Northern Tier - New York - Phase V

Continued from Northern Tier - Great Lakes - Phase IV

Day 66 8 August 2016 
Ridgeville, Ontario to Middleport, New York
72.3 miles 6:51 riding time  837 ft elevation gain

Of course we were still on the freeway as we crossed into the USA, but we were soon on a just a significant highway and within a couple of miles we were on pleasant back roads again and then on the Erie Canal Tow Path.

Sean, Carol, & Christy head down to the Erie Canal

 

Christy with Carol in the front on the Erie Canal tow path

After the stress of the border crossing and errantly riding down the freeway, we were especially glad to be on the limestone tow path which seems smooth enough for any bike except those popular frail racing bikes.  We saw very little bicycle traffic and fewer runners.

Middleport is bike friendly, and allows tents all along the canal, and offers showers for a suggested $10 per person donation.  We took advantage of this, and my companions all charged their various electronic devices as well.

Camp in Middleport with its electrical ports showing

  
Day 67 9 August 2016 
Middleport, New York to Pittsford New York
64.3 miles 6:20 riding time   502 ft elevation gain

The canal changed little until we were almost in Rochester where it looked like it was blasted out of bedrock and the path moved farther away from the canal and became a paved path.  

 

a cruise boat going up the canal

This waterfall was below the canal, so we were looking down on it

Sherry Therens and Cindy Flugum riding from Portland, Oregon to Bar Harbor, Maine

We met Sherry Therens and Cindy Flugum near Lockport today after hearing of them for about a week.  We rode with them talking for about an hour, and they told of us their similar story of crossing out of Canada except that the US Custom's agent lectured them about riding on the incorrect Canadian road.  When we finally came across Sean's high school friend, Joanne, we parted ways as we stopped to talk to her while Sherry and Cindy continued on.  Joanne warned us of a detour off the Erie Canal just ahead, but assured us it was well signed.  Not so, or at least one important sign is missing or wrong.  We followed the signs which took us into a small park where the bike path just ended in the grass in front of a parking lot.  We told one of the grounds keepers we were lost, and he replied "that's an everyday occurrence, go back, ignore the last detour sign, and you'll find yourselves back on the Erie Canal".  So it was.  Then after a few more miles we were in Pittsford where Jeanne, another high school friend of Sean's, picked us up and drove us to her place for tomorrow's layover day.  We watched her and her husband play volleyball, and then ate hot dogs with the teams.

 
Day 68 10 August 2016 
Layover day

0 miles

We're enjoying our layover day with Jeanne and Scott.  We washed clothes. I did yoga first thing, and washed my bike but no one else was interested in those activities.  After almost 90 days on the road, it is time for a haircut and Jeanne, a barber hobbyist, volunteered, and did a great job.

Jeanne cuts Steve's 90 days of hair growth - good job too!

Scott and Jeanne - our hosts

Sean with his high school friends.  Joanne, Sean, and Jeanne fun people

After the usual clothes washing Jeanne ran us around - Christy to the masseuse, lunch out, grocery shopping, sporting goods store (more jet fuel - which isn't nearly as easy to find as the salesmen will tell you) etc.   Then there was the party at Scott and Jeanne's that evening!  Thanks Jeanne!

Day 69 11 August 2016 
Pittsford, New York to Weedsport, New York
62.6 miles 6:20 riding time  958 ft elevation gain
Jeanne delivered us back to the Erie Canal in Pittsford where she had picked us up and where Joanne joined us for a day of cycling.  It was fun to have new blood, and I always enjoy people who can push themselves without complaint as Joanne does.  
 

Carol, Sean, Joanne, Christy, and Steve - back on the Erie Canal

at our lunch break along the Erie Canal, Joanne, Christy, Steve, Carol, and Sea

At Palmyra we left A/C's course staying on the Erie Canal down to Weedsport where we'd spend the night.  Joanne's husband and sons met us there and joined us for a post ride great dinner at Arnold's Family Restaurant in Weedsport for generous portions at reasonable prices.

Christy, Steve, Joanne, Woody, Jordy, Joe, and Carol at dinner - photo by Sean

The campground advertised WIFI, but no one could connect to it.  The neighbors said rain was forecast for tomorrow (Friday) with 100% chance of rain Saturday.


Day 70 12 August 2016 
Weedsport, New York to 8 miles East of Bridgewater New York
88.5  miles  7:38 riding time   2.884 ft elevation gain
As I was packing up inside my tent Sean called out that it looked like rain, so we'd not be cooking our breakfast.  When I popped out of my tent I was surprised to see only a few high broken clouds, but I always enjoy eating out and never mind skipping the dish washing.  We had a quick breakfast at Tim Hortons and hit the highways.  

Carol had told me, probably back in Libby, MT, how easy it would be for me to change the initial x-country plan to what she'd had in mind for the 4 days near Sean's home off the Adventure Cycling route and the official Erie Canal route, but my response was, "No, I think these four days are yours and Sean's to plan though I'll be glad to help with specific questions, and I'm eager to update the plan in Excel to reflect this revision". Since Sean's the native I thought the planning would fall to him.  He never gave me info to update the plan in Excel.  I suspect the assignment made him nervous, and he did nothing, but here's what happened. This morning as we readied to leave Weedsport he announced we'd be heading south of Syracuse on highways to avoid the hassles of riding thru a city the size of Syracuse which he thought would have many diversions off the canal.  As we were leaving the large campground, we met other cyclists riding the Erie Canal through Syracuse (unloaded & unfortunately we didn't meet them the evening before) who strongly recommended that we go not South of Syracuse but North of it.   They were unloaded, so we assumed we couldn't keep up with them to follow them on the Erie Canal thru Syracuse.  We did take their last minute advice and headed off to the north on Hwy 31 without anyone having a map of any kind - except for a map I had of New England and New York which lacked most of the secondary roads we wanted to ride.

We soon found ourselves in the parking lot of a McDonalds using their WIFI to view an online map as the only support for a map meeting held in their parking lot, but for some reason we didn't go into McDonalds. We got just past the of edge town, realized we missed a turn, and held another mapless map meeting on the edge of the freeway!

map meeting along the freeway- had we missed our turn?  It turns out we had missed it, but we'd ride 2 legs of a triangle to get back on course which only added a mile or two to the route. The camera did a surprisingly good job of freezing the rapidly moving van.

These roads were a little busier than I like but not hair-raising.  We were soon off the 4 lane divided highway and on moderately busy two lane roads. About 1300 hours building clouds finally began to bring rain which was warm enough it actually felt good, so we rode through the storm, but when we turned back south we were headed into the only remaining black clouds.  By the time we got to Munnsville, Sean seemed to know the area's roads and my confidence in this small section of route he was responsible for increased. We had ice cream there, and as we were leaving the proprietor advised us of severe T storms predicted for the afternoon.  We got down the road only about 100 yards, and the low black clouds caught us, so we ducked into a bar where we ate onion rings and watched the wind blow and the heavy rain fall.  Turns out we'd left our bikes under the eves, so the bikes had been hit with a lot of water, but everyone had their panniers zipped up this time, so the contents were mostly dry!

back on the road after the onion ring break from the rain

When we got to the next town, Bouckville, another squall hit us and we found shelter in some fair tents being set up.  Carol wanted to call her father-in-law for a rescue, so that was done.  Like everyone else, I had no map, so continuing on my own wasn't really an option no matter how easy the way forward was claimed to be.  Clouds started to lift as we rode on, but Seans' dad, Rick Ellis, was at a nearby hilltop (not the bottom).  I had thought this might be a reasonable out and back route tomorrow or the next day, to keep me on plan for no motorized assistance with the West East travel, but we were in the car well over an hour to get to Rick and Margaret's.  I'm trying to devise a plan to cover those lost miles before it's too late!

Sean looking over his wet glasses from the fair tent we found shelter in

Carol enjoying shelter from the rain

Christy enjoying the tent's shelter from the rain

 
Day 71- 72 13-14  August 2016 
Layover days with Sean's family  8.0 miles 0:43 riding time   397 ft elevation gain

After a big celebratory meal Rick asked us to join him on his regular 8 mile ride through the countryside.

Christy, Rick, Steve, and Carol enjoying Rick's nightly ride - photo by Sean

 
Day 73 15  August 2016 
8 miles East of Bridgewater New York to Canajoharie, New York
60.1 miles  5:07 riding time  2,408 elevation gain

Sean's dad, Rick, was sympathetic to my desire to complete the entire coast to coast ride under my own power and agreed to deliver me and Sean back where he'd picked us up and gave excellent route recommendations.  From  the point where he had picked us up it was 8.5 miles downhill to Sean's cousin where we might have stayed Friday night which would have made Friday's ride just under a century.  I think we all could have easily handled that especially given that most of those remaining 8.5 miles were downhill!  

The route Rick recommended took us by a Holy Trinity, a Russian Orthodox monastery and seminary where I hoped for a reception something like Assumption Abby, but no one greeted us, and while several side chapels were opened the main facility seemed locked up though we did see about 4 people who seemed to be speaking Russian.  
 

Russian Orthodox Church we passed

Then on through the rolling countryside to Little Falls where we got back on the "Erie Canal".  I've often wondered why riding the Erie Canal isn't as popular with cyclists as the C&O out of D.C. or the Katy Trail in Missouri.  It turns out it is interrupted by lots of things and cyclists are often diverted onto not so well marked side routes or highways.  Right outside of Little Falls the trail does follow the canal for a couple of miles, but most of the route here is double track nearer the freeway than the canal. We did meet a solo tourist here going from Manhattan to Buffalo.

Sean on the Erie Canal route outside of Little Falls, New York

Day 74 16  August 2016 
around Canajoharie, New York
20.0 miles  2:04 riding time
 
While Sean and Carol were off visiting his mother's family and Christy off visiting a cousin today, Rick Ellis took me on a great local tour.  We rode by three pre-Revolutionary Palatine Lutheran churches which were opened and saw numerous Amish buggies while doubling his usual daily ride.

one of the pre-Revolutionary Palatine Lutheran churches we visited

old bridge we saw on our ride

one of the many carriages we saw

Margaret and Rick see us off

Four nights sounds like too long to be anywhere on tour, but Margaret and Rick are exceptional hosts, and the time passed too quickly.  We look forward to seeing them again in Bar Harbor at the finalee celebration!


Day 75 17 August 2016 
Canajoharie, New York to Moffit Beach near Speculator, New York
67.0 miles  7:09 riding time 3,661 ft elevation gain 

Margaret and Rick were such excellent hosts we hated to say goodbye, but we left as they prepared to shuttle 6 Amish off to the tents of the antique fair where we'd taken shelter on 12 Aug.  The wind was blowing pretty hard from the West- just our direction of travel for the first few miles, but then we turned north, and it wasn't long until we reached the timber of the Adirondacks which protected us from most of the side wind. 

entering Adirondack State Park

lakes and ponds are everywhere in the park

the mountains remind me of home in North Idaho

We were warned of bears, and the state park offered no place to store food, so we ate in town- a small hamburger (almost a slider) for Christy and me while Sean and Carol ate fish.  Michelle, another high school friend of Sean's joined us for our ice cream dessert.

Moffit Park gave us a poor site - no grass, and my tent was likely on the worst hump of the trip, but the lake was beautiful, and I enjoyed talking to a camping neighbor who was an ex-cyclist excited about the trip.  They offered me a 2nd dinner, but I declined this time!


Day 76 18 August 2016 
Moffit Beach near Speculator, New York to Newcomb, New York
65.3 miles  6:49 riding time 3,826 ft elevation gain
Fog rolled in during the night, so the photo of the lake is less than spectacular.  

fog shrouded Moffit Beach

 Since the group wants meat for breakfast - always pork, and bear love pork, we had breakfast out: pancakes for me and breakfast sandwiches (with pork) for everyone else. As we left town we turned  east and soon climbed above the fog. 

a stream flows into one of the many lakes along the way

We had lunch of PB&J augmented with desserts purchased from an unexpected roadside store.  As we continued heading toward Newcomb, we met 5 cyclists from there doing an annual 85 mile ride thru part of the park.  We talked briefly to them.  The last one to join us was Mary who invited us to join them at a BBQ at her house that evening.  That invite was a double blessing as the store listed in the A/C map was closed, and a bar was the only business left in Newcomb.

Entering the campground was almost like entering the Twilight Zone.  The store that rented out the sites was closed and a big sign at the entrance said not to enter unless registered.  We had no other options so we entered.  No people were around, but the grounds were still well kept.  We moved farther in and saw lots of empty camp trailers likely there for the summer. In the back corner we could hear a lawn mower.  We met two gals back there who said to camp and not to worry about paying as the owners had decided to sell and were rarely seen.  Sean called a couple of disconnected numbers, and finally found one where he could leave a message.  The showers required 4 quarters per shower, but the showers worked for Sean free of charge.  On my first quarter my shower started.  We got 4 one minute showers out of that quarter.  The woman's shower didn't work even when fed with the 4 required quarters, so they took showers in the men's room. Then we were off to Mary's party about 30 minutes late, but the other guests were even later.  It was a pretty big group with spouses and other friends, but a fun group we enjoyed.  Our tent site was ideal for tents and sleeping with pine needles covering the mowed grass!

the Newcomb riders:  Tony, Garrett, Mary (our hostess),  Wanda (SAG driver), and Jim with his plate.  Kevin (the local PA) had to work after completing the ride so isn't in the photo

Day 77 19 August 2016 
Newcomb, New York to 5 Miles West of Benson, Vermont
70.1 miles  7:28 riding time 3,750 ft elevation gain

Since there was no store in Newcomb we had another meatless breakfast of oatmeal with raisins.  We had fog just like the previous morning.  The Newcomb riders had advised us not to miss the overlook just above town (great view of some of the Adirondacks highest mountains), but the fog shrouded everything.

The Hudson River near Newcomb, New York

Then we hit our longest stretch of construction- maybe 5 miles of torn up highway with a mile of it being just two lanes of dirt.  The other three had meat for their morning snack at a convenience store we passed but promised me lunch wouldn't be late, so I settled for some pastry.  We thought a couple of towns listed on the map would offer some kind of pic-nic table, but they didn't, and we ended up eating at the side of the road using the railing as our table.  We were soon in Ticonderoga but with an ever growing distance to cover to get to Carol's friends, we didn't visit the old fort a few feet off the road which will disappoint any history buff reading this as it did me..

Continue...  Northern Tier - New England - Phase VI

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!


Steve