A Bike Ride on the Black River Feeder Canal Trail - Part 2

Edmonds Road to Hawkensville
July 20,2010

One late afternoon, we drove to Edmonds Road to continue our ride on the feeder canal trail.  The trail seems similar to the first section that we rode the other day.  But that was just at the beginning.

There were still some forested sections and wildflowers beside and on the trail, birds and butterflies buzzing by.

But  there were also expansive meadows, made beautiful  by early blooming golden rods.

Several homes border some sections (unexpected, since we had to cross several roads- Miller Woods, Williams, Hayes Rd E), the trail almost abutting their lawns.  Birdhouses are seen not just at the backyards but on the canal as well.











After 4miles, we reached Hawkensville Road, another signpost showing us the next leg to Boonville.  But it's getting late, we still have to ride back to Edmonds Rd, we haven't fully recovered from the recent long ride, etc., etc., so that will have to wait another day. 

Great Ride!

Sanity check:  If the trail is 10miles long, how come the sign says 3 miles to Boonville and 9 miles to Forestport? 

Heron on Kayuta Lake

7/24/2010

We saw a heron today.  I guess that's nothing special at Kayuta Lake.  The amazing thing was that it allowed me to go as close to one as I've ever been before (at least in the wild), about 10 feet away.

It was fun watching it walk, it's neck extending everytime it took a step.

A bike ride on the Black River Feeder Canal Trail

Forestport to Edmonds Road
July 18,2010


The Black River Canal was intended to be a  feeder canal to the Erie Canal and to serve as a highway for goods from the North Country. From 1848 t0 1922, a 10 mile feeder canal from Forestport to Boonville in turn fed water to the Black River Canal.

Now, this feeder canal serves as a recreational venue which can be navigated by small canoes and kayaks. The Black River Feeder Canal Trail, the towpath that followed the canal, is now a part of the North Country National Scenic Trail and supposedly one of the prettiest canal trails in the conference.

One Sunday morning, I was coaxed into going for a ride on the towpath. With my last bike ride almost 2 years ago (maybe even longer) and not one longer than 2 miles,  I was quite skeptical about my ability to do this.


Nevertheless, onward  I went.  The first hurdle was Rt 28. Although this stretch of our route was merely 0.6 mile long,  it was my first venture on a major road on 2 wheels and completing that segment without a mishap was liberating.  After 3.1 miles of riding, we finally reached Canal Road in Forestport and the beginning of the towpath.





One and a half miles later, a road barrier. The trail is now off limits to motorized vehicles.  This must be the official start of the trail.









The trail was beautiful indeed.  As it meanders alongside the canal, tall hemlocks border its opposite side, almost hiding the steep slope going down to the Black River.  Wildflowers, birds, lily pads, tall grasses on the canal provide convenient sightseeing excuses to rest our butts.  Not to mention my aching knees, quads and my carpal tunnelled wrists.

How close did we get to Boonville?

 Apparently, not close enough.  At the Edmonds Road crossing, this sign showed just how much we've overestimated our progress. So far, we have ridden about 7.6 miles and we all decided to head back home.  Hawkensville and Boonville will have to wait for another time.

Kayak Exercises

Kayaking is one of our favorite activities on the lake. It is so relaxing just to paddle about, as we leave all our worries behind and just enjoy the calmness around us. It has additional health benefits as well. The repetitive motions of moving the paddles can help increase muscle tone. It is said that moving a kayak at 5mph uses about 400 calories per hour, and can be part of a weight loss regimen. We have yet to achieve that speed but maybe the calories we burn can offset the beer that inevitable follows this exercise.

Kayaking can easily tire the uninitiated. When paddling, one can expect to do about 500 strokes per mile, with each stroke incorporating every upper body muscle and some lower muscles as well. Not just the shoulders but also the core, hips and thigh muscles are involved. The repetitive motion for the shoulders and core is countered by a stable lower body. Maintaining flexibility is therefore essential to a successful and injury-free kayaking. Click here for some flexibility exercises.


To build muscle strength for kayaking, several exercise regimens are available on-line. The following videos which accompanied an article on Sea Kayaker Magazine demonstrates some simple exercises one can do before and after kayaking.

Black River Canal Museum revisited

When we first visited the museum, we found the displays at the Hemlock Mercantile building (opened June 2, 2007) quite interesting. The life-sized canal boat replica (which had been christened the Walter C. Pratt on July 5, 2008) had pictures and displays depicting life in the boat and on the canal. Although the activity center inside the reconstructed warehouse had been completed in the summer of 2007, it was for some reason closed at the time of our first visit.


This time, we were able to thoroughly immerse ourselves in the interactive displays which amused and educated not only the young but the not so young amongst us. Navigating the mini-canal in our chosen canal boat allowed us to understand how the locks work.

The archives building that will house historical memorabilia and documents has also been recently completed. Eight years ago, a group of Boonville area volunteers first decided to preserve and provide education on the canal's rich history.

For more than 70 years, the Black River Canal had been the major thoroughfare in the North country, transporting goods to major cities. It has brought prosperity to Boonville and now the museum is giving its proper tribute to this man-made wonder.

Fireworks at Boonville

We found out about the scheduled fireworks at Erwin Park in Boonville by pure chance. So just before dark on July 2, we headed off for the park, arriving early enough to catch the last hour of the Fulton Chain Gang's performance.


And then the fireworks begun.