Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Back in the Saddle

I set off on my Erie Canal bike trip today. Originally I was going to leave Saturday, two days ago, but yesterday was predicted to be rainy so I waited.

I left Hilton NY around 2 so I only had a few hours until dark. The weather was fine, a bit windy in places but not bad. I'm trying to adjust to the cold weather cycling by taking more breaks to regulate temperature better.

My new saddle is going to take some getting used to. It's actually an old saddle that I pulled off my old bike an put on my touring bike. I think it is harder than the one I was using. It also has a groove down the middle for ventilation and circulation, so it should feel better once I get used to it.

For my first night on the Erie Canal I ended up finding a nice little pine forest area for the night. It's a bit close to a road, but nice soft ground and I'm well hidden. Tomorrow I should be spending the night in Lockport with a warmshowers host who also thru hiked the AT, so that should be good.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

New Plans for a New Year in New York

Since I am currently in the Rochester, NY area, I plan on spending some time exploring the New York region. I grew up in Rochester, and have been to the Adirondacks quite a bit, but haven't done any long distance trips in New York. Obviously it is pretty cold, but as long as I prepare it shouldn't be too bad.

The first trip to explore New York is going to be along the Erie Canal. The canal runs from Albany to Buffalo, roughly 365 miles. The tow path, where the donkeys used to walk along the canal, is mostly converted to a bike path. I suppose you could say that I am following in the footsteps of a long line of asses.

Anyways, the Erie Canal was billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World when it was built. I figured that it will take me along the length of the state, and through a lot of small towns along the way. Since there is a bike path I can avoid biking through the slush on the roads, and avoid most of the car traffic as well. Probably another week or two before I start this trip, as I still have some planning left to do.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Mississippi River Journal

Since I have been home for the holidays I have finally had time to upload some old journal entries. I copied over all of my Mississippi River journal entries onto this blog, from the trailjournals website. Each entry had to be copied separately, and I also did some extra editing. When I get more time I plan on going back and adding pictures to each day, but that's another project for another day. In the mean time, feel free to go back and read the journal: http://speakersvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/mississippi%20river