Cyclists All!
The course for the century starting from Morris NY to Ilion NY and back follows. This is one sweet route with very little traffic and not too many hills. The little park and the marina at Ilion has bathrooms and picnic tables. Some of the tables are under pavilions. In the summer there is some traffic on the Ernie Barge Canal and rail fans may see a train go by as the tracks are just on the other side of the canal. When we did the ride in 2001 we had one tire give out. Fortunately it was on a Saturday and we got directions to a bike shop in nearby Mohawk - or was it in Herkimer? Either way we were able to get a tire.
Hill lovers will be offered the option of doing the ridge between the Unadilla River and the Butternut Creek at three times along the route - others will follow the water course way and finish via Mt Upton - people finishing via Mt Upton will be able to brag that they have bicycled every cotton picking mile of NYS 51 - and let me tell you that is one exclusive club.
The Route Out
Starting at the light in Morris NY at the intersection of NYS 51 and NYS 23
Go north on NYS 51 all the way to the sign that says END RT 51 - which is where NYS 51 comes up against the Erie Barge Canal in Ilion NY - along the way you will pass through the following - services known to be available as of June 2002 are noted
Morris - Mobil gas station will be open - has a mini mart - coffee available (I'm not sayin' the coffee is good - I don't do coffee - also in Morris across from the Post Office just after the left at the light there is a Coffee Shop that is open for breakfast - the locals have seen people in cycling gear but they still may stare - they haven't seen YOU in cycling gear, you know?
Garrattsville - 8 miles north of Morris - in sight of the 90 degree left made by NYS 51 here there is a "General Store" - which has some food and cold drinks, etc - but not so general as to offer everything from Aspirin to Zodiac charts and almanacs - like some stores might have - but there is a phone - and there ain't no more anything for the next 12 miles - so if you think you may need it - get it here.
West Burlington - 12 miles north of Morris - a closed store on the corner of the intersection of NYS 51 and NYS 80 - as I said - closed - but there is a phone on the building - we make a right here and go with NYS 80 for almost a mile - then we make a left and NYS 80 continues up and down and up and down to Cooperstown
Burlington Flats - only a Post Office - I didn't see any phone around
West Winfield - 30 miles north of Morris - there is one store on the left before West Winfield but I have never stopped there so I don't know what the range of products is... but West Winfield is quite the US 20 burg - with a NYS Police Barracks and a bank or even two perhaps an ATM- and multiple gas stations - but the place that I will stop is on the right at the light where NYS 51 meets US 20 - a gas station mini mart combo - with booths you can sit in and a bathroom you can use.
NYS 51 and route 20 run east together for two miles to East Winfield - 32 miles from Morris and then at East Winfield (which can't hold a candle to West Winfield)
NYS 51 makes a left and heads north again - US 20 goes east to
Albany and finally runs out of pavement in somewhere near the
Big Dig in downtown Boston
Cedarville - 35 miles north of Morris - there is a store here - I don't know how regular the hours are - don't count on it - NYS 51 makes a left in front of the store and goes less than .5 miles and makes a right - right into the Ilion Gorge - set it on cruise control and enjoy the run down into Ilion
Ilion - 41 miles north of Morris - Ilion has it all - Italian
restaurants, McDonald's, mini-marts, a snack bar along the canal.
We
will stop by the canal to gather our forces and compare notes
or whatever. Ilion is rust belt central and the home of Remington
Arms - typewriters, electric razors, bicycles - you name it -
if it can rust at one time or another they made it - there is
a free museum we could pop into if folks are interested - weather
and fatigue and interest will be measured and the decision made.
THE RETURN TRIP
starting from the Marina at the end of NYS 51
go south on NYS 51 to the top of the Ilion Gorge in Cedarville (about 7 miles)
when NYS 51 makes a left at the stop go straight ahead onto Wall St - The stream that you will soon pick up is one of the upper branchs of the Unadilla River - you will follow that all the way to Mount Upton (if you wanted to 'do' the whole Unadilla you would only have to do the segment from Mount Upton to Sidney where it flows into the Susquehanna River - another 8 miles) -
take Wall St to NYS 20 - 11 miles from Ilion (51 total) and you will be convinced that the folks selecting the route for NYS 51 were sadists out to hurt cyclists.
AT US 20 make a right and go west- go into West Winfield - 12 miles from Ilion (52 total) get needed provisions for a long haul - if you stay on route you won't be too close to a mini mart for a long spell (can you spell Mt Upton?)
after stocking up in West Winfield head west on US 20 and keep an eye out for Otsego County 18 on the left - if you come to a bridge in the village of Bridgewater (and especially if you get to the NYS 8 US 20 intersection you have gone too far.)
Make the left onto Otsego County 18 - 15 miles from Ilion (54 total) going south stay on the east side of the Unadilla River going through:
Unadilla Forks - 18 miles from Ilion (57 total) (where the branches of the Unadilla join)
Leonardsville - 20 miles from Ilion (59 total) there is a store
on NYS route - you can cross the valley to get to it if you need
something - make a left when you get to 8 to get to the store
- Leonardsville also has a 5 star (yes, way out here) restaurant
- The Horned Dorset - figure about $50 per person w/o drinks -
I don't know if they'll let you in wearing cycling clothes
West Edmeston - 25 miles from Ilion (62 total) no stores that I know of.
South Edmeston - 29 miles from Ilion (69 total) yogurt factory - has a pay phone - a bar
New Berlin - 34 miles from Ilion (74 total) careful - steel deck bridge in this stretch at the New Berlin end - if you need something you can cross the Unadilla on NYS 80 and go into New Berlin - supermarket - pharmacy (ibuprofen anyone?) - pizza shop (better than the one in Morris) - mini mart - even a NAPA auto parts store!!! bank with ATM
South New Berlin - 41 miles from Ilion (81 total) - there is a gas station mini-mart in South New Berlin
Mount Upton - 49 miles from Ilion (89 total)
Just outside Mt Upton Otsego County 18 ends as it intersects with NYS 51 you can make a right and go less than a mile to the NYS 51 NYS 8 intersection if you need something at the mini mart - gas station in Mt Upton - don't need anything? go left on NYS 51 - north that is. Also a nice restaurant - The Mint
Gilbertsville - 54 miles (94 total) - there is a store in Gilbertsville
on the street the Major's Inn is on - just down and on
the left - it will be open all day Saturday.
Morris - 61 miles (101 total) Congratulations!!! You did it!!
HORS CATEGORY TYPES - read on!
Masochists seeking more hills may leave the lowlands Otsego County 18 using any of the three options below
South Edmeston - climb the wall up Otsego County 20 to Edmeston - make a right at the 4 corners in Edmeston and follow NYS 80 west until you see the Edmeston town highway department barns on your left - take the road in front of the barns Otsego County 49 - going straight across Otsego County 17 until you come to NYS 51 - take a right and go into Morris
or
New Berlin - climb over the ridge via Otsego County 13 - you hit Otsego County 13 after we stop and then cross NYS 80 - brings you right to the traffic light in Morris
or
South New Berlin - climb a goodly set of ridges following NYS 23 east - brings you right to the traffic light in Morris
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Bob Thomas ....... __@ work http://www.escort.org
ESCORT-Info Ser.._'\<,_ http://www.oneonta.edu/faculty/thomasrl/cycling.html
SUNY Oneonta ...(*) (*) BobThomas@escort.org
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