Canal Ride — 8/13/10

This was a ride on the Windsor Locks/Suffield Canal, not the Erie. Although I have to admit I was thinking about riding the Erie Canal. As crazy as it sounds I want to ride it again…taking more time and riding fewer miles each day. I’d like to accomplish this before I turn 80, so the clock is ticking.

But, getting back to the Windsor Locks Canal, I could not get over how many trees along the entire canal are standing up dead, fallen over dead into the canal or dying. What is going on?

I heard some birds but didn't see very many. Saw a couple of komikaze chipmunks and one rabbit. Even though I was out early, I got to the canal before 8:30 this morning, there was precious little in the way of wild life.

Viewing of the river and the canal was difficult because of the vegetation in full summer foliage. Once the leaves fall off, the views will be uninhibited. Since the leaves are starting to turn now due to stress (not the season) they might fall early.

The bike path over the Route 190 bridge is open for business. It's about time! You can't access the bridge from the parking lot of the canal yet...that's still under construction. For now, one has to ride up Canal St. to Route 159 and cross over where all the traffic is coming off the 190 bridge and turning onto the bridge. A little hairy, but with a little caution it can be done.