Chris Gaige takes a selfie along the Adirondack Rail Trail with the camera facing north toward Lake Colby in Saranac Lake on Tuesday, Sept. 3. (News photo — Chris Gaige)

SARANAC LAKE — I have never been on a seaplane before. My imagination wandered as I glided down the causeway over Lake Colby along the newly completed section of the Adirondack Rail Trail on a bicycle. Glancing off to the side, tree branches gave way to beautiful blue open water just feet off the smooth gravel trail. It was as if I was on final approach to landing a twin-engine.

Just last week, New York opened the latest stretch of the Adirondack Rail Trail. The 15-mile section begins at the Saranac Lake Union Depot and extends west to Floodwood Road, about 9 miles north of Tupper Lake.

It is part of a three-phase construction process that will eventually yield a 34-mile rail trail from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake. Construction on the final Floodwood to Tupper Lake stretch began in August, while the 10-mile Lake Placid to Saranac Lake section opened last December. This allows users continuous access from Lake Placid train station to Floodwood Road — 25 miles in total.

While the trail crosses roads at various points, no motor vehicles are allowed on it, save for snowmobilers who use the trail in the winter months. This makes for not only a more tranquil ride but a safer one as well.

I had the privilege of touring about half of the new section of trail — on wheels.

A panoramic glimpse of the Adirondack Rail Trail’s causeway looking to the west on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The trail bisects Little Colby Pond, left, and Lake Colby. (News photo — Chris Gaige)

My first stop was at the High Peaks Cyclery in Lake Placid. There, I was greeted by Derrek Russell and Timothy Ziegler, who fitted me on the spot for the right bicycle and helmet. Ziegler had just completed the new section the night before and was able to answer all of my questions as someone who had never been on the rail trail before and had not stepped on a bike in months.

Between completing the rental forms, learning a bit about the trail, testing out the rental bike in the parking lot and carefully getting it into my Jeep Cherokee, I was on my way in less than 15 minutes. The service could not have been friendlier.

A beautiful 20-minute drive from Lake Placid on Tuesday, Sept. 3 took me to the start of the new phase at the historic Union Depot in Saranac Lake. Once I had my helmet, shades and sunscreen set, it was time to hit the trail!

Traveling out of Saranac Lake at a leisurely pace, I could not help but notice people of all different physical and skill levels were enjoying the trail. There were cyclists in aerodynamic racing outfits cruising along and people like me in T-shirts and shorts taking their time. There were joggers, walkers, strollers and plenty of canine companions, all on leashes and not one bit of their “business” along the trail.

Given that the trail is a former train track, its grade is very gentle and is especially accommodating for those new to cycling or those traveling by foot looking for a flatter trail option.

Don Wickman of Keeseville gives two 'thumbs up' while enjoying the Adirondack Rail Trail near Saranac Lake on Tuesday, Sept. 3. (News photo — Chris Gaige)

Trail users are greeted with their first real treat of this section approximately 1 mile west of the Union Depot. Here, the trail crosses Lake Colby on a causeway, offering wide-open and stunning views of the lake’s largely undisturbed shoreline. I was fortunate to have abundant sunshine for my ride, making the lake a truly brilliant pool of blue.

After stopping to admire the scene, I continued onward. Lush forests and pristine wetlands on either side of the trail offered a truly wild Adirondack feeling, even as I was just minutes from the community of Saranac Lake.

A gentle breeze through the leaves and the soft roll of my tires over the finely crushed gravel blocked out even the slightest inkling of human noise. It was pure bliss. The miles on my GPS-equipped watch began piling up and before I knew it, I was almost at my turnaround point for the day at Lake Clear.

The rail trail soon crossed state Route 186, a “busy” highway by Adirondack standards. The crossing was clearly marked in advance, with one sign about 150 feet (don’t quote me on that, I’m terrible at visualizing distances) in advance of the intersection reminding trail users to stop ahead. The intersection itself has two heavy metal gates that block about half of the trail on the sides.

Not only does this force trail users to slow down, but its bright yellow paint serves as a clear visual for the trail intersection and prevents motor vehicles from entering the trail. All road intersections I encountered on the ride (six, if memory serves me correctly) had these same features, making them easy to identify.

Chris Gaige's rental bike in front of scenic wetlands along the Adirondack Rail Trail between Saranac Lake and Lake Clear on Tuesday, Sept. 3. (News photo — Chris Gaige)

The crossing provides me the perfect opportunity to give you, dear reader, a very important safety lecture.

It is important for trail users to remember the rules of crosswalks. All trail users are required to stop at the crosswalk and look both ways before continuing. People riding a bicycle or snowmobile do not have the right of way to vehicles, unless they are afoot. In other words, vehicles are not required to stop for them.

Pedestrians, including people walking their bikes across the road, do have the right of way in crosswalks, according to New York state law, and vehicles are required to stop for them.

For pedestrians’ right of way in crosswalks, the state law is clear:

“When traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right of way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk on the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, except that any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overpass has been provided shall yield the right of way to all vehicles.”

Kids ride their bicycles along the Adirondack Rail Trail between Saranac Lake and Lake Clear on Tuesday, Sept. 3. (News photo — Chris Gaige)

While people are not required to walk their bicycle across the crosswalk unless noted, they must remember that vehicles have the right of way if they choose to remain on their bicycle, unless they are also afoot.

Back to the ride.

After safely navigating the intersection, I soon passed by Charlie’s Inn. Their sign just off the trail was easy to spot and promised “Good Food & Good Fun.” While I was unable to personally sample the establishment, as they were closed at the time (my Tuesday ride unfortunately did not align with their Wednesday through Sunday opening), I am inclined to take them at their word. After all, they’ve been providing that food and fun since the early 1890s, when the railroad was originally built.

Soon after Charlie’s, the trail reached the shores of Lake Clear. While a lot of the lake was partially veiled by a thin patch of woods between the trail and the water, occasional clearings provided photo-worthy glimpses of the lake.

I will take the moment to remind the faithful readers who have stuck with me this far to respect private property along the trail, and not venture on to it in pursuit of the pic. Staying on the trail still provides plentiful opportunity for the camera lens.

Charlie’s Inn in Lake Clear is along the Adirondack Rail Trail. (News photo — Chris Gaige)

Back to the ride. Again. While I wish I had been able to complete the rest of the new section, this column wasn’t going to write itself and I was short on time. OK, who I am kidding? That’s just the best excuse I could muster for being exhausted from my first ride in months. Fortunately, with no steep hills to worry about, the ride back was manageable.

It was striking how different the scenes were going in the opposite direction. Even though it was the same path I was just on, it felt like two rides in one. The return trip offered excellent views of McKenzie Mountain to the east and all of its false summits. I can hear the groans of anyone who’s climbed the peak reading this.

In concluding my ride, I was struck by the fact that in nearly 15 miles of riding, I did not see a single, not one, piece of garbage along the trail. Let’s all do our part to keep it that way, granted the trail opened just last week.

After getting the bicycle back in my car, I made the return drive to HPC and dropped off the rental bike. I was once again met with great service from Ziegler and Russell, who had me on my way in just a few minutes.

The Adirondack Rail Trail makes for a phenomenal way to spend a day or even just a couple of hours. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience on wheels, but the trail is just as accommodating for walkers. If you don’t have a bike on your visit, HPC and other outfitters throughout the Olympic Region have you covered.

Visit https://www.adirondackrailtrail.org or https://dec.ny.gov/places/adirondack-rail-trail for more information, including trail maps, parking options and trail rules.

–

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that “vehicles have the right of way if they (cyclists) choose to remain on their bikes.” Section 130 of New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Safety law defines a “pedestrian” as “any person afoot or in a wheelchair.” Therefore, if straddling the top tube while having one or both feet on the ground (as opposed to peddling), the cyclist is both remaining on the bike and a pedestrian, giving them the right of way over vehicles. The News regrets the error.