John W. from Pittsburgh, PA on 6/22/2017 10:29:58 PM:
If the weather is nice and sunny but it rained a couple of days ago, expect puddles and mud on the C&O. I always ride the C&O with the expectation of getting wet and muddy. Once you except this fact and just plow through the puddles, you will enjoy the trip that much more. Trying to avoid it is hard because it's so long and there are so many puddles if it's wet. The C&O takes a long time to drain as it's, for the most part, covered by tree canopy so the sun doesn't dry it out. Most hotels have hoses to wash your bikes down. The GAP drains much better (it's crushed limestone rail-trail). You'll get a little gritty but nothing like the C&O when it's wet. Just make sure your valuables and camp clothes are wrapped in plastic to stay dry. Look at it as an adventure! :-)