Diary

Mileage:  82.6 miles (133 kms)

Elevation Change:  1840 feet  (561 meters)

Weather:  sunny and low 80’s

Morale:  very good but quite tired

Incidents:  Raymond rode as captain of the tandem for a stretch

Daily Summary:

We slept in today and were the last ones out of the hotel at 8.  The heat wave was has broken, so the temperature was quite pleasant all day.  Our incredible string of tailwind days (every day since Lake Michigan) continues.  This part of New York has a lot more topography than we have seen in quite a while.  We stayed along the canal and the railroad, however, so our ride was still relatively flat.   We rode through a lot of small towns who clearly were affluent in the days of the canal, but who are now suffering.  We saw lots beautiful old Victorian homes, now faded and peeling.  The second half of the ride was along a very nice bike trail, which was peaceful and traffic free.  Raymond rode up front for awhile and did a great job—and I’m getting a lot calmer in the back.  Christopher rode the second half of the ride with Christine of the staff.  The hotel has an outdoor pool, which was nice as it was the first outdoor pool we have had in quite awhile, and the weather today was ideal for it.  At dinner we did a game show with trivia questions about the whole trip.  We only have a few more evenings together as a group.  Tomorrow the climbing begins.  We’re all feeling pretty tired at this point, but the end is in site!

 

In the picture below you see Raymond at a bridge over the Erie Canal, which we have been following for three days now.