The Erie Canal Trail

A Five-Day/Four-Night Self-Supported Cycling Adventure Along the Erie Canal Trail

 

Posting this as a resource for anyone who may stumble across it looking to do the same. 

 

Prior to deciding to ride the Erie Canal Trail I did have prior touring experience (read prior blogs) but my prior experience was all SUPPORTED. Meaning I was with a group and we took turns shuttling our bags and gear in a mini van. This was my first overnight venture on my bike with all my gear.  

 

Route: Erie Canal Trail from Buffalo to Albany, NY with the Alt. Route through Seneca Falls.

 

Transportation: A friend dropped my friend (who I was riding with) and I off at Amtrak in Schenectady, NY. We purchased train tickets to Buffalo online ahead of time for both ourselves and our bikes ($20/bike). This guaranteed space on the train for the bikes as each train typically holds two bikes. The same friend that dropped us off picked us up in Albany at the end of the ride.

 

 What did I take? 

 

 The bigger stuff:

Bike – My trusty Trek 520 with Brooks England Saddle (already owned)

Panniers – Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic (already owned)

Tent – Marmot Titan Backpacking Tent 2-Person (already owned)

Sleeping Bag – Lafuma One Kilo Extreme 35-Degree Sleeping Bag (already owned)

Sleeping Pad – Avalanche Outdoors Ultralight Inflatable Sleeping Pad (purchased)

Pillow – Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Camping Travel Pillow (purchased)

Hydration Pack – Osprey Verve 7 - 70 fl. oz. Hydration Pack (already owned)

Giro Bike Helmet (already owned)

Detour Day Pass Handlebar Bag (already owned)

Serfas Speed Seat Bag (already owned)

 

Clothes:

1 Polyester/spandex riding tank top

1 Polyester/spandex riding t-shirt

2 pairs Shebeest women’s cycling shorts

3 pairs Smartwool cycling socks

1 pair Smartwool Outdoors socks

3 Brooks Sports Bras

5 pair underwear

1 pair swimming bottoms

1 pair non–biking shorts

1 non-biking t-shirt

1 non-biking tank top

1 Under Armour Threadborne Streaker Hoodie

1 pair LuLaRoe leggings (incase it got cold)

1 pair pj’s (tank, boxers, lightweight shirt)

1 IKEA Rensare packing cube clothes bag with compartments (all of the above fit in this bag, minus what I was wearing that day)

1 Specialized Women’s Deflect Hybrid Jacket

1 pair Chaco Sandals

1 pair Specialized Riata Cycling Shoes

 

Other Stuff:

1 Buff

2 pair cycling gloves

2 water bottles

Delta Mega Rack Bicycle Cargo Net

2 10-inch bungee cords

2 18-inch bungee cords

Bontrager Flare Rear Bike Light

Cygolite Streak 350 Bike Headlight

Frame Bike Pump

Sunglasses

Outdoor Products Ultimate Dry Sacks (small one for random stuff and medium one for my assorted snacks & pre-measured bagged Gatorade powder)

IKEA Rensare waterproof bag (Used for my toiletries)

Deuter Zip Wallet

Cateye Enduro 8 Cycling Computer

3-port USB charger

iPhone charging cord

Mophie Powerstation

Micro USB cord

Mini USB cord

Travelon medium packing square (for charging cords & powerstation)

Kindle Fire HD 6

Cycle the Erie Canal Guide

Urban Gear LED Headlamp

Sun King Pico

3-piece compact silverware set

1 cloth facemask

iPhone

2 extra plastic sandwich bags

Planet Bike waterproof saddle cover

garbage bag (to wrap tent in)

 

Toiletries:

Contact case & 2 oz. bottle of solution

Extra contacts

Travel toothbrush

Toothpaste .88 oz tube

Face cleanser .5 oz tube

8 facial cleansing pads with tea tree oil

Mini 3 yds. dental floss

Deodorant

SPF Daily Moisturizer face cream

SPF 50 Sport Sunscreen

2 Travelon Smart Tubes 3 oz. (1 shampoo/conditioner, 1 camp soap)

Carmax chapstick

1 washcloth

Small bottle ibuprofen

1.5 oz tube MuscleRub

Pressure point massage roller ball

Nail clippers and file

Extra hair bands

Travel package Lysol wipes

Band-Aids, gauze, first aid cream

Bugs Be Gone spray 1 oz.

 

 

 Getting to Buffalo:

As noted above we took the train from Albany to Buffalo. Unfortunately the only train with space available for our bikes was the later train meaning we were getting into Buffalo around 9:45 at night. We had pre-booked an AirBnB about 1.5 miles from the Amtrak station in Buffalo and walked/biked there once we got off the train in Buffalo.

 

 

The Start: (Thursday, July 22^nd) Buffalo to Brockport

We biked from our AirBnb to the start of the trail on Thursday morning. The first part of the trail was pretty straightforward biking on paved paths along the Niagara River with a short stint of on road riding on Niagara Street where they were working on finishing the separated bike lane. In Wendelville we missed the re-entry onto the path and ended up just following Tonawanda Creek Road to reconnect with the path Pendleton stopping at Uncle G’s Ice Cream for lunch and ice cream. From Pendleton the trail was pretty straight forward with a mix of paved trails and stone dust which really wasn’t too bad to ride on. We weren’t sure where we were going to spend the night but stopped at the Brockport Welcome Center and jumped on the offer to camp on their lawn. Free showers and laundry were also available and there were many places to eat within a block or so. We were also treated to a concert at the Welcome Center, which I believe is a weekly Thursday thing all summer.

 

Day One Overview:

Distance: 76.82 miles

Breakfast at Tim Hortons in Buffalo

Lunch at Uncle G’s Ice Cream in Pendleton

Dinner at The Rooster Pub & Pizza

Ice Cream at Jimmy Z’s

Camping at Brockport Welcome Center, 11 Water Street, Brockport

 

Day 2: (Friday, July 23^rd) Brockport to Cayuga Lake State Park/Seneca Falls

We started the morning by packing up our stuff before heading to Java Junction for a quick breakfast. The first part of the ride was on stone dust trails which were pretty packed down and easy to ride on. As we got closer to the Rochester area the trails were paved and had my GPS not told me so I wouldn’t have even known I was in Rochester as the trail avoided most street crossings and the heart of the city. We stopped at LULU Taqueria in Fairport for lunch right along the trail. Our afternoon consisted of a mix of paved trails and dirt trails with a few large puddles left on the dirt trails from the rain & flooding earlier in the week. We finished the day with some road riding on rather quiet roads as we navigated our way toward Seneca Falls where we had made a camping reservation at Cayuga Lake State Park. Just outside of Seneca Falls we stopped at Max’s Custard for ice cream and then again a block later at the Express Gas Station to pick up food and snacks so we could eat dinner once we got to camp. Cayuga Lake State Park sits right on Cayuga Lake, which made for some beautiful sights both at sunset and sunrise the next morning. The park also had free showers that were appreciated after a long hot day on the bike.

 

Day Two Overview:

Distance: 91.88 miles

Breakfast at Java Junction in Brockport

Lunch at LULU Taqueria & Bar in Fairport

Ice Cream at Max’s Custard in Seneca Falls

Dinner at Express Gas Seneca Falls (Gas Station Snacks)

Camping at Cayuga Lake State Park, Seneca Falls

 

Day 3: (Saturday, July 24^th) Cayuga Lake State Park to Lock 21/Rome

After packing up camp we rode along the lake enjoying the warm sun and views for the first few miles of the days ride on quiet roads. A little over 15 miles in we stopped at the Port Byron Diner for a delicious breakfast. We picked the trail back up just past Port Byron and were on trails for the most part for the remainder of the day with a few short stretches of road riding here and there. Just before Camillus we reached the trail halfway point marking 175.7 miles west to Buffalo and 175.7 miles east to Albany. Shortly after we took a break stopping at the Erie Canal Park in Camillus, which is a small museum of all things related to the canal. Passing through Syracuse was a lot of stopping and going, navigating through streets in parts and I was definitely happy to see the more rural trail pick back up on the eastern side of the city. As we were pressing to get to Lock 21 to camp for the night before dark we decide to combine lunch and dinner for ‘linner’ and stopped at Nina’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant in Chittenango. After filling our bellies we made a quick stop at Kinney Drugs before getting back on the path and cranking out our final twenty miles of the day. We arrived at Lock 21 just before dark and quickly set our tents up under the trees to protect us from the expected rain overnight. The lock had porta potties but no drinkable water so after setting up we inquired with the lockmaster about using the water spigot on the building to wash up and he gave us the ok to use the spigot for washing.

 

Day Three Overview:

Distance: 83.17 miles

Breakfast at Port Byron Diner

Lunch-Dinner at Nina’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant in Chittenango

Camping at Lock 21 (near Rome, NY)

 

Day 4: (Sunday, July 25^th) Lock 21 to Little Falls

The overnight rains cleared past us by daybreak and after letting our tents sit in the sun for a little bit we packed up and were ready to ride. Just as we were finishing up a boat approached the lock from the west and we decide to stay and watch it pass through heading east. About eight miles into the ride we stopped at Dunkin Donuts in Rome for breakfast and coffee. After eating we rejoined the trail on the southern side of Rome and rode a mix of stone dust and paved trails for the next 14 miles before detouring onto a short road segment that took us from Utica through Frankfort where we stopped at Melrose Supermarket for some afternoon snacks and soft serve ice cream! We rejoined the paved trail just past Frankfort and immediately after getting back on the trail I noticed my front tire was extremely soft. Upon inspection I didn’t see anything stuck in it and after taking the tube off discovered that an old patch had come loose resulting in my tire to lose air. I replaced the patch and we were on our way enjoying paved paths all the way to Little Falls. Since we hadn’t really eaten lunch we decided to do ‘linner’ once again in Little Falls before trying to get another 20 or so miles in for the day. With it being a Sunday we found most placed in Little Falls closed however discovered Ed’s Pizza Place, which was open. As we were situating our bikes to lock them up outside someone from Ed’s Pizza came out and told us we could just bring our bikes in with us which was super nice of them. Then as we were situating out bikes inside a kind man came in and asked us if we needed a place to camp for the night and told us that cyclist were allowed to camp at Canal Harbor at Rotary Park for $10/night per person and that they had showers and wifi available there for us to use. While we hadn’t intended to spend the night in Little Falls this seemed like an offer we couldn’t pass up so after finishing out linner we made our way to Canal Harbor to register (we had to do so by 6pm) and set up for the night. After a few long days it was nice to get in early. The harbor also had laundry and snacks available for cost.

 

Day Four Overview:

Distance: 51.11 miles

Breakfast at Dunkin Donuts in Rome

Ice Cream at Melrose Supermarket in Frankfort

Dinner at Ed’s Pizza Place in Little Falls

Camping at Canal Harbor at Rotary Park, Little Falls ($10/person per night, $3/shower)

 

Day 5: (Monday, July 26^th) Little Falls to Albany

Since we cut the previous day short we knew we had a long ride to Albany with almost 90 miles to cover before our ride picked us up in Albany around 3 pm. With the early wake up the fog was thick leaving our tents wetter than they had been the previous night when it rained at Lock 21. After shaking things out we packed up our wet tents and were on the trail shortly after 7 am for our earliest morning of the ride. We rode 20 miles before stopping in Canajoharie for breakfast at The Village Restaurant. From breakfast we pushed onward making a quick stop at Lock 10 where the lockmaster let us use the restroom and we called our ride to push our pick up time back to 3:30 pm with about 44 miles left to cover. The ride from Mindenville to Albany was entirely paved with some sections smoother than others and a few on road sections here and there. Riding through Schenectady we were treated to trailside art that was put up as part of the color the canal project. The art put a smile on our faces after a long and hot day on the trail. The final 20 miles seemed to take forever with a couple surprise hills including one incredibly steep trail hill in Niskayuna that we ended up pushing our bikes up. The final stretch of trail ran along the Hudson River and we reached our ride in Albany around 3:45 pm.

 

Day Five Overview:

Distance: 89.61 miles

Breakfast at The Village Restaurant in Canajoharie

Finished in Albany at 4 pm.

 

Other Things:

With a little help from modern technology we found the trail pretty easy to navigate. There were trail markers throughout though in some spots the trail signs were spaced a little too far apart at intersections causing confusion as to which way to turn. One thing that we found incredibly helpful was a little sign we nicknamed “OJ’. My guess is these markings were possibly put down for the Cycle the Canal Tour that took place a week before our ride but we followed these markings all the way from Buffalo to Albany. The marks consisted of a orange circle with a line coming out of it that pointed in the direction we were suppose to go.

January

It shall warm up again. Someday... Happy 2014!

Carolyn

Phil and Carolyn (Burlington, VT, August 2006)

Back in the early 1990's my father received a phone call from a woman in Vermont who was researching her family genealogy. It didn't take her and my dad long to establish a common relative and a friendship between families quickly followed.

I first remember visiting Carolyn and her husband Phil at their home in eastern Vermont during the summer of 1995. While many teenagers may have found a vacation to a rather remote area to visit adults boring there was nothing boring about visiting Carolyn and Phil, and my siblings and I looked forward to what would become our annual summer vacation to Vermont to visit Carolyn and Phil. Whether we were camping with them along the shores of Lake Champlain, visiting them at their then home in Taftsville or at their more recent home in Burlington each visit was memorable. A gracious host, Carolyn was always more than willing to open their home to us and was an amazing chef be it in the kitchen or preparing something over the grill. While our days were full of relaxation, exploration of the local area and just hanging out there were always many laughs to be had throughout the day and into the evenings.

When I decided I was going to bike across the country with the Illini 4000 in the summer of 2007, Carolyn and Phil jumped to support me and the cause for which I was riding. Additionally they then had the patience to sit and look through my hundreds of photographs listening and asking questions about my summer when my family visited them shortly after I completed the ride. When I decided to ride again in the summer of 2008 they showed the same support.

A week ago, my mother received an message stating that Carolyn had passed away and today my family traveled to Vermont to pay our respects to Carolyn and support Phil and their family. A four-hour car ride each way left me with plenty of time to think and reflect. Looking back I find many parallels between my time with the Illini 4000 and my visits with Carolyn and Phil each summer. During my two summers with the Illini 4000 we were constantly meet with open arms by complete strangers willing to open their homes and lives to us. Carolyn was very much this kind of person, going out of her way to show hospitality toward others. I have no doubt that had I4K ever rode through her neck of the woods she would have been one of the first people to try and invite the entire team into her home regardless of the teams size.

One of the first hosts the Illini 4000 team ever had was a woman from Hawley, Pennsylvania named Florence Brown in the summer of 2007. In just our second day on the road our plans for the night fell through and we were left without a place to stay. While out looking for other possible options Jon met Florance, who after hearing what we were doing offered to cook us dinner and let us camp in her backyard. Carolyn's compassion for others very much reminds me of Florance and the many others I meet each day through I4K.

Carolyn was a women with many talents, a great sense of humor and the ability to make everyone that surrounded her feel like they were important and appreciated. While she may no longer be here physically she will never be forgotten as the memories that those that knew her have will live on in them for years to come. Rest in Peace Carolyn.