Leaving Hancock, a quaint white-painted town on the C&O trail, we had some amazing luck! The previous day Chris had some pain in her …ah…seat, and at night Chris discovered a budding saddle sore that could end our trip if it blossomed and got infected. So, we planned to get a new seat for Chris at the local bike shop first thing in the morning, noting that the new seat might not solve the issue. For the uninitiated, selecting a new seat for a bike and ones particular anatomy is a time consuming and potentially risky endeavor, especially in the middle of a multi-day tour. However, as we were just about to leave the B&B, Chris was describing the issue to a fellow guest and the lady exclaimed that she had a spare gel bike seat pad in her room, brand new and unopened, and wanted to get rid of it so she didn’t have to go through the trouble of returning it! Voila! The pad fit perfectly, Chris proclaimed that it alleviated the pain and pressure, and we were off! That was an amazing coincidence and such good luck!

The rest of the day went well. The daily temperatures were rising, the air was crisp and dry and the color on the leaves never ceased to please. We had a small detour of rolling terrain on country roads that brought some variety to the scenery and ended in Shepardstown at the fancy Bavarian Inn for the night.
And, I’m happy to report that the seat pad worked wonders.

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