09-Fair Haven-Palmyra. 90% mental and the other half is physical.

49.5 miles/ +2418.9 ft/ /total miles 446.8

Last night and this morning presented some mental challenges. I spent a few minutes in the bar before the marina restaurant closed about 8 PM, talking to the manager. She told me that the owner lives in Pennsylvania and he would be leaving soon to fly home. And of course she and her two sons (who work in the restaurant) would also go home. That meant that I was the only person there overnight, staying in one of the several cabins. All by myself. In the dark. In more or less the middle of nowhere. On a dark and stormy night. 

Well, there was nothing I could do about it but get over being scared. I read my book for a while, talked to a friend from Seattle on the phone, and went to bed. No problems. When I got up, the rain squalls had mostly passed by, although there were still lots of clouds. So I got on my bike about 7:30 and headed out. From the map it looked like I would not find a breakfast spot for a long time. Riding up and down the many hills, looking at the many clouds, it did not feel like such a great day for a bike ride. But one thing I know from all my long rides, from Chilly Hillt to Seattle-to-Portland to multi-day tours, is that the main task is to stay on the bike, even if I don’t want to. Especially if I don’t want to. So that’s what I did. 

I turned off the ACA route at Alton and found the Coffee Cup cafe. In the parking lot, some people asked where I was going, and it turned out that their family had done the Northern Tier west to east a few years ago (with RV/sag support). So it was fun to talk to them.

After breakfast I got back on the ACA route to Sodus Point, and continued along Lake Road to Pultneyville. There are lots of apple orchards along this part of the lake.  In spite of the threatening clouds, I never got more than a few drops of drizzle and by Pultneyville – lunch stop – it was beginning to clear up. And I was starting to feel a lot better. 

I pulled in to Palmyra around 3 PM, crossed the Canalway Trail, and stopped to look at my phone to find the town offices, so I could let them know I would be camping at the Marina Park. As I was standing there on the sidewalk next to a parking lot, a couple in a parked car asked me about my trip. It turns out they are from Ohio and are bike enthusiasts too – they even have 7 tandems! It was fun to talk about bikes and possible bike tours. 

Palmyra is the start of my next experience with the Canalway Trail. I will be riding on the towpath from here to Lockport. It will be nice to get away from the traffic and the hills and ride at a slower pace for a few days.

Below- camping next to the Erie Canal.