T2 Day 50 (Audrey)

Syracuse, NY to Utica, NY


We were expecting scattered thunderstorms throughout the day but woke up to sunshine instead! After a delicious (and huge) hotel breakfast, we checked out and got on the road. Syracuse is a pretty bike-friendly place, and we had a pleasant ride through the city until we reached the Erie Canal Trail again. There were still some nice stretches of well-maintained bike path along the water, but there were also a few rough patches. One detour took us a couple miles out of the way along some busy roads; another section was all loose gravel and super difficult to navigate. We stopped periodically to enjoy leftover snacks from this morning’s continental breakfast.


We were in a town called Rome (no, we didn’t take a detour through Italy) about 12 miles from our Warm Showers in Utica when the sky started to get dark. One of the many lessons we’ve learned this summer is that you can’t trust the weather app. Ever. We paused before leaving Rome (I had to find my raincoat) and checked the radar; it looked like the storm would skirt around our route but not pass directly over us. We enjoyed a few lightning bolts and thunder booms from afar before the rain started - big, fat drops that soaked us in no time. The next stretch into Utica was about 6 miles along a dirt path through the woods, and in the solid downpour, it felt like we were riding through a stream. There were puddles so deep the toes of my sneakers would get a dip with each stroke. It was nearly impossible to see or hear Claire or Maura ahead of me, but we all started laughing hysterically at one point at how completely drenched we were.


The rain let up as we rode the last couple miles into Utica. It started drizzling again just before we arrived at tonight’s Warm Showers, so we were extra grateful to meet Heather and Tom, who immediately made us feel so comfortable and welcome in their lovely home. We didn’t realize when we confirmed the Warm Showers, but by some happy coincidence, it turns out they’ve hosted UConn Coast to Coast for several years and have been following our progress all summer! Heather made a delicious dinner (chicken riggies - a local specialty), then they took us out for ice cream! A great way to end another day!

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