Poolesville Seniors presented a “Pop-up Walk” with Jon Wolz January 5. Jon took six participants along on the “Overlook Trail” that begins near the Great Falls Tavern. This trail follows a high ridge on the side of the canal away from the river and has spectacular views of the falls and the canal below at three overlook points. On the trail we ducked under some small trees weighed down with snow, then stopped and took pictures at each overlook point. About a mile below the tavern, the trail wound back down toward the canal and crossed the canal at a “stop gate” which looks like a house sitting on a bridge above the canal and was a means of controlling floodwaters. During floods, boards were lowered from the bridge house to stem the flow of water through the canal and divert it back toward the river. The group hiked back up the towpath to the trail to Olmstead Island and the overlook above Great Falls and headed back to the tavern. The not-too-strenuous hike took about two and a half hours.
Thanks again to our guide and historian: Jon Wolz! Jon said if there is enough interest, he’ll repeat the walk when the weather is a little warmer.