No, we do not melt in the rain!!

Jun 27 - Seneca falls to macedon NY (lock 30): 38.4 miles

Ahhh the rain ... Along Erie canal path after Palmyra 

Wake up to buzzing in my ears. A few claps and swats yield some dead bloody mosquitoes. YUCK. 

The forecast today is rain starting midday, so  between that and the gradually waking mosquito population, we have plenty of incentive to get out of camp as early as possible. We don't hang around in camp longer than to pack and to boil water for coffee (since we finally have both fuel AND coffee now) and to cook some instant oatmeal.  

Today is going to be relatively short. I really want to take advantage of the last official lock-side camping. We've enjoyed hanging out at the locks, with the super friendly lock masters, the free canal entertainment, and the total peace and quiet vs campgrounds. 

If we can just make it there before it starts to rain.

The strip between Syracuse and Lyon which we covered partly yesterday, and the rest today, is the longest stretch without a canal path on the entire canal route from Waterford to Buffalo.

So we start out making our way from our camp diversion, cutting as directly to the path in Lyon as possible.

We're traveling through quiet rolling countryside until we reach the slightly busier route 31. 

The rain starts even before the turnoff at Lyon. First it's drizzle, then steady rain. This is really the first test of our fenders for the intended purpose, which seem to be working just fine. 

We stop for lunch in palmyra, 4 miles short of our goal. The cafe there is just at the end of a bridge that we had to cross and it was just too inviting to pass up. I have no lack of food that I'm still carrying my back, but none of it is hot coffee or sandwich or a dry spot indoors.

As we're finally departing the cafe where the owner is closing up shop, she expresses her concern that we are headed back into the wilds of NY in the rain with a long string of questions, and a very strong push that we could camp right in palmyra, pointing over to a shelter area where a bunch of teens are hanging out.  We field the questions patiently 'yes we are going out into the rain', 'yes I can see well enough in my glasses in the rain' (no choice), 'yes we are going to go further', 'yes we do prefer to go onto lock 30', 'no there is no need to call the lock master to see if there are showers there' (we know there aren't any official ones at least), etc.

The additional 4 miles don't take long, and I go straight to check in with the lock master, who is decked out in a full on dry gear suit. He indicates to "set up anywhere" and eyes me again in my cycling Jersey and shorts, and confirms that I have more clothes that I can put on. 

Happily, there is a great big shelter with picnic tables between the lock and the adjacent fire dept building. I make a beeline for it. At least we have somewhere dry to cook and hang out, although it doesn't offer much protection from the wind. It does have a carpeted stage though which is sheltered in three sides. Evidently this is a public performance space.

Not long after I settle in here, the lock master appears to suggest that we just set up camp here under the pavilion. "The camping area is already flooded, and bound to get much worse." I was already thinking the same and was happy to get implicit permission. 

On stage and out of the rain in macedon NY

Just relaxing

We've been pretty dependent on charging up with solar, and the long day yesterday without breaking out the charger, and  lack of  sun today meant we were running on fumes. We still tried, but the figured out that without real direct sun, the charger really doesn't work well. Plus it kept blowing away (it is not light).

A long afternoon drinking tea, hanging out on stage watching the horizontal rain that we were not our in. Then set up our sleeping space in a protected corner of the stage. 

No tent, no rain, light breeze, slept great!