d.c. to paul's place near york

somehow i managed to get up at 6:30am after going to bed at 2am. it was my chance to get a ride several miles with nathan when he went to work. this gave me the early start i needed, and i caught a quick couple rides after meditating and eating in the school parking lot, and having my morning bathroom time at a mcdonalds. while in the parking lot i had two very positive interactions with guys arriving for work. one of them really wanted to do what i was doing, and i encouraged him to go for it.

i liked about the first guy who i hitched with that he proudly does not own a computer or cell phone. the second ride came as quickly as the first as i tried to make my way up to the north of baltimore, where i would proceed on a 'railroad trail' up to york, PA. he had to make a stop in columbia, but decided he would take me all the way to the the bicycle trail after that. i almost refused his offer. he encouraged me to use his tools at the house. i tightened the bolt of one of the clamps holding the rack to the seat stay. i visited with his friend, who he has been couchsurfing with for a while, and he made me two eggs over-easy with gouda cheese on top! this is one of the best rides i have ever gotten! i left mulberries i had picked just before hitching this ride.we jumped back in his jeep, conversation got deep, and he took me all the way up to the post office in cockeyesville.

the ride up the trail was amazing! what perfect weather! one thing i wished for were water fountains along the trail. there were places to get water, but just not always right when i would have liked it. this is probably the flattest section of bike trail on the east coast. the slight incline to New Freedom is almost too gradual to notice. there is a library on the trail in the cool old town of glen rock. i passed through there after their closing time of 4pm.

paul, a warmshowers participant, accepted my request at the last minute and i was able to call him on someone's cell phone in a small town several miles before his house. he rode out and intercepted me within a couple miles of his beautiful new condo. i don't think i would have made it in time for dinner if i had refused the ride earlier. we shared a wonderful dinner of a soup he made and a dish of greens i prepared from his fresh, local green beans and nettles i picked on the trail. i caved and ate the lightly sweetened, chocolate-mint tapioca pudding paul had made for dessert.

the pictures of the countryside were taken by paul on a day with very similar weather. i like the well-kept farms of this area. feels like the tradition is strong here. the tunnel was a part of the trail i really enjoyed. it is called 'howard tunnel'.