Buffalo to Brooklyn: Erie Canal Trail + Hudson Valley Trail
September 2023 – 762 miles
Day 1: Buffalo Airport to Buffalo City
After flying a red eye across the country, I managed to assemble my bicycle in the airport. Yucky traffic and roads got me to the awesome Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House before I needed a long afternoon nap. 15 miles 🚲
Day 2: Buffalo to Niagara Falls
Crossed over the Peace Bridge and cycled along a nice bike path next to the Niagara River until I got to the falls, which really are better from the Canadian side. 25 miles 🚲
Day 3: Niagara Falls to Middleport
Cycled over the Rainbow Bridge and toured the American side of the falls before biking to the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. (There’s a high probability your local favorite carousel was carved in the town of Tonawanda.) Finally made it onto the Erie Canal Trail and learned all about how they operated the locks. 42 miles 🚲
Day 4: Middleport to Rochester
The first part of today there was lots and lots of corn, reminding me very much of the Midwest. Today’s interesting trail feature was the only road that goes underneath the Erie Canal. Boba Count = 1 and that sunset is the view from my campsite right next to a lock. 55 miles 🚲
Day 5: Rochester to Lyons
This morning the nice Puerto Rican lock keeper gave me some chocolate sandwich wafers after sharing his life story. Figured I’ve been on my bike too long so I spent the morning in a kayak on the Erie Canal! Currently camping behind a fire department next to a biker bar. 3 miles 🛶 35 miles 🚲
Day 6: Lyons to Montezuma
Took a tour this morning and learned all about the peppermint oil business at the turn of the century. Then headed off the main trail on a pilgrimage to the birthplace of women’s suffrage in Seneca Falls. So proud to be able to vote and be a part of the legacy of these women and men who fought to empower more people through the ballot box. 43 miles 🚲
Day 7: Montezuma to Fayetteville
Chilly, rainy day of biking but I made it through one week!!! Today was made a little better by all the gorgeous fall colors on the trail. I took a long winding detour around Onondaga Lake to visit a Salt Museum near Syracuse. Salt used to be a huge industry that paid for nearly half the Erie Canal through tolls. The brine they used to make the salt came from glacial melt dissolving halite that they then pumped up to the surface. 55 miles 🚲
Day 8: Fayetteville to Herkimer
Lots of time right next to the canal today which made for relatively flat and fast riding, which was good because it was a looooooong day. First Erie Canal on top and the current version of the Erie Canal on the bottom plus some flowers because sometimes my butt needed a break. 😊 77 miles 🚲
Day 9: Herkimer
Rest day. Hung out next to a creek and mined for some Herkimer “diamonds” (quartz crystals) and a stromatolite fossil across the street. My legs are very thankful. Back to the grind tomorrow. 0 miles 🚲
Day 10: Herkimer to Amsterdam
It was a bit hard to get myself back moving again this morning, but I did it. Stopped and saw the Arkell Museum (favorite painting was the Winslow Homer pumpkin piece) and had relatively smooth off-road riding much of the day. Tonight I’m staying in a freaking castle just because I can. 🏰 59 miles 🚲
Day 11: Amsterdam to Waterford
Beautiful weather with a nice lunch stop in Schenectady. It’s my last day on the Erie Canal. I’m camping tonight next to Lock 2. Tomorrow I turn south towards New York City through the Hudson Valley. 39 miles 🚲
Day 12: Waterford to Hudson
Headed out early with a short detour to see the State Capitol Building in Albany. The bike route today follows an old electric train route between Albany and Hudson. But soon after I left Albany, the rain just started to come down and it was relentless. After a few hours of being completely soaked (even with all my cool waterproof gear) I caved and got a hotel to dry out all my stuff. 51 miles 🚲
Day 13: Hudson to Poughkeepsie
Chilly, rainy, windy morning on roads with fast moving traffic had me doubting my life choices. My right shoe has been slowly coming apart and today I couldn’t click out properly because of it and ended up falling over on a hill. I got just one good bruise out of it. Then the rain stopped and I had a glorious afternoon of rail trail riding through forests changing colors and losing their leaves. Also two big bridge crossings over the Hudson today. (And I got some ShoeGoo so I’m working on a shoe fix for the last couple days.) 65 miles 🚲
Day 14: Poughkeepsie to Briarcliff Manor
The Duchess Rail Trail is, in fact, as beautiful as everyone said it would be. See that gorgeous scene up top, wouldn’t you stop to take a photo? Well I did and when I stopped the bottom half my shoe got stuck in the pedal and the top half came off. That’s right. All my ShoeGoo action from last night didn’t help much. (Apparently you gotta wait at least 24 hours) I’ve had these shoes for over a decade so I think I’m going to let them go in peace. They’ve lived a good life. In the meantime, I’m rocking sneakers and I’ve got one day to go. Boba Count = 2. 62 miles 🚲
Day 15: Briarcliff Manor to BROOKLYN!!!
I made it! And I saw some friends including Emily, Anand & Jena. So grateful to all the people I met along the way and so thankful that my body and mind are healing. I said goodbye to some shoes and hello to a bunch of beautiful bruises and saddle sores. But I didn’t give up and I made it to NYC, biked over the Brooklyn Bridge, and couldn’t be happier. 49 miles 🚲 Total Miles = 762!
Meandering Marbles 