Erie Canal and Finger Lakes

Erie Canal and Finger Lakes
Sunday 23^th June, 2019
Day 44

Location: Victor to Syracuse, NY

Distance: 86 miles.
Temp:  56 - 79 F sunny
Dew point:  - 49 F
Winds:  14 mph crosswind

Cumulative climbing distance:  3,396 ft

Cumulative descending distance:  3,376 ft

 

The weather yesterday and today was perfect summertime biking conditions with typical early summer temps, low humidity and sunny sky.

 

Another flat rear tire today at mile 65.  This time I believe a defective tube.  The tally is now Ken 11 and Judi 5.  This event has really become a daily momentum changer when one is already tired and pushing hard to complete the day.

Our route for the 4 days in New York runs parallel with the New York Thruway (Interstate I-90) and the Erie Canal.  Today we travel from just south of Rochester to the northern tip of the Finger Lakes (Seneca and Cayuga Lakes), across the Erie Canal and into the northern edge of Syracuse.

 

The terrain continues to be hilly as noted visually and from our 3,396 cumulative vertical feet but ending the day within 20 feet of the starting elevation.  About 25% of the countryside appears to have returned to woodlands.

 

 

 

 

 

Seneca Lake is 38 miles long.  It is 1 of 11 long, narrow, rough north-south lakes comprising the Finger Lakes.  These lakes form a clearly distinctive view from an airplane. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hillsides of the lakes have vineyards, which form New York's largest wine producing region.

  

Starting to see very large dairy operations.  Likely around 1000 or more milking cows in multiple large pole barns.  Did not observe any traditional family dairy operations.  The economy of scale has taken over this industry, as we also observed these very large operations in Ohio and the far Western US.

 

 

 

Bald eagle was feeding at least 2 eaglets.

 

 

Erie Canal

The Erie Canal is an east-west, cross-state canal system thru central New York from the Hudson River near Albany to Lake Erie near Buffalo.  It created a navigable water route from New York City to the Great Lakes.  Construction began in 1817 with completion in 1825, making it the 2nd longest canal in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the many reasons the Erie Canal was successful and lasted for more than 2 centuries is that it was engineered and built with large block walls to prevent erosion of the banks and form a stable walkway for the towing animals.

 

 Typical rolling hills and woodlands.

 

 

Viewing the snowmobile sign made me feel cold.