Traverse Tompkins: A Sporting Chance

Part 3

Sitting on the bench outside, I noticed my phone battery was once again close to dying. No problem, I thought, as I attempted to hook it up to the back up batteries. Once again, the phone would not accept a charge. Hoping there was a problem with the cord or the battery back-up, I trundled along main street looking for someone to pester. I found the Cooperstown Distillery Beverage Exchange, which very clearly had closed and had staff cleaning up inside. I knocked on the window in hopes of pleading my need for an outlet to try and trouble shoot my phone. The two employees inside, after hearing the circumstances, were incredible! They let me try out multiple cords and multiple outlets, they proceeded to screen shot directions to Oneonta on their phone and print them out for me. If you ever find yourself in Cooperstown, make sure to stop by the Cooperstown Distillery Beverage Exchange!

I pushed through to Oneonta, when the reality of my predicament set in – there would be no solution to my phone, and I would have to make some contingency plans for finishing the ride. The last gasp of my phone was used to text Matt at Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill, and The History Center’s curator Cindy. I let both know my phone was about to die for good, but I was pretty sure I knew how to get to the Cider Mill without getting lost, and that would mark the end of my ride. (Narrator’s voice over: he did not know how to get to the Cider Mill without getting lost). And with that, my phone died, taking with it Strava, Ride with GPS, texting, phone calling, and the internet. It was just me and my sub-par orientation skills at 2am in Oneonta.

I did try to track down some maps – but half a dozen 24-hour gas stations looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if I could buy one. That is probably a broader commentary on how navigation has transformed pretty dramatically, but I was in no state to appreciate the transformation of our society. I figured I needed to head West, and then eventually north, but that I would run into road names or numbers I recognized before too late.

Unfortunately, I got lost somewhere in the hills of Fenton. Perhaps thrown off by an unexpected climb, recognizable names like Monkey Run or Pleasant Hill in unrecognizable places, or unclear directions from early risers, I end up going up and down the hills of upstate New York. Instead of one climb, I had another 7 or 8 climbs that added over 2000 feet of climbing to my ride. I’m not too proud to admit that I walked up a couple of hills, bemoaning the poor directional choices I made. I ultimately find myself in Greene, and recognized signs to Triangle, which would put me into Whitney Point and solid ground. After way more climbing than I wanted, I made it to Whitney Point and I saw the inevitable end to the ride before me.

Much of my body was in agony by this point, and it was a slow drawn out slog up the Tioughnioga River to reach the turn-off on State Route 392. Now, I’ve been on State Route 392 many, many times, but never in my life did the climbs on that route hit so hard. Only half-jokingly, I might have been able to run 392 quicker than I biked it! Pulling into Hollenbeck’s was a welcome relief, and the Pumpkin Pie and Apple Cider Slushie hit the spot. The included photograph shows Matt and I shortly after I got back.

Because of my phone died, I don’t have accurate tracking of my actual miles and time. Rebuilding the route after the fact, it looks like I did north of 280 miles, and over 12,650 feet of climbing. But I also took longer than my 24 hour challenge, significantly impacted by the additional climbing I introduced to the ride through my navigational choices. If folks are accepting, I’m going to use 258 miles as my total accomplished, which would have been the distance to the Cider Mill under the projected route. I hope that meets everyone’s satisfaction!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to The History Center – as a small museum, it sometimes feels like we’re always biking uphill to keep up our impactful work in the community. There are probably many more appropriate metaphors between my ride and our work at the museum, but I have to keep some of them for future endeavors. For everyone, I hope you have the chance to explore history outside in your neighborhoods and communities – I can guarantee you’ll be surprised by what you learn! I’m filled with deep gratitude for you all – thanks for joining my Traverse Tompkins effort this year!

Part 2

I started out making great time, motoring my way up the valley and reaching DeWitt well ahead of my planned schedule. However, that's where the start of my troubles began! I noticed that my phone was no longer charging from my battery packs. After a quick google, I located a Verizon store just a mile away (what luck!) and quickly biked over. They were unfortunately busy, and it took an just over an hour to chat with a very helpful associate and solve the issue with my charging port (Narrator’s voice over: he did not, in fact, solve the issue). When I finally set out east from DeWitt, my hour head start had turned into a half hour deficit.

I put my head down and pushed through Sullivan, Oneida, and eventually getting to Kirkland. Shortly after Kirkland I encountered my first real climb of the ride. I had several large climbs, broken up by a little of flat ground. This was all to get over into the valley that holds Otsego Lake. I biked around Otsego Lake back in 2018, and remembered the path fondly. This time around, however, it was a little before midnight and I did not get quite the same picturesque views of the water and foliage. But by the light of an oft-obscured moon, I rolled into Cooperstown at 11:50 pm, with ten minutes to spare before the gas station I was relying on for Gatorade refill closed down for the night. With the basic need of calories and hydration fulfilled, I rolled over to the Baseball Hall of Fame for a quick breather. Its at this point that I realized my technology problems had reared their head again!

A multi-part update!

Thank you to everyone who pitched in to support local history during this year's Traverse Tompkins ride!

My ride was an incredible jaunt through fall in upstate New York - the weather was perfect, and all of the trees were just starting to splash reds and yellows. We're lucky to live in such an incredibly beautiful part of the world.

Thank you everyone for your support. I had a great day out riding with friends on a beautiful late-summer day, out to Hollenbeck's for donuts and cider. We really appreciate it!

Just finished my rides-I traveled through Lansing yesterday and through the Northeast and East Hill Plaza today. My 15 miles are completed!

Thank you for all of your support, Eric

Thank you to everyone who supported me or one of the other participants in this year's Traverse Tompkins. My compatriot Ben Sandberg is currently riding for 24 hours, looping through Cooperstown and past the Baseball Hall of Fame (in the middle of the night!). You can follow his progress here:

https://ridewithgps.com/users/2845304/live_log

I also passed through Groton, former home to the Smith-Corona Typewriter company, which sponsored a baseball team for much of the first 2/3 of the twentieth century, many of the players likely having a hand (literally) in making the typewriters Ernest Hemingway, Kurt Vonnegut, and Truman Capote used.

https://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2016/04/29/hemingway-groton-and-corona-typewriter/78308130/

Below is a photo of the Cornell Baseball Club of 1875, which might have played at the site of the current high school and playing fields.

Today I tried to pass by or visit as many past and present baseball fields in the county as possible, which included Trumansburg HS, F-8, and F-9 at Cass Park, Tatascore Field at IHS (which is more or less the site of the main Ithaca baseball field from at least the late 19th century until the high school was built), and Freeman Field at IC (plus the site of old Hoy Field at Cornell, sadly gone now, but once the venue for a mammoth HR by Lou Gehrig: https://ithacavoice.org/2015/03/trying-measure-lou-gehrigs-massive-home-run-cornell-92-years-later/).

The theme of Traverse Tompkins this year was A Sporting Chance, to align with our current exhibit (well worth the visit! your support for my ride helps make exhibits possible). Yesterday I rode to the IHS soccer game, which felt like it was in the spirit of the theme.

Between 3:40 PM yesterday and 2:30 today I rode 100.7 miles for the History Center. Roughly 7300 ft. of climbing. I never expected that hydration might be an issue for a ride in the last third of September, but so it goes.

Traverse Tompkins 2024 is launched! I rode to Horseheads yesterday as the first leg of my 100 miles, to attend the IHS Boys Varsity Soccer game. A defeat for the Ithacans, alas, but a lovely ride that included part of southern Tompkins Co. A slight miscalculation led us through Connecticut Hill State Forest on dirt and gravel roads, but hey, no traffic! And I could imagine others traversing those old roads when the forest was farmland. I'm off today to pass by as many baseball fields in the county as I can for the remaining 60+ miles!

Thank you to everyone who made a donation - I can't express enough my deep gratitude for all your support.

I did my final big training ride, with a quick jaunt around Cayuga Lake on Sunday - I averaged a good amount of time in the saddle vs. time on the road, had a few reminders of what I need to bring with me for the ride, and did the mental fortitude work of gearing up for 24 hours on the road.

The weather looks exceptional for a late September ride! I can't wait to share what I can from the road - don't forget, I'll post a live link here that you will be able to follow Saturday/Sunday to keep tabs on me.

Again, thank you for your generous support. It keeps The History Center alive and thriving!!!