The Erie Canalway Trail
Some previous travel plans that I had had for end of summer fell through and I found myself with some time off, but no plans. So… I decided why not plan a solo trip along the Erie Canalway Trail (which comprises the western portion of the Empire State Trail)?! While this seemed like a good idea, I will admit that I had a panic attack a week prior to leaving… You see, rather than following Joe's route for the 718 tours that he runs, I decided that I would do it a bit differently, mainly because I knew I would not be up for all that riding followed by solo camping each night. Instead, I opted for some credit card touring, staying in hotels. But to try and save money, I thought I might increase the mileage each day and cut the trip down from six days of riding, to five days of riding. Rather than the sixty or so miles a day that Joe’s tour opts for (or the average of 50 or so miles over eight days ridden on the Cycle the Erie Canalway Tour), I decided I’d knock it out in five. I think this decision was based off of the fitness I had earlier in the year, but as the trip approached, I realized I wasn’t in the shape that I liked to pretend I was in. So the weekend before I was supposed to leave, I had a small meltdown in the midst of cleaning my bathroom… Why did I think it was a good idea to ride almost four hundred miles on my own?! Why did I think it was a good idea to ride such high mileage each day?! WHAT AM I DOING??? AM I GONNA MAKE IT?
Fortunately, I was able to talk myself off the ledge that same afternoon, but I was still questioning my sanity a bit as the trip neared (as were many others in my life, hahaha).
August 21, 2023
Day 0: NYC to Buffalo
I booked tickets for my bike and me and took the eight+ hour ride on Amtrak from New York up to Buffalo. I arrived around seven PM and rode through the empty streets of Buffalo to my hotel, before having a quick dinner, and then hitting the hay.
August 22, 2023
Day 1: Buffalo to Brockport (78.93 miles)
My first day on the trail was a beautiful one! I had breakfast at my hotel before making my way to the start of the trail. As is typical for me, I ran into a trail closure at the start. There was no detour, which meant I had to backtrack the first couple of miles that I had ridden.
After my own detour, which ended up being a detour from the detour, I got my way back to the trail on the other side of the closure. Then it wasn’t long before I ran into William, who was meeting his friend for a ride, but who also happens to help organize events along the Erie Canalway trail. He tipped me off to the “million dollar bathroom” towards the beginning of my ride and gave lots of suggestions of places to stop on my first day. Thanks, William!
After a few miles of riding together, we parted ways and from then on out, it was just me and my bike! The first day was sunny and hot, so I took my time and made stops when I needed, especially at the places William recommended, which included Lake Effect Artisan Ice Cream in Lockport, NY.
After my coffee, a cookie, and some ice cream, it was time to keep pedaling. I got myself back on the trail, which wound up being lonelier and emptier than I anticipated, but got to enjoy the quiet of the farms and the canal, and even got to see lots of wildlife (I LOVE BIRDS AND SAW SO MANY - a million great blue herons [which would fly alongside me, over the canal, while I pedaled along the trail], green herons, golden finches, mockingbirds, blue jays, cardinals, egrets, and I think even a bald eagle!). Along the way, I took breaks in the shade and ate snacks and kept hydrated.
Before I knew it, I was nearing Brockport. I needed to make a stop for some additional snacks and drinks for the remainder of the ride and visited the first of many gas stations on this trip.
It was a good thing I made this last pit stop because when I did finally get to Brockport, I had two lovely hills standing between myself and the hotel and some Domino’s pizza.
August 23 2023
Day 2: Brockport to Weedsport (91.38 miles)
Another lonely day on the trail! I really did anticipate seeing more cyclists or even day users on the trail, but I guess there aren’t that many people in Western New York to begin with, so it was another day of farms, the canal, and me. I found this portion of the trail to be a little more exciting than day one, and I got to experience some varied sections, especially as I approached Rochester. The weather started out a little overcast, as I made my way around the city.
Soon, the sun started to peek out of the clouds, and I made a pit stop at this really weird coffee shop in an industrial park.
After my morning break, I kept pedaling and spent much of the afternoon on roads cutting their way through farmland before my lunch break in Clyde.
I finished my ride to Weedsport and knew that if I didn’t stop for dinner before checking into my hotel, I never would have made it back out. I stopped at DB’s Drive-in, which was HOPPING. I got to spend this evening with a group of vintage car collectors and a senior citizen group on a bus tour. I got quite a few looks when I pulled up with my bicycle…
August 24, 2023
Day 3: Weedsport to Rome (69.96 miles)
What I thought would end up being my easiest day, because of the lower mileage, turned out to be the most challenging one, mentally and emotionally. I started it by sleeping in a little and then spent soooo much time talking to two old men in the Dunkin’ Donuts across the street from my hotel. Little did I know what the day would have in store for me!
Dig that jacuzzi.
The morning started out nice enough…
And then there was rain… and lots of it. So most of these pictures are from the few moments when it wasn’t torrentially downpouring on me.
I got to Syracuse around lunchtime, and this is when the panic began to set in. I had it in my head that this would be a really easy day, but the late start, combined with the rain and the fact that at lunchtime, I was only thirty miles into my seventy mile ride, made me anxious. I wasn’t enjoying riding in the rain and I also wanted to avoid being out so late that I would be riding alone in the dark. Maybe a lunch stop and a break from the weather would help? I stopped at Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse and the place was PACKED! I hadn’t realized how many crowds there would be because of the New York State Fair. Some of the employees from Dino BBQ saw me as I was staking out the place to see where I might be able to sit/put my bike. I asked them if there was somewhere I could leave my bike while I went inside for some lunch and they very graciously let me store it under their outdoor bar in their backyard. Thanks, Dino BBQ! I found the ONLY open seat at the bar.
Two beers in and the rain had yet to stop. I had been chatting away with couples on either side of me and really did not feel up for getting back on my bike and riding forty more miles. The couple to my left was so impressed by what I was doing and wound up trying to convince me to stay there the rest of the afternoon, offering to buy my next round! I was thissssssss close to saying yes, because I was feeling pretty defeated by how the day had gone so far, but I had a lot more riding to do and really wanted to get to my hotel in Rome before it got too late.
The rest of the afternoon was still rainy and I did have to spend much of it hiding under bridges from the rain, but I made it safely to my hotel and a shower and a bed!
August 25, 2023
Day 4: Rome to Amsterdam (82.78 miles)
Day four EASILY had the potential to be the worst day of the ride because the rain was a CONSTANT. Instead, it turned out to be one of the best because of my morning spent at superofficial in Rome, NY.
superofficial wound up being one of the few places open for breakfast but I couldn’t have chosen a better place. John and his wife own the coffee shop, which is one half of the store, the other being an art gallery/shop. I spent the morning hiding from the rain, enjoying delicious coffee and chai, eating a delectable donut, and chatting with John and Spencer, who both also love bikes. John actually has a Surly Pack Rat also!!! We talked about bikes (and the annoying toe overlap of the Pack Rat) and they told me how they were working to get Rome recognized as one of the Bike Friendly New York towns along the Erie Canal. John shared tips and websites to check out and it wound up being such a great morning - it was so fun to be able to meet and chat with new people along the way and honestly, the conversations and the time spent at superofficial were easily the highlight of my trip. Thanks John and Spencer!!!
Then I had to ride all day in torrential rain but I snapped photos during the rare occasions that it slowed down…
Lunch was in Little Falls, NY and while the ride in wasn’t so terrible, I again wound up having to hide from the rain during lunch.
Much of the afternoon was spent in the rain but I hid when I could in the tunnels that were along the canalway.
I arrived in Amsterdam during a break in the rain and couldn’t have been more grateful for it. I parked my bike outside a restaurant just off the trail and was able to grab a seat at another PACKED bar. Cue the torrential rain, AGAIN. Just when I thought it was letting up, it would start coming down again. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time here, having too many drinks, and hoping it would be dry by the time I would have to make my way up two annoying hills to my hotel.
The rain did at least slow down a bit and I was treated to the nicest hotel of the trip on my last night.
August 26, 2023
Day 5: Amsterdam to Albany (49.81 miles)
So… what I thought was supposed to be a thirty-seven mile day to wrap up my trip actually wound up being a fifty mile day because it wasn’t until the middle of my final day of riding that I had realized the route I created deviated from the Erie Canalway trail. But, the sun was shining and all I had to do was make sure I got to Albany in time for my 4:30 train, so I felt okay about it (alongside feeling pretty tired from all the days of riding)!
Despite the added mileage, I made it to Albany with enough time to clean myself up for my train ride home and have a quick lunch and beer!
Just when I thought I was home free… a detour to get over the Hudson River to the train station in Rensselaer. But, I made it in time and then I was on my way back home!
What wound up being the most eye-opening thing for me on this trip was that, despite my meltdown before leaving for it, there was never a single moment where I questioned being able to make it through the whole tour. Not once did I feel that I wouldn’t be able to make it to my hotel at the end of the day; not once did I wake up feeling depleted mentally/emotionally/physically to the point where I wasn’t able to ride; not once did I question the decision to go on this trip. It was a great experience for me, filled with a lot of lessons (like how I need to stop underestimating myself!) and learning opportunities, and while I still have a WHOLE LOT to learn about life, this tour made me feel like I’m on the right path.
