tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135275512011-04-21T15:53:09.814-04:00A 7-day bicycle camping tour through New York's Finger Lakes, July 24-30, 2005Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.comBlogger171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1123538160953692932005-07-31T23:41:00.000-04:002007-04-08T21:25:36.725-04:00

Because of other miscellaneous around-town mileageadded on, my odometer actually registered 349.74miles total.Day Route Riding Time Miles Avg Max1 Cortland to Trumansburg 03:40:26 51.44 14.00 33.52 Trumansburg to Watkins Glen 04:01:05 59.36 14.77 36.03 Watkins Glen to Hammondsport 03:34:34 50.65 14.16 39.64 Hammondsport to Geneva 03:08:40

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122845513576410572005-07-31T17:27:00.000-04:002005-07-31T17:53:53.416-04:00

I really didn't take many. This tour was very much centered around the wineries, and many of the route idiosyncrasies were presumably a direct result of bringing them our business. The scenery was otherwise very panoramic and vast, but there just weren't that many spots of individual scenic interest. I didn't stop all that often to try to capture any of it. I kept waiting for the road in the

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122748466884665992005-07-30T14:32:00.000-04:002005-07-31T12:28:59.223-04:00

I know I'll have random thoughts about this whole thing over the next few weeks, and will just keep adding them here. It was a very nice, physically challenging, and satisfying trip, and I'll leave it at that for now.The good:1. No flats2. 10 miles of rain riding out of 3503. Didn't have to walk any hills4. This bike is a huge improvement over what I had been riding.5. The amazing shower

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122748355172544042005-07-30T14:24:00.000-04:002005-07-30T14:32:35.173-04:00

Only had one beer last night, but it was still enough to wake me up early, around 4:30am. Activity around me had started by then, so I postponed until 5:30 and got up. Decided to skip breakfast, which was 1/2 mile in the wrong direction, and got started around 6:10am. Stopped at Hilltop Diner in Skaneateles, along with a couple of dozen others. It was an interesting mix of bikes and pickups,

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122747818006658822005-07-29T21:14:00.000-04:002005-07-31T18:12:10.386-04:00

Rockefeller Road, up the east side of Owasco Lake, is a VERY nice alternative to the state routes. It's so named because John D. Rockefeller's boyhood home is on it. Left Moravia around 10:50, arrived at campsite in Emerson Park around 12:15. It really didn't seem like that hard a ride, despite the hills, and I feel pretty good. I'm sure the rest day didn't hurt. All set up, and snacks today

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122648300254367892005-07-29T10:38:00.000-04:002005-07-29T10:45:00.256-04:00

MORAVIA, NY - So what, you say? It's only 25 miles between those two points. Except that we're going via Aurora and Moravia, then up Owasco Lake, for 67 miles. Up at 5am, packed, and sat down to breakfast at 5:45 - french toast, eggs, bacon, juice. On the road by 6:15, with taillight flashing. Beautiful day for a ride! Nice back road parallel to 5/20 to Seneca Falls, then through Montezuma

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122560551220900292005-07-28T21:18:00.000-04:002005-07-29T10:33:00.050-04:00

And that's what I'm doing. Slept until 7am for a change, had a big breakfast, did some minor bike maintenance, dried stuff out, and got on the bike and headed into town. Not sure yet how I'll be spending the rest of the day, but I don't see a big ride happening. Nice park and beach on Seneca Lake, lunch, ice cream, maybe a nap somewhere. Big day tomorrow, so I'll just take it easy

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122559959930956792005-07-27T21:53:00.000-04:002005-07-28T10:12:39.936-04:00

Slept OK last night, despite the bright light. Awoke to the unmistakeable sound of raindrops on the tent. A light rain was falling, and it looked pretty dreary, and was still very humid. Forecast was for 70% chance of showers/thunderstorms, pretty much all day. Packed up everything wet in trash bags, stuffed all of it in the duffle, and threw it on the truck. Biked next door to firehouse for

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122558679929889542005-07-26T21:50:00.000-04:002005-07-28T10:16:57.590-04:00

After going to library, went back and sat in air-conditioned school hallway, downed some sodas, and read for awhile until dinner. As we 8 SWCers were meeting near the information trailer to walk to the boat, a pretty fierce downpour hit us for 5-10 minutes, and then stopped. Took umbrella to boat, fearing more of the same later. Food was so-so (buffet style for 400+), and air conditioning was way

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122402473717184162005-07-26T14:11:00.000-04:002005-07-26T14:27:53.723-04:00

Slept pretty well again, but woke up to the sounds of truck traffic in the plant next door around 5am. Up and packed. Everybody else had the same idea about an early start to beat the heat, so the breakfast line at 5:45 was about a half-hour wait. I opted to skip it and grab something on the road instead. Left at 6:10, hit the top of the big climb out of town around 6:30. Grabbed an eclair

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122306574431355842005-07-25T11:41:00.000-04:002007-10-11T08:44:11.957-04:00

Minimal rain overnight, so all stuff is dry. In bed by 9, but Grass Roots Music Festival, VERY nearby, continued 'til past 10, followed by some noise-only fireworks. Slept pretty well, better than night before. Up and packed and had breakfast. School was HOT, and no pastries, so I didn't eat a whole lot, just some bacon and eggs and OJ (no coffee today!?!!?) On the road under cloudy and windy

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122305995133554782005-07-24T21:00:00.000-04:002007-10-11T09:11:41.270-04:00

Slept fitfully, up by 5:30. Heavy dew, tent soaked. Packed wet, had breakfast, and ready to leave by 7am. Left early to avoid the 8am "mass start" traffic jam of 437 riders. Reached Ithaca around 9am. Had skipped the morning rest stop, since it had only been 90 minutes of riding, and involved a 3-mile detour. Stopped at Ithaca Bakery for chocolate eclair instead :-) Reached Taughannock

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1122305412147960922005-07-23T23:26:00.000-04:002005-07-28T10:14:57.080-04:00

Arrived around 3pm, and set up/got organized. Wine/cheese reception at 5pm was totally inadequate as dinner. Hooked up with Terry, Judy, Tony, Dick, and John from Schenectady Wintersports Club, and went to dinner at Community Restaurant in downtown Cortland. Nice place - so-so pot roast. Bought discounted tour jersey from previous year. In bed by 9:15.

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1121904553169666492005-07-20T20:05:00.000-04:002005-07-20T20:15:45.386-04:00

A minor break in the weather! Still hot, but much more comfortable humidity. Did a hilly, windy 19 miles tonight, which served to show me how much I'd lost in the past week of doing nothing. Club ride (fast 15-20 miles) tomorrow night, some final preparations on Friday, then off to Cortland on Saturday. 51 miles and 2800+ feet of climbing on Sunday. Yikes!

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1121609112681417252005-07-17T10:00:00.000-04:002005-07-17T10:05:12.680-04:00

This weather sucks. Tropical heat during the day, and monsoonal downpours in the afternoons and evenings. I really hope this breaks before next week. I did a fairly flat 44 miles last Sunday, but there have been no opportunities for anything else since then. Need to start physically gathering stuff up and packing this week, and hopefully will also be adding a few more hilly miles.

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1120615081463559532005-07-05T21:49:00.000-04:002005-07-17T09:59:56.956-04:00

I've been consolidating various diverse packing lists, and am really getting out and hammering the local hills. I've done almost 600 miles this year to date, and am feeling strong and ready.

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13527551.post-1118275677699110542005-06-22T21:36:00.000-04:002006-01-23T06:57:27.716-05:00

I'm just starting to look forward to what needs to be done to make this tour successful, based on my experience of 2 years ago on the Cycling the Erie Canal 2003 tour. I'm pulling together packing lists, and making note of library locations for possible enroute updates to this blog as time allows. I'm looking at this tour as a dry run and prototype for a longer unsupported solo camping tour in

Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989932959750192629noreply@blogger.com0