We are at 320 ft elevation now, with three more locks to go up before we start back down. We only go down to around 350 feet to Lake Ontario's elevation before we start back up in the Trent Severn canal in Canada. There we will reach the highest point in the world that you can reach with an ocean going boat. But that will be another blog in the next few weeks.
I love geography so this part of New York fascinates me. The creek that caught the 6 inches of rain two nights ago and caused us our problems yesterday, drains the north slope of the Adirondaks here in New York. That water flows into the canal, again the Mohawk River, and then on down to the Hudson. Just over the hill not too many miles south of this valley all the water flows southward to the Susquehannah River and its major tributaires. If you remember, I discovered from our trip in the Chesapeake Bay that 85% of all the water flow into the Chesapeake comes from the Susquehannah.
So this high ridge of mountains to my south is the "continental divide" between two major bodies of water covering a huge amount of the east coast of the US, the Hudson River valley and the Chesapeake Bay. Cool.
Many of you have driven west of Vail, Colorado on I-70. Remember the stretch west of Eagle where the Interstate follows a valley (the Eagle River) on its way to the mighty Colorado River just before it enters Glenwood Canyon. Remember that stretch of a river meandering, with a railroad right at its edge, and a local state highway on one side, and the interstate on the other side. All forms of transportation are funneled into this one major geographic highway through the mountains. These two valleys are very similar, and to think I can drive an ocean going boat through it, is incredible.
Once we reached Lock 12 yesterday, and were past the huge runoff, the canal became very calm, clear water, and just beautiful. It meanders between I-90 and NY highway 5, and a major CSX rail line all running west from Albany to the Great Lakes. In this stretch the river has not changed much. You do not hear the highway nor see it from the river. From there it is really easy to let your imagination take you back, not too many years, when this was the trade route for guys in canoes filled with fur, and the Indians that lived on its banks.
It is 60 degrees this morning, and clear skies as the sun comes up at 5:00 am. The high for the day will be in the low 80's with calm winds. I am thinking today will be special. Wish you were here. Marc
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