Canal routes are a great opportunity to mindlessly ride your bicycle without having the added stress of zooming alongside cars. My previous (and only other) experience of this was last March 2023 on the C&O Canal (a Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, MD route), followed by the Great Allegheny Passage (to the Pittsburgh terminus).
I highly recommend riding this!
Like last year, my spring break occurred in March. In the Northeast United States, biking this month comes with unexpected, sunny 50°F weather days following by snow storms and freezing rain. Will that happen again this year? Honestly, probably. As I write this (the day before starting the Erie Canal), Syracuse is predicted to get 2 ft of lake effect snow. Here's to hoping it melts by Sunday!
Fortunately, I am biking the Erie Canal in sections since it is close to my home in Upstate New York. Therefore, I'm less likely (I hope?) to be left stranded like I was on the GAP in Pennsylvania from a surprising Nor'easter that derailed a day of my cycling. So, the timing of this trip will be mainly on the weekends.
The Erie Canal
You can't bike the Erie Canal without knowing and appreciating a little about it. We did this by listening to a series of podcast episodes (one, two, three) and jamming out to Bruce Springsteens' song "Erie Canal". We also have intentions of picking up some educational material at the local Erie Canal historical society because, honestly, it really is fascinating and worth learning about.
The skinny:
The Erie Canal's role in making New York what it is today (the Empire State) is pretty impressive. The canal extends from Albany in the east to Buffalo in the west, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. Known by opponents as "Clinton's Big Ditch", it was built between 1817 and 1825, and the length at the time was roughly 363 miles, 4 ft deep, and 40 ft wide. Today, it is 351 miles long, 12 ft deep, and and 120 ft wide. And you can cycle the towpath!
Transportation & economics: The Erie Canal provided a water route from the Midwest to the East Coast, drastically reducing the time and cost of shipping goods. Before its construction, transporting goods from the Midwest to the Atlantic seaboard was slow, expensive, and often unreliable. By connecting the agricultural and industrial regions of the Midwest to the port of New York City, the canal facilitated significant economic growth. It lowered transportation costs, enabling farmers to access broader markets and manufacturers to obtain raw materials more easily. The placement of some of the largest cities (Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo) is due to the canal, and these cities then had the upper advantage at being vital hubs for trade and commerce, contributing to the rapid urbanization of the region.
Effect on Native Americans: Of course, the canal extends through the ancestral home of many Native Americans who were impacted by this expansion, leading to their displacement. As settlers moved in to take advantage of the economic opportunities created by the canal, Native Americans often faced pressure to relocate or adapt to the changing landscape. As a result, communities reliant on the land and waterways affected by the canal likely experienced disruptions to their traditional ways of life. Changes in water flow, land use patterns, and increased settlement could have led to the depletion of natural resources that Native American communities depended on for food, trade, and cultural practices. Also, the increased contact with setters could have both positive and negative consequences, including cultural exchange, conflict over land and resources, and the spread of diseases to which Native Americans had little immunity. Unfortunately, policies such as Indian removal and reservations were implemented, often with the goal of clearing land for settlement and economic development projects like the Erie Canal.
Trip Preparation
Fortunately, there is a very helpful interactive map with useful waypoints (points of interest, bike shops, lock locations, etc.) that helped us map our route on Komoot. The Komoot app has been very reliable for us, and we can connect it to our Garmin navigation for turn-by-turn directions. As always, we chose to travel low budget and so opted to camp for free and use WarmShowers when possible. Our bike setups and gear list roughly follow the same as when I biked the C&O and Great Allegheny Passage, with the modification of using my Salsa Journeyer Sora with wider tires instead of my Fuji bike/road tires.
The Ride Begins!
Day 1: Albany to Canajoharie
Alarms rang at 5 AM.
Since my fiancé, Uri, and I had already packed the car with all our bikes and bags the night before, we only had to make coffee and hit the road to Albany, a 2.5 hr drive. Logistically, we dropped one car off in Syracuse (at the SUNY ESF parking lot where I have a student pass), so that when we arrived 3 days later we could shuttle back to Albany to retrieve the other car.
As we passed through Syracuse, the sun rose and illuminated the snowy fields surrounding the city. The 2 ft snow prediction, luckily, turned out to be 6 inches, and the forecast predicted 40-50 °F and rain, so we were pretty confident it would be melted by the time we arrived back. On the drive, we listened to some podcast episodes about the Erie Canal, getting hyped about what we would see and experience. It was exciting driving the length of what our future selves would biking, noticing important landmarks such as the Mohawk River and other towns that were mentioned in the podcasts.
We arrived into Albany and found free and easy parking near the trailhead start. It was sunny yet very brisk (~34 °F), and we assembled the bikes with all of our panniers. As always, I brought my worry doll with me (a road-side shop find in Arizona).
But, in classic fashion, we began by biking the wrong direction. We had flawlessly downloaded the route onto Komoot, but we made the tactical error of adding a waypoint in Schenectady. The addition of one waypoint changed the route (unbeknownst to us), taking us the most efficient way to that point (i.e. through the city). We were 3 miles in when we realized the mistake and resolved to just continue through to experience more of the city. This meant lobbing off 15 miles of the canal from the start. Hindsight is 20/20, but I would not recommend this based on the road conditions for bikes.
Ten miles from the start, Uri and I were halted at a red light, and a strong hssssssss had us lugging our bikes off the road and into the lawn of a business plaza: our (my) first flat of the trip, thanks to secret glass scattered across the road that embedded into my tire.
Generally speaking, I prefer to use tubes during tours because I can comfortably fix them: I have a lot of experience taking off tires and finding/repairing holes with patches. However, tubes paired with tubeless-ready tires is another story. After watching YouTube videos and using all the strength we could muster, the tire would not budge from the rim. It was absolutely impossible to remove, as if permanently welded to the rim.
Fortunately, a bike shop was 3 miles away, but we concluded it wasn't worth the time spent for Uri to bike my wheel there and back. Saved by technology, a friendly Uber driver picked me up and hauled me to the shop where the bike guys quickly (to our dismay) popped off the tire (I've never felt so UN-empowered!). Though they were really nice and quick to help me immediately, they lacked what I actually wanted at the store: no presta bike pump, no Shwalbe Marathon Plus tires (the best puncture-proof tires!). They also ensured me that WTB tires would be puncture-proof, and so I settled on buying them, mainly because it was the only option they had (foreshadowing).
A second Uber driver, Maria, fetched me and returned me back to Uri. There was a brief moment in the car where she was very apologetic about not speaking English, but I have been teaching myself Spanish! She was very grateful to have someone to talk to, and the conversation really uplifted me, particularly after I got done licking the wounds of my injured ego from failing my own tire repair.
Back on the road, Uri and I enjoyed some smoothly paved roads that took us through the suburbs of Schenectady, and we finally made it to the canal! The rest of the riding for the day was gloriously simple until our end destination, Canajoharie. There were some short sections of the path that were dusted with snow, and a couple large branches had us wrangling our bikes over them, but we arrived into town just as the sun had set.
Entering town, an Irish pub caught our eye, and we intended on just stopping to fill our water bottles. However, the atmosphere and warmth trapped us for just a while longer as we split a burger and onion rings while listening to two men play their guitars and sing 60s and 70s hits. Ultimately, we were procrastinating leaving the warmth and going back out into the dropping temperatures when a man sitting at the bar stopped us. We all knew that rain was in the forecast, and he was very passionate about not tenting in wet weather, having done it too much in his lifetime. Though he tentatively offered his home to us, he was sure his New Jersey wife wouldn't approve. Eventually, he and his buddy concluded that the Riverfront Park pavilion a few blocks away was ideal for us to end the night, and we didn't argue. After calling the local police department and getting the OK to sleep there, we set up camp.
The concrete floors were cold, cars passed on the bridge above us, and the train went by periodically through the night. Though we were dry, it was still a rough night of sleeping.
Day 2: Canajoharie to Whitesboro
(48 miles, 522 ft of gain, Strava map)
The noisy night had me waking up with bags under my eyes, but we did manage to stay mostly warm.
After a speedy pack up, we biked a short distance to the glorious golden arches that watched over us from the nearby hill all night long: McDonalds. With free Wi-fi and a hot cup of coffee, we reviewed the weather and route, making sure no other surprise waypoints would derail us for the day.
Compared to yesterday (even though we missed the first 15 miles of the Erie Canal), the ride today had more patchy gravel sections, and there was a lot more mud. The gravel made for slower riding, but with some music and podcasts, it was pretty manageable.
As we passed Little Falls (a popular place to do outdoor sport climbing), we cycled by an abandoned structure with graffiti that was fascinating to explore (photos below). No doubt it was the prime place for nighttime shenanigans.
Our entrance to Herkimer was met with slush and drizzle, the vestige of the previous days' snow that we were hopeful would be finally dissipated by tomorrow. We admired the Fort Herkimer church which is an old historic church on the canal that was built in 1767. It was a fortress during the American Revolution and French and Indian War, and it's one of the oldest churches in New York.
By this point, it was nearing lunch, and the rains were picking up. We took refuge at Stewart's (our favorite gas station!), loading up on hot coffee and doing a much needed sock exchange. The cold and wet were numbing my feet, and I wrapped plastic bags around the new dry socks in the hopes of adding some extra warmth and rain protection. Neither dryness nor warmth prevailed, but at least I looked stylish. To my delight and amusement, two young boys at the gas station, nudged each other and tried to cast inconspicuous glances at my feet bags.
"You guys like my style, huh?" I teased, and they laughed.
Embracing the drizzle, we barreled back out and continued on the trail. We eventually passed through Utica without any issues, our end destination of Lock 20 nearing.
About a mile from the Lock where we would camp was both a Dunkin' and a pizza place. The employees at Dunkin' exchanged looks as we took over an entire corner of the room, our muddy jackets hanging from the seats. I momentarily felt bad, but hot tea and dryness was objectively more important. I discreetly changed into new clothes in the bathroom, tucking my bag of sopping wet laundry under the table as we warmed up with our steaming beverages and indulged in some crappy TV shows waiting for the heaviest rain to pass.
Eventually, dinner called and we said farewell to our Dunkin' compatriots and crossed the street to load up on massive pizza slices before zooming the 0.8 miles to the Lock.
With luck, there was another pavilion. Better than yesterday, however, there was a large wooden stage. Being raised off the ground and on wood instead of concrete meant for a much warmer evening! We hung our wet clothes on the banister (with low hopes of anything drying in this humidity), and steam actually billowed off them.
A solid day!
Day 3: Whitesboro to Canastota
(34 miles, 137 ft of gain, Strava map)
We knew we would have a slower day of biking because of the long stretches of gravel that were predicted for the rest of the way to Syracuse. Of the 50+ miles of riding, a little over half was marked as gravel (at least on our Komoot app). So, we woke up earlier, stuffed our sopping wet clothing back into their bags (as expected, nothing even remotely dried), and we returned to Dunkin' again for a cup of coffee before tackling the slow and steady, sandy, wet gravel. The table with 4 seats at Dunkin' last night had been downsized to two chairs, and I could only imagine that we had something to do with it.
The morning was foggy and charming, and we biked past old canal boats that were parked on land.
We seamlessly passed through Oriskany and Rome, the route having us ride more on roads at times when the towpath ended. In Rome, we stopped by St. Peter's Church, the oldest church in town with a beautiful red brick steeple and stained glass. Adjacent to the church was Fort Stanwix, known as "the fort that never surrendered" during an attempted siege by the British in 1777. We didn't get to go in either, the church having just started mass and the fort being closed for the day, but we did enjoy our leftover pizza before pushing on.
After passing Lock 21, we looked at the time and realized we had to pick up the pace: driving to and from Albany to fetch the other car and then drive home would be about 6 hrs, and, at our current pace, we weren't going to make it to Syracuse until around 4 PM.
We try to be route purists, until it doesn't make sense. So, we hopped off the Erie Canal and cycled on a parallel state road segment. The pavement increased our average speed from 8/9 mph to about 13 mph, and we had a slight headwind. Uri and I took turns in the lead, blocking the wind for the person behind to enjoy some easy cruising.
After a quick afternoon stop at a gas station for a coffee and sugar pick-me-up, we were motivated to surge to the finish line.
Until life happened.
Near Canastota, I was bouncing more than normal and noticed another flat tire... on my new tires! That I was told were puncture-proof!
After spending 30 mins trying (again) to get the tire off the rim and failing, we attempted for 2 seconds to hitchhike, before Uri agreed to just ride to Syracuse alone to get the car.
In the meantime, I made myself cozy under the tree in someone's yard and accepted side glances from both people driving by and those entering/exiting the homeowners' property. The owners themselves were sweet and let me in to use the bathroom and offered me food/water. But there I sat, for almost 3 hours.
Uri successfully arrived, and we began our car retrieval journey until we made it home around 11 PM. The Canastota to Syracuse segment (for me) to be completed another day...
Day 4: Canastota to Port Byron
(54 miles, 482 ft of gain, Strava map)
Fast forward a week later, and a beautiful 3-day weather window opened up! Sunshine and 50-60°F was forecasted, and I was itching to go. This time, Uri wasn't able to join me, so I planned to go from Canastota to Rochester solo. This would take about 2.5 days, including the Amtrak back to Syracuse on the 3rd day.
Early in the morning, we stuffed just my bike and panniers into the car and drove back to Canastota where my misfortunes left off. This time, I was riding on fully tubeless tires, having made the conversion after my local bike shop also struggled to get my tires off. I had never used tubeless before, so I crossed my fingers nothing would go wrong on my solo trip.
It was a chilly morning, yet super sunny with promises of warming temperatures. Though I had done solo trips before, I was still a little nervous to be traversing by myself- a worry that dissipated as soon as my wheels hit the perfectly paved towpath. It's good to be reminded that you are capable of doing big things alone.
Since it was just me, I stopped, started, and rested whenever I felt like it which is the wonderful thing about solo travel. You don't have to explain anything at all, just doing whatever you want whenever you want. I read more of the historical signs along the route and detoured to Green Lakes State Park. This is a lovely beach with water that is a magnificent emerald green from high levels of calcium carbonate in the water. In the summer, this park is packed with people, and you are pressed to find an open spot to lay a blanket out. Today, it was empty, except for a few people sunning out on the dock.
Entering Syracuse wasn't as bad as I thought it would be on bike, and even though I go to school in Syracuse, I never really explored much of the city. It was neat to be taken through areas I never would naturally go. Entering from the east, I had to ride a very long median in between two 2-lane highways, which was a pain to first get onto with the traffic. I was also feeling self-conscious as a bright yellow specimen chugging slowly between dozens of cars stalled at stop lights. Thankfully, downtown had fairly manageable lanes, and, for the time of day, the streets were not busy.
The route took me right past Dinosaur BBQ, one of the most popular restaurants in the city, and since it was around lunchtime, I took advantage of the perfect timing. The aesthetics here were super cool: the mesh of motorcycles and edgy artwork in a low lit restaurant. Of course, you have to really enjoy meat to go here, but there were a couple vegetarian-friendly options. I ordered mac & cheese and a portobello mushroom sandwich which was tasty, but it came to haunt me very soon after.
Be wary of eating heavy foods and then cycling. Oof.
Exiting the city was beautiful. I biked along a narrow creekwalk that connected to a cycleway adjacent to Onondaga Lake. This lake is beautiful, but it has a sad history. Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, dedicates a chapter of her book to this lake, but, in brief, this was a lake that was/is very sacred to the Indigenous people in the area. Eventually, the lake became the city's dumping ground for toxins, and it was one of the most toxic lakes in the world. There are some remediation efforts happening, but it really was tragic for the life in the lake and for the cultural/spiritual importance for the Native Americans.
From Syracuse, I only had 25 miles until Port Byron where I would be staying for the night. The conditions were mostly paved with some sections of gravel, and I had a grand time enjoying the sunny day and listening to music. When nearing Weedsport, the route became single track, though it was super manageable on my 650b tires.
In Weedsport, I stopped at Dollar General to load up on snacks and some food to cook for dinner. My hosts' profile on Warmshowers said that they had a kitchen available for use, so, I planned to make some pasta, a classic touring meal. I also bought them a bottle of wine, which works as a gift about 80% of the time.
Unfortunately, this was the 20% chance that it didn't work (they don't drink). When I arrived to their cute suburban house, Mike greeted me from his workshop and showed me around their backyard where a large, blue shed was located. The space had been converted into a "Historians Hideaway" place for cyclist to sleep with cots and electricity. It was perfect.
Eventually, his wife, Mary, came home, and the two of us attempted to wrangle a fire together, though the wood was too wet this early in the year. In the meantime, we had a really lovely conversation, and I enjoyed the endless pets I was able to give her cats.
The three of us ate dinner together in the evening after I finished cooking my pasta, and Mike filled me in on all the questions that I had about the Erie Canal. He's the president of the Lock 52 Erie Canal Historical Society, and so he was very knowledgeable about the topic which I was really grateful for.
I fell asleep around 10 PM, and, for the most part, was fairly warm throughout the night. They were so sweet and gracious– they gave me everything I needed, including an extra blanket in case it got too cold at night, which I ended up using around dawn.
I absolutely love meeting new people and staying at Warmshowers' houses! I cannot recommend it enough.
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