True, this same thing happened to me with a huge group of about thirty or thirty five geese. I saw them from pretty far off and I started clapping and yelling to chase them off the canal path. All this did was to agitate the aggressive males. They lined up in a line in front to block my path. I wasn't that familiar at the time with these birds so I figured I'd be more intimidating. I got louder and started to sprint right at the center of them. The males got more agitated. They started to bob their heads and hissing. I was playing chicken with a group of geese. I was sure they would back down. I sprinted fast and hard right to the line, they didn't back down. Right at the last minute I took a hard left into thick woods and brush to miss them. I'm glad I didn't try running through the center. These were tough birds.
DC Runner Dude wrote:
I've had a few run-ins with the geese on the C&O towpath in the same area that you guys are talking about - heading north from Georgetown but before Fletcher's.
On one occasion, about a dozen of them lined up on the entire width of the path and they would not let me cross. The problem for me was that I had to go in that direction because I was running home to Bethesda. I tried everything, tip toeing around them, yelling at them, kicking dust and nothing I could do would make them back down. Finally I gave up and turned around and until I could find a spot to cut over to the CCT.
I know it's hard for people who haven't experienced this to understand. Most people who I told the story to asked why I didn't just run through them. Much easier said than done!