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Biking the Erie Canal
The Erie Canal was undoubtedly an engineering marvel in its time and was considered by many to be the 8th wonder of the world. It's a man-made passage from Lake Erie to the Hudson River, about 363 miles, incorporating tens of locks to work with the elevation changes (for a fun visual explanation of a lock's functioning, see here: http://www.eriecanal.org/locks.html). The canal has undergone many changes over time - in size, number of locks, usage, etc. Nowadays, the canal is mostly (but not entirely) used for recreational boating. And many sections of the old canal and old towpath (where the horses and mules, who were pulling the boats, walked) have been converted to an awesome bike path/walking trail. Here are photos of my first outing on the path. I was able to just ride right out of our campground and onto the trail and rode all the way to Schenectady proper and back, passing by Lock 8 on the way (where I had a really fun experience!).
Another treat along the way - this cutie that I just barely spotted and so fortunately didn't run over!!!
This may remind a few of you of a certain froggie photo from my past...! ;)
Old Lock 23 (see here for more info: http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=25101). This site on the old Erie Canal is a glimpse straight into history (early 1800s).
And here you can see again how grande the Mohawk River is! And there is Lock 8 in the distance, part of the present-day Erie Barge Canal.
Lock 8 with some impressively dark storm clouds above. I was hoping for a cool-down with a bit of rain, but no luck. Some beautiful clouds, but no cooling at all, and I overheated (and didn't have enough water with me - had to make it to a KFC in Schenectady for some!).
Aha! A boat enters the lock! Let the fun begin!
The water will be lowered 14 ft before the downstream gate will open and let the boat out the other end.
The really great part of all this was not just seeing the lock in action but seeing it from a special vantage point - from atop one of the gates! I was admiring the scene when the lock operator passed by and told me I could walk out onto the gate "bridge." He then warned me that it was time to open the gates but that I could stay where I was (as long as I didn't stand in the middle!). So I got a gate ride! No seatbelts or nuthin'! Can't imagine this being allowed in Cali.!!!! It was a little slower and less dramatic than a Disney ride but even more fun and special.
Wave Hello to the nice boater man!
The gates closed, once again.
Alphabet soup?! Or just funny foam??
The Erie Canal was undoubtedly an engineering marvel in its time and was considered by many to be the 8th wonder of the world. It's a man-made passage from Lake Erie to the Hudson River, about 363 miles, incorporating tens of locks to work with the elevation changes (for a fun visual explanation of a lock's functioning, see here: http://www.eriecanal.org/locks.html). The canal has undergone many changes over time - in size, number of locks, usage, etc. Nowadays, the canal is mostly (but not entirely) used for recreational boating. And many sections of the old canal and old towpath (where the horses and mules, who were pulling the boats, walked) have been converted to an awesome bike path/walking trail. Here are photos of my first outing on the path. I was able to just ride right out of our campground and onto the trail and rode all the way to Schenectady proper and back, passing by Lock 8 on the way (where I had a really fun experience!).
Another treat along the way - this cutie that I just barely spotted and so fortunately didn't run over!!!
This may remind a few of you of a certain froggie photo from my past...! ;) 
Old Lock 23 (see here for more info: http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=25101). This site on the old Erie Canal is a glimpse straight into history (early 1800s).
And here you can see again how grande the Mohawk River is! And there is Lock 8 in the distance, part of the present-day Erie Barge Canal.
Lock 8 with some impressively dark storm clouds above. I was hoping for a cool-down with a bit of rain, but no luck. Some beautiful clouds, but no cooling at all, and I overheated (and didn't have enough water with me - had to make it to a KFC in Schenectady for some!).
Aha! A boat enters the lock! Let the fun begin!
The water will be lowered 14 ft before the downstream gate will open and let the boat out the other end.
The really great part of all this was not just seeing the lock in action but seeing it from a special vantage point - from atop one of the gates! I was admiring the scene when the lock operator passed by and told me I could walk out onto the gate "bridge." He then warned me that it was time to open the gates but that I could stay where I was (as long as I didn't stand in the middle!). So I got a gate ride! No seatbelts or nuthin'! Can't imagine this being allowed in Cali.!!!! It was a little slower and less dramatic than a Disney ride but even more fun and special.
The gates closed, once again.
Alphabet soup?! Or just funny foam??
Pretty awesome thunderhead, eh? I'm sure it meant business for someone somewhere but not where I stood!
But what a lovely cloud formation!!!!!
And lest you think I alone rode this path...! Nope! It gets good use!
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