Hadley, MA to Concord, MA

This post covers two days of riding

Tuesday 26 June 2018  from Hadley, MA to Spencer, MA

Wednesday 27 June 2018 from Spencer, MA to Concord, MA

The rail to trail path that heads east from Hadley

view from the path

The bike path

All along the roadways are lakes, small streams, and marsh land.

Beaver house

This bird was jumping from lily pad to lily pad lifting up the leaves.  I suspect looking for bugs. 

An old textile factory in Warren

I stopped at this diner for breakfast

In the parking lot was this 1936 Chevrolet 

This gentleman found the truck abandoned in the woods when he was 14 and has owned it ever since. 

Pittsfield, MA to Hadley, MA

Monday 25 June 2018

Today's ride was from Pittsfield,MA to Hadley,MA

This past weekend I only rode 16 miles on Saturday and I took Sunday off.  My legs needed the off days.  Feeling much better this morning I did lots of very easy spinning until I got to the hills.  It had rained last night, the roads were wet and the humidity high.  As I started to climb into the hills the temperature dropped to around 50 degrees.  It was cool.  I was wishing I had my toe covers and long finger gloves. But I survived.  The scenery was good with little streams along side of the road.  The road had little to no traffic until I reached the top and joined a busier street. 

A few miles west of Northampton there is a paved rails to trails route.

My niece Angela went to college in Northampton and said I had to stop at Harrell's Ice Cream shop in Northampton.  And who am I to question my niece so I had Ice Cream for lunch

The bike path continued from Northampton.  The rails to trails path will some day go from Northampton all the way to Boston.

The bicycle bridge you can see goes across the Connecticut River 

The Connecticut River

A few miles further down the bicycle path I reached my destination for the day.  The day was an enjoyable ride with little traffic during the long ascent and lots of running streams for a very pleasant background sound.

Seneca Falls, NY to Pittsfield, MA

Monday 18 June 2018 through Saturday 23 June 2018

the routes for each day are as follows

Monday 18 June  Seneca Falls, NY to Syracuse, NY

Tuesday 19 June  Syracuse, NY to Rome, NY

Wednesday 20 June Rome, NY to Canajoharie, NY

Thursday 21 June Canajoharie, NY to Latham, NY

Friday 22 June Latham, NY to New Lebanon, NY

Saturday 23 June  New Lebanon, NY to Pittsfield, MA

The route along the Erie Canal trail was very dusty for 4 days.  I spent a little time each evening cleaning the bike.  This is a picture after just a couple of hours on the trail.  It rained Monday night and that sure helped with the dust on the trail. 

The Four Freedoms mural on Route 31 in Weedsport, NY

Christmas tree farm

Dogwood tree

In Camillus, NY the 1/2 sign on the Erie Canal

Sims Store Museum in Camillus 

The volunteers at Sims Store Museum

riding west to east on the Erie Canal Trail

nine-mile Aqueduct

There are many information signs along the canal trail.

sign from 2017

interesting information sign about the engineers of the original Erie Canal

Farm beside the canal

Met this gentleman.  He is heading to San Francisco. 

Mennonite family

Information about the three different canals

Heidi and Scott from San Diego riding west on the Erie Canal trail 

aqueduct over a river, top view 

from the river view

Historical Marker just outside Rome, NY

Ninja turtle guarding the trash cans 

enough firewood for a couple of years all neatly stacked

I rode many miles of new pavement coming into Fort Plain. The reason why.

Amsterdam Castle in Amsterdam, NY

The Erie Canal trail continues south east from Latham.  I headed almost due east so I could ride my bicycle over the Hudson river.  There is no bicycle crossings near Albany.

The last few miles of the Erie Canal trail I rode near Latham

lift bridge across the Hudson River in Troy, NY

I ended up riding state route 66 in NY.  

Entering Massachusetts

The rolling hills of the Berkshires 

going up

and going up

The ride along the Erie Canal trail was very enjoyable, from riding the first day on the trail with Ed and Sophie and to all of the people I met.  When I stopped in Camillus, NY at the Sims Store Museum the volunteers were having me lunch.  They invited me to join them to share a bean chili that one of the volunteers made.  It sure hit the spot.  Now in Pittsfield Mass.  I should be in Boston Thursday