June 15, 2021
To Palmyra
It was going to be a long day – more than 70 miles to Palmyra. Wanting to get a good breakfast and an early start, I was up at 6:15 and returned to the family restaurant for pancakes. I managed to leave at 8:05, just as Rudy's Diner across the street was opening their doors to waiting customers. It had stormed again last night and the eastern sky was still layered with clouds. However, predictions were for sunshine, moderate temperature, and light westerly winds. All pointed to a great biking day. And indeed it was.
The morning ride brought two firsts for me. The first occurred as I crossed into Albion to pick up some more ibuprofen. Right before crossing, I overheard workers discussing the need to inspect some of the bridge support structures. I hurried across, not wanting to be caught waiting on the wrong side of the canal. I had crossed many of the iron canal bridges and had not given much thought to how they worked, assuming they were draw bridges similar to the ones near Buffalo. But these were lift bridges, and I was amazed when the entire bridge deck rose above street in one continuous span.
My second novel experience was playing the role of geese herder. Geese have been near constant companions since I left Buffalo – swimming in the canal, sunning alongside, or sometimes waddling across or down the trail on their way to somewhere. This morning I came across more than score of geese sleeping on the trail. As I slowly approached for a few photos most remained in place, slowly unwinding their necks for a casual look-see. There was no alarm and I actually had to actually raise my voice to wake them up and herd them off trail.
I once did a bicycle tour in Wiltshire Downs with a British friend who always insisted we stop for “elevenses” – a late morning break for tea and a bite to eat. In the spirit of that tradition, I stopped in Brockport for a coffee and a scone, as well as some lunch provisions for later on. That’s where I first met David, who was looking for a bike shop but found a bike friend - me. David and his wife Alisa were cycling the Erie Canal Trail with another couple, Tom and Sara. We all met at the Brockport Bridge to exchange stories and I was off, headed for Rochester. We were to cross paths several times that day - sometimes riding together, sometimes just waving hello. All part of the camaraderie along the canal.
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My original plan had been to pass through Rochester and visit the Susan B Anthony house. Though my plans changed, I had neglected to change my RWGPS route. When I came to an intersection where my route deviated from the signed Empire State/Eric Canal Trail, I chose to follow the signs, skirting south of downtown Rochester. The signage was fairly good but got confusing when the Erie Canal Trail intersected with the Genesee Riverway Trail. I was heartened to see Don and Craig ahead and I was scurrying to catch up when Don stopped, convinced they had taken a wrong turn. We had in fact gone astray after crossing the Genesee River and were now a short bit off route. Don navigated us back to the canal and I rode with them a few miles until I stopped at Lock 33 for lunch at a canal side picnic table.
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Beyond Rochester, the trail passed through a number of small towns, including Pittsford and Fairport. As I was pressing to get to Palmyra, I didn’t take the time to properly explore what seemed to be interesting places to linger a bit. I was surprised to again cross paths with Don and Craig, who were also heading to Palmyra. Craig was quite excited to demonstrate the new bike bell he had purchased at the bike store in Pittsford. Saying our final good-byes, I pushed on the last fifteen miles to Palmyra where I stopped to alert my Airbnb host of my pending arrival. I was sitting in front of what appeared to be a popular Chinese restaurant and decided to get take-out for dinner at the Airbnb. The place had an odd pandemic protocol for ordering and pick-up, but I soon had my spicy sesame chicken carefully stowed in my panniers and was on my way.
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I was staying at an old estate house about three miles south of town. Margaret was there to greet me and show me my room. I wolfed down my dinner, showered, and went to bed. A long but enjoyable day on the canal.
Today's ride: 76 miles (122 km)
Total: 340 miles (547 km)
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