Navigating the Erie Canal Locks

      Riding a bicycle along the level towpath by the canal is pleasant, but passing a lock always makes me want to stop and watch.  The canal in Ella’s day was only four feet deep, but it has been deepened and widened several times since then.  The pictures on the Contact Me page of my webpage show the original locks that have now been abandoned.  They appear to be only about eight feet across.  Today’s bigger locks can handle larger boats as well as smaller ones. 
      I once took my canoe through a lock to try out the experience.  I remember feeling small and trapped as I looked at the huge, closed gates in front and back of me and saw the tall side walls.  I was quite relieved when I noticed that I could use the series of rungs on the side wall to climb out if I needed to escape.  Fortunately, the process went quite smoothly, and my canoe soon floated out on the upper level.  The experience was amazing!  The pictures on this page show how a boat travels through a lock.