Last weekend found us up in the area between Syracuse, NY, and Skaneateles, NY. Once upon a time, the Erie Canal was the Number One economic driver up there. Nowadays, a few scattered pieces of it remain.
Here in Camillus, NY, a long and flat stretch has been turned into a historical park.
LF examines a stump puller, a high-technology advancement of the time with a double-pulley action that made pulling trees out relatively simple.
The locks of course were the thing that made it all work. One of them has been hauled out and laid on the banks for your examination.
Before the gate opens, these panels allowed the water to go in or out so that the level within the lock matched the level of the next lock, or the next section of the canal.
All made of wood and iron, managed with simple pulleys and gears.
Sunday morning was nice and cool, somewhat overcast. A good day to follow the trail at least a little while.
But too soon it was time to leave. We’ll be going up there again, no doubt. Supposedly there are ten miles of trails waiting for us.