I’ve been back home just over a week, time enough to catch up on the journal and reflect on the ride, life in general, and future plans.

 The Empire State Trail

The Empire State Trail System includes 750 miles comprising three major trail systems: The Erie Canalway Trail between Buffalo and Albany; the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail running from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan to Albany; and the Champlain Valley Trail from Albany to Rouses Point in the Adirondacks. Overall, this is an incredible connected network of long distance cycling trails – one of the best in the US. I found the sections I rode to be generally well-signed, but would recommend downloading gpx routes for any sections you are planning to tour. I’m happy to answer any questions/share information, etc.

 Hudson Valley Greenway Trail – The route is 85% on dedicated greenways/rail trails and the street sections are most often on well-shouldered and/or smaller roads. The one exception was the off-road section between Inwood and Cortland where I rode through busy main street traffic– but I may have missed the route sign due to construction. I loved the ride north from lower Manhattan along the Hudson to the George Washington Bridge, but the views riding south might be even better. Another favorite was the Walkway Across the Hudson at Poughkeepsie. It was a bit of a challenge to find places to stay that were not too far off the trail and at reasonable biking intervals. This was due in part to Covid closures of some venues, and hopefully this is a temporary situation. There are a number of wonderful towns and places of interest in the Hudson River Valley and I definitely recommend this route.

 The Erie Canalway Trail (ECT) -  This section of the Empire State Trail is the longest and most well- traveled by cyclists and there many resources as well as other CycleBlaze journals to help guide future visitors. Though I did not ride the section between Lyons and Camillus, the ECT seemed to have three distinct sections, or personalities. Most of the Western section is along a well-packed stonedust towpath that closely followed an active and navigable canal, passing through wonderful small towns along the way. This was my favorite section, especially the Lockport to Newark stretch. The middle section from Camillus to Utica follows the historic canal and was more isolated - and the surface quality was a little more variable. Outside of the larger cities, the pass-through towns are small and seemed to suffer from the loss of activity that the Erie Canal once brought. The final section from Utica to Albany is a wonderful, mostly paved, rail-trail that parallels the Mohawk River. This section is great riding, but lacks the “canalway” ambience found in the Western section.

 Ruminations and Future Plans

Two events spurred and solidified my current cycling passion. The first was a 2009 self-guided bike tour with my sisters in Burgundy that awakened all my senses to the joy of cycle touring. The second was a bike accident during my first RAGBRAI experience in 2010. Another rider crashed into me and then landed on me, pinning my left knee to the pavement and fracturing my knee, tibia and crushing my tibial plateau. My orthopedist recited a litany of activities I would no longer be able to do, but on the bright side there was no displacement and I did not need surgery. I was a good patient, heeding all his advice and working diligently at physical therapy. At my last visit, he told me how well I had healed and gave me no restrictions on activity, saying “do everything you can until you can’t.” And so I have.

 One motivation for this ride was to celebrate my upcoming 70th birthday by launching a bike tour from the city of my birth. Along the way, I visited many friends and colleagues that I have known for twenty years or more. Most were around my age and each was facing their own unique spin on the common challenge of growing older. I came away feeling evermore grateful for my health and good fortune that allows me to explore the world on a bike. The trip certainly served to reinforce the advice given by my orthopedist a decade earlier.

 So, where to next? I have two more trips planned for 2021. The first is an ACA supported tour on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route – a 10-day trip across the Wind River Range starting in Jackson, WY. I’m a little nervous about bears and primitive camping – a combination that is definitely outside my comfort zone. 

The second trip is in more familiar territory, though it does have its own challenges. Unless Covid conditions change the EU travel guidelines, I will leave in early September for two months in Europe, which will include a ~5 week cycle tour from Munich - Bologna – Munich. I figure 70 is a great age to cross the Alps, so I might as well do it twice. 

I am continually inspired and motivated by the feats of all CycleBlazers, especially those around my vintage. Thank you and keep on pedaling! Maybe we’ll meet along the road. 

Heart

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