the Way of the Turtle

18.2 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Sunday, November 22, 2009

Started out chilly and grey for my ride today, but then I had a pleasant surprise - about half an hour in the clouds blew off and it was sunny the rest of the time (well... at least until the sun went down toward the end.) It's amazing what a difference a little thing like a blue sunny sky can make - even the birds seemed a perk up and start singing once the clouds cleared away.

Since my knee was still hurting I did my best to stay clear of the major hills - rode out to the base of the old Niskayuna landfill, then headed back east to the top of the hill just before the short segment on-road to get around the Northway. When I got back to the park I decided I wanted to stay out a bit longer, so I rode the path over to Lock 7 Road one more time before calling it an evening.

Initially the only critters I saw were ducks and geese, both looking like they were enjoying the low water; apparently the canal corporation has opened the various gates that keep the river at its summer levels and the water is the lowest I've seen since last winter, which makes it a lot easier for the ducks to find food. But then later in my ride I passed a mockingbird that seemed to be enjoying the sunshine (at least, he didn't fly off when I stood there taking photos of him) and a group of mergansers near Lock 7. I also spotted a red-tailed hawk over near the Colonie water treatment plant. He didn't seem as keen on me being around - whenever I stopped to take pictures he flew off to another tree. On my way back to the park I also spotted a heron hunting along the riverbank. The biggest surprise, however, was a white squirrel I near the Ferry Rd bridge. It was getting darker and he was practically glowing as he bounced around across the inlet from the bike path. Unfortunately it was too dark for me to get a good photo... given how well he stood out against his suroundings, I'm thinking a pure white pelt is not a good survival trait for a squirrel.

JMH