TR: Adirondacks NY (Glens Falls / Lake George area)

Sharon and I stopped at Lake George NY over Labor Day weekend.

We checked out the Prospect Mountain toll road. Sign at the gate said "No
Bicycles". We figured that also meant "No rollerskis", so we paid the toll
and drove up. Steeper start, then flat middle with great views up the Lake,
then a more sustained climb to the upper parking lot. Not sure it's big
enough to be worth the hassle of trying to climb it outside operating hours
and then get back down somehow.

We found the paved rail trail in Lake George pretty easily using clues from
our Jimapco Warren county map. Just as I was approaching it on my inline
skates, I saw a rollerskier zipping along north-bound with poles, and I soon
caught him when he stopped at the end of the trail in the park. Turned out
he's a St Lawrence racer who later switched to biathlon. He gave me a lot
of helpful tips, including that for big hill-climb rollerskiing he prefers
Whiteface to Prospect. Then we started back south, and with the magic of
inlines I was actually able to sort of keep up with him for a couple of
minutes.

It was getting late, and Sharon wanted to go to Queensbury, so we drove two
exits down the Northway, grabbed some food, and then I got the urge to find
the rail trail, and again we soon did, at its bridge over Quaker Rd. I told
Sharon I wanted to "check it out just a little" before it got dark. I
started south and in less than a minute another skater caught me and we were
at a similar pace, so I asked him if he skied. He said No, he just trains
for inline skate marathons.

So we kept skating along into Glens Falls, and he's telling me where to park
next time I use the rail trail, that Canada is great for inline skating and
he did the Ottawa marathon and Sharon and I should go to the festival in
Montreal. How I should take that heel screw off my Salomons so I can get
good knee drive, and then I should switch to the 5-wheel frame because I'll
love the stability. It was a delightful encounter.

Meanwhile it was getting dark, and just before I arrived back I encountered
Sharon walking on the rail trail wondering what the heck happened to me.
Fifteen minutes later we ran into him again in the grocery store.

Next time we'll do the whole trail.

Ken

P.S. Bicycling:
Pursuing the idea of riding the Hudson River, we noted Pete's advice that
you couldn't get near the river for much of its north end. So we settled
for doing a loop that contained it: From North Creek on Rt 28 to Indian
Lake and Rt 30 to Long Lake, Rt 28N thru Newcomb back to North Creek. About
80 miles and plenty hilly -- we were suffering between like mile 55 and mile
70.