My trip from Ohio to Boston was very pleasant. At Rochester there was an opportunity to see one of the race meets of the national circuit but I did not stop. At Clyde, N.Y. the line of travel leaves the wagon road and follows the Erie canal tow path for twenty or thirty miles and that provides an agreeable change. I think I passed a canal boat on an average of every ten minutes. The path is wide but occasionally a dismount is necessary on account of the feigned fright of some canal mules. They seem to be looking for an excuse to sheer off the towpath and cause trouble and a bicycle affords just the excuse. Usually the mules are driven near the outside of the path so that there is a tempting chance to try one's skill in crossing the tow line when it is slack. The first time I rode up to the line with trepidation but crossed it safely when it momentarily touched the ground. After that I rather enjoyed the diversion but at last becoming too confident I was caught. My machine was going slowly and the line tightened in time to catch my rear wheel; the result was a tumble which landed me nearly in the canal. After that I passed several boats without "skipping the rope" or doing any trick riding -it proved altogether too entertaining for the boatmen-and before I summoned up courage to make another trial my route took me from the canal back to the wagon road.
It is a little difficult to imagine the scene before DeWitt Clinton conjured up the Erie Canal. It was the early eighteen hundreds and most of the settlement in this country had taken place along the eastern seaboard. There were no railroads, there were few roads which went further than the next town. The idea of a waterway connecting the Hudson River to the Great Lakes must have seemed both enticing and impossible.
From the time of its completion in 1825 until the 1930's it was heavily used and depended upon as a cornerstone of the transportation system. It was such a good idea that it was in a constant state of improvement, going through several iterations of upgrading before it reached it current size.
Initially it was the train system that caused the demise of the canal, It was only when there was no alternative to shipping by water that it was attractive, but for those 80-100 years it was a marvel.
A few observations about canals. They are, of course, flat, and there is almost no perceptible flow, although I was traveling downstream. Each segment (between locks) is essentially level. When the canal builders encountered a rise in the terrain, they had to dig, and there is evidence of some substantial digging into bedrock in places. Another complication is how to deal the rivers which sporadically cross the canal's path draining into Lake Erie. The answer to this is that they brought the level of the canal up to the river level (with locks) and so at the actual crossing the segment of canal is actually part of the river. Very clever.
Through the city of Rochester the towpath has been paved and it is a great way to get through the city. The contrast between skirting Buffalo yesterday and Rochester today is dramatic. The path goes under most roads of any size, hugging the canal bank the entire way, and I left it only at the end of the day to find a room. Still I cannot be more than two miles from it right now.
One last observation about bike paths. In my experience, bike paths are only paved in cities, where there is enough population to support the added cost of construction and maintenance. Much of the paved part of the towpath looks to have been paved 10-20 years ago, and is now in need of repaving. I am sure that the temptation is to put down a minimal amount of pavement, since no heavy vehicles will be allowed. But if sufficient preparation is not done, then the pavement can be easily buckled by tree roots and frost action. It is not cheap, and one quite understands the reluctance to pave segments of trail which are not heavily used.
To my eyes the towpath offers a better ride than even the rail-trails I encountered further west. I especially enjoyed the changing view of the water, and the diversion of that waterscape. To some degree I felt hemmed in and slightly claustrophobic on the rail-trails.
I shall ride one more day along the canal, but from Syracuse to Albany it will probably be on the roads.
85 easy miles today.
Dennis