We didn’t feel rushed to get out of the AirBnb super early this morning. Our starting point for today was just a few miles from where we were staying. In addition, we would be staying at the same place tonight so we didn’t have to pack and move all of our stuff. We did however have to make me as waterproof as possible since the forecast was showing rain all day long. We have experience with rain, and we trust our equipment. We still have to take numerous extra steps. Keeping me dry involves layers of Gore-Tex. I have some pretty cool Arcteryx outerwear that works great. I also have my trusty canopy and rain chaps that I got from Diestco. We were all thinking of Dan Diestel who was such a supporter for many years. We lost him a while back, but he’s still looking out for me with his cool customized gear. I have complete faith in my Invacare TDX SP2. It has seen rain and snow back home, and I felt like it would hold up. We put ziplock bags on the wheelchair display and on some other sensitive electronics on the back.
We arrived at our starting point, the Albany Corning Preserve a little before 10:00 am. We were greeted by members of the New York State Canal Corporation which manages and operates the New York State Canal System. They were quite the hosts, with a balloon arch, umbrellas and even canopies to keep us all dry. Two folks from the NYS Office of the Chief Disability Officer were also there. We truly felt welcomed. Shortly after we arrived, two news organizations, WNYT and Spectrum News showed up and before long I was being interviewed. I was not fully awake yet, and I’m pretty sure that came across in my interviews. I probably sounded like a hippy from the west coast. Come to think of it, that shouldn’t be too surprising. Regardless, I did my best to promote what we are doing and why, and hope that the word gets out.
Despite the rain and inclement weather, there were a number of people that showed up to send us on our way. I didn’t count how many people were there, but it was well north of single digits. With a little fanfare and a few goodbyes, Jimmy, Dr. B, and I set out for what was going to be a long and wet day.
Less than a mile down the trail we were having déjà vu, more crazy trail traffic. This time the trail was filled with spectators and competitors in regatta races. We had to dodge boats, and people carrying oars. At one point I rode underneath a boat being carried by a team. It was the only way out of the situation. I left Jimmy and Dr. B behind to fend for themselves. They’re grown ass men who can handle themselves. After this, the trail was almost empty, with the exception of an occasional runner or walker.
Despite the fact that the rain did not stop, we were enjoying the peace of the trail, being able to look at plants and birds and not worry about obstacles. This lasted until mile four. The nice trail ended and spit us out on city streets. The trail was marked fairly clear through this portion of city riding, but we had streets to cross and confused looking drivers to deal with. There is always a bit more anxiety when traveling on streets compared to an isolated trail.
We finished the city riding and joined the Mohawk Hudson Bike Trail for some peaceful riding. Despite having a laid-back morning Dr. B. and Jimmy didn’t do a good job at feeding themselves, so my mom had to come to the rescue by bringing them food to munch on. She was waiting at one of the trailheads as our trail angel. We were all doing surprisingly well considering the rain. We headed off and had tentative plans to meet up with my mom and dad in an hour or so down the trail where there would be more food waiting for us.
With my team’s hangry level at a manageable level we got back on the trail and continued to enjoy the ease of trail riding. We saw lots of birds; cardinals, blue jays, nut hatches, and northern flickers. We were also treated to a few groundhogs.
I was starting to get nervous about my phone battery. It was getting low, but I couldn’t charge it due to the rain. As we entered the town to Schenectady there was a sign at an intersection the read “road closed one mile ahead.” We didn’t think much about it since it said “road”, not “trail.” Well, it turns out it was the trail that was closed. We had to follow a poorly marked detour through town. At this point, it seemed like everything was lining up in a way that was certain to make us get lost. My phone died, so I could no longer navigate. Dr. B. is apparently too old to use his phone for directions, and Jimmy had removed his hearing aids since they shouldn’t get wet, so communicating with him wasn’t easy. We were quite the trio, a cripple, a boomer, and a deaf man. Turns out Jimmy was able to take control and get us on our way. A little while later still working are way through a poorly marked city we ran into our trail angels, my mom and dad. They were waiting for us with hot drinks and snacks galore.
After coffee and snacks and a few deep breaths we felt like we were ready to ride the last bit and finish strong. We made our way back to the trail and tried to enjoy the last few miles of the day. The scenery was very nice and the trail was peaceful. We reached the end point for today with my mom and dad once again jumping out from behind some bushes to cheer our arrival.
As soon as we arrived, we all began to remove our wet rain clothes and try to warm up. We hopped in the vehicles and drove back to Albany and had a great dinner and some delicious beer at Druthers Brewing Company. The team reminisced about the day and we came up with a game plan for tomorrow. I hope the weather report is correct for tomorrow and we have a rain-free day. We have plans to meet up at Rock Valley brewing in Little Falls tomorrow at the end of our ride. We should arrive between 5-6pm. We are all looking forward to that. Overall, today was WET but we sure met some good people!
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