Doin' The Erie Canal Trail:
The Linchpin of Bicycle Travel
by Harvey Botzman
Just before dawn I loaded my trusty garage sale bicycle with stuff filled panniers and headed for the old aqueduct and the stone warehouse
in downtown Rochester, NY. The half mile aqueduct once carried the Erie Canal over the Genesee River. Today it simply carries cars over the River. The warehouse is a solid stone office building now. In times past it was the bustling terminus of the Erie Canal in
Rochester.
From the aqueduct it is a beautiful 3.4 mi. (5.5 km.) ride along the paved Bausch & Lomb Riverside Trail to a grand
intersection of the Erie Canal and the Genesee River. A Frederick Law Olmstead designed park with its original stone bridges crossing the Canal surrounds this intermingling of waterways. A new high arch bicycle/pedestrian bridge here crosses the River and allows
the cyclotourist to continue East or West along the Canal.
Rising above the placid River and Canal waters in the mist of day break was a great blue heron. Circling nearby were some hawks and smaller birds. On the towpath chipmunks scurried back and
forth collecting seeds and fruits. Some white tailed deer could be seen further down the Trail.
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| Recumbent riders on the Mohawk-Hudson section of the Canal Recreationway in Schenectady |
On this weekday morning, before the bicycle commuters tool along between suburban office parks or from their homes to Rochester, all was
silent except for the quiet swish of my chain. I stopped and admired the mist as it rose above the Canal with only small birds darting across the Canal gobbling insects to break the peace.
At Lock 32 the lockmaster was making his rounds checking the early 20th century cast iron and brass gears and other equipment. The lock was filled awaiting a boat coming from the West. The locks
are filled and emptied by gravity. The large gates guarding either end of the each lock simply have to be opened on one end and closed on the other to fill the lock. To lower a boat the water is released using those brass and iron gears, electricity does the job
these days, to allow the water to go through huge channels on one side of the lock. The original Erie Canal's keys stand by the valves just in case there is a power failure. Then the lockmaster opens the valves by turning the key."
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| Reconstructed Erie Canal packet boat at Camillus Town Canal Park |
A few commuters passed me as I rode the paved path eastward towards Lock 33 and Pittsford. The birds tweets were amplified as I scooted
down and through the towpath underpass to avoid a road. It was too early and not a weekend morning so the Pittsford shopping area would be empty, allowing me to ride rapidly. A few restaurants were open waiting for early morning breakfast patrons but the bike shop
on the Canal was closed. I didn't need anything anyway! A single person scull made silent rapid progress on the water. It's wake making lines from shore to shore.
Passing under another road the towpath surface changes to hard packed stone dust. A great surface for riding! Well maintained and without ruts or corrugation due to tree roots. The morning mist
slightly dampened the towpath keeping the summer's dry dust on the path.
Bicycle and walking commuters; some cyclists and runners in training said, "On your right!". My slow pace was easily avoided by them. I speeded up to make some miles. After leaving Fairport
Village and the docked cruise boats, the towpath changes to a smooth asphalt. Here the towpath goes through a wooded section abutting the Canal. It is only three miles through the woods to Lock 34 at Macedon where I'll stop to have some breakfast. I just made it
across the top of the lock gates as a boat was entering the lock. It's always a fascinating sight to see the water raise a boat. My stomach beckoned me to the picnic tables.
An older couple were sitting at one picnic table with pannier and basket laden Schwin Varsities. They hailed me and after greeting them I pulled out my breakfast fixins'.
"We don't speak much English," they said almost in unison. "We live in Palmyra with our son. We came up from Miami to visit him. He works at the plastics plant here."
"Hablo Espanol un pocito," I proudly stated. "A dondé‚ van?"
"Habla Espanol! Muy bien! Van a Rochester a visitan los amigos y a la playa."
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| Lift bridge near Albion in Orleans County |
"Great! The beach is
very nice on Lake Ontario," I answered in my very best high school Spanish.
"Pero la playa a Baya de Sodus o Parque‚ de estado a Fairhaven en el Lago
Ontario est muy bello. Sus amigos tienen andan en bicicleta a ahi."
They both laughed, "Sus amigos no montan en bicicleta. A se
amigos nosotros est nos locos montan en bicicleta a nuestras vejez. Pero los
amigos van a doctor muy vez. Y nuestros nunca."
It was my turn to
laugh. Many of my friends think I'm crazy for riding for days on end. But I
don't have any circulation problems like many of my friends and rarely go to
the doctor. I certainly can't attribute all of my good health to bicycling,
genetics and nutrition (generally low fat/salt balanced, including meat, diet)
play a significant part. But there is no doubt that my circulatory system and
muscle tone is maintained by bicycling. After telling them about the tow path
going West we parted.
I rode to the gas station on Rt. 31/NY Bike
Route 5 to change my tires. Two towpaths exist at this point, one a mowed grass
over stone dust trail, the other a smooth asphalt wide path. Wayne County is
trying to pave the entire towpath trail it constructed in the 1970s. Various
sections of the paved towpath have a parallel non-paved trail on the other side
of the Canal. I sometimes like going on the non-paved sections to make believe
I'm a touring Mt. biker! It's really beautiful but a bit rough for even my new
wide touring tires. It took me only a half hour to change both tires to knobby
Mt. bike ones and I entered the Trail once again. Riding directly on the Canal
shore to Palmyra, Newark, and Lyons.
I've taken this route many times, using rural
roads, with their curves and small rolling topography and Route 31/NY Bike
Route (BR) 5 with its two meter wide paved shoulder and flat topography
parallels the Canal's South shore in this area. No matter which way I've
traveled its always a beautiful delightful ride.
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| The Canal is a working canal and maintained constantly |
At Lyons I left the "New" Erie Canal towpath,
crossed to the south side of BR 5/Rt. 31 to ride on the "Old" Erie Canal
towpath. This path was actually used as a mule towpath! In the 1970's Wayne
County received grants to improve the "Old" Canal's towpath by leveling it,
laying stone dust and then covering it with grass.
In the 1970's the
County built a series of parks along the right of way. At the Port Byron Park I
observed the frogs catching insects in the Old Canal's immaculately preserved
stone lock . Their perch on water lilies rocking back and forth with each swish
of the tongue is a sight of wonder. After eating lunch, I rode onward to Black
Rock Park on the Old Canal.
"Call for a Camping Permit," the huge sign
stated.
Well! I've done that before and was simply told
"no one has ever asked for a permit, can I send you the County Park
Department's Rules & Regulations." Free camping!
Of course there are
only limited facilities at these parks, some have H20 others don't; but all
have vault toilets. Cyclotourists, being environmentally correct, have no
problem carrying out their limited garbage so the park stays spotlessly
clean.
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| Family from Jackson, Mississippi. They bicycled from Tonawanda to Albany. All the way! They took the train, after boxing their bikes, from Albany back to Depew. Got in their
car and returned to Jackson. |
Black Rock has a large shelter, a pond, picnic
tables, a playground, and lots of room to camp. It's only two miles from Clyde
where I simply called the County police to tell them I would be camping at the
Park. "No problem," the desk officer stated.
After going into Clyde for dinner and having a
peaceful sleep in the tent (no RVs with motors running all night or teenagers
to disturb my rest) I awoke to the sweet smell of dew laden flowers and trees.
Today, I'll ride to the Women's National Historic Park at Seneca Falls, then
use the Cayuga County Canal Trail and the Camillus Canal Trail to go to the
East side of Syracuse.
After making my way through Syracuse past the
New York State Fair Grounds and Onondaga Lake I'll reach the Old Erie Canal
State Park. Perhaps I'll stay a night in a bed and breakfast or maybe I'll camp
again at Green Lakes State Park on the Old Erie Canal.
And you? Where will
you ride to?
© Harvey Botzman, 1989, 1996,
1998.
Mr. Botzman is the author of "Erie Canal Bicyclist and Hiker
Tour Guide," 200 pages; 19 maps; 21 pictures; 4 charts; information sources;
B&B, campground and attractions listings. US$ 21.95 ($21.95 for the book +
$4.00 shipping & handling). Available Cyclotour Guide Books, PO Box 10585,
Rochester, NY 14610; 716 244-6157;
www.cyclotour.com
He
has written 6 other bicycle tour guides and a general bicycle touring manual:
`Round Lake Erie: A Bicyclist's Tour Guide; 'Round Lake Michigan: A Bicyclist's
Tour Guide, 'Round Lake Huron: A Bicyclist's Tour Guide, Erie Canal Bicyclist
and Hiker Tour Guide, Finger Lakes Bicyclist's Tour Guide and Long Distance
Bicycle Touring Primer.
Mr. Botzman is an active member of the Rochester
(NY) Bicycling Club, Inc. He has participated in the development of the Erie
Canal Recreationway. Harvey has gobs and gobs of information which he will
readily share. He can be reached at PO Box 10585, Rochester, NY 14610; via
e-mail: cyclotour@cyclotour.com
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