As with the day before, I got up early and was on the trail by around 6:45. It looked like a great breakfast and craft coffee place in Brockport, fifteen miles east, So that’s where I set the destination on my phone. It was going to be another hot, sunny day, so I figured getting a third of the distance under my belt before it got too hot made sense.
Around 7 am along the trail.
It was a good plan. With the low morning sun, I was biking in the shade for much of this distance, and I made good time on the unpaved, but smooth granite-dust surface. My odometer was showing a pace of about 13 mph—actually a slightly faster pace than Google Maps must use for the bicycling option. I reduced my arrival time by a minute or so—until I stopped for a break.
As I approached Brockport, there was an awesome spiraling pedestrian bridge across the canal. I should have stopped and walked across….
Quite the bridge over the canal!
Brockport is an awesome little town. I gather that there’s a college campus there (maybe one of the SUNY campuses), so it has a college-town feel. Java Junction Coffee Roasters was well worth the hour-plus it took to get there. I think Brockport might not be a morning town, though. At 8:15 or so, when I got there, the place was empty and there was nary a vehicle on Main Street. But I got a great mocha latte and classic breakfast—not on this cinnamon bun stuff! And had a great chat with a man who noticed my bike outside and told me of some of his past biking trips on the trail.
Brockport on a Saturday morning. Pretty quiet.
Before heading on, I walked to the other end of Main Street and back, checking out the town. Fortunately, the bookstore, shown in the photo above, hadn’t yet opened, so I saved a lot of time!
The next stop was Spencerport, where there’s the Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum. It was open, but the folks there were all in a tizzy because the woman doing a historic canal tour hadn’t arrived. I found a nice bench in the shade and relaxed a bit. I was unable to fill my water bottles, though, because they were too tall to fit under the faucet in the bathroom. Minor inconveniences….
There were some nice displays—everyone along the canal is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal this year!
From there, I was nearing Rochester, with a big uptick in trail use, bridges, highway underpasses, road noise, etc. But the trail is very well maintained, and I spent some time on several bridges, checking out boats, especially where the Genesee River intersects with the canal. I stopped at an REI store, right on the trail, practically, and filled my water bottle—and enjoyed the air conditioning! The trail in the Rochester area is paved, but there are annoying bumps from roots growing under the pavement; I’d rather be on the unpaved surface!
From a bridge over the canal, showing the confluence with the Genesee River. I think most of the boats passing here are boats one can charter for a three- to seven-day excursion on the canal. Apparently, with a short tutorial, you’re on your own in navigating the canal, including through locks.
Getting into Pittsford, I stopped at Lock 33, lingering to watch a gate close after a few kayakers had entered. Then on to Jer’s cousin Sue’s house with just 5% battery left on my phone. (It’s scary how dependent we’ve become on our smart phones! I’m glad I had at least charged it during breakfast in Brockport!)
Lock 33 in Pittsford. No pumps are needed for all that water; it’s all done by gravity—once the gates are opened or closed. An ingenious way to move boats up or down….
I got to Sue and Matt’s house around 2 pm, having biked 44 miles, took a nice shower, and walked to the canal shops in Pittsford with Jer where we split a late lunch. Then back to the house for a nap and dinner with Sue and Matt!
Tomorrow, Jerelyn and I will take off together, heading to Newark. It will be great to have company….