For Immediate Release: July 8, 2004
CANAL CORPORATION SPONSORS 400-MILE,
BICYCLE TREK FROM BUFFALO TO ALBANY
PTNY’S Cycling the Erie Canal Tour to Begin Sunday, July 11
The New York State Canal Corporation is proud to sponsor the sixth annual Cycling the Erie Canal Tour, organized by Parks and Trails New York (PTNY). The 400-mile bicycle tour will run from Sunday, July 11 through Sunday, July 18 from Buffalo to Albany, New York. About half of the 400-mile route is on the completed portion of the Canalway Trail, which will one day provide an uninterrupted 524 miles of Trail.
“Thanks to Governor Pataki’s continued support, completion of the Canalway Trail will provide a tremendous statewide system presenting numerous recreational opportunities along a scenic and historical Corridor,” said Canal Corporation Executive Director Michael Fleischer. “The Canalway Trail’s success is a true example of our dedication to the New York State Canal System and Canalway Trail.
“We’re pleased to sponsor this worthwhile event. Cycling the Erie Canal is a fun and healthy way to explore part of New York State’s rich history- the New York State Canal System.”
The New York State Canalway Trail System is comprised of a network of more than 240 miles of existing multi-use, recreational trails across upstate New York. The 348-mile Erie Canalway Trail between the Hudson River and Lake Erie is now more than half complete thanks to a $35 million program announced by Governor George E. Pataki in 2002. Significant progress has been made toward this goal with over 40 miles of new and rehabilitated Trail added to the system in 2003. In addition, over 74 miles of new and rehabilitated trail will be constructed in 2004.
“The sixth Cycling the Erie Canal tour promises to be the best ever,” said Parks and Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin. “We have riders from 35 states and three continents, plus several hundred volunteers in communities along the route ready to welcome riders and help them discover what makes the Erie Canal and Upstate New York so special.”
During the bike trek, Cycling the Erie Canal participants will have the opportunity to partake in guided tours of the Canal, historic sites, museums, the Women's Rights National Historic Park, Erie Canal Museum and Village, Fort Stanwix National Monument, and Old Erie Canal State Park, as well as enjoy a boat tour through several locks.
The schedule of the 2004 Cycling the Erie Canal Tour is as follows
(*Arrival/departure times are approximate and are subject to change without
notice.):
Saturday, July 10
Buffalo Registration Day/Pre-Event Rides
-Cyclists arrive in Buffalo.
-Optional pre-tour rides to Niagara Falls and within Buffalo will be available.
-Riders register between 2-7 p.m.
-Festive kick-off reception and dinner for participants at 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 11
Buffalo to Medina (50 Miles)
-Cyclists leave Buffalo (8:15 a.m.).
-Riders take a morning rest stop in Amherst (8:30 a.m.-noon)
-At Lockport, riders explore underground sluiceways, caves and the “Upside-down
Bridge” as they begin a 100 mile ride through Canalside villages and rolling
farmland.
-Participants arrive in Medina (4 p.m.).
Monday, July 12
Medina to Pittsford (55 Miles)
-Cyclists leave Medina (8 a.m.).
-Riders visit historic Albion, relax at rest stops in the port village of
Spencerport, and take an excursion along the Genesee River into downtown
Rochester.
-Participants finish the day in Pittsford’s popular Shoen Place (2 p.m.).
Tuesday, July 13
Pittsford to Waterloo/Seneca Falls (60 Miles)
-Cyclists leave Pittsford and take morning rest stop in Palmyra (8
a.m.-noon).
-Riders linger at Bushnells Basin, watch the bridge tender raise the Fairport
Lift Bridge, take a 2-mile detour near Palmyra to see Joseph Smith’s farmhouse.
-Participants finish the day in Waterloo (2 p.m.). Riders are shuttled to Seneca
Falls, birthplace of the modern women’s movement.
Wednesday, July 14
Waterloo/Seneca Falls to Syracuse (45 Miles)
-Cyclists leave Waterloo and take morning rest stop in Port Byron (8
a.m.-noon).
-Riders visit the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, visit the Richmond
Aqueduct in Montezuma, enjoy the gardens and old aqueduct at Jordan Canal Park,
follow the Canalway Trail to Camillus Erie Canal Park and stop by Sim’s Store, a
re-creation of a 19th century general store.
-Participants finish the day in Syracuse (3:30 p.m.) with mid-point reception at
the Syracuse Inner Harbor. Riders enjoy dinner in Armory Square- downtown- and
tour the -Erie Canal Museum in the Weighlock Building.
Thursday, July 15
Syracuse to Rome (50 Miles)
-Cyclists leave Syracuse and head for Chittenango (8 a.m.-noon).
-Riders spend a leisurely day riding along the Old Erie Canal State Park, visit
the Chittenango Canal Museum and dry docks, visit the Oneida Indian Nation’s
Shakowi Cultural Center, traverse the traditional portage route at the highest
part of the Canal and then enter the historic Mohawk Valley.
-Participants finish the day in Rome (throughout the afternoon). Riders tour the
Erie Canal Village and Fort Stanwix National Monument, a restored fort where
local battles shaped the outcome of the American Revolution.
Friday, July 16
Rome to Canajoharie (65 Miles)
-Cyclists leave Rome and head for Town of Schuyler (8 a.m.-noon).
-Riders stop at Oriskany Battlefield, tour Utica’s Brewery or the
Munson-Williams--Proctor Museum of Art, explore the glacial potholes of Moss
Island in Little Falls, and tour Revolutionary War General Herkimer’s home.
-Participants finish the day in Canajoharie (3 p.m.); riders encouraged to enjoy
the historic Village of Canajoharie and world class art gallery.
Saturday, July 17
Canajoharie to Schenectady (50 Miles)
-Cyclists leave Canajoharie and head for Fultonville (8 a.m.-noon).
-Riders enjoy the scenic Mohawk River, past the rock formations of “Big Nose”
and “Little Nose” through the Appalachian chain of mountains, stop at Schoharie
Crossing State Historic Site, as well as the Schoharie Aqueduct that once
carried the Canal across Schoharie Creek.
-Participants finish the day in Schenectady (3 p.m.); riders enjoy day in
historic -Schenectady and toast fellow riders at a celebratory gala banquet.
Sunday, July 18
Schenectady to Albany (30 Miles)
-Cyclists leave Schenectady and head for Peebles Island (8 a.m.-noon).
-Riders follow the Mohawk River along the Mohawk-Hudson bike/hike trail through
Cohoes, stop in Waterford – where the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers converge- and
enjoy the Waterford Visitors Center, visit Peebles Island State Park.
-Participants finish the eight-day tour in Albany (12 p.m.- afternoon); cyclists
ride along the Hudson River on the bikeway and finish the tour in downtown
Albany, New York State’s 300-year-old Capital.
Some Cycling the Erie Canal Tour events are open to the public. For more information, contact PTNY at 518-434-1583 or visit www.ptny.org.
For more information about the New York State Canal System or Canalway Trail, please contact the Canal Corporation at 1-800-4CANAL-4 or visit www.canals.state.ny.us.
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