Changing Winds in Utica, NY

Breaking Camp

At lock 17 we learned that the lock captains work single shifts, meaning the locks close down for the night at 6 PM and reopen the next morning at 8.  My goal was to be ready to get back on the trail around 8 that morning, and while we were ready Little Prince was ADAMANT about not leaving until a boat had gone through the lock.  Fortunately for him there was a boat docked on the eastern side that had also camped out for the night  but must have arrived after we had turned in since I didn’t remember it from our exploration of the area.

It was getting close to 8:15 and with no movement of the lock Little Prince decided to go find out what the hold up was.  Up we climbed the metal steps to the control tower and chatted with the captain, apparently the boat’s captain had not put in a call so, Little Prince’s prodding was probably a benefit to them as well!

Now, if you think filling a bath tub takes a long time, imagine filling this lock!  The captain was incredibly friendly and answered all our questions such as: how many boats can fit in the lock at once (as many as they can squeeze in which has been 37 smaller boats or 10 larger yachts) where does the water to fill the lock come from (tunnels under the water are manually opened by the captain), and many more.  All of this took close to 20 minutes and as the boat was going westward, Little Prince and I descended the stair case and made for the trail.

On to Utica!

The day was gray and rain was threatening (again), my goal was to get us to Utica for lunch and then on to lock 20 or 21 for a night or two where we could wait out the Memorial Weekend crowds before pressing on.  However, per usual on a gray morning Little Prince’s feet were dragging and he was using every stall tactic he knew.  Plus, it didn’t help that I had some how reattached his handlebar incorrectly so that more tension was on his brakes, making it difficult to pedal forward.  Finally, we reached the end of the bike path where I had said he had to get to before he was hooked back onto the follow-me.

For the first time since starting along the Erie Canal we were no longer given the option of a separate bike path and were forced to go along NY Bike route 5 which follows NY state routes and some back roads.  This particular stretch of Bike route 5 followed NY state 5s and had a decent sized shoulder, however the availability of amenities for bikers are limited.  While on the path Little Prince could just go behind a bush for his bathroom breaks, along the State route bushes were few and far between so when the inevitable “I have to pee,” came I pulled into a used appliance store in East Schuyler and asked the proprietor if LP could use their restroom.

Thankfully they were accommodating and completely baffled as to WHY Little Prince and I were biking from Boston.  It was the second time I received the question, “wouldn’t it be easier…”  Sure, it would be easier but this completely misses the point of this particular endeavor and suggests a weakness in American culture: we are more focused on our destinations than the journeys we take to reach them.

While I was thinking upon this Little Prince and I set off again as rain began to fall hard and cold.

We made it to West Schuyler before the rain became too much to bear and I was able to find an overhang under which we could seek some semblance of shelter and wait for it to ease.  It was there that I rechecked the map to find we were only 4.8 miles from the restaurant in Utica I had selected, so close but still so very very far!  With the cold still upon us but the rain easing we set off again.  And while the weather was cold, both our tempers were hot and frustration was setting in as the way remained flat but became steadily busier the closer we came to reaching Utica.

The final approach to Utica in sight and it was with mixed feelings that we entered the final stretch to the restaurant, because Utica we found is NOT a bike friendly place!

Utica

A bunny that LP HAD to have back in Troy, posing with the Liberty Bell plaque

Utica streets: bad for bikes 😦

The main street was a four lane highway, no bike lane, and the speed limit was too high for me to ride as I do in Boston.  Therefore, my only choice was to unhook Little Prince and ride the sidewalks which were thankfully wide and lacking in a large amount of pedestrian traffic.  We made our way to the vegan restaurant I had found on HappyCow only to find it no longer in existence.  So, we headed for our second choice: Tramontane Cafe.

Eclectic decor

This place is just like visiting someone’s home!

Lunch in an armchair? We are home!

Vegan friendly and a great atmosphere Tramontane was the perfect refuge from the cold that had set in after the rain.  Little Prince and I settled into their couches and spent a few hours plotting our next move.  The rain had drained both our energies and all we both really wanted was to curl up on one of the Cafe’s couches and go to sleep (or at least that was what I wanted).  Instead, we made the trek three blocks to the Utica Public Library.

While every library is going to have different policies this was the first library I have EVER visited where there are signs informing patrons that 1. bikes are not allowed inside, and 2. the police will be called if a child under 10 is left unsupervised.  Not that I am in the habit of leaving Little Prince unsupervised but the floor plan of the library made it very difficult for either of us to accomplish what we wanted to do while there.  In the end we were able to work it out, but there was a great deal of whining and bargaining to get to that solution.

By the time the library closed both of us were rather exhausted and not looking forward to the weather forecast for the next day which called for more rain and thunderstorms.  So I caved, and got us a room at the Best Western for the next two nights since it was unlikely that we would be able to find a camp site once the weekend set in.

Changing Plans

I’ve decided that the best amenities in a hotel are microwaves, especially when in a limited vegan-option area.  That night, as is our usual routine I called my mom to check and we discussed our plans to get to California and the expected dates of arrival.  With the end of May approaching and us not even halfway through New York I am beginning to fear we won’t make it to Salt Lake City or any of my other points of alternate transportation to California.  Talking with my mom I was able to get a better sense of when she is expecting to reach California and her plans to see my brother and an old friend in Oregon before heading south.

Being a bit type A, I needed that information and have started to rethink our route.  As much as I’d like to make it through South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse my thought is that the Northern Tier route may be a better choice as it is already well planned out by the Adventure Cycling Organization and so there would be much less research and leg work on my part.  Plus, it would mean meeting up with my mom in Oregon, much sooner than California.  Clearly, there are options but I think the first thing I need to do is get us a flight home from the west coast, because that is one thing I know for SURE we won’t be able bike back from and still make my first class in September!

Thunder and Locks

Mohawk-Hudson Trail

The next morning dawned bright and sunny and proved to be a wonderful day for bike travel.  Little Prince and I breakfasted on donuts from X’s to O’s bakery and headed out around 8:00 in the morning.  The first few miles were through urban terrain until we crossed a set of railroad tracks and climbed the biggest hill of the day (which wasn’t that big) and we began our journey along the Mohawk-Hudson Rail Trail.  This trail begins in Cohoes, though the official Erie Canal trail guide which I finally found at an amazing bookstore in Troy indicates that the trail continues on into Albany.  From what I could tell however, this is not always a segregated bike path but rather follows a combination of city streets and a waterfront trail.  Cohoes is the start of the largest portion of complete bike path which we followed all day, stopping at well-used parks (even on a weekday) for bathroom usage, snacks, and to refill our water supplies.

The path was smooth and easy to ride and it was the first time in more than a week that Little Prince was able to be disconnected and only worry about pedestrians and other cyclists rather than the stress of riding in the city where a car or person can – and will – often appear suddenly from around a corner.  For me, riding without the added weight, and at the slower speed, equates to what I imagine the Sunday drives of yore were like.  I just amble along, sometimes singing or humming a tune or bantering with Little Prince.  While this sometimes happen when we are attached, there is a relaxed nature to the ride when we are separated that I have found incredibly enjoyable.

About 3-5 miles after being unhooked from the follow-me, however Little Prince had reached the apex of his stamina so we hooked back up and on we went to our first lock of the day: number 7!

Lock 7

Lock 7 on the Erie Canal was our first introduction to the purpose of the Erie Canal: to transport goods and people westward from the coast.  It is the source of the New York State nickname: the Empire State.

Boat going west

LP learning how it all works from the lock captain at lock 7.

The western gate.

East gate

One of many motors that pump water and close gates.

Boat entering the lock from the east.

At the boat level.

Leading up to the lock on the eastern side.

Dam adjacent. We thought it helped power the lock.

A boat that was heading east leaving the lock.

Lock E7 Niskayuna, NY Lift of 27 feet.

Western gates open to allow passage of a boat.

LP at lock 7.

Waiting for it all to begin…

A boat coming in to go east.

Camping for free

Back in Rensselaer, A and M had been full of advice and good tips about touring and two tips that I will forever appreciate were: all the locks are available to camp at, and if needed, camping on the bike path is an option.  And at lock 7 I was able to confirm with the lock captain that camping on the locks was indeed allowed and encouraged!  Sadly, it was only around noon that we had arrived at lock 7 otherwise we would have stayed for this lock had one of the larger grassy areas, a port-a-pottie, and potable water available.  But my goal was to get to lock 11 by that night, for we had great weather and the trail was easy.  However, a week of rugged terrain and then two days off the bikes lulled me into a false sense of ease and when Lock 11 did not look as inviting to camping as expected I continued to pedal us on until the sun was setting and we had yet to reach the next lock.  Around 7 we were both tired and cranky so when the bikes fell for the second time, we pitched our first bandit-camp on the side of the path.

Some people passed by as we set up around 8 in the evening but didn’t say anything and in no time the tent was up, dinner eaten, and we were tucked quietly into our sleeping bags.  My only fear was that thunderstorms were in the forecast.

Thunder

Close to 4:00 the next morning a large rolling boom in the distance woke me from a fitful sleep.  The sun and birds were not even awake yet and so I lay there listening, unsure if it were the thunder I feared or some other source.  I didn’t have to wait long to hear it again and suddenly an intense and overwhelming fear sent me into action.  While our campsite was well away from people and we were unlikely to attract the attention of animals or authorities we were not well protected against lightning, and my only thought was that thunder brings lightning.  Waking Little Prince from his sound sleep (I swear he could sleep through anything) we broke camp and packed the bikes in record setting time.  I wasn’t completely positive where on the map we were but I did know, from looking at it last night, that there was a crossing of I-90 within at least 5 miles of our campsite and so I prayed that it was an overpass and we’d be able to wait out the storm underneath it.  Thankfully, my hunch had been correct and we reached the overpass not long after the storm began in earnest.

Around 5 AM the rain was not as hard and soon was reduced to little more than a drizzle with the sun promising to arrive in full force soon enough.  The trail that early, and just after a rain storm was something no picture can ever fully convey but we did meet these folks just outside of Canajoharie:

Ft. Plain Museum

After meeting the herd of deer Little Prince and I moved on into Canajoharie where we hoped to find a restaurant with something to warm our bellies and a source of water to replenish our water supplies.  While the restaurant we chose was not the most vegan-friendly, we were able to get some potatoes and oatmeal before setting off for a hardware store to find some pliers.  Just before the hardware store Little Prince saw a sign for the Ft. Plain museum.  Since we had gotten such an early start and were already more than halfway to that night’s destination I didn’t have any qualms about at least seeing how much admission might be.

LP investigating the grounds.

Map of the area

Rear building and a model of the old blockhouse.

Looking out from the top of the hill where Ft. Plain once stood.

LP has enlisted in the revolutionary army!

Heading back down the hill.

Taking a detour into the woods to find the old bridge.

The old bridge.

Nature taking over.

As it turned out the museum was not only free, but came with an amazing personal tour of their exhibits from early Native American habitation of the area through to the days when the Erie Canal brought a booming business to the area.  And afterwards we went up to the top of the hill where the fort had been and explored a bit.

And… Hail.

The area surrounding Ft. Plain is much as it was in the 1800s: farming is still the major source of occupation and income for the residents.  Therefore, it is no wonder, as we followed bike route 5 back to the trail, that we began to see signs warning drivers of horse and buggy in the area.  Sadly, we didn’t see any of these but we did meet a man who spoke with a thick Dutch accent and was kind enough to keep us company as we put sunscreen on for the day that had started cold and wet was turning hot and humid.  The humidity was my first clue, the dark clouds rolling while we sat and ate our lunch at the top of one of many rolling hills was another.  But, it wasn’t until about a half hour after we were back on the trail that the  thunder started to roll.  We were close to Lock 17 by this time and the map also showed a nature park close by that was sure to have shelter so, back onto the follow-me Little Prince was hooked, as I raced us towards the promise of safety.

When the rain started coming down it was in large fat drops and on we raced, Little Prince pedaling his heart out. But it wasn’t long before the rain turned to hail and fearing injury I drove the bikes straight for the treeline and found shelter midst the undergrowth and sheltering branches of the trees on the edge of the path.

The hail didn’t last very long, thankfully, and just as it was clearing I spotted another cyclist coming towards us decked out in rain gear and clearly prepared for the weather with protective coverings over his panniers and clearly looking much drier than I was feeling at that moment!  It must have been quite a shock to see Little Prince hiding like fugitives among the trees, but he was nice enough to stop and chat for a while.  It turned out JW was coming from Buffalo on his first tour of the canal, to spend the Memorial Day weekend with family in Troy.  We exchanged contact information and I hoped that we might run into each other again.  Our two groups went on our separate ways as the rain slowed to a clear, hot, sunny day once more.

Lock 17

I had been correct that shelter wasn’t far, but no longer useful to us, Little Prince and I continued on to lock 17.  While there were plenty of quiet places along the trail that day to bandit camp, my reason for going to lock 17 was to see and take in the multitude of lessons available.  Not only are there geological marvels, the glacier potholes, but there are also mechanical and engineering achievements to witness.

At this lock the boats are raised by the greatest amount (40.5 feet) along the canal and it is truly breath-taking how incredibly huge this lock has to be in order to achieve this, especially when compared with the ruins of an original lock that was one of many to raise boats to the same elevation.

The old enlarged lock that used to be part of a series in this section of the canal.

Erie Canal Lock 34

LP at the center of the lock.

Where water would have entered.

Looking in.

Lock E17 Little Falls, NY Lift 40.5 feet

The woods on Moss Island

Our first sighting of glacier potholes.

Glacier potholes.

Glacier potholes

LP in a pothole

Coming out of the hole

Some local graffiti that seemed fitting.

The pot holes formed by rocks acting as drills.

Scouring on the rocks from receding glaciers

Exploring Moss Island

A tree is beginning to grow in the counter weight

East lock gate of lock 17 is massive!

NYS Barge Canal Lock 17

An information sign on the bike path.

With two highly successful days under our belts and our imaginations fed by exploring Moss Island for a good hour Little Prince and I turned in for the night and hoped for little more than lunch at a vegan restaurant the next day.