Over the Frost Heaves and Down the Rabbit Hole

Wednesday-Friday                                                                            Most Recent Posts:
July 13-14, 2016                                                                       The Keuka Outlet Trail Proves to be a Great Ride
Sampson State Park                                                                   In the Finger Lakes – Beautiful Watkins Glen
Romulus, NY

 

WEDNESDAY

Today was one of those chores days.   David has to go to Auburn to get his blood drawn so we decide to dedicate the day to taking care of business.   This includes 4 loads of laundry in Seneca Falls, returning the blowout dolly tire to the wonderful Tractor Supply Company in Seneca Falls.  We bought it in Waynesboro Virginia and returned it in less than a month to Seneca Falls NY and they reimbursed our money fully.  I was amazed at the fine customer service. 

Then we take the new correct size rim, which had been sent to us here from Demco, over to the Tire Rack dealer Monro Muffler Brake and Service in Waterloo.  They mount it, balance it and David puts it back on the dolly when we return.  So we’re back to where we were on June 19 when we had the blow out on Interstate 64 headed west.   If you want to share the joy of that occasion, the post is here.   And of course to finish off a day of errands I go to the grocery.  In the Finger Lakes that means Wegmans.

It hit 92 today and our Progressive Industries is constantly dealing with low voltage from all the demands for air conditioning.

 

THURSDAY

 

Today is predicted to be another 92 degree day and of course here in the east that means a lot of humidity to help you wilt like a flower in a drought which they are also having. 

We get out early when it is as cool as it is going to be so we can bike around the park on all the roads left from the two military installations that were here.   The roads are over grown, cracked and full of frost heaves but they go all over the place.   There are no maps so you just hope you don’t get lost. 

Actually there are maps of 3 “hiking” trails in the park.  These are also over the roads.  We head down “the lake trail” at first and find ourselves on a road that is back some from the lake but running along side it.  There are no views unless you walk down some of the steep unofficial what I call jackleg trails.

When we come out of the campground we make a left on the main road rather than a right to go to the Military Museum or exit the park.  We don’t see any traffic on this end of the road so we have it all to ourselves.  We come ot a fork and take it.  There are no signs but we’ve been on the lake trail and the lake is on our right now so we think we’ll keep it there.

 

 

We come to the end of the road or at least the car road.  There’s a dirt turn around on the left and on the right a gate that we pass right around.

 

 

 

Along the route there have been small signs geared to a numbered cell phone app giving information about what used to be on this road.  We don’t stop for them but this bigger sign has an interesting map of the park showing all the different habitats.  Mostly yellow, scrub, green, southern hardwoods, and red, Pine plantation. 

 

 

 

 

Of course the berry man is at it again.

 

 

Beside the road, there are some nice benches overlooking the lake.   With no traffic this might be a sweet reading spot.

 

 

I’ve passed a number of what look like path’s to the water.  I stop for this one.  David’s not so sure about climbing down this steep sketchy dirt trail to the lake.

 

 

The trail flattens out a bit near the water.

 

The shoreline is gravel.

 

 

After our time at water level we climb back up,  bike on down the road and there is another gate we can go around.

 

We find ourselves outside the park on a road of waterfront properties.  The first group are sitting right on the road.

 

Further down they seem to have a bit more land between the road and the water.

 

We don’t go very far before we turn around and head back into the park.  We’re almost back to the main road when we see Dave and Sharon pedaling toward us.  It’s warming up and we were on our way back to the rig but they’ve just come out and want to know if we want to go with them.  Dave has been out previously and says we can follow him down the rabbit hole if we want.

Why not? 

 

 

So off we go following Dave.  We head down a fairly wide paved road.

 

 

 

But it isn’t long before it narrows.

 

 

and becomes more sketchy as we go.

 

 

We stop to admire this interesting bush.  David thinks it’s a smoke plant.  No one else has a clue.

 

 

Then we’re back at it   Not sure what David will do here.  He’s behind me and probably is going to have to duck under here.

 

 

I’m heading over one of the smaller frost heaves we cross.   Some of them were of the stand up and jump variety.

 

 

At some points, the roads just disappear.  Dave has great confidence he knows where he’s going and amazingly he only makes one wrong turn where there is just no way to keep going so we have to turn around.

 

 

That’s where we find the fire hydrant in the middle of the scrub.   Clearly once upon a time, there were other things here.

 

 

We all loved the tunnels Dave calls going down the rabbit hole.

 

 

David and I were up to 12 miles for the day when we all decided it was time to pack it in.  The heat was getting to be too much.  Thanks Dave and Sharon for a much more exciting ride than our one earlier in the morning.  See you this evening!

 

 

When we get back to our site, a friend of mine from high school, Jody and Sparky his Cavalier King Charles co pilot have stopped by on their way from Vermont to Ontario.  I think it might have been a little out of their way but he says it was exactly half way on his trip so he’ll spend a night or two in the site across from us.   That’s his antique Bailey trailer he restored.   Isn’t it cute???

 

 

In the evening, we head over to Dave and Sharon’s site in another loop.  They’ve fixed a fabulous dinner for us to share.  Of course we are so busy talking and having a good time that I don’t take one picture.  I think of it just at the end when the table has been cleared and we have only one slice of corn bread left.    You’ll just have to trust me that it was delicious.