After two long days, I decided for a shorter day and a hotel on the far side of Syracuse. The Canalway now follows the old canal, so camping at the active locks is far out of the way. Washing things is decidedly more difficult without water. The locks don’t have Wi-Fi. After the last two days I also just wanted a hotel!
I started almost out of water from the day before (washing my hands after the turtle had made that situation dire). I bought water at a gas station, and filled up again at a state park. I officially learned this evening, but all day I knew about the heat wave.
Between mostly packed gravel trail and headwinds I had a long slow 74 km. I stopped at a hotel near the New York State Fairgrounds. The trail through Syracuse runs through the median on a main highway in and out of Syracuse. While I had cycle path most of the day, I occasionally rode in parallel on the road for better speed. As I battled headwinds I keep thinking I’m again running a cycle route in reverse and uphill.
Tomorrow the Canalway crosses back from the old canal to the new. The last of the “nice” camping locks looks to be 100 km away, so that’s my destination. In the luxury of my hotel I spent a while looking at my future route. Campgrounds after Buffalo, and a bike route leads directly from Erie to Pittsburgh.