Dunnville to Round Lake
Dunnville to Niagara Falls – 46 miles
Average Speed – 10.2
We enjoyed an egg soufflé and other goodies on the porch of the Lalor Mansion in Dunnville. We asked if there would be more to come and were relieved to hear that we had the entire entrée in front of us.
The size of servings brought up the topic of how many calories cyclists eat. For us, we don’t really eat significantly more than we would at home. Eating breakfast does add a few calories that we wouldn’t otherwise have eaten in our regular lives. But, unlike some cyclists who claim to eat 5000 to 8000 calories per day, we would gain huge amounts of weight in a very short time if we consumed so many calories each day. Many have commented that we don’t need to watch what we eat since we are cycling. That is so untrue for us. I have lost a whopping 12 pounds for doing hard exercise for at least 40 hours per week. Robert has lost closer to 20. So much for that calories in and calories out theory that does seem to work for some people.
We left with very full stomachs, which didn’t seem to matter as we once again battled a rather strong headwind. So much for being blown across the continent. Don’t know what we were thinking, although we met a guy at the ferry who confirmed that the usual winds are out of the southwest, but that lately, they have been from all other directions, including the northeast.
Our ride today should have been a simple one, but the wind easily changed that. The mileage we did today almost seemed as bad as doing an 80 mile day. We thought that we would finish early today, but that didn’t happen. Maybe it’s time to think about starting at the crack of dawn.
The highlight of today was the Port Robinson ferry, which crosses the Welland Canal and is specifically for pedestrians and bicyclists. Unfortunately, the route that we followed per some cyclist’s cue sheet left much to be desired.
We biked along the Niagara Recreational Trail, a less than ideal way to reach Niagara Falls. The path has sharp and hidden turns and is shared with multitudes of pedestrians as we appoached the Falls. Niagara shocked us. A natural wonder enhanced by hawkers and other tackiness that line the street.
I remember reading an article about somebody who found the hawkers in Saint Thomas offensive. I personally found the article offensive as I have been to Saint Thomas several times and never saw any hawkers and because some of her facts, like having to fly to Saint Thomas in an 8-seater plane weren’t entirely true. Now, Niagara Falls definitely has hawkers, who frequently have microphones with cords strewn across the sidewalk. I hoped that the weight of our bicycles would have shorted out the microphones for a minutes, but these people must have heavy-duty electronics.
Once again we are staying at a place that falsely advertises wireless internet. We can’t get a signal in our remotely located room. We do have a tv and the news just mentioned two car bombs in London. I couldn’t figure out why such a situation would happen in London, which isn’t too far from here. Duh. The news referred to that other London.
My sleep deprivation continues. Maybe tonight I will sleep without hurting my wounds or experiencing painful leg cramps. And maybe there will be a tail wind tomorrow.
Niagara Falls to Medina – 56 miles
Average Speed – 11 mph
Today we are meeting two of our children and our friend, Mary Ellen, who are coming from Albany to ride back with us along the Erie Canal. We won’t meet them until early in the afternoon, so there was no hurry to leave the motel. This was another place that advertises wireless internet that isn’t available in every room. The staff gives out expired passwords so that even if you get a signal in the lobby, you can’t get online.
Besides the internet annoyance, there was also the small problem with the springs of the mattresses of both beds popping through. This made sleeping so uncomfortable and nearly impossible. One of these days, I may get a restful sleep.
The constant noise in Niagara Falls seems to start early in the day. If you imagine an open-air video arcade, you might get a sense of the noise that bombarded us as we walked down Clifton Hill. We didn’t bother riding our bikes down the steep road, which is just a short distance from the Rainbow Bridge.
We entered the pedestrian crossing area to walk our bikes across and somebody appeared from an office and told us that we must ride across the bridge, which currently was backed up with traffic. The walkway is adequately wide for both passengers and bicycles and although we said that we had planned on walking the bikes over to the other side, the official said that “they” didn’t like bikes on the sidewalk. We didn’t like biking across the bridge, but eventually made it.
We had breakfast in North Tonawanda since we had some time to kill before the others arrived from the inconvenient Depew train station. Amtrak only takes bikes on certain trains at certain times of the day. That’s very helpful. Speaking of bikes and trains, ViaRail is doing a pilot project this summer promoting the use of the train and bicycles. This program is on the Toronto and Niagara route and if successful, will be continued. The unfortunate part of it is that few people even know about it.
We met up with the others in North Tonawanda and started heading east, using the poor canal route maps that we have. We had looked online at a county cycling map and wrote down the instructions for getting to Lockport. We passed right by Lockport. The canal trail did not start where it was indicated on the map. There wasn’t even a sign welcoming us to Lockport or directing us to the business section of town. We passed right by and ended up having to backtrack and get the trail in Gasport.
We had hoped to find some better maps at Lockport. Guess that Lockport isn’t too interested in attracting outsiders.
When we stopped in Gasport for lunch, a couple who had driven there for the beef on weck, said that they totally missed Lockport and had great difficulty finally getting there. At least, we found the trail in Gasport and headed on our merry way to Medina, our destination for the night.
Geese along the trail
Tomorrow, we head to Fairport and stay with friends.
Medina to Fairport – 63 miles
Average Speed – 10.5 mph
We left our motel early and had breakfast downtown at the 24-hour restaurant. We re-traced our path back to the Canal Trail and headed in an easterly direction toward Fairport. We stopped many times along the trail to read the signs or chat with fellow trail users. We figured that we might find some maps and current information about the trail at the Brockport Welcome Center. The volunteer staff there is very friendly and the coffee was good, but the information on the trail was seriously lacking. Basically, there was not one single map of the trail, but there was a guide for boaters, which showed the distances between the locks. The patient volunteer searched hard to find the one copy of this that she had and made a copy of it for me.
It’s very difficult to understand why it is so incredibly hard to find any information. All of us have searched online several times for a good and current map of the trail. All of us came up with very general information that was hardly more useful than looking at a map of the US and trying to find a route.
We were thrilled to be meeting some folks along the way today. In Rochester, we met up with Scott and Pooja and in Fairport we were hosted by the Turners. Marcia was very eager to host us rather than ride a bike with us for a few miles.
We had ice cream with Scott and Pooja and then headed to Fairport and on to the Turner Bed and Breakfast. We really enjoyed our stay and considered moving in, but Portland is calling and we are trying not to answer the call.
As we get closer and closer to home turf, thoughts of simply stopping and finishing the last few miles at some later time, keep creeping into my head. I haven’t had a good night of sleep for a very long time, so we will be taking a day or two off in Round Lake before we hit the road again. I know that I won’t be doing any long trips like this again.
After dinner with the Turners we went to the canal and had ice cream with Sandy and Jessie.
We really enjoyed our short visit together, but bedtime came upon us quickly, so we retreated to our comfy surroundings for the evening.
Fairport to Weedsport – 58 miles
Average Speed – 11 mph
We reluctantly left The Turner Inn with Amanda directing us on our way. We took the cheater way out of the neighborhood and avoided a nice climb. We retraced our way back to the trail in Fairport, stopping at the bike shop to get some replacement tubes. Oddly enough and this will not come as a shock to anybody who has been reading this blog, the bicycle shop person knew NOTHING about the canal trail. Is there a trend here? I remember back in Muskegon that we had stopped at a cycling shop looking for a map. The owner knew every detail about the entire length of the Musketawa Trail. What a concept.
Fairport Canal
We took several hours to go just a few miles, stopping along the way to chat with fellow trail users and watch boats and kayaks go through the locks.
We had only reached Palmyra by lunchtime. We got off the trail there and followed Route 31 east of there. The road had a good shoulder, except for when passing through towns along the way.
Shortly outside of Palmyra, we stopped at a thrift store thinking that Mary Ellen might want to get her sweatshirt for the train ride back home. Tatiana was wearing a Buckeye Fire t-shirt and when another customer saw that she came and asked if we were from Columbus, where she once lived. We spent some time chatting with her and finally got back on the way. Weedsport began to seem like an impossible destination this day.
The terrain offered us some nice climbs, which we partook of all the way to Weedsport. Maybe next time we come through, the canal trail will be continuous, thus eliminating the need to test the strength of our quads.
When we reached Weedsport, we did notice a section of the canal trail that seemed to be new. The locals were somewhat familiar with it, but didn’t have the details that cyclists would like to know.
I continue to be sleep deprived, waking up several times during the night, mostly in response to irritating my wounds. One of these days, I will get a restful sleep.
Weedsport to Oneida – 61 miles
Average Speed – 10 mph
We probably got spoiled riding on the relatively flat surface of the canal path. Today, we were trying to get back to Albany as quickly as possible, so instead of continuing on the canal path to Rome, we opted to take Route 173, which makes more of a beeline across the state. That was a big, hilly mistake.
From Weedsport we made good time to Route 5 and then to Route 173, which avoided Syracuse. The road didn’t pose many problems at all. In fact, I was relieved to reach the top of Onandaga Hill, which I assumed would be the high point of the day. What was I thinking? After the climb, we had a nice downhill run, disturbed only by a steep climb just past route 11, where the road narrowed and twisted with no shoulder and no place to ditch traffic. My chain jammed on the climb and I sweated bullets as I attempted to unclip, certain that I would fall into the impatient traffic that already brushed my elbows. Miraculously, I released my foot and found a driveway where I could pull-off and fix the chain. This was the first time that I can remember my chain getting stuck between gears. I hoped it was the last time. I have used my granny gear more today than on any other day that I can remember. After finishing this climb, I pulled over into the shade and waited for the others to arrive.
Shortly after my rest, we caught up with Nate and Tatiana, who were just ahead. Tatiana had a flat tire, so that gave us an excuse to rest again. We suffered through many steep climbs, but my favorite was the one with the cemetery at the apex. Perfect. I felt like dying. How convenient.
When we finally reached our lunch stop in Manlius, we reconsidered our route as we had been warned about the huge climb to Chittenango. We ate at Dave’s Diner and talked with several other customers, who we regaled with tales of our trip. They happily reminded us of the upcoming huge climb. We pulled out our maps and thought that we could now reconnect with the trail, even though we would have to go a bit out of our way to reach the trail. Dave, the owner gave us directions for the shortest route to access the trail. Our waitress came and informed us that the guy who had been sitting next to us and who had been offering advice had paid for half of our lunch. Nothing like those random act of kindness moments.
Reaching the trail was simple. A ranger spotted us and offered us a map that the State Park produces, which was far superior to the other information that we had found before. His map had actual distances on it. The condition of the trail deteriorated as we headed east, but was still a nice respite from the grueling climbs we had done for most of the day. The trail ranged from wide to single track, which seemed curious, especially since it narrowed without warning. When it finally ended in a huge pile of limestone, we got back onto the road to try to reach our intended destination of New Hartford.
Some people never leave their small towns. They don’t know the distance of nearby towns, nor did we. We could only guesstimate distance, but thought that we could rely on local knowledge. We reached Oneida late in the day. I had spotted a Super 8 and thought that maybe we should call it a day, since it had been a rather tough day. We asked a few locals how far away New Hartford was. 12 miles seemed to be the most popular distance. We could probably make it, but it was getting late and it wouldn’t be so hard to make up 12 miles tomorrow, so we stopped for the night with plans to make it to Amsterdam the next day.
Oneida to Palatine Bridge – 66 miles
Average Speed – 9.7 mph
That 12 miles to New Hartford turned out to be closer to 20 miles, so we were happy that we had decided to stop in Oneida. There were several motels scattered along the way outside of Oneida.
Having Fun
We climbed again today, although I found the hills much more gentle today, even though there were plenty of them. I don’t mind the long gradual hills. I hate all hills, but tolerate the long gradual hills much better. Today was the 4th of July, so there wasn’t too much traffic on the road, which made the riding all the more pleasant.
Top of the climb
A view of the state
After all of our little climbs today, we came to the summit of what appeared to be a hill that simply dropped off the face of the earth. I quickly evaluated the situation and dismounted. There’s no shame in walking up hills, but there is also no shame in walking down hills. When I feel that I might somersault over my handlebars, I have no interest in riding.
Too Steep for Me
At the top of this hill the phone rang and it was Nate calling to say that he had been chased by a German Shepherd while going down this hill. Apprently, the owners found it quite funny. Nate should have called the sheriff. I watched for the dog and couldn’t even imagine going down this hill and being chased.
We reached the very small town of Frankfort where all dining options were closed due to the holiday. A local recommended that we continue on for two miles to Ilion, where we found a pizza place open and waiting for us. While eating our lunch, the skies opened and the rain came down. What kind of day would it be without hills, wind and rain?
Mary Ellen had to get to the train station in Albany, so she was being picked up in Little Falls, from where Robert, Nate and I would continue on the trail to Palatine Bridge. Tatiana has to return to work tomorrow, so she would leave here as well. With the advantage of a car, we scouted out the start of the trail as there are no directional signs to the trail. I know that I expect too much, but don’t understand how any of these municipalities on the trail expect tourists to easily find this outstanding resource. The refugees left and the three of us departed through a canyon as the trail skirted the canal, using an old railway bed.
This section of the trail was one of the nicest that we had experienced so far. You might think that the trail is uniform throughout its several hundred miles, but each section has its own flavor. We didn’t always see the canal from the trail, but did hear the traffic from I-90, which seemed to be always at our side.
At some point, the trail became paved, which made the riding easier. Passing through Canajoharie, we were blocked on the trail by some locals who obviously assumed that they owned that section of the trail and that it was humorous to stand in the path of cyclists. Just a short way past this incident, we had firecrackers tossed in front of us. We don’t understand the mentality of these people.
We crossed the Mohawk and headed to our motel, which as luck would have it, had a steep driveway. The owner requested that we let our bicycles dry off before taking them into the room. It was a good thing that he didn’t get a look at me. My legs were encrusted with the black dust from the trail and had much more dirt than the bicycles.
We met with our son, Jeff, who lives nearby. The original plan was for him to ride with us for a few miles, but since it was raining, we abandoned that plan. We visited over a pizza – the only option in town – and went to bed early. Tomorrow, we will be sleeping in our own bed.
Palatine Bridge to Round Lake – 56 miles
Average Speed – Palatine Bridge to Round Lake – 56 miles
Average Speed –The trains along the Mohawk ran very frequently last night. One of them had Mary Ellen as a passenger on its way to Buffalo. We left this morning a little later than usual and planned on having our second breakfast in Amsterdam.
The trail is an old rail bed and is very pleasant for riding, except it is a tad soft and provides a bit of resistance to heavily-laden bicycles. When we reached Amsterdam, we found nothing open. The trail is not in the main part of Amsterdam and we weren’t about to cross over the river to the business district, so we just continued on, planning to stop at the next restaurant that we saw.
Shortly outside of Amsterdam, the trail ends, so we rejoined 5-S for a few miles to Rotterdam Junction, where the trail starts again. We stopped for a snack there as we didn’t find a convenient restaurant and decided to have lunch in Schenectady. We just happened to bike right past Slick’s, a restaurant known for its sandwiches of mass proportions. When we saw how much meat was stacked in a sandwich, we decided to split one between us. Even Nate, had to pack half of is for a later meal.
We always have trouble finding the trail in Schenectady, so at least we know where to take it out of town, near the community college. The restaurant folks told us that there was some construction that made some of the trail heading to Colonie inaccessible, so we followed their directions to find the open part of the trail. We have looked at all of the available maps and books and still find it difficult to navigate the trail.
Nate decided that he would simply bike home to Troy, so we split off near the Rexford bridge and went our separate ways. I knew that getting home before the completion of the trip would be difficult and that I would be tempted to call it quits here and finish the rest of the trip at some later date.
There’s something to be said for sleeping in your own bed. It looks like we will have just a few more days until Portland and heaven forbid, I have changed the route again to what I think might be the quickest and less hilly(that’s relative) route to Portland.
From the start, I looked at different routes and have even dared to ask for route suggestions along the way as I have had enough experience with guidebooks and route maps that I know that the information isn’t always correct or ideal. The responses I got surprised me and even offended me. Get a map. Plan in advance. Do more research. Gosh, none of this answered my request for some practical information from people who have cycled this route or know the area. It’s amazing that we have made it this far across the country.
We are now planning on heading across Massachussetts because I want to avoid steep climbs and downhlls. Call me a wimp, but I am not trying to prove anything or torture myself. I know that there are hills in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Ohio, for that matter. Stopping at home may have been a mistake, because now my plan for the rest of the trip is to complete it as quickly as possible, perfect route or not.
We are dumping a lot of our gear here. We got rid of the camping gear when the refugees left. We are downsizing since we are in rescue range. Should we have any major problems, help is just a phone call away. We will take just enough clothes for the few days that we have left. I will leave all four of my panniers behind. Without all the gear, I will feel like I did on Pelee Island where I thought I had a lightweight carbon fiber bike because I had no panniers for the day.
