Erie Canal Canoe Excursion_ September 26 2007

I took a little paddle excursion on the Erie Canal tonight. I launched the canoe at Spencerport, NY- a very nice little town that I lived in a few years back. The town, or maybe a private paddling company, installed a floating dock on the canal and it's perfect for launching a canoe or kayak. As evidenced by a sign posted next to the floating dock, a business seems to rent canoes and kayaks there during the day, but tonight it was all mine.

Although the canal is pretty straightforward, it can be a nice break from lake and stream canoe excursions. Usually, like tonight, the Erie Canal is very calm and peaceful. It was particularly nice because as I paddled the sun settled beneath the horizon and painted the village and surroundings in nice pastels of pink and purple as it departed.

I took a few pictures of the bridges in Spencerport, and the amusing tugboat 'Urger' that was docked just down from the draw bridge in Spencerport. Every now and again I see one of the canal tugs and when I spy them gently plying the Erie Canal I always think to myself it would be amusing to hop onboard and tour around. Never have, and I doubt I ever will, but the thought always gives me a smile for some reason.

As I paddled West on the canal I passed a bunch of houses right along the canal, some old and some new, some that were so new they weren't there even this past spring. I looked towards the houses and saw the warm inviting glow of incandescent light from within framed against the pastel sky. It looked cozy, Normal Rockwell-esque.

I paddled westward and heard some very chippy Cardinals hiding along the canal bed, also spied a few bats buzz down to check out my canoe. Fish skimmed the surface of the canal and walkers strolled the path alongside, marking pace with my canoe. As the sun set, I fought the urge to keep paddling and turned back towards the floating dock to end my little excursion.
As I approached the floating dock the lift bridge in Spencerport was fully illuminated with the red 'no crossing' lights, and the fluorescent pedestrian torches atop. The lights reflection danced on the surface of the gentle canal, superimposed on the perfect reflection of the bridge silhouette on the water's surface. It all looked so nice, it was beautiful imagery!

A few patrons of the local VFW stared at me, almost suspiciously, as I paddled by and pulled up to the floating dock to end my journey. As I pulled my boat to the dock, the VFW crew finished their smoke break and retreated back into their post for more discount beer and camaraderie. I took one last look at the canal, saddened by the thought that another season was drawing to a close. I'm happy that I got back into the canoe. In a few short weeks I've accumulated some really cool memories and images..

Link to my Flickr photo album from this canoe excursion: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13991097@N02/sets/72157602174059003/


Cheers,
Ben

Turning Point Park Walking Excursion

September 22, 2007

Too windy to do a canoe excursion yesterday, so decided to tour about the Genesee River with a walk from the newly renovated and very awesome Turning Point Park, up to the Ontario Beach Park, Rochester 'Beach' on Lake Ontario.

The Turning Point Park is very cool- the county, city, etc. built a 'boardwalk' in essence to connect two disconnected pieces of trailway. The boardwalk spans marshland along the Genesee River, skirting next to the place where steamboats would turn around in the Genesee River, hence 'Turning Point Park, after loading or unloading to to back into Lake Ontario. The boardwalk is really nice, and I was happy to see quite a few people enjoying the outdoors via this newly created recreation facet of Rochester.

Here's a link to some pictures I took on today's excursion: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13991097@N02/sets/72157602113815014/


Cheers!
Ben

Braddock's Bay, NY Canoe Excursion

September 20, 2007

Carted the canoe over to Braddock's Bay tonight to test the outriggers. They worked great, as expected. Kept the boat super stable so I could stand up and take some pictures, move around freely, and do a headstand or two. Nice!

Braddock's Bay is also the place I intended to dock the power boat if I bought it. I wanted to check out the passage from the bay to the lake, I heard it was pretty much non-existent due to heavy sand/silt deposits. This was true! There is a channel marker buoy that is intended to mark passage into the bay. Leading up to the channel (if you were heading from the bay into Lake Ontario) there was MAYBE 8-10 inches of water below the canoe. In a few places that dropped to 2-3 inches, and I actually ran aground in one spot!!

Once I got past the channel markey buoy it dropped off to a staggering 2-3 feet, still not enough for most motor boats to navigate.

After checking out the area, I feel a little better about mu decision not to purchase. Hell, I wouldn't have even been able to get out of the place I intended to keep the boat, and I doubt it would be much better next year! So, for $1025 a season I would have bought the right to go sit on a boat that I couldn't get out of the bay and into Lake Ontario. Fun! I'll take the canoe excursions, thank you

Chimney Bluffs, NY Canoe Excursion

Had a great excursion to East Bay and Chimney Bluffs this past week! Started out at a creek that led into East Bay (A few miles east of Sodus Bay, NY), paddled through the creek and East Bay into Lake Ontario and onward to Chimney Bluffs.

The Bluffs were wild, as I approached they loomed up from the shoreline like fingers reaching to the sky, it was cool. I was paddling into the sun, so the shadows enhanced the imposing appearance of the windswept shapes.

I took a bunch of pictures of the Bluffs, I'll post a few below to give you an idea of what these things looked like.

On the way through the creek I passed by a bunch of Herons, and an edgy group of six swans that wouldn't give an inch of the passage as I tried to navigate through. At one point I thought one particularly snotty male was going to take a charge at me. Fortunately his aggressiveness stopped at staring me down and 'snorting' in my direction rather vigorously!

During my extended trip today (logged about 6 miles), I realize that I definitely need a kayak-style paddle. I've been using my traditional canoe paddle and it's a pain in the ass handling the boat solo and having to constantly switch sides to maintain forward motion, especially with a wind buffeting the boat from the side causing me to dead-eye all over the place. I'll have to make a trip to the paddling outfitter and see how much one of those slick sticks will set me back 'cause I need one!!

Here's a link to my Chumney Bluffs picture album on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13991097@N02/sets/72157602124936315/

Canoeing Revisited

After decideing NOT to go ahead with buying a 1982 Chaparral 23ft cabin cruiser, I have reaffirmed my affection for canoeing.

I picked up some cool gear to enhance the canoeing experience, plotted routes, and made three paddle excursions during the past week.

I want to use this blog as an opportunity to share my canoe excursion experiences and pictures, to give readers a glimpse into the canoe adventures, as well as to serve as a marker for my own memory!

Cheers,
Ben