Photo Essay: Part Two- Reminiscing Lock 6

Fiona & I continued our little Monday adventures around the Champlain Canal, up & down US Route 4. We watched the dredging near our house, just below Lock 6. The sound of the machines groaning through the valley, especially at night. I told her a bit about my life growing up along the Hudson.

Looking south toward Lock 6 from one of the bridges

 I'm not sure if it was this one or the one further north, but during the summer local kids, mostly boys, would jump off the bridge into the canal below. This part of the Hudson is not safe to swim in, especially with the dredging. Also, this part of the canal is lined with large pieces of cut stone. No swimming, or diving is allowed in the canal.

Lock 6 filling up

When my younger sister, Heather, & I were little, our mom & aunt used to bicycle us over to the canal from our house about 1/2 a mile away. One day a barge was going through the lock & we got to see the whole thing. The barge pull in, the water drain out with the barge slowly going down, the doors open, & the barge spill out into the Hudson headed south. One of the crew members threw up apples to us.

Looking north from Lock 6 in Fort Miller, NY

Full lock waiting for the down river arrival of a boat

Safety warnings so people don't fall in the canal

Cleengineering boat going through Champlain Canal Lock 6

Lock 6 has emptied and doors are opening to let out the southbound boat

Looking south from Lock 6- The Point is on the right

 In the image above, just around the corner from where the concrete ends in the upper right, there is a shale ledge called The Point. People used to go out there at night & party. But in the summers of 1985 & 1986, when we were really into INXS, Breathe, & Bryan Adams (sometimes we brought our cassette players), my little sister & I, & sometimes our friends, would go out there & wade into the Hudson. We soon realized that barefoot was a bad idea, so we wore our jelly shoes. Again, not a great idea because of the water pollution, but there is also a nasty current nearby.

Southbound boat is leaving Lock 6

The above is video my daughter, Fiona, shot while working on her photo essay. It shows Lock 6 closing its doors.

Dredging is underway south of Lock 6

Crocker's Reef Guard gate north of Lock 6

 When I was finally able to ride my bike well enough, I was allowed to ride along US Route 4 as far as what we called the "drop gate." It is actually called a guard gate, that helps protect the canal from flooding & snow melt in the spring.

Looking north from the Guard Gate toward Fort Edward