Cycle The Erie Canal #CTEC

Not the 400 miles expected - probably because I didn't do the Day 0 tours & such. But still, 630km ( 391 mi) was pretty cool. This trip was validating that I was physically able to do this ride (knees, endurance), the bike was able to do the ride, and the gear I had was adequate. 

*** Trip highlight was getting stopped at a crossroads for the Amtrak passenger train just outside canastota. And the pool is Syracuse!

*** Best section of the trail was Utica to Canajoharie. Most of it smoothly. Paved and wide open.

*** Worst section of the trail was right after leaving Canajoharie. It was paved but incredibly bumpy for long stretches.

First off, the rack with a duffel bag on the back was inadequate. Every time I wanted something from the bag, I had to unhook the entire net and dig around inside, and putting it back on was also a pain. I did adjust slightly and put the raincoat & hat between the bag & net so it was easier access, but at the end of day 2 I switched to my Thule panniers which was much easier! I need a smaller pannier, but getting inside the bag and removing it for the night was tons easier. However, the Thule rack was a disappointment. Several times when I was pedaling hard or moving side-to-side, the pannier twisted INTO the rear-wheel spokes. The attachment hook on the pannier was so far to one side of the bag, the other side was unsupported. A different rack should fix that easily enough. And in the end, since I was using the PTNY bus instead of the train (which required rack removal), I didn't fully utilize the Thule rack.

• I didn't need to pack so many energy bars or electrolyte drinks - PTNY had plenty of that.

• Didn't need a head bugnet at all, but I did sleep inside all the time.

• ALWAYS bring a long-sleeve shirt! Not only does it do great at protecting from the sun, but there was ONE day when it was a pretty chilly start. Not enough for a jacket, but too cold for just short-sleeves.

• USE COMBINATION LOCKS instead of key locks. This one should have been obvious to me, but if you keep the key easily accessible, you risk losing it. If you keep it deep into the bag, it's a pain to try to find when you want to use the lock.

• Having a chair was nice a couple times, but if you're inside, a lot of the times chairs are available. Next time, just bring a stool.

• Get a smaller 2-person tent. The 4-person was too heavy & bulky. I didn't even use it. And a one-person tent is just a bit tight for how hot it was.

• My 5" computer fan was INDISPENSABLE.

• If you sleep outside:

• Pros: you can isolate yourself & socialize a lot easier, temperature drops during the night

• Cons: dealing w/ the weather and portt-a-potty's

• If you sleep inside:

• Pros: A/C, bathrooms, showers, power outlets

• Cons: NOISE & heat. Only 1 place had A/C, the others were just big fans which helped, but it did NOT cool much during night. Noise of other people at wakeup and bedtime, noise of the facilities (doors slamming), snoring

Validated some of my packing / traveling gear and made some changes along the way. Definitely helped to stay at Lotar's in Syracuse and a couple other stops along the way.

Routewerks handlebar bag: 

• Confirmed: Electrolytes, snack bar, bug net, backscratcher, Car key, Hitch key, Lock key, Rack Key, Garmin Tempe, Swiss Army Knife, Garmin Edge, Cell Phone, Wallet, First Aid Kit, Chap Stick, Friction Frosting, Dude Wipes, Insect Repellent, Sunscreen, Buff

• Change next time: don't need the keys - get a combination lock. More dude wipes, fewer wet-ones. Get a bottle of spray sunscreen - easier to apply & store.

Toiletry kit:

• Confirmed: Bag w/ mirror, toothbrush, toothpaste, nail clippers, tweezers, floss, Deo, Shower Soap, Washcloth, Lotion, Tylenol, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Calcium supplement, Dude Wipes, Clothesline, Winter Hat

• Change next time: didn't use sink stopper, pain meds was a lot but better to have them & not need them ya' know? Same w/ the winter hat. Chose to not bring NyQuil and didn't need it anyway.

Wearing:

• Confirmed: Bike, helmet, sunglasses, gloves, sun-shirt w/ sleeves (or LS shirt), bibs, sneakers, helmet liner, Garmin Watch, Road ID, Front & Rear Lights, Water Bottles, Bear Spray

• Change: ULock w/ cable - get a combination lock! Helmet Liner was crucial in keeping the head from getting sunburned. Get FRONT LIGHT that flashes!

On-Bike Bag:

• After 2 days, I changed from the duffel to a pannier. It was fine except the pannier banged against the spokes of the wheel. I need a better rack. FAN needs to go into overnight bag also.

• Confirmed: Reading glasses, chamois cream, Repair kit, charge cables for electronics, charge block, power bank, Sun hat / ball cap, Wipes, Handtowel, Rain Coat, extra water bottle, 

• Change: Tarp, Net, Bag Cover, Ext Cord, full MODL set, wrist brace, cold packs, happy nuts, USB Fan - move the ext cord to a duffel, only needed 1 power bank, charge block needed inside & at charging stations. Never used the umbrella. Sleeping mask wasn't used - never stopped long enough for a nap. Also didn't use the reading glasses, but this is where they should be. Bring SOME MODL, but don't need the full set.

Green duffel (clothes & inside):

• Confirmed: Book, shower shoes, toiletry kit, towel, GoMacro bars, hydration packets, clothes - STNKY bag, LS sun shirt, 4 bibs, 2 sun sleeves, 3 sun shirts, 1 gravel shirt, 1 camp shorts, bathing suit, 3 socks (1 worn), 2 underwear (pjs)

• Change: only wore 1 pair of socks the whole week, used ALL the bibs, but threw one of them away at the end, used bathing suit, camp shorts for PJs, only wore the gravel shirt once - it wasn't as comfy as the sun shirts though it was UPF 50. When I wanted UPF 50, I just wore the long-sleeve shirt. Don't bring so many bars as the rest stops are well stocked.

Black duffel (sleeping):

• Confirmed: Tent, Air mattress, quilt, liner 1, liner 2, pillow 1, pillow 2, Towel, sleep masks

• Change: stool instead of full-chair. Is there a better option than the quilt?

Would like to limit myself to one duffel bag, or maybe just panniers? Don't bring the full chair next time, just a stool. Get smaller shower shoes instead of those bulky crocs. Don't bring so many GoMacro bars. Fewer sets of bibs and clothes, especially if you can do laundry at some point. Would there be a better blanket option instead of the quilt? Did I need both sleeping bag liners?
The bus trip back was brutally uncomfortable so either I leave the car at Albany & take the bus at the start, or take the train to Buffalo? But biking this year with all the bags to the train station would be impossible.

Day 8 - to Albany, Buffalo, and home
I threw away the Prezlowski bibs that I used today, it was the second time I used them and each time was unpleasant. But even with such a short trip, they sucked. Nice band at the end, and overall a nice reception. Long wait for the bus so I went to get food at the Skinny Pancake. It was great!

Day 7 - Canajoharie to Niskayuna

Qualidyne blue bibs

Very bumpy road going east of Canjo. My tailbone was VERY sore! Adjusted saddle forward 1/2 inch and no saddle sores! But the Qualidyne bibs were NOT meant for such long trips. Cold to start the day but I fortunately choose to wear the LS shirt so I was good. Rode into Schenectady with Jeff? from Stillwater. Felt much safer with two people and all that traffic going uphill.

Day 6 - Rome to Canajoharie

*** saddle adjusted forward and more level 

Cetopilar blue bibs

Rome to Canajoharie. Cooler, and only sunny the last hour or so I think. Did have some headwind, but most of this section was paved so it was a great ride. Still sore in my nethers, but got to the school early and had a shower so there's lots of time to recuperate. Huge hill at the end and I even had to walk some. Otherwise I could have made us another 100Km ride from 

Sleeping in Canajoharie was horrible! Door next to gym kept slamming when someone came inside. Ladies weren't observing quiet hours at night OR in the morning. Guy next to me kept moaning everytime he moved. Started off warm also, but got more comfortable as the night went on.

Day 5 - Syracuse to Rome

Canari black bibs

bike noises - hub body & hub very dry and rusty. So glad I had the mechanics look at it. 

Almost got hit in Syracuse by a car.

Long stretch with no rest stops or towns, but all's good. The block party in Rome was quite something! Sorry I missed the Fort and Jan, but needed to rest my sores. Italian guys pizza was great!

Some clouds, but lots of sun today. Nice that we were often in forest to shade ourselves.

Day 4 - Seneca Falls to Syracuse

Cetopilar blue bibs

I think it was earlier this day that my bike fell and adjusted / tilted the hood inside a bit? Loved it and copied it on the right also. I think this helped my right wrist pain.

GAS smell, heat, loose gravel, staying at Lotars tonight. Today was first day my legs were sore in the morning - maybe due to hills on road?

During ride, back was sore today, too.

Hills and heat going into Camillus was brutal but that pool in the park was refreshing!

Day 3 - Fairport to Seneca Falls

*** New saddle

Cetopilar blue bibs

lots of road cycling coming out of Clyde at the end of the day. It was rough - very hot and heat bouncing off the pavement too. And several hills. Even though the night before I was in a hotel room, this was quite draining. 

Geese, dust

Day 2 - Medina to Fairport

Canari black bibs

100km

Geese, dust

Stopping for sights and sounds? Seriously? 

Need to do this 3 times. Once to prove you can. Once to enjoy it. Once to volunteer.

Good food! 

Seat sores from this one for sure. 

New saddle at REI, but forgot original! 

Hotel with Annie and dinner out - her lobster roll was horrible 

Day 1 - Buffalo to Medina

Qualidyne blue bibs

so glad I stayed at a hotel Saturday night and enjoyed the air conditioning! But there were three cop cars at one end of the inn when I left in the morning. 

I wisely visited the long-term parking lot before calling it a night, but I foolishly never checked for a parking pass. They didn't put that in my packet, it was a separate pickup which I didn't know. Probably should have asked the question, and / or attended more of the information sessions. 

At dinner I spoke to Steve and Nora, but neither one seemed like talking much. I don't think they asked me any questions except where I was from. Then the band started playing and I could barely hear them so I took off. 

Breakfast was pretty good, sugar waffles. The sausage was horrible. 

I was really impressed with the spots where we took breaks. The staff was well organized, and there were a lot of volunteers making sure we didn't go into traffic, or directing us at tricky intersections.

Lunch was kind of weird. They was a stopping point Lockport, where the boat ride was, just so happens, a restaurant had a a food stand set up and I grabbed a cheeseburger. Otherwise I would have had to wait until Medina for lunch, but that was like 2:00 p.m.. And by then the sun had been beating down on me for a while. Along with the very dusty and bumpy ride. Up until Lockport, it was all paved and beautiful. My butt really needed to get out of this saddle. I took a break under a tree for 5 minutes before the last pit stop. Which for some reason was only 6 mi from the endpoint. 

The pit stop snacks are not awesome, but at least they have bananas, water, Gatorade, and a few other choices. 

I got a late start today because of that parking pass snafu. Hopefully I can start tomorrow around 6 or 7 instead of 8:30. 

But my bike has developed an issue and the mechanics are working on it so that's the limiting factor now. 

Stupidly forgot about the sun bouncing off the ground. And getting through my helmet ventilation holes. So a little sunburn on top of the head and the neck.

Showers at the school were great - nice water pressure!

Dinner was fantastic! Meatballs, ziti, salad, sausage, pepper and onion, and bread. I always get bread so I can eat a couple packages of butter.

L knee

Still cannot walk around the block (half mile) without my left knee locking up.

Need to do more of this!

Working on the base mileage for the NPT in August.

Winter Hiking

Building Endurance

Pinnacle State Park

 Hike w/ Aaron

Continuing Some Mileage

Putting In Some Mileage

New Years Day 2023 Hike w/ Brian

 Nice to get out w/ Brian!

Interloken Trail

Didn't feel great. Got a late start, so I was pushing the pace on the way north. This caused me to miss a turn and head down the gorge Trail which really threw me off. I had also set my watch on ultra track, and it was giving me all sorts of screwy readings, like a 2 minute kilometer, and told me my total distance was 13 km. But clearly from the way back, much shorter. But I made it to a new trail, saw some people, a very cool owl, and was able to continue to test my setup. The Solomon boots still agitated my right ringtone, but on the way back I had moved my insole and added a second layer of sock and it was no problem. Something I can fix going forward, instead of buying another pair of boots.

M13 Finish and M12 start

​Had a rough go at some points, but got it done. Just one overnight, and tested the hammock, underquilt, hydration system, and how do the boots do going downhill and on road walks? All answers were as expected. Bug net for my head was a lifesaver a couple times. Bugs weren't bad, but they were persistent - I think I only got stung / bitten twice. Also glad to have brought the bright orange buff as there was some high caliber / shotgun fire near the trail register at the Birdseye Hollow area. Not that the orange prevented anything necessarily, but at least I had it. My gloves were more of a pain than usual and my hands were sweaty as heck / clammy while trying to sleep. I want the gloves to protect my hands, but also wanted to take pictures and verify location so I kept pulling out my phone. Maybe cut a hole in the index finger to make the whole setup a tad easier? Once it started raining I didn't even use the gloves. Rain setup was confirmed - poncho and gaiters were sufficient. Granted, the rain was light. But I was so sweaty underneath that it really didn't matter. Had I been going longer it would have been more important to keep the body temp up, but since it was only the last hour or two, I could have just left it in my pocket.

• Body is still capable, but sore today. Lost 4 pounds - can I keep up the activity to get into better shape???
• Almost tricked myself mentally into night hiking on the road because I was worried about water, but I stayed sane and stuck to the original plan. That was best. 
• READ NOTES on the back of the map - I walked right past a pristine source in someones yard because I wasn't paying attention and didn't read the details. 
• Hydration pump of the MSR Miniworks is still the king - wouldn't change it for any of my other options. Should have brought more purification pills, though. And more than 1L of extra water since the tablets take 4 hours to work. Also worried about purifying water instead of just filtering - why?
• Hammock & underquilt were fine - I was mostly too hot at night tbh.
• Boots were fine on the roads. Toes rubbed on the downhill so might look at using liners or thinner socks next time.

Things I learned this trip:

1. Actually SIT in the hammock and test setup before night time. I chose a small tree and although it didn't break, it bent enough that I was on the ground as soon as I got it. Fortunately there was an alternate not too far away, but it was night time and I didn't want to do too much adjusting so I ended up with a ridgeline so tight you would walk on it. But everything held for a good nights sleep. I did lose one tent stake, though.
2. Plastic / wooden spoons won't burn your mouth.
3. A chair / stool is a good idea, even if there's a lean-to because you can sit off the floor in the rain.
4. Poop before it rains!
5. Always bring some form of soap! My hands were sticky, even after I used a shower wipe and it made sleep annoying for a while. Also good to have so you can clean up before getting into the car.
6. Speaking of the car, just put dry clothes and a large garbage bag aside for whoever picks you up. Then you don't have to carry them and you won't get their car all gross.
7. Bring deo or something to prevent underarm chafing. Not a problem this time, but good reminder.
8. Lastly, check water sources before hiking! Was going to refill at Birdseye Hollow park, but there was enough of an algae bloom that I chose against it. Fortunately there was another water source on the route, but I definitely got lucky.

Changes to original plan:

1. Brought a 1L bottle of water as backup to my 2L bladder. It was a LITTLE close, but overall I was fine. If I'm going to have a 2L bladder, I should have a 2L backup. The purification tablets take 4 hours which is about how long it takes me to go through 2L.
2. Didn't bring many extra clothes, but STUPIDLY work cotton t-shirt and shorts. Sweat just would not stop running.
3. Don't forget to wring out your sweat cloth.
4. Water is often not easy to get to and very likely you will get wet / muddy trying to gather some for you to filter. The long hose on the miniworks was awesome - maybe get a longer one!
5. REALLY too close on food. The one Green Belly I brought was eaten around 2pm on Sunday. Then I was down to 2 dehydrated meals. Turned out fine, but having ZERO food for snacking on the trail was moronic.

Double Back Again...

Last weekend I did this hike in my Trail Runners. Today I went in my Salomon boots. My knees seemed more sensitive to the downhill today, but I also did a hard bike ride yesterday and also mowed the lawn last night. So it's unclear if the boots helped, hindered, or had no effect. Wearing the boots makes one feel more protected, but because of that I paid less attention to the trail and I think my steps were bigger. I don't think the trail runners nor the boots had insoles aside from the factory provided so that may be the next evaluation step. Might be able to go again on Sunday.

Finally Out Again

Testing some things this weekend. Went to lean-to via Moss Hill Road on Saturday with:

• La Sportiva sneakers & thin knee-length compression socks
• ZPacks gaiters
• SMD Flight 30 UL
• Hummingbird Hammocks Single+, tree straps, & Martin bugnet
• EE Apex Enigma
• Kammok UL Weather Shelter
• Didn't bring towel, trekking poles, handkerchief, or pack hangar

Footwear was fine. Path was pretty gradual and they got a little muddy - definitely NOT waterproof! The gaiters stayed up the whole time which was a nice surprise. The pack was fine, but I've mentally decided to move on from my UL pack and get a Gregory which will only be another 5-8 ounces and will be more comfortable; it also won't sit on my back and soak up all my sweat! 

The hammock setup was great! It rained a little (sprinkles on & off) so I used my Sea-to-Summit poncho over me & the pack. Then when I got to lean-to I pretended it was pouring and tried to setup tarp & hammock while still in poncho with pack on my stomach. Nice test all around. The tarp was big enough for the hammok, though not a lot of extra room. Setup was narrow since I forgot my pole. Used the poncho as a ground cloth for my pack & footwear while I napped for 45 minutes. All-in-all, a solid test and a great day. Few, if any, bugs.

Sunday

• La Sportiva sneakers & padded ankle-length Darn-Tough socks
• ZPacks gaiters
• SMD Minimalist
• Hummingbird Hammocks Single+, tree straps, & Martin bugnet
• This time I remembered trekking poles and pack hangar (see pic below)

Went in from Bailey road this time. Much shorter, and much STEEPER which was a good workout for the legs. Really felt stronger as a result of this hike - less knee pain. Can't believe how much quicker it was going back to car vs the walk in - or at least it seemed that way. No nap today, but did set up the hammock again and added a ridgeline to keep bugnet out of my face. Pack hangar worked, but I think it should be thicker cord, and no so long - best idea is to get cord that can also be used to field-repair Zpack gaiters also, and used as bear-bag hang. The Minimalist bag was fine, but still not as comfortable as the Gregory packs I've had in the past. AND I HATE THE ROLL_TOP closure. Waste of time & space I think, but maybe that's just due to my current approach. I've listed the Flight and my Fusion packs on FB, but I'll keep the minimalist as an alternative in the future.

The point of hiking in again Sunday was to replenish the outhouse supplies - completely empty I noticed on Saturday. Added 1 roll TP, 1 package wipes, 1 hand sanitizer, and some feminine hygiene stuff to the tupperware container. It wouldn't hold the 2nd roll of TP that I brought so I just double-bagged that in hopes it would survive until needed. Maybe I'll check again this weekend.

Gear eval: 

• La Sportiva were fine, though not as comfy as when I first tried them on and my toes were a bit sore on Sunday from the down hill. Should try downhill again with thin socks to see if that changes things. But on Saturday, felt like my feet slipped around way too much with the thin socks.
• ZPacks Gaiters - AWESOME. Even on Sunday, with ankle socks, they stayed above the calf the entire time.
• HH Single+ - continues to be comfortable and I had a decent nap in it with just an UL inflatable pillow.
• EE Apex Enigma blue / gold - perfect for the weather on Saturday which was cloudy & spots of rain.
• Backpacks - I don't like how little structure the UL / frameless packs have. It doesn't stand up when it's on a flat surface. It's harder to pack because it flops around so much. I hate how it's right on my back which soaks up my sweat and makes me hotter, faster. And the roll-top is only useful when you've got a bunch of food that you are working through over several days - it's not like the gear itself gets smaller.