Quaker Pond Circuit

It was a cold day, in the 20's.  All of Marilyn's good intentions could not overcome that and the fact that she  was tired.  I took off to make the Quaker Pond circuit about 3.8 miles in Mendon Ponds Park.  It is a fairly flat trail and I was determined to not stop to take any pictures.  However, after I passed on hundreds of Canadian geese landing on the pond and a buck with his does, I could not resist the golden light as the sun peeked out from the clouds towards sunset.


The Garmin results are below.

Gun Range Trail with Richard

While Richard and I did some hiking last Monday, I forgot to bring my Garmin along!  Not today, so you can see below the results of our two hours on the Gun Range Trail.  It was a chilly and gray December day but with no snow either falling or on the ground.  In fact, we have had less than two inches so far this year, a very unusual condition for Rochester.  The terrain is monochromatic this time of year--even without the snow--so that the moss on fallen trees really stands out.

Toward the end of the hike, we came upon a tree with a very unusual growth on a standing tree.  I had never seen one like it.  You can see a few other photos on my Picasa site:  Click here.

You can see the Garmin information below.

View from top of Horizon Hill

It has been two weeks since my last hike.  This a relatively short one hour hike up Horizon Hill.  Beautiful day to be out in the woods; it was warm but cloudy.

Hiking East Esker Trail in Mendon Ponds Park

Last three leaves...hanging on.

It has been several years since I hiked this trail and it was good to be back on it.  It is a 4.7 mile loop with a very interesting up and down due to the glacial formations, basically eskers, kames, and kettles.  This trail follows several long eskers, both on the tops and in the gullies.  It was a cloudy day and a lot of color is now gone.  But the yellows were spectacular and the weather moderate.

Some yellow still on the trees.

This particular trail is used by high school xc ski teams for competitions.  Actually almost all the trails in this wonderful park are used for skiing as well as hiking and horseback riding.  Here is a link to some interesting information about Mendon Ponds Park, one of our county parks:  http://www.monroecounty.gov/parks-mendonponds.php

Last Ride of the Season?

Looking East Down the Canal With Genesee River
Flowing Right to Left

It was a beautiful day that topped out at 70.  I took the opportunity to ride almost thirty miles.  I did it but it took a lot out of me.  I tend to maintain too fast a pace when I ride by myself.  It is always better witha riding partner.

Last Ride with Richard

This is probably my last ride with Richard this season.  He is out of town till after Thanksgiving.  It was a good ride.

Hiking the Quaker Pond Trail in Mendon Ponds Park

I returned from a quick trip to Cleveland Sunday early afternoon.  Marilyn and i decided to do some hiking at Mendon Ponds.  It was a spectacularly beautiful day and the trails were usually busy.

Abraham Lincoln Trail

Marilyn and I found this park last Sunday and were wowed by the terrain enhanced by the fall colors.  I returned today and hiked the full length of the white trail as well as investigated several side trails.  I also spent some time down on the water along the east shore of the bay.  There were three swans further out in the bay but nothing like the two dozen that were there Sunday.  The good news is that I now know how to get to that location.

Click here to see the Picasa album.

There were only two other groups on the trail.  Thus it was very quiet with leaves falling in a freshening breeze as a front began to move in.  I took some video of that peaceful scene.

Canalway to Downtown on both sides of the river.

Building at Lock 33

Richard and I had the afternoon without any time constraints so we headed downtown along the east side of the river and then back along the west.  I had done about a mile before Richard showed up so my total was almost 17 miles.  A good workout on the beautiful day.

Canalway to Scottsville Road

One of our usual trips and on another spectacular day. This time we happened to be on a bridge over the canal just west of the river when a tug and barge passed under.

Hiking in Abraham Lincoln Park

This used to be called Irondequoit Bay East Park but was renamed a couple of years ago.  It has several trails traversing the hills, ridges and gullies along the eastern edge of the bay.  This was our first time and we were very impressed.  I only had my phone camera with me or it would have taken us another hour at least.  The landscapes were delicious.  I will be returning when I have more time.

The weather was perfect fall weather: a bit cool but sunny and with little wind.  The maps were not all that accurate so we had fun doing a bit of exploring and scouting out side trails we will take our next time there.

We also had some good views of the bay including one where there were at least a couple dozen swans.  I would have needed my Canon and a long lens to get a decent picture or we would have had to hike another hour to get closer to the shore.  Plus I wasn't quite sure that was even possible.  Again, a task for the next time out on these trials.

Both this park and the Gun Range trails will be great for snow shoeing.  As close as they are to the lake, there should be plenty of lake effect white stuff to make it interesting.

You can view the Garmin results below.

Biking the Canalway to Corn Hill

Downtown Rochester from Corn Hill Landing

We had a freeze over night so it was cold this morning but crystal clear unlike our rainy ride of Wednesday.  We headed toward the river than turned north along the west side of the river toward downtown.  We got to Corn Hill Landing before we turned around.  There was not much traffic on the paths but those we met were clearly enjoying the crisp Fall weather.  Richard mentioned that this might be one of our last days biking this season.  That could well be the case but we will take very good or even somewhat good day we can.  My season total is around 780 miles.  I will riding as long as I can.  Who knows I may get to 1,000 miles.  Wouldn't that be cool.  Of course, this pales in comparison to my son Galen who gets at least 5,000 miles a year on his recumbent.  Admittedly the biking season is a bit longer in Southern California that it is in Upstate New York.

Interfaith Chapel at University of Rochester

On the way back, we had nice views of the Interfaith Chapel at the University of Rochester and then the Genesee River and the intersection of the canal from the pedestrian and biking bridge.

Genesee River from pedestrian bridge

Below you can see the summary from my Garmin 305.

Biking to Scottsville Road

This is a route that Richard and I often take.  I forgot to reset the garmin from walking to cycling until we were a mile in.  Then I turned it off because I thought I had not set the auto pause function.  Actually it was activated but we cycled two or three miles before i realized the timer was still off.  However, we were reward by the sight of the Mary Jemison cruising downstream and under the U of R pedestrian bridge.

Fall Hike on the Gun Range Trail

A pair of swans through the vibrant leaves.

Marilyn and I did a hike over the gun Range Trails on Sunday.  The weather was perfect and the hilly terrain made for an enjoyable and strenuous hike.  Of course, I stopped a lot to take pictures.

You can click here to see an album of the hike.

You can click here to see an album of Sunday and Monday hikes.

Here are a couple of pictures: one of Marilyn and the other of yours truly.
I eventually took my jacket and hat off because I got too warm.  This is a good thing in Upstate New York in late October.  We could have snow by Friday.

Hiking in Mendon Ponds

A small kettle on the way to Devil's Bathtub.

Richard and I took a lovely hike in Mendon Ponds Park.  The colors were vibrant.  It was especially nice since enough leaves had fallen that the ground was colored as well.  The sun was in and out and that added to the look and feel.

The Garmin report below is a bit deceiving since I forgot to turn it off during the ride home in the car.  Although we made good time on the hike, we never hit 59 mph.

Click here to see photos of my last two hikes.

Another Ride With Richard

The weather was perfect for a bike ride:  on the cool side with plenty of sun and little wind.  We took our usual route along the Canalway to the Genesee River.  Richard decided we should keep going so we crossed the river and then the canal and rode on the river trail up to Scottsville Rd.  This was a 50% increase in the distance covered from yesterday.

West And Then East Along the Canalway

Richard and I got out early today because of a high wind warning for late morning through evening.  We head west toward the Genesee when aobut 3 miles in Richard experienced some neck pain that he had been having on exertion over the weekend.  He decided to break it off and return to our starting point.  By the time we got there he was fine and we continued on East toward Pittsford.  We end up doing aobut the same distance as last time.  Richard stopped by his cardiologist's office and they told him everything was OK.  So we are back at it in the morning.

Another Ride With Richard

Richard and I went out again today and took the canalway trail to the Genesee River.  It was about 8 miles for him and 10 for me.  The weather was cloudy and we finished the final third in a fairly steady rain.  The picture is from the day before when Marilyn and I took Archie for a walk on the canalway trail.

Click here to see more pictures.



You can see the results of the ride below.

Henrietta Loop

Marilyn is spending the day in Buffalo with friends so I decide to take ride connecting two trails I had partially followed with partner riders.  I went along the Canalway Trail toward the river and then picked up the North Branch of the ehigh Valley Trail.  That trail winds through Henrietta often on streets because the original rail right-of-way is not always available.  The surfaces range from street, crushed stone, and heavy gravel.

This is picture of a pond along the Lehigh Valley Trail just after I got on it.  I think this site deserves a true photographic visit rather than quick snaps with a phone camera.

I continued on through the abandoned golf course and on to the crushed stone portion of the North Branch.  At East Henrietta Road I decided to dead north back home.  The resulting loop was just a few click shy of 20 miles.  If I had kept going to Pinnacle Road and then headed north, I estimate that I would have added another four to six miles which would clearly be in my current capacity.  Maybe next time.

Richard's Second Ride

Two days after his first ride, Richard and I got on the Canalway Trail again and went further and faster.  He is making great progress getting back in the game.

Richard's First Ride Back

My friend and riding partner, Richard, had been experiencing atrial fibrillation last spring. Eventually he had to stop riding and underwent an ablation procedure. His recovery included some powerful drugs that made it impossible to get out on his bike. That is all behind him, now, and we went on our first ride together. The route is shown below.  it is good to have him back in the saddle.

Hiking Quaker Pond Trail

On Sunday October 2 I took my first hike of the season around Quaker Pond in Mendon Ponds Park.  It had rained all morning but stopped just as I was getting started.  The speed and pacing information is interesting but i stopped a lot to take photos of subjects that caught my eye.

My favorite image from the hike is one of a fallen log with at least two different type of molds growing side by side.  The recent rain gives everything a very lush appearance and the colors are pretty vivid.

Click here to view the Picasa album.

Pittsford Loop Along With the Crew

It was another gorgeous day and Marilyn wanted to go for a ride when she got home from work. We took off and headed for the familiar route along the canal into the Village of Pittsford and then along an old railroad right-of-way trail back toward Pittsford Plaza and the original canal towpath back to the main trail and home.

There is still a lot of activity on the canal, including the various Pittsford Crew teams practicing. Take a look at the video.

Reconnoitering the North Branch of the Lehigh Valley trail

Marilyn and I have ridden a section of this trail from the north and from the south.  Both times it was not clear how to proceed through an unmarked section.  My friend, Dick Moon, and I went out today to figure that out.  We rode north and took the old original rail track which deteriorated quickly into mud and then ended.  On the way back we saw some signs about a temporary trail and that was much better.

This questionable portion of the old rail right of way runs through what was going to be Rochester's newest, best, and most expensive golf course: The Belfrey International.  The course was built in 2044 but never operated due to the death of the developer and other business conditions.  Here is a picture of my riding partner Dick Moon with one of the water features of the course in the background.

Here is a link to a prospectus offering the course for sale.  I am not sure it is still current but it has some photos of what the course--including some water features--looked like:  beautiful but never played.

With route information I now have, Marilyn and I can do some interesting loops instead of always dead-heading back.

Henrietta Loop

We decided to take the bikes out Sunday afternoon, a wonderfully cool day. We started west along the canal but rather than return on the same path, we took the north branch of the Lehigh Valley Trailway. This took us through Genesee Valley park all the way to RIT. We continued on south and eventually came back east and then north in a 14 mile loop. The surfaces were diverse and our times reflected that. All in all, however, a nice run. I may try it myself some week day.

Marilyn's After School Ride

Ah, the joys of working in an educational bureaucracy, especially if you are just a teacher.  Marilyn her first week ready for combat.  Deciding that it would be good for me if that aggressive edge was dulled a bit, I suggested a bike ride.  She set a new personal best for average speed.

Riding the Canalway to Pittsford and lululemon

Decided to ride over to see Erin at work at the lululemon showroom on Monroe Ave.  Overcast gray day but with no rain on the radar.  I made good progress and was able to moderate my effort so my heart didn't get too high as it did the last time I biked.  Marilyn will like this.  there must have been some malfunction with the GPS when I parked the bike and went in to see Erin.  Somehow it tracked over 2000 in elevation gain and loss!  Also it must have auto restarted as I tried to get something in the saddle bag..without success.  It sensed the motion in the bike and began tacking movement of which there was none!

Once in Pittsford, I left the Canalway Trail and took an old railroad right of way that has not been paved or otherwise surfaced.  It is soft but slow.

Marketplace Mall walking

It was raining when we got ready to go out and do some walking on the Canalway Trail. So instead we decided to got to marketplace Mall and walk there. As you can see below, we covered two miles in about an hour with an average heart rate of just over 100. This was the same as two earlier walks along the canal when we have the same time and heart rate but twice the distance. As a result I think we achived the same training effect but covered less distance. Funny thing, though, I felt like I got more of a workout when we were outside and covering twice he distance. That feeling may not accurately reflect the actual conditioning.

P.S.  After further consideration and a little googling, I found that the walking distance for one lap at Marketplace Mall is about one mile.  Since we did four, we did about the same distance in doors as outdoors in about the same time and with the same average heart rate.  On the other hand, outdoors still felt better and we didn't see everything four times.  Still it is a way for the two of us to get some exercise together when the weather is inclement.

East on the Canalway with the Grateful Dead

This is Bushnell's Basin where the canal boats turned
during construction of the canal and where I
turned around today.

It is a warm day for September in Rochester:  85 with fairly high humidity.  I was going to cycle today with my friend, Dick Moon, but he had a family responsibility that came up unexpectedly.  since Marilyn was still in buffalo visiting her parents, I decided to take a ride by myself.  Well, I wasn't completely alone.  I took Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dean with me via Rhapsody on my phone.  The trail was not crowded and I probably stretched myself a little too thin, as I typically do when I do not have a riding partner.

Here is the Garmin summary.

Cycling the Canal Trailway with Depeche Mode and Detours

I leave tomorrow for Charlotte for a long weekend with Liam, Marcie, and the kids...and a somewhat belated birthday celebration for Liam.  I will be posting in my 2011 Trip Blog while I am there.  However, before I left I decided to do a bike ride since I won't be able to till I return next week and then I leave two days.

I took off this morning to do a quick 15 miles along the canal and then down the Genesee River Trail toward downtown.  I got Depeche Mode's "personal jesus" cranking on the Droid and off I went.  As you can see from the posting below, I ran into a couple of detours along the way.  However, I was pleased with my pace and overall progress.

Click here to see the route and results.

Bike Ride on the Rochester Junction of the Lehigh Valley Trail

On Friday August 12, we hauled the bikes to the Pinnacle Road access point to the Rochester Junction of the Lehigh Valley Trail.  This is trail is an old railroad right-of-way.  The original railroad ran from the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania to Buffalo.  There was a spur that ran up to Rochester from the Rochester Junction.  We rode the junction trail down to the main trail and then east into Mendon.

Marilyn coming up through mile 14

It was a 15 mile round trip but on very level terrain.  It runs mostly through the woods.   The day was partly sunny and very seasonable with the temperature around 80.

You can see many of the details of the ride by looking at the Garmin data.

Why this blog?

Every summer (or winter or spring or fall) Marilyn and I tell ourselves that we want to spend more time in outdoor activities.  This happens a lot as we are completing a bike ride as we were last Friday.  The trouble is that we keep saying that but typically are never as active as we envision when we make those statements.  If I learned one thing in the years I spent learning and practicing quality management, it is this:  If you measure something, you will manage it, and perhaps more important, if you don't measure something, you will never manage it.

So this blog will be my way of measuring my (our) outdoor activities so we can see exactly how active we are and how we can increase that activity as we say we want to.  This will be made easier by the fact that last May I purchased a Garmin 305 which is a wrist held Garmin that provides a number of measurements of physical activity.  This device is typically mounted on my bike or my  wrist so it is technically a measure of my physical outdoor activity.  The blog post will make clear when Marilyn is along.

I am starting this on August 14 and have gone back to last week for the first activity posts.  Oh, and I should mention that I work out regularly as a club nearby but those will not be included.  What will be included will be biking, hiking, fitness walking, xc skiing, snow shoeing, and perhaps even kayaking and golf.