Moving Forward and Looking Back

Day Four: Wednesday, Sept. 9,2009

After a nice break it was time to hit the trail again. Unfortunately for me the rail trail ended at Big Pool and we were back on the towpath. The clouds seemed to be thinning and it looked like we might see a bit of sunshine during the afternoon.

John had decided to ride on ahead of us and join Rosy at the other end of that afternoon's ride so it was up to Jack, Chris, Dave and I to do the sightseeing. We didn't have to ride far to come to the first stop of the afternoon, Fort Frederick State Park.




The stone fort, named in honor of Maryland's Lord Proprietor, Frederick Calvert, Sixth Lord Baltimore, was erected by Governor Horatio Sharpe in 1756 to protect English settlers from the French and their Indian allies. Fort Frederick was unique because of its large size and strong stone wall. Most other forts of the period were built of wood and earth. The fort served as an important supply base for English campaigns. During 1763, an Ottawa Indian chief named Pontiac forged a massive Indian uprising. Several hundred settlers and militia force sought protection within the fort during this brief uprising.

The stone walls and two barracks have been restored to look as they did in 1758.




There is always time for photos.




Where are you going, Dave? Can I come too?







Break time is over, boys, time to move on. Boys? Are we moving on? Boys?




At canal mile 110 we came to Four Locks.




Four Locks was once a thriving community of homes and businesses supporting the canal. In 1836, a one-mile shortcut was built for the canal to avoid a four-mile loop in the Potomac. The shortcut required the construction of four locks to handle a 32-foot difference in elevation. Lock houses, a mule barn (now restored), general stores, warehouses, and a drydock for boat repair were built along this section of the canal. Because it was approximately half way between Cumberland and Washington, canal boats frequently stopped here for repairs and supplies.




It was time to move on but it wasn't long before we came upon this.




These boys have never come upon a site that didn't require a break. I have to admit that the views of the Potomac were really pretty from this spot. Note the sun. It made a brief, welcome appearance that afternoon.




Of course we couldn't resist putting ourselves in front of the view.




The siblings.




Have we changed much through the years?




Enough reminiscing, time to move on.

We had one more photo break before the end of the trail that day. The Stonewall Jackson at Dam 5.

The dam was originally built to retain water for the C&O Canal in 1835. It was modified in 1993, and is 20 feet (6.1 m) tall, retaining 490 acres (200 ha) of reservoir.[2] The 1835 dam was constructed of wood cribbing, and was attacked by Confederate forces under General Stonewall Jackson in December of 1861 with the aim of destroying the dam, depriving the upper C&O Canal of water and consequently cutting off coal shipments to Washington, D.C.. Two assaults by Jackson's forces failed to cause significant damage to the dam.[3] The dam was later replaced with a stone structure,[4] which has been upgraded with concrete.




Another great day on the trail. We made our way to the KOA to find freshly laundered sheets and towels waiting for us. Thanks again, KOA. We really appreciated it. We enjoyed a nice dinner at the local Olive Garden and happily retold our stories of that day's ride.

Mileage for the guys 45. Total miles so far in the trip stands at 227. 105 left. Will everyone make it? Time will tell.

to be continued.....