Half-Way Home!

For those just joining us, we're walking from southern Pennsylvania to Stouffville, ON, Canada for Sunnybrook Hospital Heart Centre. Go to the March 09 blog files to see the original news release and the tentative 2 1/2 month itinerary. Go to http://www.sunnybrookfoundation.ca/ click events, click "Trail..."

Hey! Today we celebrated half-way home! That is, if the trip is about 500 miles, we just completed 249 at Caneadea. Close. For those who are following the route, the only change we've planned is that after East Aurora we intend to follow Route 16 right into the middle of downtown Buffalo and then we'll take a couple of city streets to the pedestrian entrance to the Peace Bridge.

Another beautiful day to be on the road. For a short time I was able to follow a trail, a former railway bed, that parallels Rte. 19. It's signed for snowmobiles but looks like it's been used by hikers, cyclists, and horseriders during the spring. I imagined being in a coach car of a steam train in the early 1900's looking out over the Genesee River, which we have been following for the last five days.

At another point we saw a large number of tall trapezoidal pillers. New York State's own Stone henge? Possibly the footings for a massive high-level railway bridge. The hills on each side of the valley were about a hundred feet high!

The pattern continues. Margaret lets me off, drives ahead about 2 kms. and finds a safe place to park the van. She walks back to meet me, therefore doing almost as much walking as I do.
We keep in touch with a pair of 10 mile range radios. After I had started walking on one leg this afternoon, I get a call, "I've found a peaceful place to park." It was the Oramel cemetary. Peaceful, yes. But still the roar of the occasional passing traffic. In the grave yard, Jimmy James lasted only 53 years 1950-2003 but his marker is a chainsaw art bear instead of the standard marble. There must be a story.

There are differences between PA and NY. In northern PA there were 'POSTED' signs everywhere and in fact it was difficult at times to 'step into the woods'. In NY there are still 'POSTED' signs but there are also access signs posted to allow anyone to reach a river and fish. 'Tis the season as they say and we have seen lots of fishermen in hipwaders trying their luck.

Pictures:
Ron at the half-way point in Caneadea

The walking trail

The bear memorial

A Conestoga Wagon