Category: Cycle the Erie

The last evening at camp was nice with friends, coolers filled with beer, a decent wine selection and lots and lots of food. I feel sure I’ve replace every calorie I’ve burned this week but that only makes each bite more delicious.

The after dinner “no-talent talent show” lived up to its name with a variety of acts put on by good natured people much braver than me. There were awards for the most flat tires in a day (4), oldest rider (88 yrs) and youngest (14 yrs), bike mechanic’s best friend (frequent customer award), slowest rider and many others I can’t remember. Fun times!

Third base turned out to be a good spot for the tent because it stayed dry through the steady rain during the night. I’m glad I didn’t know ahead of time how rainy it would be, otherwise I might have changed my mind about this. Riding in the rain is not that bad, the hard part is keeping damp clothes and bedding from getting too funky. Two visits to the laundromat were essential in making it this far. A third is definitely needed now.

We awoke early, packed and loaded up our gear, ate breakfast and headed out on the bikes by 6:30 AM. It was nice to be one of the first on the trail, riding on the quiet paved path through the woods with lots of rabbits and birds, a doe feeding in the grass and a little turtle crossing the path for company.

The trail ran along the Hudson River with miles of fresh asphalt and picturesque bridges.

We made good time, briefly stopping at the rest stop about 10 miles from Albany and crossed the finish line by 9 AM.

I’m so glad we are able to accomplish such a big goal and had so much fun doing it.

Flying down the hill this morning way more fun than riding up it and it was a great way to start the day’s ride.

Walking down the steep grassy hill in the dark to the port-o-john in the middle of the night was less fun. I think the view on top was worth it but I think Riley disagrees.

The morning started with a brief downpour shortly after 5 AM, just long enough to make the tent nice and wet before we packed it up and stuffed it in a duffle. The weather cleared and stayed nice for the ride.

The only bike repair we’ve needed all week was a flat Riley discovered this morning. The timing and location really couldn’t have been better since the bike repair tent was just a few yards away.

Much of the trail we rode on today was new so the ride was smooth and surrounded by trees and followed along the Mohawk River for a good distance.

The first stop of the morning was 18 miles in at Old Fort Hunter. I had ridden a little ahead of Riley so I waited for him at the first turn off before the rest stop. I waited and I waited, watching cyclist after cyclist pass by with no sign of Riley. I was beginning to get irritated and then concerned, envisioning a horrible crash or some other terrible reason he hadn’t appeared when I remembered the Fresh Baked Goods sign a mile or two back beside an Amish horse and buggy just off the trail. Sure enough, here he comes around the turn with a big grin and a little sugar on his lips telling me he just ate the “best cinnamon roll he’s ever had.” Haha. And the best part is he brought one for me. I guess I can’t be too annoyed at having to wait. We toured the museum and enjoyed a few minutes off the bikes.

We continued on a short distance to Amsterdam, NY where we took a short detour to Riverlink Park which features a large scenic bridge over the Mohawk River with beautiful sculptures and artwork.

We continued on to the Patersonville Volunteer Fire Department for hotdogs and hamburgers, not that I was particularly hungry, but I figured if they’re going to all the trouble of having a cookout for us it was the least I could do.

The trail crossed the river several times and some of the bridges were particularly pretty. Marcia snapped this photo of me so I returned the favor for her.

The next rest stop was only about 4 miles down the trail at Mabee Farm Historic Site, the oldest farm in the Mohawk Valley (1705). I couldn’t eat another thing but we did enjoy touring the farm and learning some of the history.

After that the route continued through Schenectady and finished at the Jewish Community Center in Niskayuna for a total of 46.6 miles.

After retrieving our bags from the truck we did the usual walk around trying to decide the optimal place to pitch the tent. I spied the top of a hill surrounding a ball field but Riley had enough climbing hills in the middle of the night so we opted for a high spot near third base.

An afternoon shower throughly soaked our tent while we had the rain fly hanging up to dry. Whoops. I hope it dries out before time for bed tonight.

Tonight is the end of ride celebration with the last 28 or so miles on tap for tomorrow morning. I’m kind of sad to be done but I think our sleeping pads and tent could use a little Febreeze at this point so I guess it’s just as well.

Verona Beach State Park on the East shore of Oneida Lake was a great overnight camping spot. The park is large and shady with a long wide beach perfect for swimming or watching the sunset. It’s also very, very dark at night. Great for sleeping but not so great when you have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. I got up about 3 AM, put on my Chacos and crawled out of the tent in pitch darkness. I stood in the dark waiting for my eyes to adjust, thinking of all the reasons this was a bad idea: tripping over a tent stake, getting disoriented and not being able to find my way back, getting in the wrong tent, and briefly considered waking Riley up to go with me. I told myself not to be a baby and carefully made my way to the bathhouse about 20 yards away. The cinder block building has tiny windows and no lights at all. I had visited it earlier and knew the layout so I had no trouble finding the first stall and taking care of business in pitch darkness. It was a strange experience for sure. I retraced my footsteps, crawled in a tent that looked like mine and relieved to find the big guy sleeping inside was Riley.

We awoke at 5 AM to the sounds of caterers setting up breakfast, tent zippers opening and early risers breaking down their camps. We joined the others for egg, ham and bacon bagels, yogurt, fruit, juice and coffee then grabbed a cheese danish to stash in our packs before packing up our gear and boarding the shuttle back to Rome.

Overcast skies with highs in the mid 70’s is much better for riding the 62 mile route than the hot sunny day we had yesterday. The talk at breakfast was all about the steep climb on the last quarter mile of today’s route. I hope it’s not as bad as everyone says. <spoiler alert: it IS as bad as everyone says.>

The bikes were corralled inside Fort Stanwix overnight so we got a brief look inside when we retrieved them this morning. I wish I’d taken the time to tour the fort yesterday but I was just too tired to care.

The morning route followed roads through town until we picked up the trail. The ride was nice, crossing bridges and riding along the canal most of the time. A lot of the trail was paved which made for a smooth ride but some of the older asphalt sections were pretty bumpy where tree roots caused it to buckle. That part was not so great. After 18 miles of riding the morning rest stop in Utica was a welcome sight. I was hungry and thirsty.

The next 13 miles flew by. The route from Utica to Ilion was all roads, relatively little traffic and a great tailwind. I loved it!

The next section was very scenic. Wildflowers lined each side of the wide, smooth paved trail with great views of the surrounding area.

The afternoon rest stop was at mile 41 at the Rotary Park and Marina in Little Falls. We relaxed and snacked on chips and salsa and before cycling over to a sandwich shop downtown. We have 20 more miles to go it was really ice to sit in air conditioning for awhile.

We took an alternate more scenic route out of Little Falls where we rode by several groups of rock climbers near Lock 17 and hiked a short trail to see geologic pot holes carved into the hard rock. We crossed the river by riding over Lock 17, the deepest lock on the Erie Canal. We watched a couple boats making their way up river before carrying our bikes down a steep staircase on the other side.

We’ve relied on my Garmin Edge bike computer for navigation this week and it came in handy once again to find the shortest route back to the trail.

Twenty miles later we arrived at the bottom of the infamous hill leading straight up to tonight’s overnight camp at Canajoharie High School. The worst part of the climb is the stop sign at the bottom so you are forced to begin the climb with zero momentum. I saw people getting off their bikes but I had already decided I didn’t come this far to walk my bike up a hill. It wasn’t pretty, but I did it! And according to Strava I was the 6th fastest hill climber so far. Whoo hoo!

We pitched our tent on the crest of a hill overlooking tent city and the caterers barbecuing chicken for dinner tonight. The best part of the day is stepping into a warm shower, putting on clean, dry clothes and sitting down to a great meal cooked by someone else.

After dinner we caught the shuttle to a dive bar in downtown Canajoharie where I had a beer, Ginger Ale for Riley and listened to live music with Julie, Bruce and a bunch of other cyclists. A guy who supposedly toured with Garth Brooks sang a few tunes and was really good. The bar owner was smitten with Julie so we made his day by posing for a picture with him outside the bar. Haha. Fun times.

We will all sleep well tonight

The day started with breakfast at the zoo a short ride down the hill from camp. I didn’t make the mistake of having just cereal and fruit like I did yesterday. Today I filled my plate with scrambled eggs, bacon and French toast with syrup and a big cup of the hottest coffee I can remember. I won’t be hungry for hours!

We said goodbye to the flamingos, ducks and geese before cycling back up the hill on our way to Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome. The forecast calls for a much warmer, sunny day.

The route started out with four miles through downtown Syracuse with lots of morning commuter traffic, traffic signals, bike lanes and street crossings. It’s tricky to watch cars, traffic signals and route markings on unfamiliar roads so everyone in our small group of 8 or so cyclists all watch out for one another, making sure no one gets off track.

The dynamic of this large group of 350 cyclists is pretty amazing. While the average age is 60, there is a wide range of ages from probably early high school age to college age, 20-something men and women, middle aged working people, retirees and seniors, grandparents with grandchildren, couples and singles. Everyone is considerate and friendly even after long, tiring days. I’ve witnessed many acts of kindness and compassion over the last few days. It’s also amazing to me that I haven’t heard anyone swearing or cursing. Not that I’m above cursing, as some of you know well, but it’s another example of the respect these cyclists show to one another.

Once on the canal trail, we passed through very rural areas between Syracuse and Rome. I spotted a beaver swimming alongside the trail and had to dodge lots of geese who were very protective of their goslings.

The morning rest stop was in the Village of Chittenango where we toured a museum with a boat shop and blacksmith.

I spotted this creepy scarecrow in a backyard garden just after leaving the rest stop and right before arriving in Canastota. I had to do a double take to figure out what I was seeing. That thing would scare anything away!

It was only 10 AM or so when we arrived in Canastota, too early to eat lunch so we grabbed a delicious chicken almond wrap and stashed it in the bike bag for later on. I toured the Canastota Canal Town Museum before continuing on the trail.

The sun and heat took a toll on our energy today so we were happy to stop at a shady picnic table with some other cyclists and enjoy our lunch.

One last rest stop for watermelon and water bottle refills before we finished the last 10 miles of the 48 mile day. Riley has been a real trooper, riding these long days with his swollen and now multi-colored leg.

The last mile or so before Fort Stanwix was horrible. Large loose gravel and numerous potholes made in it seem like it was 5 miles instead. We dropped our bikes off at the fort and boarded the first motor coach to Verona Beach State Park where we’re camping tonight. We swam in the beautiful lake, showered and headed to town to once again wash out laundry which had become gross stuffed in the duffle.

We had a nice dinner and great conversation with Bruce and Julie Cline at Captain John’s Restaurant in Sylvan Beach then watched the sunset over the lake.

The rain stopped sometime during the night and we woke up around 5 AM to the sound of buses bringing the cyclists who slept in the gymnasium in Seneca Falls back to camp. Our tent stayed warm and dry all night but others were not so lucky. Lots of lessons learned about pitching tents on high ground. Feeling optimistic, we slathered on sunscreen after breakfast and followed the orange route markers spray painted on the road toward Syracuse and a new batch of dark, ominous clouds.

The morning route started off fast on 55 mph highways with tractor trailers and fast cars zooming alongside. The rain started just a few minutes later and didn’t let up for a good hour and a half. I am very glad we packed bright colored rain jackets to help make us more visible in these conditions. All of the roads had wide shoulders or bike lanes so it wasn’t as hazardous as it sounds but I relaxed a little more when we got back on the trail.

The rain stopped shortly after Port Byron and the route continued mostly on paved roads for some distance. I really enjoyed the smooth ride and I even loved climbing the hills, especially when I could pull away from other riders and have some breathing room. I don’t like to ride behind someone else. It’s too distracting to pay attention to their speed, maneuvers, etc. I’d rather just find my rhythm and get in the zone.

The skies cleared and we were rinding in sunshine again not long after leaving Port Byron. Lots more road riding followed until we finally picked up the Canal path again. The dirt/crushed stone trail meandered through the woods for miles. Ruts worn in the soggy patches were avoided by quick detours through the grass. The shade was a welcome respite from the sun. The sunscreen I applied earlier washed off somewhere on Highway 20.

Camillus Landing is the halfway point on the Erie Canal 175 miles from Buffalo and 175 miles from Albany. I heard the cowbells before I saw the people cheering as we rode up.

The smell of hotdogs on the grill made my mouth water. The cereal and blueberries I had for breakfast and the leftover Amish cookie in my bike pack wore off about 15 miles back. Everyone stopped to enjoy the celebration and eat hotdogs, watermelon and fresh baked goods. We listened to a brass band and enjoyed learning some of the history of the canal.

The last 7 miles or so to Burnet Park, the overnight site in Syracuse, were all pretty much uphill. Riley was ready to get off the bike and rest his swollen leg. It didn’t take long to set up our tent, we have the routine down pat at this point. After a shower he had time to chill out for a few hours until time for the half-way celebration this afternoon.

The celebration was hosted at Rosamond Gifford Zoo just down the hill from our campsite. We had a few minutes to wander around and see some of the animals before the open bar reception. One of the best things about this trip is getting to know some of the other 350 cyclists. Dinner followed the reception with live music in the courtyard at the zoo.

201 miles so far this week with 48 or so more tomorrow!

The band packed up and went home just after sunset and everyone settled down into the evening. A line of people headed to the bathrooms with tooth brushes in hand, others gathering in small groups talking or playing cards. I sat in a chair with my book and enjoyed the cool air. The day has been so hot.

Matt sent me photos of some new houseplants he got and I sent him a picture of storm clouds gathering on the horizon.

I decided it might be a good idea to get in the tent before it started raining. I moved our bikes under a picnic pavilion and joined Riley in the tent. Minutes later the wind started howling and sheets of rain tore across camp.

The wind was so strong it nearly blew our tent over. Riley had to hold on to the tent frame to keep it from collapsing in from the force of the wind. Lightening lit up the tent and loud cracks of thunder rolled over and over.

The wind was blowing away from my side of the tent so I was able look out and watch what was going on outside. Some people were running to buildings and others were huddled on picnic tables under the pavilion.

I changed into my sleeping clothes just before the storm hit so I grabbed my shorts and put them back on and made sure I knew where my shoes were in case we needed to run for shelter.

Matt sent me detailed weather updates and radar of the storm. You’re almost through it. 60kt wind gusts predicted and 1.5 inch hail. 45k ft storm tops. That’s a big one to camp through.

The storm raged for awhile longer, eventually becoming steady rain. Parks and Trails NY staff organized arrangements to transport people to spend the night at a gym in town and a bus to Walmart for those who need to buy dry supplies. They sent out texts and came by every tent to make sure we knew our options. I can’t say enough about how impressed I am with PTNY. Their staff is top-notch.

I’m very glad we were in the tent and that we stayed safe and everything stayed dry. We’ll stay here for the night.

What an adventure!

Poor Riley didn’t sleep great last night lying in the tent on an air mattress with his bruised and swollen leg. I made an ice pack using a couple extra ziplock bags we had stashed away but it wasn’t easy to keep it in place. Harder still was climbing in and out of our tent. That’s hard enough under normal conditions.

We planned for Riley to take a rest day by riding with the camp crew to the next overnight while I biked to Seneca Falls, but by morning he was feeling a lot better and against my advice decided to get back in the saddle. After all, it’s only 51 miles today. How hard can that be? Don’t be a baby.

We timed our start at 7AM so we’d be in Lyons around the time the Hotchkiss Peppermint Museum opens. That was one of our favorite places to visit when we did this ride in 2019 and have looked forward to going back since. I think that’s Riley’s true motivation!

The first part of the route followed the canal on a single track dirt path through the woods. It was nice to ride along the quiet woods in the cool fresh morning air. We passed what I later found out was a plastic factory alongside the canal and soon I passed under a large pipe overhead making a loud sound that could have been rushing water but something about it seemed different. A fellow at the water stop a short way ahead said they transport plastic beads through that pipe. Ah, yes. That made sense.

The morning rest stop in Palmyra was only 13 miles out but it was nice to stop and get off the bike. After three consecutive days on a bike seat my butt is happy to have all the breaks it can get.

The Newark chamber of commerce provided the next rest stop with water, cups of mandarin oranges, peaches and pears along with brightly colored reflective shoe laces. The waterfront murals are beautiful.

Next stop was the highly anticipated Hotchkiss Essential Oil (Peppermint) Museum in Lyons. The building holds all kinds of artifacts from the essential oil factory.

I found this information from an article in Finger Lakes Magazine.

In 1839, when Hiram Hotchkiss started the company in Phelps, Europe was the capital of the peppermint industry. Not long after he established a second business location in Lyons in 1841, the tide began to turn. The Hotchkiss Company won the first-prize medal at an 1851 international exhibition in London. Today, that large, framed award, signed by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, is hanging proudly in the building’s reception room with other certificates recognizing the excellence of the company’s oils. A total of 17 medals were received, and are archived with other Hotchkiss business records at Cornell University.

We toured the museum and bought lots of peppermints and other things in the gift shop. I really like this place. When we rode up, the lady who greeted us said she remembered when we were there in 2019. Probably because we bought so much peppermint haha.

It was a short ride to downtown Clyde where we had lunch and the afternoon rest stop. A deejay played tunes and local ladies sold delicious sandwiches in the park. My favorite snack was Oreo cookies smeared with peanut butter and topped with a slice of banana. I’ll definitely have to try that again.

The last 15 miles of the route were rolling paved roads through Amish country between Clyde and Seneca Falls. It was gorgeous, hot and sunny. We stopped to buy cookies and lemonade from some young Amish girls we remembered from the last time we rode this section when they also had puppies for sale. When we told them we remembered that they said we have some puppies now but they’re all spoken for, not that we’re looking to stash a puppy in the bike bag.

We were both happy to see the campsite ahead after 51 miles of riding. The hot sun really made a big difference in how hard it felt. We set up camp, showered and rested for a bit before taking the shuttle to a laundromat in Seneca Falls along with several other cyclists. Afterward we called the shuttle to go downtown and had the best pizza and beer I can remember.

Downtown Seneca Falls has some really interesting sights including a museum and markers related to the women’s suffrage movement and the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.

Back at camp, we enjoyed a sunset concert by the Seneca Falls Community Band.

It really is a wonderful life.

The rain is over, hallelujah! Overcast skies turned to partly sunny by mid- afternoon, perfect for a long ride day. Today’s 62 mile route went from Medina to Fairport with no road riding other than getting from camp to the trailhead in the morning.

It seems like everyone got up early today. I guess those who camped inside the school were ready to get out as soon as the sun came up. I can’t imagine that would be better than sleeping in your own tent, rain notwithstanding. The gymnasium looked like a homeless encampment with wet clothes hanging from every surface, sleeping pads and bags of belongings stashed in every corner.

After breakfast we loaded up our gear (except my bath towel I later discovered) and were on the bikes a little before 7AM. My rain jacket felt nice in the cool morning air and riding was easy as we made our way from camp to the canal and for the first few miles until we reached the canal. A stiff headwind for the first 30 miles made it feel a little harder than yesterday. The flat wide trail of crushed gravel sits higher than the canal on the right and open farm land on the left with nothing to provide a windbreak other than occasional clumps of trees. I ditched the rain jacket/wind sail and gained about 5 mph. What a difference that made.

The first event of the morning was riding through the Village of Albion, home of Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School which is the oldest continuously-run Santa school in the world. I’ll bet you didn’t know that! Santa himself was on hand to greet us with jolly good watermelon, bananas and bottled water. It’s so nice to see the locals come out to welcome us to their community. Everyone is so friendly and helpful.

Energized by their good will and generosity, we continued on. I was feeling really good and rode a little ahead. Riley makes a bigger target than I do so I had it a little easier in the wind. I passed a few groups of riders and was cruising along in the left lane when a fellow cyclist came alongside at a nice clip and said hello. Not wanting to be passed myself, I picked up the pace and we chatted for a bit. Serge and I communicated surprisingly well considering the wind noise, his strong French accent and my (hopefully not too strong) Southern one. I was relieved to be able to keep up with him for several miles but I don’t think I could have kept it up for the next 50 miles.

When we arrived in Rockport an even bigger crowd cheered as we rode in. People of all sorts, musicians, men, women and children, young and old rolled out the welcome. There were stacks of postcards to write to family and friends that they will provide postage for and send for you. Everyone is SO nice.

There are so many beautiful areas along the canal. The morning rest stop in Holley was one of those. The landscaping is gorgeous with lots of flowers and a gazebo overlooking the water. By that time I was really hungry, having only had watermelon since breakfast so a nice fat cinnamon sugar donut really hit the spot. Then I had a second one just to be sure. Yum!

Lunch was at Barton’s Hots, a roadside hot dog/burger stand in Spencerport. We had delicious sausage dogs prepared to order, Cheetos and Diet Pepsi. Lunch of champions.

Riding so long on the gravel path really made me appreciate the occasional stretches of pavement where less drag made it was easy to pick up speed. Eventually the trail became all pavement but was also curvy, hilly, rough and bumpy in a few spots.

The afternoon rest stop had the usual offerings AND hot coffee. Where was this yesterday when I was cold and wet? I would have killed for a cup of coffee then. Today, not so much. I was just ready to get the ride done and have a hot shower.

We passed an REI right on the canal trail in Rochester. We knew it was there and had been thinking of things we needed to get for the last couple of days. The only thing on my list is a new inflatable camp pillow since mine blew out Saturday night. Too bad I didn’t know then that my bath towel was MIA. The entrance is a little past the front of the store so I rode on and turned in just about the time Riley, who had ridden up the grassy bank instead, crashed beside the bike rack right in front of the store. Actually, he stopped while his shoe was still clipped to the pedal and he fell right over just like the old guy on a tricycle on Laugh-In (for those of you old enough to know what I’m talking about). The cyclists who were hanging out chatting ran over to help him up. Poor fella, how embarrassing. He scraped his knee and banged up his outer thigh on a corner of the concrete patio. He’s really sore and limping badly. I tried to convince him to take the SAG wagon but he persevered and rode the last 15 miles to camp.

One last stop in Pittsford to feed the ducks and share an ice cream cone before we arrived at camp. As luck would have it, the camp doctor and her husband pitched their tent right beside us. She took a look at his injuries and gave him a few doses of Ibuprofen for tonight and tomorrow morning. We both felt better after showers and enjoyed a delicious barbecue dinner with our fellow cyclists.

Another great day in the books! I doubt we’ll have any trouble falling asleep tonight.

Around 8 PM last night when the sun started sinking and the air turned cool, we suddenly realized the sleeping bag somehow didn’t make it into the duffle we’d so carefully packed. It wasn’t as if we were totally without cover but a single cotton sheet just didn’t seem like enough. Fortunately there was a Target about a mile and a half down the road so we hopped on our bikes and returned just before dark with a cozy fleece blanket. Crisis averted.

Remember when I said we scouted out a place to pitch the tent away from annoying lights? Yep, that’s right. A big bright light suddenly turned on about 15 feet from our tent, illuminating the inside like a hotel bathroom nightlight. After some experimentation I found that bath towel draped between the tent and the rain fly is a great tent-darkening shade.

With all that settled, we slept pretty well if you don’t count the freight trains, occasional sleep talker and guys next door who stay up way too late talking really loudly.

It really wasn’t as bad as it sounds. I felt great when we got up around 6 AM, dressed, packed up our gear, loaded it on truck #1 and joined our fellow cyclists for breakfast of eggs, sausage, hash browns, waffles, croissants, scones, yogurt, fresh fruits and veggies, oatmeal, juice, milk and hot coffee.

After breakfast we hopped on our bikes, loaded the route on the Garmin and took off. It took a few minutes to find the right balance between watching the map and navigation prompts on the Garmin, looking where I’m going and noticing the route markers painted on the pavement. Once I settled into a rhythm it was nice to just enjoy the ride. We rode through a beautiful Japanese Garden and followed the paved path along the canal and through a really nice neighborhood for awhile. The route followed the canal on a mostly paved bike path with occasional sections on the road. I’d say maybe a third or better of the 49’ish miles were on the road. The route was well marked, flat and easy to follow. The sections of bike path were mostly paved or crushed gravel. Geese also love to use the path. We had to navigate through a few goose obstacle courses this morning.

With such an early start, we made it to the morning rest stop at mile 17 by 8:30 AM. I wasn’t hungry but those port-a-johns were a welcome sight after having 3 cups of coffee with breakfast. My relief was short lived. Stepping out, I slipped and smashed my knee against the rigid plastic doorframe, leaving a bleeding gash on my left knee. Fortunately first aid was nearby and they fixed me up with antiseptic and New Skin liquid bandage. Naturally, Riley immediately snapped a photo and posted it on Facebook before my new skin had time to dry.

The weather was great for the first half of the ride with overcast skies and mild temps. It was barely after 10:00 when we arrived in downtown Lockport, too early for lunch and too early for our favorite artisan ice cream shop to be open. Bummer! We settled for hot coffee and shared cinnamon raisin bagel instead.

Downtown Lockport is pretty cool. You can watch boats traveling up and down the canal through a series of locks that fill with water to raise the boat high enough to drive into the next lock and then it closes and fills to match the level of the next. Last year we rode a boat through the locks but today we were happy just to watch a gondola make it’s journey.

A light drizzling rain started falling about the time we left Lockport. The trail was mostly crushed gravel and followed alongside the canal to the right and farmland to the left. It was very pretty. A steady light rain was falling by the time we got to the PM rest stop in Middleport. We stood under a tree to eat some delicious watermelon with the bagel sandwiches we brought from Lockport.

Tonight’s overnight was just a few more miles down the trail at Clifford H Wise Middle School in Medina. I was surprised to find we were one of the first riders to arrive. Tent City, the sea of rentals for people who’d rather have someone else do the dirty work, was still under construction. All of the bags from trucks 1, 2 and 3 were unloaded and lined up in long tarp covered rows.

Carefully, we lifted tarp after tarp, often spilling rivers of collected rain water off the sides until we finally found ours. With a light rain continuing to fall, we opted to pitch the tent before retrieving the other bags so we’d have a dry place to put them. It felt nice to have things all set up, ready for another evening.

More riders trickled in as we explored the campus. One lady was covered head to butt in mud slung up by her rear tire. Even her ponytail was crusted in dried mud. Ugh, so glad we were at the front of the pack before the trail got wet and muddy.

We scouted out the site and decided to move the tent closer to the showers, food and indoor bathrooms. I really don’t want to risk another port-a-john mishap in the middle of the night! Now that I’ve discovered the room-darkening towel trick I’m not so worried about close proximity to street lights. Also, it’s pretty much impossible to find a dark spot on a school campus anyway.

One benefit of arriving early is no waiting for the shower. Since middle schools don’t have locker rooms, the shower truck is the only option tonight. They’re actually cleaner and nicer than most locker room showers, it’s just that there are fewer of them. It feels great to be warm and dry again.

I’m sitting at a table in a hallway of the school charging my phone and catching up on writing while Riley takes a nap in the tent. Lots of people have opted to bring their sleeping pads and bags inside to camp in the hallways or gymnasium so I’m constantly being asked questions like, where is the men’s room? and what time is dinner? I guess they all think I work here.

When sleeping beauty wandered in we joined the rest of the crew for dinner. Once again the catered meal was pretty good. The pasta and meatballs were my favorite, probably because it was warm comfort food.

The internet service inside the school is pretty dismal so I think I’ll call it a night and share more photos from today later on.

Parks and Trails NY sponsors an annual 400 mile bike ride along the Erie Canal trail from Buffalo to Albany. We had so much fun riding the first half in 2019 we immediately signed up for the full ride in 2020. Obviously that didn’t happen, because well, you know why. Anyway, here we are ready for Cycle the Erie Canal 2021!

Yesterday we drove Charlie 11 hours from home to upstate NY where we met good friends, Chuck and Maricia Duryea, at his parent’s home and spent the night as guests in his sister and brother-in-law’s home in Kerhonkson, NY. We shared two huge NY subs and chips for dinner and Chuck’s mom went all out with the good napkins and cheesecake for dessert. She’s a lovely woman and it was clear how much Maricia and Chuck adore her.

Deb and Gil were gracious hosts and welcomed us into their home. We visited for awhile, watching a doe come almost up to the deck to eat apples Deb left for her and admiring Gil’s gorgeous landscaping. Soon enough it was bedtime. We’ll drive to Albany in the morning to park Charlie in a long-term parking lot and catch a charter bus to the start of the ride in Buffalo.

It didn’t take us long to fall asleep and we woke up bright and early to quiche coming out of the oven, the aroma of bacon and hot coffee waiting for us downstairs. We promised to come back the next time we’re in the neighborhood and I’m calling dibs on the bedroom with the super comfy mattress!

This is such a beautiful area of the country with rolling hills and gorgeous vistas. They’re very lucky to call this place home.