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Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway

~ …a bridge to our communities

Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway

Category Archives: Recreation

Towpath Trail

26 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by Eric Hamilton in Mohawk Towpath, Recreation, Telling the Byway Stories

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Early advocates of the Mohawk Towpath Byway envisioned a reconstructed Towpath through the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve into the Town of Halfmoon.  The eastern end of the trail will connect to Canal Road, rise a slope in a northerly direction just west of the abutment of the I-87 Northway southbound right of way and drop in elevation to meet the historic 1842 Erie Canal towpath and then proceed westerly across the outlet of Weger’s Pond,  pass on the south side of the Canal in the vicinity of Clutes Dry Dock, and emerge on the Water Authority Access Road in the Preserve.

TowpathTrailDSCN3225

The Towpath Trail with the 1842 enlarged Erie Canal beyond the trees to the left.

The two Towns began the project in very early spring by cutting larger trees along what will be a 10 foot wide trail.  The trees had to be removed before the end of March when endangered species start their return for the nesting season.  This is in one of the remotest parts of the two towns.

Construction crews are now just east of Clutes Dry Dock near the power lines with a chipper and saws clearing for better access and more refined trail work.

It is hard to imagine this being part of the major route through the Appalachian Mountains almost 200 years ago.  By 1842 more than 100 canal boats a day would pass through this part of the Erie Canal, propelled by draft animals, mostly mules on this south berm of the Erie Canal.  By December we will all be able to hike the reconstructed trail from the Preserve through to Canal Road then east along the Crescent Park Trail to the Route 9 Bridge at Crescent.

 

Apple Blossom Time Trial

09 Monday May 2016

Posted by Eric Hamilton in Event, Mohawk Towpath, Recreation, Uncategorized

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Tags

Cycling Mohawk Towpath Byway

Pre-race lineup

The lineup for the pre-race meeting. Nice show of color!

We had a good turn out for the Apple Blossom Time Trial the day before Mother’s Day, 5 female and 10 male.  The event was a part of the Apple Blossom Festival a day long celebration of spring on the Byway.  The Festival is held at the Riverview Orchards.  In addition to events and activities normally available at the Orchard, Shenendehowa Rotary provided picnic fare at reasonable prices and a number of free fun activities for youth and families. The Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway cohosted.

The cycling time trial was the activity that wrapped up the day’s events with a 4 pm start.  The course was and out and back on Riverview Road going east from the orchard to a turn around just west of the Clifton Park – Halfmoon Town line.  All on public roads the first 3+ miles are rolling hills followed by almost 3 miles of flat through the hamlet of Vischer Ferry and along the northern border of the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve.

Results:

Position Bib Number Last Name First Name Gender/Age Time

1

17

Hackett John M 30-39 

26:22.6

2

7

Huiest Robert M 30-39 

30:49.4

3

2

Cooke Ron M 70-79

31:27.0

4

5

Walling Mark M 20-29 

31:59.8

5

8

Rosenberg Edward M 50-59

32:49.6

6

3

Forgett Daniel M 30-39 

33:21.2

7

4

Brennan Joseph M 50-59 

33:49.8

8

12

Koziol Jill F 40-49 

34:57.2

9

18

Bologna Catherine F 40-49 

35:52.9

10

9

Ciolko Oksana F 60-69 

37:02.4

11

13

Koziol Nate M 40-49 

40:25.2

12

10

Ellis Robert M 50-59 

41:57.4

13

21

Stilson Alicia F 30-39 

45:31.9

14

19

Stilson Jason M 30-39

46:38.0

15

20

Larned Shana F 30-39 

1:03:58

Obviously those who participated missed the Mastodon 15 k race in Cohoes.  The race director of the Apple Blossom Time Trial has done the 15 k previously and loved the course.  I goes through every park in the City including several stretches of the route of the 1842 Enlarged Erie Canal, the Mohawk Hudson Bikeway, and Cohoes High School Campus.  But the run is not for the faint of heart or those out of shape for a 9.3 mile run.

Cycling Time Trial

30 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by Eric Hamilton in Recreation

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HRRT Cycling Team, Shenendehowa Rotary and the Friends of the Byway are partnering on a fun new event: an Apple Blossom Cycling Time Trial to be held as a part of the May 7 Apple Blossom Festival at Riverview Orchards.

The Time Trial will be an interval start 12 mile out and back bike ride with no entry fee this year.  Instead there will be a donation jar set up with proceeds going to the Friends of the Byway.  The Time Trial will start at 4 PM as some of the other Apple Blossom festivities are winding down.   If successful we hope that this can become a sanctioned annual event to start off the cycling competitive season.

Apple Blossom Cycling Time Trial Course

Apple Blossom Cycling Time Trial Course

Spring Brings Fishing

24 Sunday May 2015

Posted by Eric Hamilton in Mohawk Towpath, Recreation, Uncategorized

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Spring brings fishing to the Byway.  I don’t have the patience to be a fisher, but many find relaxation, a challenge, a way to commune with nature, and some find a link to the past where life was a struggle for subsistence.

Here are some of the places I have seen people: male, female, young and old fishing. Some of the big trophy results include Bass, Muskies, and Catfish, but there are plenty of small ones to make it a thrill for youth and first timers.

Fishing at Vischer Ferry.  Photo by Myla Kramer.

Fishing at Vischer Ferry. Photo by Myla Kramer.

Please remember to respect your natural environment:  if you carry it in, carry it out.  Leave nothing but footprints in the sand.

Looking to Warmer Weather

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by Eric Hamilton in Historic Assets, Recreation

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Look for the Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway this weekend at the Adirondack Sports and Fitness Summer Expo at the Saratoga Springs City Center. The Expo is open from 10 AM until 5 PM on Saturday, March 7 and from 10 AM until 4 PM on Sunday, March 8. Features will include all kinds of ideas for summer fun from kayaking and cycling to birding. Find out where along the Byway you can take part in all of these activities.

We will also have a calendar of major festivals and events during the summer months, a brochure describing the Byway’s self guided tour, and membership information if you’d like to join the dynamic organization that is bringing major recreational improvements to the Mohawk Towpath Byway.

Our Booth

The Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor visited the Byway’s booth in a previous year.

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Officers:

Paul Olund, President
Nancy Papish, Vice President
Maryanne Mackey, Treasurer
Eric Hamilton, Secretary

Board Members

Mary MacDonald
Jeffrey Slater
Lawrence D. Syzdek

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