MOVING LIKE A SNAIL

August 30, 2009

In The Gorge

In three days since the last post, we have traveled 37 miles and have gone up another 61' to bring us to 272'. While we didn't pass many other vessels on the river to get to where we are now, there are 4 other cruising boats docked with us now, and about the same number of eastbound boats have exited Lock 12 that I can see from our dock. The southern fall migration has begun, and we are still going north! Oh well.

Winding Mohawk

The Mohawk river has been very winding in some areas, passing through a lot of rural countryside, where field corn is growing right down to the river's edge. We passed a hillside dairy farm that I think I could smell from a couple of miles away. There have been other farmsteads that look like they may have once been dairy farms too, but now their overgrown fields are ablaze with goldenrod in full bloom. One of the walking trails associated with the canalway recreation areas had placards telling about how people mistakingly think goldenrod is related to the allergy-causing ragweed and do not fully appreciate its beauty and usefulness in nature. Saturday, at the local Farmers Market a teenage beekeeper told us that his current honey crop comes from the nectar of the goldenrod growing on the preserve near his bee hives.

You Can Have It All

It is surprising to us, coming from where waterfront property is such an expensive commodity, that we don't see sprawling high end developments fronting the river. Even the small towns we pass do not have many buildings close to the river. This probably has to do with how much the river can expand its banks during flood stage. Life along this river just doesn't move at a frantic pace, or sometimes it can't move at all like the VW perched on top of the 80' tall old factory chimney.

Foot Paddler

Lonely Little Bug

The longest we've had to wait at a lock was because of these 4 kayak travelers locking through. Once they safely exited the lock, the water from the flood control dam pushed them along quickly and they steered out of our way.

River Kayaking

We learned that those dams not only control the flow of water, but are important in controlling the flow of ice and debris. Today, only 1% of the river traffic is made up of commercial vessels; all the rest comes from recreational boating, and the NYS Canal Authority does a fine job keeping the locks and river safe. The operators are helpful, pleasant, and friendly. We have spoken in length to several of them, all of which gladly answered our questions. You can imagine my delight in hearing about, and later meeting, the chief lock operator, a WOMAN named Cindy. They all take pride in keeping their lock in top operating order and appearance. The color coding is the NY state colors.

Attention To Detail

The railroad is right down along the banks of the Mohawk because that is where construction was the easiest to deal with. In the areas where there are no trees between the river and the track the freight train operators blow their horns at us. The railroad from NYC to Buffalo and Chicago is one of the busiest rail corridors in the U.S. We are amazed at how many long trains we see. Many of them are carrying the same name containers we have seen at the ports we have passed along the eastern seaboard, like the China Shipping containers we saw being off loaded in the Port of Miami.

The Mohawk River, Erie Canal, railroad, and NY Thruway all passed through the two Noses. They are the two separate mountains, one on the north side and one on the south side, that edge their way down to the Mohawk river, providing the lowest natural passing point in the Adirondack Mountain Range. They are a fascinating sight to see coming up the river. Our angle wasn't good to be able to get a good picture headed west, so I am hoping to get one when we are headed east again on the return trip, hopefully with the mountains dressed in their Fall colors.

Guy Park Manor House

We are finally getting some experience in docking FLUKE and line handling since there are about no places to anchor a vessel such as ours along the river. Fortunately we can tie up for free at many of the lock areas which are designed with space available to tie off vessels that have to wait to lock through, especially in the days when commercial traffic was heavy along the canal. We have even stopped two times in one day: to take in the sights at Guy Park (Lock 11) and then move on to Lock 12 to spend the night and do some more land touring.

The beautiful stone manor house in Guy Park, at the town of Amsterdam, was owned by Guy Johnson, a loyalist who fled the country to Canada when he feared for his safety. The manor house served as a way stop along the canal for sleeping and a trading and commodity center. When the canal was at its heyday, the front of the house faced the river; when the railroad became king, the back of the house was changed to the front of the house to face the railroad track. The house sits right on lock area property where there are also some informative displays about lock activities.

Where Are We Anyway

Reading the signs can be confusing. We thought we were going to Schoharie Crossing, a NY State Historic Site and certainly weren't ready to go back to Florida! This is the only place where you can see all 3 phases of the Erie Canal and the best preserved aqueduct at the same location. The original Erie Canal was completed in 1825. 10 years later Phase 2 construction went into effect by widening the canal and improving the locks to accommodate larger barges that were trying to compete with the burgeoning railroads. The third phase is the canal we are using today, the Mohawk river. We found an informative visitors center where a docent instructed us how to find the old locks and their associated canal structures, much of which was reclaimed from deep undergrowth. Some of you may remember the name of Schoharie Crossing from the 1987 NY State Thruway bridge collapse here where 5 cars took the plunge into Schoharie Creek.

Not The Gum

You can't miss seeing this sign when you are passing the Canajoharie Riverfront Park where we have been docked for 3 days now. The new park has free floating docks with electrical hook ups, a big picnic pavilion, nice landscaping, and is conveniently located to the village area. There have been quite a few people fishing from the bulkhead, and the fish you catch can be eaten in “moderate” amounts, whatever that means. The only signs that are posted here say not to feed the waterfowl, which also enjoy hanging out in the park area and leaving huge piles of duck poop on the dock where they come to roost at night. This wayward snow goose is keeping company with 3 domestic geese, which must give it some sense of security since it has been separated from its own kind.

No Golden Eggs

I called the Beech-Nut factory to find out if they had tours; a long time ago, yes, but not any more. This factory makes baby food and is now called Beech-Nut Nutrition. The company has a long history in this village which has prospered from its original founder. In 1859 James Arkell invented and printed the first paper bag. His son started the Imperial Packing Company in 1891 which eventually evolved into the Beech-Nut company. The Arkell family donated a retirement home, library, and museum to the community, and the Beech-Nut company still operates as a major employer in the area, as it has done for over a century.

Nature's Spa

Canajoharie comes from the Mohawk word meaning “The Pot That Washes Itself”. The Indians thought that's what these potholes in the gorge of the Canajoharie Creek reminded them of. The gorge has a lot of sedimentary rock in it, and when the creek tumbles downhill, creating the falls and all its spillways, some of the water gets swirled around repeatedly, creating all sizes of potholes. It is a gorgeous area, so cool and refreshing. When we were there we were able to walk out onto the creek bed and peak into many potholes, ranging in size from less than 1' to swimming pool size.

Chief Take-A-Break

Mr. Trout operates Trout's Florals, founded in 1900, right by the creek. He told us that when the creek is at flood stage you can't see any of the bottom part where we are sitting in the photos. We always enjoy talking to the locals; the older ones are full of historical information and seem to enjoy taking the time to chat.

The High High School

The elderly volunteer at the Tourist Information Booth told us this used to be the high school in the late 1800s, reflecting how big and prosperous this village once was. She said that a few years back a foreign businessman came in and gutted the whole building and pulled out all the beautiful windows and then up and left town. Many residents are enraged that this magnificent building was allowed to be left in such a state of disrepair.

First Electric Signal

After that fiasco the seniors said if anyone tries to take out this traffic signal they are going to strap themselves to it!

Canajoharie is said to have the most architecturally intact original Erie Canal commercial district of any town along the Mohawk River. The main street buildings are beautiful, but in need of some repair work, and many are vacant, sadly typical of so many downtown districts we have seen. The original neighborhood homes have magnificent architectural details, indicative of a time of wealthy owners when the village was prosperous in the late 1800s. Now some many of them look like big work projects to restore them to their original glory. Most people can only afford something like this now.

A Stump House

The businesses that occupy the old buildings are usually restaurants, small professional services, and oddly enough businesses like salons, tanning parlors, tattoo parlors, and body piercing establishments. I am puzzled how people who are struggling financially can justify spending money to support these types of businesses. This sign caught my attention, and it was right next door to a combo tattoo/piercing parlor.

Ugh!!

A lot of people no longer have the interest, time, or money to make the commitment to keep up with all the restoration work needed on the homes and buildings from over 100 years ago. Having a boat like FLUKE is a big handful for the three of us, and we always look forward to having a day like these village residents were having when we saw them as we were walking to the gorge in the afternoon.

Growing Cattails

We've just had 1½ days of rain and the Mohawk is flowing fast, but now that the weather is clearing we need to think about moving on. Time to look ahead. The forecast is for much colder weather, Wayne says we might have to stay here a while where we are plugged in and can run the heat!

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