Everyone at the docks of Aqua Vino abandoned Utica between 6:30 and 7:30 am. Except for us. We thought we should get a move on, and did so, by 8:30 am, worried that we wouldn’t find a place to dock down the line if we didn’t. It was going to be a long day – over 27 miles at 8 knots or so to reach Oneida Lake.
The first lock we went through was Erie Canal Lock 20, the last lock upwards – it brought us up to 420 feet above sea level (the height of a 45 story building in Manhattan). But it only lasted so long, 20 miles or so, and then we had to lock down in Locks 21 and 22 – so much easier and gentler when the bathtub is being emptied rather than being filled. Now we after locking down, we are at 370 feet of elevation.
Erie Canal Locks 20, 21 and 22.
And then we came to Oneida Lake – “the thumb of the Finger Lakes”. After the narrow corridor of the Erie Canal, it seems like a vast body of water. In fact it is only 21 miles long and 5 miles wide. Oneida Lake is a remnant of the Glacial Lake Iroquois – a large prehistoric lake – and named for the Oneida, one of the six Iroquoian Native American tribes, that occupied most of the lake shore. It is reputed to have a wealth of ichthyologic wonders (lots of different kinds of fish – see, the Harpoon Eddies mural). The mouth of the eastern Erie Canal joins Oneida Lake at Sylvan Beach.
Mural at Harpoon Eddies (on the terrace)
Sylvan Beach is fun. Imagine a beach resort, circa 1968, fried clams, amusement parks and evenings with a pink sky that lingered until late.
Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake
Tomorrow we decide whether or not to stay or venture across the lake – as the weather has threatened to produce strong westerly winds and thunderstorms all day tomorrow. As the Waterway Guide warns, “It is often too rough to cross in prevailing westerly winds… Crossings have to be delayed until the waves calm down, as they pile up on the east side of the lake to heights in excess of 6 feet.” Maybe the amusement park will be open tomorrow. In any case, the evening before the storm looks great.
