Sunday, July 8

We left Buffalo early this morning and biked up the Niagara River to Tonawanda, then northeast to Lockport where the canal drops about 80 feet through two large locks. Continuing east we ended the day in the village of Medina. I am teamed up with my two biking companions Lara and Mike, but we are also part of a cycling tour with 650 cyclists all headed for Albany. We camp mostly on the grounds of local schools. Our gear is transported by truck so that we can travel light during the day. One of the pleasures of traveling with so many cyclists is that we are constantly meeting new people, as well as reconnecting with old friends from previous rides. 

Monday, July 9

From Medina, we rode through many small canal towns, then through Rochester and on to our camp in the village of Fairport. It was a very hot 63 miles!  One of the interesting aspects of the Erie Canal is the Great Embankment which we traversed in the last few miles of today's ride. Here, the Canal crosses the Irondequoit Valley without using any locks. It is literally elevated some 70 feet above the bottom of the valley. It's hard to imagine that this was first built entirely by hand in the 1820's.  

Tuesday, July 10

Today we followed the Canal through the towns of Palmyra, Newark, Lyons and Clyde. In Newark, we visited the little powerhouse where two 1913 GE generators, made in Schenectady, originally powered the lock system before there was an electric grid. Lyons is a sleepy old Canal town, but in the 1840's it supplied its world famous peppermint oil to markets in Europe and elsewhere and the town proudly displays artifacts in its little museum Leaving the Canal in Clyde, we crossed rolling farmland going south to our campsite in Seneca Falls. 

Wednesday, July 11

Today's 41 mile ride to Syracuse was relatively easy with delightfully cool, breezy weather. We passed through the Montezuma Wildlife Preserve and to the village of Montezuma where we took a short side excursion to the 1854 aqueduct where the Canal crossed the Seneca River. Walking on these stone remains, one can easily appreciate this early engineering marvel. Then, on to Port Byron's newly renovated Heritage Park which is accessible from the east bound NYS Thruway. From here to Syracuse we followed the course of the Enlarged Erie Canal which opened in the 1850s and then was abandoned in the early 20th century when the modern barge canal opened. Along the way, we stopped at a lemonade stand run by five delightful girls who were raising money for a local nonprofit supporting homeless people and refugees.

Thursday, July 12

We started our day riding through the city of Syracuse with a stop at the Canal Museum, site of an old weigh lock where tolls for using the canal were determined. From there we continued along the course of the old 1850s Enlarged Canal. It's course from Syracuse to Rome is almost 50 miles of level water with no locks, today an abandoned ditch of stagnant water which is a haven for birds and wildlife. Our campsite in Rome is on the grounds of the Revolutionary War Fort Stanwix where we enjoyed an outstanding tour after dinner. After five days of riding I began to feel some fatigue today, but compared to past years this ride has been a piece of cake. The weather has been perfect and my new bike and lots of training have really paid off. 

Friday, July 13

Today's ride down the scenic Mohawk Valley, at 64 miles, was the longest and hottest day so far. About 80% of our ride from Buffalo to Albany is on stone dust trails, but today's route included abut 30 miles, from Utica to Little Falls, on roads. The heat from the pavements was brutal. Outside Little Falls, Lara and I made a well-desired stop to tour General Herkimer's mansion. Herkimer was fatally wounded at the Battle of Oriskany and was brought back to this home to die. He did not live to learn of the British retreat following the battle, which proved to be a turning point in the American Revolution. 

Saturday, July 14

We left early to beat the rain forecasted for early afternoon (which never came). East of Canajoharie, we rode through the Noses, where the Mohawk Valley passes through an arm of the Appalachian Mountains.  Here, the narrow river valley with steep mountain sloops on either side, has been a transportation route for thousands of years. As we passed though this narrow gap, the peacefulness of the early morning was broken by the roar of cars and trucks on the NYS Thruway and by eastbound and westbound freight trains passing on the New York Central lines across the river. 

After a brief rest stop at the Mabee House, dating to 1705, the oldest farm in the Mohawk Valley, we continued on and had a quick lunch at the Hungry Chicken, before passing through Schenectady and on to Niskayuna. Here, our friend and riding partner, Mike, departed to take part in a family gathering tomorrow at his home in the Adirondacks. I would spend this night at my home rather than in a tent, but I returned to the campsite at JCC for the final dinner and a big celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour. Over the past five years, I have made friends among riders and volunteers, many of whom repeat the tour year after year. Their camaraderie is surely a big part of the enjoyment. 

Sunday, July 15

Lara and I were joined by friends, Amy and Vicki for the final day, cycling down to Albany. This is a short 28 mile ride that passes by Cohoes Falls, on the Mohawk, then on to the Hudson River in Waterford and south to Albany. At the Finish Line, we were greeted by a welcoming committee of girls and staff from Girls Inc. and we proceeded to celebrate with ice cream at Stewart's.

As I reflect on the fascinating history of the Erie Canal, I am struck by the fact that what made the canal such an incredible success for New York State was not so much the visionaries and the politicians, but the thousands of ordinary people who each contributed in their own way.  So too, this venture of cycling the canal for five years has been more about so many of my friends and acquaintances who have joined in a collective effort to support an organization that makes a huge difference for girls in the Capital Region.  Thanks for being a part of it!