Westward Ho.....the Erie Canal

After passing through The Federal Lock (#1) in Troy, NY, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we arrived at “a fork in the road” in Waterford, NY. Here all cruisers are confronted with a major decision. To continue northbound is to head for the Champlain Canal and Montreal, Quebec, Canada. To turn westward is to begin negotiating the locks of the New York State Erie Canal.

On June 6th we chose the westward route, joining a dozen or more Loopers tied up to the Waterford Free Dock. We walked around town and ate ice cream. Sue at Robin’s Shining Shears gave us both much-needed haircuts. We bought our 10-day pass to travel through the NY State Canal System’s locks.

On June 7th we celebrated our 47th Wedding Anniversary. We made a chicken pot pie from scratch and even found parnips to make it super tasty. The bridge to Peebles Island State Park spanned the waterway right over our boat, so we crossed over on foot and discovered the The Bleachery. Inside those buildings in days gone by, the fabric used to make shirts and collars in nearby Troy was whitened, pre-shrunk, smoothed,and given its sheen. Today, artifacts of historical significance in New York State are being restored, then returned to their original locations of importance.

On June 8th we led a parade of six boats in and out of 7 locks. The Waterford Flight of Five (Locks #2,3,4,5 &6) began our journey west. At 8 am, the locktender arranged the six of us in Lock #2 and instructed us to keep that formation as we moved through the Flight of Five. “Summertime” was the first boat in. When each 33 foot lift was completed, we were positioned to be the first boat out. In less than a mile, we had all been lifted 165 feet! The Hudson River was now behind us and we were in the Mohawk River. By the time were reached Lock #7 the west wind had increased to 15-25 mph. Keeping our boats secured in our places along the lock wall was becoming more and more difficult. By the time we cleared Lock #8, Wally and I had agreed to “call it a day”. We tied up to the wall just west of the lock...discovering later that we were in Rotterdam, NY.

Now on June 9th we are recovering from all of the above! The wind is still strong... gusting to 32 mph. There are whitecaps on this narrow portion of the Mohawk River, so we are staying put for another day. Munching on oven-fresh muffins made with Wyman’s Wild Maine Blueberries has a calming effect! As we were completing some boat repairs and chores, we noticed a steady stream of pedestrian traffic on an elevated pathway next to the canal. It happens to be part of a state-wide hiking/biking path that follows the canal system from Albany to Buffalo. Off-loading our bikes, we took a ride. Along the way we came across an historical section of the once-abandoned Erie Canal dating back to the early 1800’s. In those days the canal boats were long, low and narrow and were pulled along the waterway by mules. At summer camp I remember singing, ”Low bridge...everybody down! Low bridge...‘cause we’re coming through a town.You’ll always know your buddy and you’ll always know your pal, if you’ve ever navigated on the Erie Canal.” In the early years the canal was the “Main Street” of Utica, Schenectady, Syracuse and Rochester. Travelers could look into shop windows, watch the pedestrians saunter or hustle along the streets, and smell the cafe lunches from the canal boat’s deck. Now the canal has been moved to the outskirts of those cities and all that intimacy was lost with the move.

Created by Darcy O Campbell