First weight pull and conformation

We went big and started at the UKC Eastern Classic. 

Took first place in weight pull. I withdrew him at 596 pounds. He could have gone further but I wanted him wanting more.

We got our first conformation points.

I did not wipe out- second leg of C&O trail

 

No rain while we did the trail but it had rained in the days prior making about 10% of the ride tricky. 

Started where we left off last time and went to Lockhouse 70. Round trip about 20 miles. 

We saw great blue herons, white tail deer, mallard ducks and different sorts of terrain. 

Mile Marker 166.7

Thomas Cresap gravesite and Ginevan House

For many years the grave of famous frontiersman Thomas Cresap sat unmarked and nearly forgotten. English-born Cresap, who was known in colonial Maryland as an Indian trader, a land speculator, a farmer and a soldier, died in 1787 and was buried here, overlooking Lock 70. Livestock grazed over the unkempt grave and Cresap’s headstone was knocked over. In 1939, someone moved the headstone to the Oldtown Methodist Church cemetery, a mile away. For the next 60 years Cresap’s grave remained unmarked in the middle of a cow pasture. During this time the land was owned by the Ginevan family, who built a Victorian home on the land, which remains today. In the 1990’s historians, descendents and the National Park Service were able to return Cresap’s headstone to its rightful place. Also on this site, the Ginevan family built an impressive brick Victorian home in 1878 that remains today.

Also here is Oldtown whose history dates back thousands of years to early Native American settlements in the area. Five of their trails passed through Oldtown; in fact, the town’s original name was Shawnee Oldtown. In the early 1740s, frontiersman Thomas Cresap established a fort near the Potomac River. His son, Michael, was the first white male born in Allegany County. Today, one of the oldest structures in Allegany County is the 1764 Michael Cresap House. George Washington crossed the Potomac here in 1748 when he was in his teens, working on a survey mission. The low water crossing of the Potomac River at Oldtown made it a popular spot for troops to cross during the French and Indian War and again later during the Civil War. Several Civil War incidents at Oldtown affected the canal and the B&O Railroad. In August of 1864, after burning Chambersburg and occupying Hancock, Confederate troops threatened Cumberland. Union forces amassed an unsuccessful attempt to trap Brigadier John McCausland’s Confederate raiders behind Union lines in the Battle of Oldtown on August 2. (Source: www.canaltrust.org)

Northern Tier's North Penn K9 Training Seminar

 

First leg of C&O canal ride

Given the time of year, decided to do a count down of miles.

Saw cows, corn, birds, and other cyclists. 

Vast majority of the trail had a soft surface for Boozie so unable to assess how well I've conditioned his pads. Running wise it wasn't a challenge. 

Went from Cumberland visitor center to Lock 75 -- and back.

Mile marker 184.6                   

Cumberland

Cumberland, established as a town in 1787, was once the second largest city in Maryland. During the Industrial Revolution the mountains of the Cumberland region provided coal, iron ore and timber, which turned the city into a key manufacturing center. Other industries took off as well, like glass, breweries, fabrics, and tinplates. Prior to the arrival of the railroad and the canal, the National Road brought travelers to Cumberland. The railroad made it to Cumberland in 1842, followed by the canal in 1850. At that time, use of the National Road began to decline. The last stagecoach line stopped operating in 1853. During much of the Civil War, Union General Benjamin Kelley’s troops, headquartered in Cumberland, were responsible for protecting the B&O Railroad and the canal. Following World War II, industry in Cumberland began to decline, as did the population. (Source: www.canaltrust.org)

Mile marker 182.6                   

Wiley’s Ford

On the night of February 21-22, 1865, about 65 men known as McNeil’s Rangers crossed the Potomac River near Brady’s Mills and entered Cumberland, while approximately 8,000 Union troops were encamped there. The rangers captured Generals Kelly and Crook while they were sleeping and took them, along with their horses, down the canal to Wiley’s Ford where they crossed into Virginia. The generals were taken to Richmond where they were held in captivity. (Source: www.canaltrust.org)