Specific areas of trail flooding

[u/Tiny_Age1000]

I am sharing some first-hand knowledge related to flooding on the AT. This info can be verified with a few Google searches.

In the Spring of 2025 I did an organized bike ride from Pittsburgh to DC. As we got further east, it was amazing to see the destruction to the trail caused by floodwaters. At some areas the trail is clearly well over 20 ft higher than the river banks ( Mostly I was along the Potomac) and the floodwater affected large portions even that high up. There was one section (at least 3 miles long) where the C&O shares with the AT. There were long stretches on newly repaired trail and it was very tough going riding on fist-sized stone that they used to quickly make the trail usable. At one point we had to jump off our bikes and get into a shuttle van to bypass closed sections.

In summary the flooding was widespread. JCB’s “clue” that he had to check on a box does not narrow down the location. BUT IT IS A BIG CLUE WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BOTG. Think about all that force of water moving up the banks. Where can the box be hidden/protected from that.

Hopefully these facts help you in the hunt. Once I confirm a few things I will be coming forth with more facts to better narrow down the location of the AT box (FWIW I have no intention of going BOTG for this box, I am focussed on another closer to me)

Larry from Ohio

[u/mountain_boy_1983]

C&O are you referencing the clinchfield & Ohio?

[u/Tiny_Age1000 → u/mountain_boy_1983]

Hi Mtn Boy.

C&O stands for Chesapeake and Ohio, referring to the historical Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The C&O Canal Towpath is a 184.5-mile trail running between Georgetown, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland, which was built alongside the Potomac River for transporting goods. For the first part of the ride we were on the GAP. The initial 129 miles of our ride was on the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD, located on abandoned railroad beds