Lookin' For Little Falls, NY

Today has been a day of highs tempered by one significant low, which I will get to later.

First, the good news.  The forecast was laced with high probabilities of thunderstorms both in Syracuse and Little Falls.  The sky supported those projections.  However, once again, the weather gods smiled upon us and we escaped unscathed.  The other good news: Diana left this morning for Boston and has stopped for the night here in Little Falls.  She will be completing the drive to Boston tomorrow while I continue on my way to Albany. 

Diana is driving to Boston from Grosse Pointe, Michelle is flying to Boston from Marquette and I'm cycling there.  All roads lead to Boston.

The ride out of Syracuse was not unlike other big city departures.  Since we leave at the height of rush hour, we deal with the stress of high traffic consisting of pissed off drivers in a big hurry to get some place that they would rather not be.  Very pleasant.  What makes Syracuse even more special is that it has arguably the poorest road conditions of any place that we have been on this tour.

Departure from Syracuse.  I had to wait until the outskirts of town where the road improved sufficiently such that I could hold a camera without it being shaken from my hand.

Speaking of rough road conditions, Tom had to replace a cracked wheel in Hamburg.  Barry continues to fight wheel / broken spoke issues.  I just inspected my wheels and they appear to be OK.  Major vibration and potholes will eventually take a toll on the wheels.

After breaking free of the urban area, the riding improved:

For a good part of the last couple of days, we have been tracking the Erie Canal, never very far from it.  This 363 mile long waterway was opened in 1825 and connects the Atlantic Ocean with Lake Erie.  Since the elevation change between its termini is 565', there are a series of 36 locks used to step down this difference.  The Erie Canal played a major role in New York City becoming the chief port in the U.S. as well as enabling settlement of the Great Lakes and Midwest regions.

Demonstrating that Las Vegas has not completely cornered the market on tackiness, we came across this little gem:

This 29 sq. ft. wedding chapel sits in, essentially, what we would call a bog.  How romantic.

But then we are brought back to our rural quietude:

We crossed the Mohawk River today.  This river played a strategically important role in moving troops and materiel during both the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.

Mohawk River

As we have been riding across the country, the historical age of the various regions has crossed my mind.  In the Southwest, there are many buildings and ruins from Native Americans and Spanish dating back from 500 - 1000 years ago.  In the Central and Midwest, it is "newer" with mainly post-1820 signs of settlement.  In the Northeast, the colonial development is evident with most of the towns having been incorporated in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

Entering Little Falls, NY:

In the above video, notice how Tom is calling out the potentially hazardous sewer grates on the road.  The cyclists are constantly communicating with signals and voice warnings in a collective effort to avoid danger.

Now for the bad news.  At about 24 miles into today's ride, there was a crash involving John F. and Mike F..  Mike was stopped at a rural intersection with John approaching from the rear.  Unfortunately, John was changing his cue sheet page and, in that split second, took his eye off the road.  He collided hard with Mike and was thrown from his bike, landing on his hip and elbow.  He was unable to stand after the crash.  Mike was uninjured although his bike sustained frame damage and is not ridable.

John was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to the University of Syracuse Medical Center.  We have learned this evening that he has a broken pelvis and elbow.  Orthopaedic surgeons are coming up with a plan of action.  This is just terrible.

In a post script on Mike's bike, a Little Falls welder came to the hotel and was able to repair the frame.  He would not accept any payment.

Mike F. and Jason the welder

Total Miles:   78               Total Vertical Climb:    2300 ft.