This weekend was really hot and sunny! I needed this:
The traffic has been bothering me on the bikes, particularly out in the afternoon, so John planned a ride that took advantage of the paths as much as possible. Plus I wanted a more relaxing ride since it is a holiday weekend.
We decided on a ride to the lake because the crowds will really be coming soon. Next week is the Elvis festival, which is kind of surreal if you are not a big Elvis fan. Then the weekend after that is Americade where 10,000 motorcycles descend on Lake George – double no thank you! The traffic gets horrendous then. So, this weekend will be the last lake visit for a while.
We headed out after lunch. We took the usual paths and then crossed over into Glens Falls to get back on the western canal trail (as John dubbed it). It is part of the logging route.
None of this goes down the canal anymore, but it used to.
This was about 8 miles in.
We didn’t snack here, but just stopped in the shade for a bit. It was really hot!
We wound around and back onto the path that goes to Lake George. I was starting to get hungry at this point and we stopped around mile 18 so I could have a pear.
There is a little picnic area here, which we never stop at because it is only a couple miles left to the lake, but I was afraid I was going to bonk after doing all those hills in the heat.
Another biker came and asked to join us in the shade and we got talking different bike routes in the area. It was nice to chat with another cyclist!
After that nice rest, we headed the rest of the way to the lake. Mile 21. Gorgeous day. A bit breeze, but full of people! Eeeek!
It’s tourist season! We didn’t stay long, just enough to fill the water bottles and take a pit stop. Too many people for us. Hope everyone enjoys the beautiful Adirondack region.
The path began to fill up with all kinds of people as well, many of which did not know path etiquette.
We booked out of town. What was on our minds? Ice cream! One of our favorite stops. Coopers Cave. This was mile 30 and I decided I wanted a sundae!
I got a Mexican sundae, which has peanut butter sauce and chocolate fudge. Way overloaded with whipped topping! It made it look huge!
Nomph!!
It tasted so good after 30 miles. We had a nice shady table to relax at. We sat a little too long and I got a bit stiff. Oops.
Then we only had 10 more miles to do. Our goal was a 40 mile ride on the day. Back on the paths! It was so nice not to deal with traffic on this part of the paths. Usually, the paths closer to home are much less crowded than those by the lake.
Look who we found, too!
The babies are getting bigger. Almost past the cute stage.The parents hissed at us as we rode by, so I stopped past them and used the zoom because I didn’t want to upset the parents. Although, they were sitting on the edge of the path.
5 more miles of riding and we arrived home.
Ride stats:
Total miles: 40.3
Average speed 12 mph
Top speed 26.7 mph
Calories burned 1183 (although this is low, when you ride slow, the computer says less calories burned even if it is the same distance).
All in all a wonderful ride and no sunburn! As greasy as that sunscreen is, it really works very well. I just don’t like that every bit of dirt and bug sticks to me 
Can’t believe those pics down by the lake. I can see we got out just in time. Our memories will all be quiet and peaceful! Yikes, think we messed up by not making it to Cooper’s Cave! Happy Memorial Day!
You did get out in time- even Bolton Landing will be crowded now.
Such a pretty ride!
Great ride! I guess I will see those hills on the way to Vermont. Can’t wait!
The sundae looks really good!
I laughed out loud when I read the geese were on edge of the path…hehehe!
I hope you licked the sauce that was on the outside of the sundae…yum, that looks good and well-earned!
I’m with you on the crowd avoidance. Looks like a great ride, though, and how fun to see the teenage geese!
Yes – no peanut butter sauce was wasted. It was a messy sundae!
Nice ride, and long for a hot day, too. I’m totally with you about hating the crowds. DH and I have alternate paths (through quiet neighborhoods) that we use to avoid the weekend crush on the more popular bike paths. I don’t even like crowds when I’m not on a bike. And bikers who don’t follow path etiquette (it’s posted all along the trail, people) are rude in my book. Loved the flowers from yesterday’s post; I think I have iris envy.
What a fun report to read. Yes, the bike paths look lovely. When you wrote about the cars going by at 55 MPH, wowza, that is scary. Love the goosie picture. Nice to see the babies survived so far.
beautiful pictures and pretty you 🙂
Oh, that Cooper’s cave sundae picture made my heart sing even more than the magnificent views. 🙂 I love the pictures of you all flushed and radiating when you’ve been biking.
I didn’t know Finding Radiance had it’s own sunscreen 🙂 Where can I buy it?
I actually hate sunscreen and still looking for one that doesn’t stick and smell.
I think R. would be in heaven at your Americada 🙂
Beautiful ride Lori, thanks for sharing.
I laughed when I saw the sunscreen and bought it because it was the cheapest one LOL! Not sure what that says.
You have to love motorcycles to love Americade. It’s good tourist dollars, but so noisy and such a traffic headache – even farther out like near our house.
Beautiful pics Lori – really pretty ride for you & too bad last one for the lake but like you, I am not a fan of crowds! Here I live in southern CA too! :-O
OK, that ice cream looked amazing!!!!!
Hope you have a wonderful day!!!!
I enjoy seeing the pictures from your rides. The picture of the peanut butter sauce got me immediately, but then I saw there was chocolate fudge too! I think I need to try a Mexican sundae! I can do without the whipped cream. My husband and I are crowd/tourist avoiders also.
You say it is hot but what do you mean by hot where you are?
It was 87 on Saturday. Pretty hot for us – especially when it is humid.
Hmmm, that sundae makes me want to find a DQ, where they have a peanut butter/chocolate sundae that’s scrumptious! Or so I’ve heard. 🙂
We’ve got temps in the high 90s right now, which is brutal. The bright spot is that even the thought of food while riding is enough to make me ill. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, the feeling passes soon after cool down and I am prepared to eat the house and all its contents. 🙂
What a GREAT looking ride Lori. I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again, you live in a BEAUTIFUL part of the world. Hope you had a wonderful long weekend and the week ahead is a good one for you, John and Pixie.
I laugh Ive started using the RIT washin sunscreen on everything.
already 🙂
Traffic is the main reason why I’ve never seriously considered biking. If we had paths like that around here, I’d be all over it because getting to have a sundae like that would make me want to burn the calories. Actually, I’d love it if we had those paths here so I could run on them!
I understand about crowd avoidance – quite a few touristy spots around here that we won’t visit until after Labor Day.
Glad you were able to enjoy some of the biking before the tourist season sets in – great mileage for the whole weekend and hooray for no sunburn!
That bike trail looks so peaceful – I’d never take the road!! Do you ever get walkers on it? It was super hot this past weekend as well and I had to get my walks in as soon as I woke up. Would have been nice to have had a scenic route rather than walking up and down the streets. 🙂
Walkers, runner, strollers, skateboarders, rollerblades, you name it and they are on the paths. Not so much the cinder part, but the closer you get to the lake, the more traffic the path gets (and it’s paved).
That sundae looks ORGASMIC!