By Janelle Davis
When you think about the Erie Canal, you may think about its influential history, boat tours, kayaking, or bicycling along the artificial waterway.
For Lisa Saunders and her husband, Jim, it’s walking the 360 miles east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie.
Their goal is to have walked the entire canal by 2025.
“Since commencing our quest in 2020, we have walked over halfway across the state (234 miles so far) by tackling new sections of the trail about twice a month – in all kinds of weather,” Lisa said. “We’ve been chased by swarms of mosquitoes, biting flies, and lightning. We’ve endured torrential downpours, blinding snow, chafing underwear, aching feet, and swollen knees. We’ve faced snakes, floods, ice, and a smelly, dead opossum.”
The 362 miles of the canal is a long journey to achieve at one time, but Lisa and Jim, of Baldwinsville, walk it in increments.
They walk eight miles max at a time.
They drive to the different segments and walk about four new miles one way on the trail, then they have to make the trek back to their car, totaling eight miles.
Like many new goals, this one was born during the pandemic.
But the pandemic wasn’t the only inspiration for Lisa’s journey.
Her daughter Elizabeth was born with brain damage because Lisa contracted Cytomegalovirus (CMV) while pregnant.
“When my daughter was alive I always wanted to raise awareness and do something memorable with her like walk across the country with her wheelchair, but that just wasn’t realistic,” Lisa said.
Lisa explained that she wants to raise awareness for CMV prevention because many people aren’t aware of it.
CMV is preventable if you are familiar with it and its causes.
“I might have prevented CMV had I known to lessen my risk by reducing contact with saliva and urine from babies and young children by not sharing food, utensils, or cups with a child,” Lisa said.
Through Lisa’s desire to raise awareness she and Jim began their quest in April 2020.
Throughout their journey, they raise awareness for CMV through the variety of people they meet on the trail and by dropping hand-painted rocks with CMV prevention tips in various key spots and rock gardens.
“In 2022, ‘Elizabeth’s Law,’ named in memory of our daughter, was passed in New York,” Lisa said. “It requires the provision of CMV educational materials to childcare providers and pregnant women.”
While this is progress, Lisa said there is still a lot to do to raise awareness.
On their journey, Lisa and Jim are collecting contenders for “The 7 Wonders of the Erie Canalway Trail,” which will be included in her upcoming book.
Lisa hopes to get the public involved in voting or commenting on which of the 11 Canalway “wonders” featured in her video, “Hiking the Erie Canalway Trail, Vote on 7 Wonders, Stop CMV” now airing on Baldwinsville’s Public Access Channel and Youtube, should be considered.
The video provides a brief history of the historic and active Erie Canals, and what it’s like to walk, rather than bike, the entire Erie Canalway Trail.
The following contenders are being considered for inclusion in her upcoming book, “Hike the Erie Canal Trail: A Search for 7 Wonders, Bathrooms and Beer on the Way to Stop CMV.”
Canal contenders
“Flight of Five”: The c. 1862 “staircase” locks are seen alongside two deep, consecutive modern locks (34 & 35), Lockport.
1850 Syracuse Weighlock Building: The last remaining structure of its kind (houses Erie Canal Museum).
Lift Lock 17: “One of the highest lift locks in the world,” Little Falls.
Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct: The only restored, navigable aqueduct in New York, Camillus.
Fairport Lift Bridge
Movable Dams
Richmond Aqueduct, Montezuma Heritage Park.
Lyons Drydock or the historic dry dock complex in Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum.
“Upside-Down Bridge:” A railroad bridge with the truss upside-down.
Tiny Locktender’s House, Jordan.
Mural Mania: “Longest mural trail in the world of over 85 miles along the Erie Canal.”
Lisa would also be interested in any other contenders she should consider:
Email Lisa at [email protected] with your “Wonder” preferences.
The 200th Anniversary of the Erie Canal is being celebrated during the “bicentennial period” of 2017-2025 and this presents a unique opportunity and inspiration for the work Lisa is doing.
“If we push harder, maybe we can finish our 360-mile challenge in 2025,” she said. “It would go a lot faster if we could figure out how to get rides one way so we wouldn’t have to double back to our car.”
