New Year's Day on the Towpath

 

somewhere north of Washington Crossing

2 January 2024

Yesterday was Ron M's 11th annual New Year's Day towpath ride. Looking back in my records, it appears that this might be my first, at least since before 2015, when I started keeping track of which bike I ride and how far on any given day. I see that I was out on Grover, my mountain bike, on New Year's Day 2015, for all of 14.7 miles. It must have been a very cold day for me to have hauled Grover all the way to Washington Crossing for so few miles. 

Anyway, I was part of a big group yesterday. We went north. Sometimes we got separated. Pete G and I stopped to wait across the canal from wherever this bike and kayak rental place is on Route 29 somewhere south of Lambertville.

We got separated again in Lambertville. Apparently there was a minor pileup as the group in back tried to cross Bridge Street. 

Ron led us to the pedestrian bridge at Bulls Island. Somebody wanted a selfie with all of us lined up against the railing. 

We walked across for our rest stop at the Lumberville General Store. These days, if Heddy is on the ride, I might try a cortado. That's her test of whether or not a stop is worth the coffee. Unlike the Italian bakery in Raritan, where we were on Jim's ride yesterday, these folks weren't sure how to make one. I played it safe and got a cappucino.

I think they put crack in it, because when we made our way back, I felt the need to hammer. I was just far enough ahead to get a photo of a mile marker we'd passed on the way up, where the feeder canal peters out into the Delaware River. 

"RUN FAR. EAT PLANTS. LISTEN TO RICE." 

I darted ahead again to get a picture of the abandoned rail car across the canal, south of Lambertville.

We collected half the group when we got to the dirt road that leads down to Titusville. Ron had told us to go that way. We waited a bit for the rest of the group, but we were getting cold. 

They weren't far behind us. In the parking lot, Christine passed around miniature stroopwaffels and beer.

I should do this ride again next year.