Low bridge, everybody down

This afternoon I went hiking here, along a canal towpath that stretches 184.5 miles (I only traversed about four or five of them). It basically looked like this,










































although periodically it was a bit creepy.












Even seemingly calm waters around Spookytown can be dangerous,













but that doesn't stop the oh-so-rebellious teenagers who like to court death via wading.













I saw this nice heron across the canal, along with its friend down the bank.

































Otherwise, this interpretive park service sign was as close as I got to interesting wildlife.













The only other remarkable things about this hike were the reflections in the water (the slow current and lack of wind made for a good reflective surface), and the incredible number of fallen trees -- trees fallen in the water, into other trees, down slopes, across creeks, next to the towpath. It seemed like a kind of high per capita mortality rate, and I decided that if I were a deciduous tree, I would think twice before settling down and raising a family on the banks of the Potomac.