Adventure Cycling Association

Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA) was thrilled to receive a grant from Adventure Cycling for our second annual tandem bike camping trip. This year, 25 campers braved the heat to camp with us on the Marsden Track on the C&O Canal Towpath. Of this year’s group, three people were first-time bike campers. Through a heat advisory, a detour, and many more adventures, we managed to roll with the flow and had a great time!

Eight tandem pairs and our wonderful drivers met at the Bethesda Metro. Everyone was already sweaty but buzzing with excitement. This year, one of our campers, Qudsiya Naqui, served as our documentarian—she was at the ready with her phone to record our experiences for an audio story that will be featured on her podcast, Down to the Struts, in Fall 2024.

Five pairs of tandem bikers who were interested in a longer ride took a 24-mile route through neighborhood streets to Rock Creek Park, and then along the Potomac River on the Capital Crescent and C&O Canal trails. Three tandem pairs did the same 14-mile route as last year down the Capital Crescent Trail, then out on the C&O Canal Towpath. Unlike last year, the towpath was almost completely dry with no puddles to splash through, but we still saw plenty of blue herons in the canal.

When we arrived at the campsite, we unloaded our gear and set up our tents. We sat around a picnic table for a late lunch, talking about why we love biking and camping. Azka, one of the campers, summed it up: “Biking [is] like the actual definition of inclusion and accessibility, showing people that visually impaired and blind people can do anything if the environment and the bikes are adapted.” She also mentioned that she loves the birds chirping and the early mornings during a camping trip.

Access was at the center of our trip this year—we made sure our tents were labeled in Braille so that everyone could easily find their own. Campers brought accessible chess and Braille playing cards to enjoy by the fire after dark. We also created a system of rope lines so everyone was able to feel their way to the bathroom at night.

Around four in the afternoon, a group of us left for a four-mile hike up the trail and then onto the Gold Mine Trail. The trail leads to the ruins of a 19th century gold mine established during the Civil War. But the real gold is the trail itself: winding through Great Falls, Maryland, the tall trees offered ideal amounts of shade and we hiked to the sound of a babbling creek running alongside our path.

The hikers returned to the campsite to find one of our drivers serenading everyone with guitar music, strumming Scottish and English tunes—plus a few American favorites like Brown-Eyed Girl—as dinner was set out. We had a marvelous burrito buffet, complete with salsa and fresh guacamole.

Along with our original group, two tandem pairs, a solo cyclist, and a driver had left the Eastern Market Metro after work, biked through D.C. to the C&O Canal Towpath, and met the group at the campsite in time for dinner. Some campers enjoyed a swim in the Potomac River while the hikers were out. The water was calm and bathtub temperature, and the late evening summer sun sparkled on the surface. 

As the soaked swimmers dried off by the fire, we made s’mores, played board games, and told stories. One of the trip organizers shared her experiences as a puppy raiser for guide dogs, and we were joined on the trip by her newest recruit, Chloe, a sweet yellow Labrador puppy who enjoyed many snuggles.

We woke to a beautiful morning and a yoga flow class led by Ariel, one of our intrepid gear drivers and fitness instructor extraordinaire. Nikos was on hand with fresh coffee, which we all enjoyed.

Once we packed up camp, it was back on our bikes and off to Fletcher’s Cove, where we put in some rented kayaks and spent the afternoon floating on the Potomac River. Sharon, one of our planning committee members, arranged a wonderful picnic lunch of peanut butter sandwiches that we all enjoyed during breaks from boating.

We rolled home on Saturday afternoon feeling accomplished, with lots of great memories, new connections, and stories to share. One of our tandem captains who had never bike camped before described our adventure as a “great entry point,” and said he was up for another trip.

One of our stokers who had never bike camped before told us: “I never thought camping was an option for my visual diagnosis. As corny as this sounds, it expanded my view of what is possible for me.”

Even in the heat, Camp MWABA managed to roll with the flow, and we had an amazing time!