Fall Colors Ride VII

October 25, 2003

On October 25, 2003 we had a Fall Colors Ride VII on the path along the D&R canal next to the Delaware River. We went from Scudders Falls to Lambertville to Frenchtown, then crossed the river and rode to New Hope on the towpath of the Delaware Canal on the Pennsylvania side of the river. We had lunch in Hew Hope, crossed the river to Lambertville and returned to the starting point at Scudders Falls. The total was 51 miles!

Riders included Robin Dawson (Sarnoff Labs), Caroline Kulesza (molecular biology postdoc) ,Vincent Pelletier, 5th year student, Eric Dahl, Justin Kinney, Lu Li, and Mike Niemack, 2nd year students, and 1st year students Fei Gong, Dima Malyshev, and Sasha Solovyov, and me, Ed Groth. Once again we had an international group. Vincent is from Canada. Lu and Fei are from China, Dima is from Russia and Sasha is from the Ukraine.

Click on a thumbnail to see a larger picture.

Getting ready at the start. Fei, Dima, Lu, Sasha, and Mike. You can probably tell from the heavy coats that it was cold! Just above freezing. Later it got comfortable. Caroline waits to get going.

Robin gets ready. Justin (in the back) and Eric get ready.

About a mile south of Lambertville, we parked the bikes to check out the wing dam. Here are Robin, Caroline, Sasha, Fei, Mike, Eric (barely) and Vincent. Note that Vincent rides his bike (rather than drives in a car) to the start and back, so his total for the day is more like 85 miles rather than 50 miles! Walking out on the wing dam: Vincent, Carolione, and Dima.

Looking across the Delaware to some building on the other side. Vincent is in the foreground. Chez Odette's restaurant from the wing dam.

Looking upstream to the bridge connecting Lambertville, NJ on the right to New Hope, PA on the left. Out at the tip of the wing dam. Lu is nearest the camera.

Looking downstream there are some mild rapids. The Delaware was pretty full , flowing over the wing dam on the Pennsylvania side and almost up to the level of the dam on the New Jersey side. About 16 miles into the ride, we stopped at Bulls Island park for a break. At the table are Eric (left) and Mike with Justin behind Eric. Standing are Fei, Vincent, and Sasha. That might be Dima behind Sasha.

Dima and Sasha. Eric and Justin.

Lu and Fei. Caroline.

Vincent and Mike. Most of our bikes parked at Bulls Island. On the right are Fei, Lu, and Robin.

On the footbridge connecting Bulls Island to Lumberville, PA. Down near the river is the tow path on the Pennsylvania side that we would ride back on later. Looking upstream from the Bulls Island, Lumberville bridge.

After 25 miles we made it to Frenchtown. These decorated mules are all up and down the river on both sides. I think they're supposed to celebrate the role mules played in early 1800s commerce by towing canal boats (there are canals on both sides of the river). Mike arrives in Frenchtown.

Caroline arrives in Frenchtown. Fei and Lu arrive in Frenchtown.

We decided to take a coffee break in downtown Frenchtown. Here are Robin and Caroline. On the bench behind Caroline are Dima and Justin (I think) and Erik, Sasha, and Mike are standing. It was Dima and Justin on the bench!

Lu poses for Fei. Lu and Fei pose for me.

We crossed the river from Frenchtown to Uhlerstown. The Uhlerstown covered bridge carries this road over the Delaware canal and towpath. Here's Caroline coming back from checking out the bridge. She's about to make a sharp right to pick up the connector to the towpath. Fei, Sasha, Dima, and Lu are done checking out the bridge.

We rode along the Delaware canal on the Pennsylvania side and reached New Hope after a total of 40 miles. We had lunch at Villa Vito's which has a patio right on the towpath. Lunch was almost over when I remembered to take a picture! Here are Lu, Caroline, Fei (behind the pole) Mike, Dima, and Robin. We crossed back over the Delaware to Lambertville and then rode down the Delaware and Raritan canal towpath back to our cars. After just over 51 miles we were done. Here are Robin and Sasha. Susan and the Dawson dogs came to pick up Robin.

Sasha, Eric, Mike and Justin. Caroline arrives follwed by Dima.

Fei and Lu finish the ride.

	Getting ready at the start. Fei, Dima, Lu, Sasha, and Mike. You can probably tell from the heavy coats that it was cold! Just above freezing. Later it got comfortable.		Caroline waits to get going.
	Robin gets ready.		Justin (in the back) and Eric get ready.
	About a mile south of Lambertville, we parked the bikes to check out the wing dam. Here are Robin, Caroline, Sasha, Fei, Mike, Eric (barely) and Vincent. Note that Vincent rides his bike (rather than drives in a car) to the start and back, so his total for the day is more like 85 miles rather than 50 miles!		Walking out on the wing dam: Vincent, Carolione, and Dima.
	Looking across the Delaware to some building on the other side. Vincent is in the foreground.		Chez Odette's restaurant from the wing dam.
	Looking upstream to the bridge connecting Lambertville, NJ on the right to New Hope, PA on the left.		Out at the tip of the wing dam. Lu is nearest the camera.
	Looking downstream there are some mild rapids. The Delaware was pretty full , flowing over the wing dam on the Pennsylvania side and almost up to the level of the dam on the New Jersey side.		About 16 miles into the ride, we stopped at Bulls Island park for a break. At the table are Eric (left) and Mike with Justin behind Eric. Standing are Fei, Vincent, and Sasha. That might be Dima behind Sasha.
	Dima and Sasha.		Eric and Justin.
	Lu and Fei.		Caroline.
	Vincent and Mike.		Most of our bikes parked at Bulls Island. On the right are Fei, Lu, and Robin.
	On the footbridge connecting Bulls Island to Lumberville, PA. Down near the river is the tow path on the Pennsylvania side that we would ride back on later.		Looking upstream from the Bulls Island, Lumberville bridge.
	After 25 miles we made it to Frenchtown. These decorated mules are all up and down the river on both sides. I think they're supposed to celebrate the role mules played in early 1800s commerce by towing canal boats (there are canals on both sides of the river).		Mike arrives in Frenchtown.
	Caroline arrives in Frenchtown.		Fei and Lu arrive in Frenchtown.
	We decided to take a coffee break in downtown Frenchtown. Here are Robin and Caroline. On the bench behind Caroline are Dima and Justin (I think) and Erik, Sasha, and Mike are standing.		It was Dima and Justin on the bench!
	Lu poses for Fei.		Lu and Fei pose for me.
	We crossed the river from Frenchtown to Uhlerstown. The Uhlerstown covered bridge carries this road over the Delaware canal and towpath. Here's Caroline coming back from checking out the bridge. She's about to make a sharp right to pick up the connector to the towpath.		Fei, Sasha, Dima, and Lu are done checking out the bridge.
	We rode along the Delaware canal on the Pennsylvania side and reached New Hope after a total of 40 miles. We had lunch at Villa Vito's which has a patio right on the towpath. Lunch was almost over when I remembered to take a picture! Here are Lu, Caroline, Fei (behind the pole) Mike, Dima, and Robin.		We crossed back over the Delaware to Lambertville and then rode down the Delaware and Raritan canal towpath back to our cars. After just over 51 miles we were done. Here are Robin and Sasha. Susan and the Dawson dogs came to pick up Robin.
	Sasha, Eric, Mike and Justin.		Caroline arrives follwed by Dima.
	Fei and Lu finish the ride.