07-Utica-Altmar – Road signs

53.2 miles / +1127 ft/ Total miles 345.6

Fantastic weather today! In the 50s when I left Utica, and only in the 60s the rest of the day. Light wind NNE, not a problem. The first 12-15 miles were on the Canalway Trail, including some paved sections. I rode along a railroad grade and then a towpath of a side canal. After I left the town of Rome, I had some back roads with almost no traffic and then onto State Route 13, which also had very light traffic. 

Signs on the road: Leaving Camden, there was a sign “Rough Road Next 6 miles” which repeated every mile (with one less mile to go). But it was far from the worse state highway I have ridden on. However, after 6 miles I crossed into Oswego County and the road was much better. It had a big shoulder and here’s why:

I did see one of the Amish horse-drawn buggies but I was not quick enough to get a picture. There was “evidence” of horses using the shoulder all the way to Altmar.

The NY DOT uses the strangest “mile markers” I have ever seen – this is one of them below. The top number is the route number. The other two numbers make no sense at all. And the signs are usually quite a bit closer together than a mile. I wish I had the “secret decoder ring” to understand them. Normally on bike rides I like the mile markers – they give me a sense of accomplishment as I pass each one. But not these strange signs!

Tonight I am staying at the Schoolhouse Inn in Altmar. It’s a fishing lodge that is mostly busy in Sept – Oct. with fishing for Chinook on the Salmon River, which is very close by. The fish come up the river from Lake Ontario as 3-yr olds, and run 15-30 lbs. Tomorrow I will start riding SW along the shore of Lake Ontario toward Palmyra, where I will re-join the Canalway Trail.