Sunday, September 2, 2018
"Future" because technically the almost 4 mile stretch of paved trail I rode from Pattersonville to Lock 10 isn't open yet, but I couldn't resist riding some new pavement (late on a Sunday afternoon when I was pretty sure none of the workers would be there!) The new stretch of trail is pretty sweet - only a slight grade, as opposed to the hills on Rt 5S, and mostly secluded. There's a really nice stretch through a long rock cut that I especially enjoyed. This section looks like it's close to being done - there's a little work left for the parking area, and a redecked bridge that they're still working on. I'm looking forward to riding it again once it's officially open - it might also make for a nice run.
I'm curious to see what happens with the remaining connections between Pattersonville and Rotterdam Junction. I've seen a lot about tunnels under the railroad tracks, at Scrafford Lane and at the bridge carrying the rail line over 5S on the western end of the Junction. And the discussions this year all seemed focused on the money actually being there to build these tunnels, thanks to Cuomo's push to get the Empire State Trail built (the same push is funding the construction to close gaps, like the section I rode today.) But this is an election year for the governor, and I think we all know elections can totally upend plans like these. (I had previously heard that money had been set aside years ago for the tunnel at Scafford Lane but then that money disappeared at around the same time that the rail line owners got into a fight with the state that killed any plans that were in place.)
One of the reasons I like to ride the Rotterdam Junction sections of the bike path is the abundant wildlife in the old canal - today did not disappoint. A lot of the water in the section on the east side is clogged with green algae, but I still saw a heron, wood ducks, a few turtles basking, and two muskrats. I also spotted what looks like a large dead snapping turtle. The section on the west side was surprisingly low on water but nonetheless had five herons (migrating, maybe?) and several kingfishers, as well as numerous turtles. And I once again saw an osprey fly overhead.
