The Erie Canal – An Extraordinary Waterway

The ‘towpath’ near Pittsford is popular with cyclists.

By Mark Stevens

Photos by Sharon Matthews-Stevens

As I shift our chartered canal boat into neutral, I’m soothed by the soundtrack of bird calls, the occasional plaintive horn of a distant train and the hum of our engine.

I reach for the VHF to radio the lockmaster in charge of Erie Canal’s Lock 32 dead ahead. Our boat spins gently in the current like a maple key in a mud puddle.

“This is Onondaga,” I say. “Headed westbound and requesting passage.”

Unbroken emerald forest lines the south bank. A lone cyclist pedals along a trail called a “towpath” on the north bank. 200 years ago, mules were used on this trail to “tow” cargo-laden barges through these waters.

I feel like we’ve been transported through time.

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