Bellingham Walks

No Mosquitos and No Rain…

We lodged at the wonderful White Rose Bed and Breakfast in Fort Plain last night and let ourselves sleep in and enjoy our innkeeper, Melissa’s, comfortable and welcoming home. She had greeted us with a warm smile the night before and then drove us to a local restaurant, The Table, for dinner. Melissa exemplifies the kind and generous spirit the people along the Erie Canal have shown us thus far, a spirit that has buoyed and sustained us. We are so very grateful.

After leaving the White Rose, we stopped at the grocery store for some supplies  and then set off down the trail. The sky was gray and overcast but we didn’t get rained on all day and there were very few mosquitoes. We’ve seen a few Robin egg shells on the trail. This one was whole, blown from its nest.

We walked about 18 miles along the old Erie Canal, the newer Barge Canal, and The Mohawk River today. We startled up a hen turkey and her three chicks at one point. I should say she startled us! She was very big! Seeing her led to long conversation about the different names given to birds and their young, like geese/goslings, etc. In the end we really weren’t sure the name of a baby turkey so we settled on ‘chick,’ but that’s the way conversation on the trail goes…anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can lead to an in depth discussion.

Every once in a while, we glimpse a beautiful rock wall, made from massive cut stones. It has been almost swallowed up by the overgrowth of berries and vines, which look like wild grapes. We think this must be the original wall along the canal…at least that is what our imagination says. It is fortunate that New York realized the history and wonder of the canal before it was entirely swallowed up by nature and progress. Maybe you can see the wall peeking out in these pictures. They’re not especially photogenic.

We came upon a farm and this little guy was peeking out from behind his low roofed pig house. We were fairly sure that we could see, within the murky dimness of the pig house, the large teardrop shaped ears of his mother sow. I decided to take a picture, mostly for our daughter Sophie, who is raising pigs just like this one. Just as I focused my camera (phone) on him, he bravely stepped out from his hiding place, allowing me to capture him in all his cute piglet grandeur.

Of course, we spoke to him and as he inched towards us, about 10 – 12 brothers and sisters literally poured out of the house, some hiding behind it too.

The first little piglet was decidedly smaller than the rest and we quickly decided that “Blackie,” as we affectionately called him, was the runt and the reason he was outside while the others were curled up with their mother inside. Although the smallest, he was, without a doubt, the cutest.

Aaron took this video of me. For some reason he is forever entertained by my method of hoisting my pack onto my back. I am not crazy about having my picture taken, let alone published, but I’m afraid I’ll not hear the end of it otherwise. So, here you go…

Just before Little Falls we came to General Herkimer’s home. He led the Battle of Oriskany in the Revolutionary War, a battle that proved to be a turning point for the young colonies. The beauty of the estate and the views of  the surrounding area were breathtaking. General Herkimer, his family, and neighbors are buried in the cemetery here.

We arrived at Little Falls Rotary Park at 6 pm. We were greeted by Dave who showed us around and helped us get settled. We showered, washed laundry, cooked dinner, and went to sleep…the end of another amazing day on The Erie Canal.

~Ann

 

Soaking Rain and Mosquitos…

I forgot to put this picture in yesterday’s post.  We saw this sign as a we walked into Fultonville and had a chuckle trying to imagine the scenario that would have prompted the city to post such a sign.

There wasn’t anywhere to camp last night, so we stayed in a tiny motel in the tiny town of Fultonville. The rain began somewhere in the middle of the night and woke us as it pounded on the roof. We had breakfast at the busy Taste America Truck Stop down the road then set off during a rain-respite with full rain gear at the ready. We walked for about 1 1/2 hours before the thunder and lightening began to roll and flash, shaking the heavy, grey clouds. We walked in an absolute downpour for about 9 miles.  If that wasn’t enough, we were chased by swarms of mosquitoes for much of the way. Luckily we had mosquito repellent and rain gear is also quite effective against mosquitoes. We ran up the steps of our cozy bed and breakfast in Fort Plain, NY just before the second downpour began

Aaron took some great pictures of different architecture along the trail and we thought we’d like to post some of those for you to see. We passed many more beautiful homes and estates too.

We plan on hiking to Little Falls tomorrow, probably in an exhilarating downpour being chased by hungry mosquitoes. 🐝 We will camp at their awesome Rotary Park and Marina and take a ‘zero’ day here, staying for two nights.

All the best,

Ann

 

 

 

We finally found out what the beaver-pica-groundhog-marmot looking animals we’ve been seeing are…woodchucks! Isn’t that just so very special?! I can’t ever remember seeing a woodchuck. Sorry, no pictures. They are very quick to disappear into their underground burrows when we come near. “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck…”

The temperature was cool again today and we walked under grey overcast skies. We began walking at 6:45 am looking forward to stopping at Schoharie Crossing, the ruins of a 14 stone arch aqueduct, built in the mid-1800’s to carry the canal over Schoharie Creek. I am in awe of the ingenuity and fortitude of those early canal builders. The canal is sometimes referred to as the first school of engineering in America.

Despite frequent signs indicating the way, we managed to walk 3 miles beyond the ruins before realizing it! We made the decision to go back, adding 6 miles to our day’s walk. It was a good decision.

One of today’s highlights was the abundance of bright orange day lilies along the trails. I referred to them as Tiger Lilies in an earlier post but now I believe they are their cousin, Day Lilies. I hope you can see them in this picture.

Another highlight was walking along the old canal for most of the day. In one place an old lock is well preserved although now filled in with sediment  and towering trees.

Ill finish this post with a short video Aaron took of a group of bikers as they whizzed past. It’s kind of fun to watch. 🚴🏻

We hope to be camping the next couple nights so am unsure about Internet access. We’ll do our best.

~Ann

We managed an early start  from the campground.  The walk began beautifully, flat and meandering next to the wide Mohawk River.  The sky was low and overcast, which kept the temperature cool.  The trail took us next to lush pastureland and ancient orchards adjacent to the old Erie Canal towpath on which we were walking. Just when we felt settled and happy at being able to spend the day in this pastoral beauty, the trail ended and we had to walk on a fairly busy hi way for 7 miles. That really tested my mettle. After that, we decided to skip over any areas with actual highway walking. Back roads would been fine but not highways.

We did pass a number of fellow trail users. There was a group of about 20 bikers all wearing the same green tee shirts going east. A man and woman on a tandem bike passed going west. They are long gone by now. One thing I know for sure after today is that the distance on google maps is much farther then it appears on your phone. ( :

Best,

Ann

 

 

Trail Angels and Fairie Lights…

Wendy from the Arrowhead Marina and RV Park drove to Scotia, about 3 miles, to pick up an ‘order to go’ for us. It was our dinner. Definite Trail Angel. Thanks Wendy!

Aaron and I walked out on the dock at dusk, returning to our tent after dark. The grove of tall trees surrounding our tiny tent was twinkling with fireflies. Many fireflies twinkling for a long time! They were still twinkling as we crawled into our tent. Goodnight moon…

~Ann

Reality sets in…

This is a really tough walk.The heat and humidity are formidable elements, which  constantly challenge us. Our 25 pound-ish packs seem heavier then we remember. So far, it’s like boot camp. Edward Abbey says “May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” Crooked? No. The trail is mostly straight, which makes sense. Winding? No, it does gently bend in places. Lonesome? No, we have each other. Dangerous? Absolutely. I’ve been reviewing the signs and symptoms of heat stroke and exhaustion, guzzling water, and taking frequent breaks. Amazing views? Yes!

We made it to Arrorhead Marina and RV park just west of Scotia this afternoon. We have a lovely tent site on the banks of the  Mohawk River. We  called a taxi to take us to Easrten Mountain Sports in Schenectady and then to the campground, cutting out about 9 of our planned 21 miles. Given the crazy hot and humid weather, it was the wise decision.

On the way out to the campground, we passed the original General Electric plant in Schenectady. The taxi driver said that “back in the day” the lot would be filled with employee cars but today there were only a scattered few.

We saw what looked like thimbleberry today except that the blossoms were very pink. We also saw Tiger Lilies. Hundreds of them…

Well, dinner is almost ready. Must sign off…

~Ann

After a three-hour bus ride from Boston to Albany, Aaron and I walked about 11.5 miles along the Hudson River in the humid heat characteristic of this area. As planned, we finished our first day in Waterford, NY, a small village at the eastern end of the Erie Canal. We are camped at the Waterford Visitor Center, with a view of the Mohawk River and lock #2 on the canal.

The walking was exceedingly challenging today but we enjoyed a bit of “trail magic,” like “Kate’s Corner Deli,” an unexpected shady bench on Green Island, and Chris at the Visitor’s Center in Waterford. Chris was warm and welcoming and helped us get oriented. He also gave us the key to the showers! Tomorrow we will set off early to Schenectady. We will need to get off trail to go to Eastern Mountain Sports to buy fuel for our stove…can’t make coffee without it! Writing on this tiny iPad is difficult but I’ll do my best.

Until later,

Ann

 

 

 

Logistics of Getting There…

With just over two weeks to go before we leave for our summer adventure to walk the entire length of the Erie Canal, from Albany to Buffalo, we have to get serious about getting ready. We’ve made lists of gear, clothing, and ‘other.’ We’ve decided to ship a box of gear to the hotel that we’ll be staying at in Boston for two nights. We’re doing this for a couple reasons.

First, we’d like to ‘carry on’ our 60L backpacks on the plane. We’ve gone and back and forth trying to decide whether or not to purchase backpack covers, which are basically like a duffel bag. They protect backpack buckles and straps from getting caught in airport conveyor belts, which can cause serious damage to your pack. They cost about $39.00 each at REI and weigh about a pound. It’s the added weight we don’t want. If we send the rigid gear (pan, cups, pocket-rocket stove) ahead, we should be able to compress our clothes, sleeping bag, and tent to a carry on size. Another reason to send a box of gear ahead is our walking poles. They can’t be carried on the plane for obvious reasons. So, we’ll ship them ahead too. Walking, or trekking, poles are reported to reduce about 25% of compressive force from knees and feet by transferring weight to your arms. They also improve balance, can be protection against a dog or other animal, and help you break through an overgrown trail. Aaron usually carries one pole in its collapsed position (we have the telescoping kind) and uses it to swing at bugs. He swears by this method of bug bite prevention. I also appreciate the workout my arms get while walking with poles.

While we are planning to resupply food along the trail, we will send ahead a couple food items we don’t want to leave to chance. The first is coffee. Being from the Pacific Northwest, we like our coffee the way we like it and even though its embarrassing to admit, my morning coffee experience (yes, coffee is an experience here in the Northwest!) influences, at least in part, how my day will go. There, I’ve admitted it! I also love crawling out of my tent in the early morning chill and sipping a cup of hot coffee as I watch the day begin. It’s a simple delight and not one that everyone would appreciate, but I do. So, in order to make our coffee experience on the trail the best it could be, we searched for the best instant coffee and found it at Trader Joe’s. It comes “all dressed up with creamer and sugar” and does the trick for us. The other food item we’ll send ahead are called Protein Pucks. We sent these ahead when we hiked the Oregon section of the PCT last summer. They are made in Spokane, Washington and are a nutrient dense puck-shaped bar. They are so nutrient and calorie dense in fact, that one bar is considered two servings with 240 calories per serving. This makes them the perfect snack for hiking; not too much food but good calorie count. They are also one of the best tasting bars we’ve tried and I can pronounce all the listed ingredients, such as sunflower butter, agave, dates, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. We found them at our local Cash and Carry.

Clothing and Shoes…

Our clothing will be fairly simple and straightforward. Lightweight and zap dry pants, shorts (skort for me), and shirts. Raingear, warm jackets, and sunhats, of course. Our shoes will the tried and true Altra Olympus. We wore these on the PCT last summer, hiking up and around every mountain in the Oregon Cascades for 450 miles. Our feet were as happy as they could be putting in 15 – 20 miles per day over rugged terrain. We love the extra padding in the sole, the zero rise in the heel, and the extra large toe box. Check them out at http://www.altrarunning.com

Getting Home…

When planning this adventure, we decided to take the train home and believed we could buy tickets once we arrived in Buffalo, New York. Luckily, we decided to check out Amtrak and saw that there were only one or two sleeping units still available on trains going west in early August, when we would be needing to get home to Bellingham. So, we booked the last sleeping unit on a train leaving Buffalo on August 4, getting us to Seattle on August 8. Whew! I’m glad we did a little more investigating. Now we just have to be sure to get to Buffalo by August 4th. That gives us about 30 days to do the entire walk, which should be just fine.

Thanks for following! More to come!

~Ann