A Ride on the Riverway Trail and Erie Canal towpath in Rochester, N.Y.

This 'Corp ride' started solo, biking first to Bob H's home (15.8 mi), then joining up with Bob H. and Bob D. we headed east to Charlotte to pick up the Riverway trail. On the path at Turning Point Park, I observed a family of Swans including 5 almost full-sized gray Cygnets. The Riverway trail follows along the west side of the Genesee River, traversing under various Bridges along the way. Notable bridges include The O'Rourke Lift Bridge, the Veterans Memorial/route 104 Bridge, the Frederick Douglass-Susan B Anthony/490 Bridge, the Ford Street Bridge, and the Elmwood Avenue bridge. For the first time, we crossed Route 104 using the pedestrian/bike overpass bridge at the North end of Maplewood Park(instead of the underpass using Bridge View Drive). We followed the Riverway Trail (best that we could) on the west side of the Genesee. For decades it seems the trail has never been completed! But work is ongoing in those incomplete portions. The Genesee's lower, middle, and upper falls flowed fast today, and our up-close path made it a thrill to ride by! The Pont de Rennes pedestrian/bike bridge (formerly known as the Platt Street Bridge) is being rehabbed and is closed until at least the Fall. The trail was also temporarily closed downtown between Andrews Street and Court Street. The path we rode through downtown included some nicely rehabbed architecture and alleyways. At the junction of the Riverway and Erie Canal Towpath trails, we turned north onto the Canal Towpath. On the towpath, we met up with a group of 10 (or so) septuagenarians from Maine -on their way from Albany to Buffalo. We left the towpath at Lee Road and continued north to Latona where Bob H. and Bob D. picked up the 390 trail, while I headed west on Ridgeway and eventually back on the towpath at HenPeck Park. West of Spencerport I took Canal Road, Trimmer Road, and Pine Hill Road to get back to Hinkleyville Road and home.