It was a little warmer this morning when I began the ride — 47 vs. 40 yesterday. It still felt a little crisp, but it was a beautiful fall day here with lots of sunshine. Trails today varied from several miles of smooth asphalt, to asphalt with many root bumps, to packed limestone, to loose limestone, to single-track packed earth, and a few miles of 0n-road. One was regularly surprised by sudden changes in the surface. The canal also changed quite regularly from very clear and apparently navigable to this, and worse.
Apples and walnuts and pine cones, oh my. Often in the past few days, today included, I would come upon a cluster of apples, walnuts, or large pine cones littered across the trail, making forward navigation difficult at best. Trying to bob and weave and not hit the little trail-blockers was a challenge, but it did keep one alert.
I've seen hundreds — perhaps thousands — of Canada Geese in the past couple of weeks. This morning was no exception. I heard them first, then saw them circling, then saw them landing on the water.
At one point I spotted what I assumed to be grain elevators. At least they looked like those of my youth in the Midwest. Then I remembered being told that coal towers looked like this as well. So, I'm not sure what these are, but they were right along the canal.
Because much of the ride was along isolated trails with little distraction — other than the aforementioned "trail-blockers," I decided to continue listening to Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa. I mentioned the other day that the book is the 2017 - 2018 WhatcomREADS selection and that Yapa will be in Bellingham March 8 - 10. The audio version of the book is available here, and the print edition is available here.
As I mentioned before, the story is set at the time of the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle. It focuses on seven characters and their interactions, bringing many perspectives forward. I was stunned by the book, and nearly sobbed as it ended, overcome with a deep sadness.
I spent the next couple of hours in silence, thinking in part about the book I'd just listened to and in part letting my mind wander. Later in the day I put on some more tunes — Paul McCartney, Patsy Cline, and Billy Joel. There's a mix for you.
Earlier in the trip I took a photo of a 1956 Ford. Here's another that I came across today.
There were lots of historic markers and story boards along this section of the canal. One of the first talked about the "long level," the section of the canal that was built first because it had little rise and required no locks. Here's the marker describing that section.
This storyboard was about Dewitt Clinton, Governor of NY during the building of the canal, and the man considered most responsible for its construction.
Rome (no, not that Rome, or Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, or Maine — the one in New York) was where construction began on the canal, and this plaque marked that place.
Tomorrow will be my last day on the canal. I've modified my route a couple of times now. First, enjoying the canal, I decided to ride its entire length. Now, I've decided to ride to Amsterdam along the canal, then head off to Saratoga Springs, where our friend Chris Morrow has a bookstore.
Ride Day Twenty-Six by the numbers:
65 — miles ridden
813.6 — feet in elevation gained
6510.2 — calories burned
0 — falls
0 — dogs
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