70 miles 2,369 feet

I had an early breakfast with Tom, said goodbye for now, and rejoined the Erie Canal trail for several hours. I encountered progressively fewer people farther east and those I saw didn't acknowledge my 'good morning' because they were enjoying music, a podcast, or audiobooks with earphones in. I suspect this is their morning routine mixing exercise with relaxing listening. We pay a price because that moment of 'hi' or 'good morning' is no longer there. Even though this is a small form of interaction, akin to waving to a passing driver, it is a connection with a stranger and we are losing that connection. That is the price we pay for podcasts/audiobooks/music.

The other change I notice on the Erie trail is fallen leaves. It is early August but already the earliest hint of late summer and autumn is appearing. I remember noticing falling leaves in Seattle after the hydroplane races when I was young. It seemed too early and was a harbinger of school to come. But my trip has taken the lion's share of summer!

At Palmyra the route leaves the Erie Canal and heads north toward Lake Ontario. It is largely a quiet, rural route. It passes through a region with scars from glacial scouring. If you look at this region in Google Maps/terrain you see oblong parallel bumps caused by glaciers. For cyclists this means hard work dropping in to the low point and climbing out to the highpoint; repeat over and over. So I gained more elevation than I had since Iowa.

I also got a 2nd flat rear tire and lost an hour fixing it trying patching unsuccessfully. Along the way I found places to stay for the next 2 nights in the Adirondacks.

My destination is a beautiful bay on the lake at Fair Haven. I had dinner overlooking the bay and climbed a fight of stairs to my room.