Edward’s Ferry.

Rivnuts

John W. from Pittsburgh,PA on 2/7/2021 9:17:17 AM:

Willy - Thanks for a alternate route to get to the W&OD! Let’s hope this gets resolved. It also sounds like some local drivers are not happy that the ferry has stopped either.

Rivnuts - Yeah it sounds like that Paw Paw Tunnel bypass is going to be tricky. I may just pass up a potential Pittsburgh to DC trip this summer and look at other trails. Have they given a timeline on when it will be back to normal? So happy to hear that more repaving is being done!

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 2/7/2021 12:14:33 PM:

John W. from Pittsburgh,PA on 2/11/2021 9:45:44 AM:

More news on White’s Ferry. Like I’ve been saying, I hope the municipalities, counties and state DOT’s on both sides of the river are drawing up plans for a new bridge somewhere nearby. The re-opening of this ferry just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/whites-ferry-closed/2021/02/10/0f8081b2-6652-11eb-bf81-c618c88ed605_story.html

Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 2/11/2021 10:05:39 AM:

Disappointing indeed. I admit that I don’t have any real skin in the game but it seems both sides are pretty well dug in in their positions. The current situation seems to be lose-lose positions both for the parties involved and the public. While a new bridge may be the best alternate solution for the locals in that area, it removes one of the notable features of the Towpath adventure.

That said, I would think a new bridge would require more disturbance of the properties on both sides of the of the river and result in still more traffic and requiring a large public fund expenditure.

John W. from Pittsburgh,PA on 2/11/2021 11:18:43 AM:

I’ve resigned myself to the fact that the ferry crossing at Whites Ferry will likely be gone forever. I’m glad I was able to use it a handful of times on my travels and look back upon it fondly. I know there are detours much father away (which I might try one day).

Oh well...the C&O is beautiful on its own and we’ll just have to accept and make due with what’s available on the Maryland side. If they ever reach an agreement and it opens back up, I’ll consider it a bonus.

John

Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 2/13/2021 8:00:35 AM:

The Whites Ferry Operation has been sold with hopes to settle the quarrel with Rockland Farms and reopen the ferry. See this report at :

https://wtop.com/business-finance/2021/02/whites-ferry-purchased-by-loudoun-county-businessman-and-landowner/

wkr from Brunswick, MD on 2/13/2021 8:56:59 AM:

I agree on the idea of using roads to connect between the tow path and the W&OD if that's your goal. There are some great "gravel" bicycle routes in Loudoun County between Brunswick and Purcellville. People come to the area specifically to ride there. On rides from home to Purcellville I've had times where I had no cars at all pass me between Lovettsville and rt 7. There is more traffic once you get close to Purcellville but inside the city limits the speed limits are very low and seem to be aggressively enforced.

John W. from Pittsburgh, PA on 2/13/2021 2:05:19 PM:

Whoa! Excellent news! Let’s hope for an agreement and things get back to normal.

Thanks for sharing Rivnuts.

Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 2/13/2021 5:16:01 PM:

Wkr:

I’ve ridden the WOD from DC to Purcell and then the roads on to Harper’s Ferry. I’m intrigued by your revelation regarding gravel routes from Brunswick to Purcellville. Be a rather lazy sort, are there existing public Strava routes of those gravel paths rather than my Googling and trying to find such routes on my own in unfamiliar territory?

Thanks,
Rivnuts

wkr from Brunswick, MD on 2/13/2021 6:11:56 PM:

I don't use strava but I just put something into ridewithgps (which I'm pretty new to) that will take you from the C&O to the W&OD: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35184094

There are, of course, other options but this one basically takes you straight there and is dirt/gravel most of the time. If you want to avoid all the climbing towards the beginning you can go all the way to Lovettsville on 287 and then turn right onto sout church st and then meander over onto the rest of the route above.

I just remembered there are some recent videos on youtube from some riding in loudoun county:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRGW5fnMa4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xR1Q4vh4zo

Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 2/14/2021 3:34:19 AM:

wkr:

Thanks for the Ridewithgps map and the YouTube links. Now to see how to incorporate some of those in my next trip. Heck, I have nothing else to do as a winter storm approaches the ‘Burgh.

Rivnutst the Lazy One

wkr from Brunswick, MD on 2/14/2021 2:27:38 PM:

Good luck! I know about your weather up there. My Mother's family was from the Uniontown area, just down the road from you. :)

Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 2/15/2021 2:25:32 PM:

wkr:

I looked at that ridewithgps route from Brunswick to Purcellville. I love it. I would never have found that route. (Not sure if I'll be able to follow it without a wrong turn or two. :-)) But I'm certainly going to give it a try. The max grade is only around 4% which is ok. I love the farm scenery along the way. I'm definitely going to try this on a future trip. I'd actually like to overnight at one of the farms along the way if they'll permit it.

Thanks a lot for that route.

wkr from Brunswick, MD on 2/15/2021 4:53:47 PM:

One thing about riding in that part of loudoun county is that you've got a ridge to the west that you can't go over (with a paved road that runs parallel to it, mountain rd), 287 on the east, then 9 followed by 7 in the south. So, you can hardly get lost. ;) You might end up on someone's driveway rather than a dirt/gravel road but that's about the worst of it.

JJ Biker from Reston, VA on 2/17/2021 11:57:27 AM:

White's Ferry not over with....a new buyer is finalizing details to purchase the ferry to resume service. So no long detours from Point of Rocks, etc

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/negotiations-under-way-to-keep-whites-ferry-open

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