Rochester Longboarding Info | Seth Hendrick

Lake Ontario State Parkway Trail: Beach Segment

2020-11-14T00:00:00

The Lake Ontario State Parkway Trail is a 3.3 mile trail that runs along Lake Ontario. It is a paved and very hilly trail. There are two segments of the trail. The west segment that runs parallel to the Lake Ontario beach, and the east segment that is wooded and runs parallel to Sweet Fern Road. Take a peek at the Lake Ontario Start Parkway Trail for all posts of this trail.

This post talks about the west "beach" segment.

Overview

This segment of the Lake Ontario State Parkway Trail starts at the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard and Camp Eastman Way. It then heads east parallel to Lake Ontario. If you are heading east, to your left you'll see the lake, and to your right are parking lots.

At the end of the first parking lot, there will be a hill to go down. Its not too steep of a hill, but it is a long one. The trail then flattens out for a little bit, but then the trail goes up a steep hill that you'll have to work hard to push up.

As you reach the top of this hill, you will notice that the trail does not stay flat, it goes downhill again! This hill is steeper, and you'll pick up a fair amount of speed. If you don't like going fast, you'll have to foot-brake or carve.

Once you reach the bottom of this hill, you need to push up another hill, only to go down another hill. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is a very hilly trail.

At the east-end of the segment, there is a steep hill that heads into the wooded segment of the trail. This is where I turn around to repeat the uphill-downhill pattern. If you were to keep going, at the bottom of the hill is a wooden boardwalk. I don't recommend trying to go down this hill without a fair amount of skill, as it is narrow and steep.

Hazards

There are some steep hills on this trail. If you are not experienced with going down hills, avoid the steep hills. But, there are more gentle hills that one can practice carving and foot-braking on.

The other hazard is other people. Be on the lookout for beach-goers crossing the trail to get to the beach. During the summer months, it can probably get pretty crowded.

Getting to it

There is ample parking on north-side of Lake Shore Boulevard. Pick a spot to park, and the trail is within a few yards north.

Overall Rating

This is a tough one to rate, because it is very subjective. If you like hills and do not mind pushing uphill, this can be a very enjoyable segment. But, what goes down must come back up. While it is easy going down the hills, it is exhausting going back up.

The other thing is some of these hills are very steep. If you are not experienced with carving and foot-braking, do not attempt the steeper parts of this segment, as you may go too fast and get hurt. But, the less steep segments can be a good spot to practice carving. The trail is wide enough, and there is plenty of grass to have a softer landing if you need to bail.

For me personally, I give it a "meh" rating. . The main reason is while going down the hills can be fun, coming back up them is not. I may not go back here very often. However, that is my opinion. Perhaps you feel differently. The only way to know for sure is to try it and see how you like it.

Videos

Timelapse video of the segment

Lehigh Valley Trail: John Street

2020-09-27T00:00:00

On the east side of the RIT campus is an asphalt sidewalk that runs along John Street. This is no ordinary sidewalk, this is actually the northern branch of the Lehigh Valley Trail. For the most part, this trail is gravel, and by extension, not very fun (if not impossible) to longboard on. However, this section of the trail that runs parallel to John Street is paved, and is therefore possible to longboard on!

Overview

This segment starts at the intersection of Jefferson Road and John Street. While the trail does extend north of Jefferson Road, if you are on a longboard, it probably isn't worth the trouble. After crossing Jefferson road, you'll have to ollie over railroad tracks, only to find out that the rest of the Lehigh Valley Trail is gravel, and impossible to skate on.

Heading south from Jefferson road, on your right you'll see Park Point, and on your left is John Street. You'll eventually cross Trail Crossing Road, so be mindful or cars pulling in or out of Park Point. On the other side of Trail Crossing Road is a hill that you'll have to skate up. If you're traveling north, it isn't that exciting of a hill to go down, but it is something!

At the top of this hill, to your left you'll see The Province student housing, and to your right you'll see some of Park Point's student housing. This area of the trail is pretty flat, and will remain so as you reach the intersection of Perkins Drive and John Street. This intersection does having a crossing light, so I recommend pressing it and waiting for the sign to say "Walk". If you were to take a right here, there are paved sidewalks you can skate on to reach the RIT campus.

As you cross Perkins, the trail becomes a bit rough here. There are several cracks in the trail that your wheels can get caught in and stop your board. There are also some trees that can drop acorns that are not fun to run over. The trail here is also pretty flat and will remain so as you approach the next intersection, which is Wiltsie Drive. Like Perkins Road, this intersection also has a crossing light. Also like Perkins Road, taking a right will take you to the RIT campus.

After crossing Wiltsie Drive, there isn't really much to see. On your left you'll see some generic commercial space, and on the right you'll see trees and a field. The trail itself here is also pretty flat and boring.

Once you pass Highpower Road on your left, which is where MKS Instruments is, there is a hill you need to go up. This hill is pretty big and steep. According to GPX data, the hill is about a 30 feet tall (about 9 meters for our non-US friends). Going up this hill is exhausting, but how about going down? I'm not going to lie, it wasn't that great, and I was actually worried about going down at full speed. For me, it wasn't the hill size that was the issue, but it was the shape the trail was in. There were several cracks in the trail that genuinely worried me that my wheel would get caught in it and I would go flying at a fast speed. Going down the hill, I actually bailed 3 times into the grass as I got close to these big cracks (I was also still new, and didn't want get in over my head). Maybe someday the trail would be in better shape and going down this hill will be fun, but the quality of the trail in this area makes it rather sketchy to go down.

Towards the top of the hill you'll reach the RIT Observatory on your right, and from there it is the home stretch until you reach Bailey road. This is where I turn around, but there are sidewalks south of Bailey road and east along Bailey road as well if you wanted to keep going.

Getting to it

One could park inside of Park Point and walk over to the trail. If you are allowed to park at RIT, you can also park in A Lot, B Lot, C Lot, or K Lot and make a short skate down Perkins Road or Wiltsie Drive to get to the trail.

Hazards

Intersections

The main hazard is there are a few intersections that you need to cross. Be on the lookout for cars as you cross the intersections. Remember, this is near a college campus, so there are inexperienced drivers. Keep on the look out as you cross the street at these intersections.

Trail Crossing Road is one intersection, and it does not have a crossing light. It is also at the bottom of a hill if you are traveling north, so make sure you know how to brake so you don't hit a car pulling out of Park Point.

The second intersection is Perkins Road. This intersection does have a crossing light. If traveling south, the other side of Perkins Road has some pretty nasty pot holes, so be mindful of that after crossing.

The third intersection is Wiltsie Drive. Like Perkins Road, this intersection does have a crossing light.

Rough Road

In addition to intersections, the trail itself is pretty bumpy as of writing. There are some nasty cracks that can swallow a wheel and send you flying. If you have bigger wheels, I recommend using those to make it over the cracks in the road. Most notably, the south-side of Perkins Road can be rough.

Mosquitos

RIT is built on a swamp, so it should be no surprise that there are mosquitos. However, I did not expect this many. One night when I was longboarding on the trail, I must have gotten bit 10 times on my legs. Wear repellent if you plan on skating this trail.

Overall Rating

...

This trail is boring! There are literally 2 hills; one of which is boring, the other one isn't enjoyable because the trail is in rough shape. The rest of the trail is pretty flat or uphill. You also probably have to stop a few times depending on traffic as you cross intersections. Also, mosquitos!

However, this trail is paved, so it is traversable via longboard. And as long as a car doesn't jump the curve and hit you, it is also safe. There also isn't too much foot traffic like the Erie Canal Trail.

Overall, I give this trail a "Meh" rating. If you need to commute via longboard to RIT or somewhere nearby, the trail is tolerable for that. However, if you want to longboard for fun, head down Perkins Road and skate the RIT campus instead. At least the RIT campus is a bit more interesting.

Erie Canal Trail: Between Lock 33 and Section 7

2020-09-15T00:00:00

The Erie Canal Trail is a massive trail that runs through New York State. It is part of the Empire Trail System, which is hundreds of miles of trails. The Erie Canal Trail cuts through Monroe County, and is so big with so many unique segments that it would be impossible to put it all into one article. So, instead, each article on the Erie Canal Trail will be focusing on a specific section of it. Look at the Erie Canal Tag to see all of the posts.

This particular article is all about the Erie Canal Trail between Lock 33 Park and "Section 7" of the Pittsford Sewer Department.

Overview

This segment starts on the east side of Lock 32 park. You can cross cross Edgewood Avenue by either using the cross-walk or taking the stairs that go under the street. The first stretch of the trail is relatively flat. The JCC is to the left, and once you pass it, the trail has more trees on both sides of the trail. While this does provide shade, be mindful of sticks or acorns that may fall from the trees. As you head east, you'll eventually leave the town of Henrietta and enter Pittsford. This is where the trail becomes a tad hilly, and narrows slightly. If heading west, there is a hill near the town border that can be fun to go down.

As you continue to board eastbound and approach George's cove, the left of the trail has no "shoulder". You may brush up against some plants if you are heading west and are on this side of the trail. If heading east, try to stay to the right so people heading westbound have plenty of space to pass. Eventually, you will reach a spot where there is water on both sides of the trail. On the right is the Erie Canal, and to the left is (according to OpenStreetMap) George's Cove. It is actually a pretty cool spot to skate through, and it is hilly as well. There is a bridge that crosses over some water here that may get a tad congested at times, so be ready to slow down if needed. The bridge is also where the yellow line down the middle ends for the remainder of the segment.

You'll soon pass through a gate to Lock 32 State Park. This stretch through the park is much wider than the rest of the trail. The park itself has some picnic tables, a water fountain, and some monkey bars. If you time it right, you may see boats go into the lock. On the east side of the park, there is a very steep hill that goes under Clover Street. The hill has all kinds of blind corners and sharp turns. If you are a beginner, consider walking this stretch.

At the bottom of the hill east of Clover Street is final stretch of this segment. It is pretty flat, but has a nice view of the canal to the right. The trail bends to the left and to the right through some trees, and intersects with the Pittsford Rail Loop Trail. This trail doesn't appear to be paved, so it is probably not a good spot to longboard on. The remainder of the segment is relatively flat, but still has a nice view of the canal.

At the end of the segment is a gate that says "Section 7" on a sign. This is usually where I turn around, but if you keep going, you will go down a hill through the woods, pass through the Pittsford Sewer Department, and eventually cross under Monroe Ave.

Getting to it

Parking is located inside of Lock 33 Park on Edgewood Avenue and inside of Lock 32 State Park on Clover Street.

Hazards

As usual with the Erie Canal Trail, a lot of people use it. You'll see bikers, runners, pedestrians, and fellow longboarders. Be aware of your surroundings so you don't collide with anyone. However, there are also a few places along this segment that longboarders should be mindful of.

Clover Street Underpass

View On Map

On the east side of the Lock 32 State Park, the trail goes under Clover Street. There is a very steep hill that twists and turns under a bridge to the lock and then again under the Clover Street bridge. Because of the bridges, these corners are blind. Worse, if you fall off or need to bail, there is a non-zero chance that your board will fall into a ditch (....that may or may not have almost happened to me). If you are a beginner, get off and walk down the hill. The last thing you want to do is rear-end someone walking that you didn't see.

Lock 32 Gate

View On Map

On the west side of the Lock 32 State Park, there is a gate the blocks off half of the trail to prevent cars from going through. Slow down when approaching the gate and make sure it is clear before passing through it. It can get congested at times if there are a lot of people on the trail.

Overall Rating

I give this segment a "cool" rating. There are more hills than the segment between Clinton Ave and Lock 32, so it is a bit more exciting. There are some great views of the canal, and I also think the section near George's Cove is cool to skate through. However, be mindful of some of the hazards... you don't want to injure yourself or your board now do you?

Videos

Timelapse video of the segment

Erie Canal Trail: Between Clinton and Lock 33

2020-09-07T00:00:00

This particular article is all about the Erie Canal Trail between Clinton Ave and Lock 33 Park.

Overview

This segment of the Erie Canal Trail is a paved section of trail that goes between Clinton Ave and Lock 33 Park. Assuming you are starting on Clinton Ave, on your right is the Canal itself. On the left, you'll first pass The Reserve on the Erie Canal. You'll then pass Meridian Centre Park on the left, and eventually go under the Winton Road overpass. Before the overpass, there is a path that takes you to Winton Road. After going under the overpass, there is a path that takes you to French road. At this point, it is a straight shot to Lock 33.

At the end of the segment is Lock 33 Park. It is a small park surrounding the lock on the canal. It has a few picnic tables, a water fountain, a bike repair station, and usually has portable bathrooms. Other than looking at the lock itself, there really isn't anything else to do here.

The segment itself is pretty flat. The difference between the maximum and minimum elevation is only a couple of meters. This makes this segment great for beginners (or really anyone) who are not comfortable with big hills.

For the most part, on the canal side of the trail, there is a fair amount of grass just in case you need to bail and need somewhere soft to land. The other side of the trail at times does not have this luxury, especially as you get close to Lock 33.

The segment of the trail between Clinton Ave and Winton Road is illuminated by street lights, so one can see when it starts to get dark out.

Getting to it

Parking is located on Clinton Ave or at Lock 33 Park on Edgewood Avenue. There are also entry-points to the segment from Meridian Centre Park here and here, Winton Road, and French Road.

Hazards

There really isn't too many hazards with the trail itself. The main hazard is other traffic. Bikers, roller-skaters, pedestrians, and other longboarders to use this trail. I recommend to keep looking over your shoulder so you are not surprised when a person on a bike passes you. Also, keep to the right of the trail as much as possible, and only go to the left side when passing and when no one is going to pass you. I do recommend learning to foot-brake since there will be times where traffic gets so congested where you can't pass, and need to slow down for an opportunity to open up. The last thing you want to do is rear-end someone.

Overall Rating

I give this segment a "cool" rating. The trail is well maintained, is safe to skate on, and is well suited for beginners. However, anyone looking for big hills to go down will probably be disappointed. Also, be mindful of your surroundings, a lot of people use this trail.

Videos

Timelapse video of the segment