Middleport Ny.

After leaving camp I got to Lockport at the same time as two boats and two kayaks. The kayaks were going down and the boats going up.

There is only 2 locks in use now. Originally it was a series of five to raise and lower the barges 60 some feet. The original locks are sill there but not in use.

The kayaker had saw me yesterday and I talked with them a while. They are doing the whole canal from Buffalo to Albany. There planning on it taking 3 weeks.

The drawbridge are still in use on the canal

It was a beautiful day and a lot of people were out.

In Middleport, as I was passing through I saw a woman setting up her tent on the other side of the canal. I crossed over on a bridge to say hi. Rose and her Friend Kim had started in Maine and were headed to somewhere in Illinois. Kim was the planner and had all their days mapped out for quite a while ahead. Their route through New Hampshire and Vermont is pretty close to the one I will be taking and they were able to give me some much appreciated information on areas. They offered to let me take pictures of the maps they had but I declined. I did pay attention to what they had to say though. They both have done lots of touring all over the country.

I talked with them so much I ended up staying the night here too. Its a little camping area right along the canal. Its for hikers bikers and boaters. There is places to tie up a boat a picnic table and a post with electrical outlets. And it even has bathrooms with showers!

Not only did Rose and Kim share thier knowledge of routes in Vermont,they also shared their salami and cheese at dinner! I ate it as my rice cooked it was really good.

Later in the evening the two kayaker past by my camp. The wind was in their favor, but that still is a long day in a kayak.

This last picture is of the gates of the lock as it was opening. When it is getting ready to open a bell starts ringing. The duck that is swimming out heard the bell and got into position so as soon as the opening was wide enough it swam through the gap. The way it took off swimming at the sound of the bell makes me think it wishes it was a horse at the races.