At Glens Falls New York, the Hudson River drops twice in what were picturesque waterfalls. Today they both are incorporated into dams. Initially, the feeder canal was not used for navigation around the falls. Its purpose was to channel water into the Champlain Canal. At the same time the Erie Canal was built, 1817-1823, the Champlain Canal was constructed. It connected the Hudson River at Fort Edwards, 60 miles to Lake Champlain. As an afterthought, the Feeder Canal was enlarged for navigation, allowing barges to travel further up the Hudson, bypassing the falls.
As the feeder canal approached the Champlain Canal, it steeply descended. It was a sizable engineering feat to put together a series of 8 or 9 deep locks to negotiate the terrain.
There are many faces of the Feeder Canal. The impressive series of locks is one. At other times the opposite side abuts building and many backyards. At a couple other points factory buildings squeeze you right to the brink of the towpath. As downtown Glens Falls is approached, the original canal bed is obliterated by a paper company.
The ride along the Feeder canal is paved but once at the Champlain Canal, the trail is cinder. I rode the canal in its entirety and a short section of the Champlain Canal, about 20 mile total.
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