Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Genesee Valley Greenway site
photo slideshow
Yesterday I rode north along the river; today I followed it (sort of) in the opposite direction, along the Genesee Valley Greenway. The Greenway was originally the route of the Genesee Valley Canal, from 1840 to 1878, and then the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1880 to the 1863. Today the old railbed is used as a recreation trail, with sections running along the Genesee River and the prism of the old canal visible along many stretches. During my ride today I passed the remains of an old stone lock, the stone foundations of several railroad trestles, and an old railroad bridge that carried the Lehigh Valley Railroad over the line I was riding. (That bridge is now redecked to connect the Genesee Valley Greenway to the Lehigh Valley Trail.)
The Greenway is fairly flat, with long stretches that are relatively straight - this is both a plus (relatively easy riding) and a minus (it can get a bit dull.) I took it fairly easy on the way out, stopping occasionally to take pictures, and even took a quick side-trip along the Lehigh Valley Trail, where I got to see a work crew replacing railroad ties on the active rail line that trail crosses just beyond the river. Other than the stretch through Scottsville, this portion of the trail is surrounded mostly by farms, so I saw a lot of corn fields.
I hammered a bit (for me) on the way back, averaging in the 11-12 mph range... not bad for a heavy ATB on a dirt path. Instead of stopping at Brook Road (where I'd parked) I continued on to ride the 1.5 mile section between Brook and Ballantyne Rd... I used to run and ride that part of the trail on a regular basis, until I discovered the parking lot on Brook Rd (which is a part of the Brookdale Nature Preserve and provides a much safer parking spot than along the road at Ballantyne) so riding there today allowed me to add a few extra miles and also let me visit a section of trail I haven't been on in a while.
JMH
