I&M Canal Bike Trail
Locks 11 and 12

Fall Photo Page 9
(click on any photo to enlarge)
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There is a steep hill as you pass by lock #11 on the I&M Trail just west of Ottawa. The lock is off to the right but not show in this photo. I did get some photos of the lock itself and posted some of the ones that I took on the way back (to Marseilles) on Photo Page 13 (with the Ghost bridge, as I called it).

This is one of the long stretches of trail between Ottawa and Utica. As you can see the trail is on the left with the canal and some colorful trees on the right. I really liked this stretch of the trail with the trees and bluffs on the right and it seemed like it went on for quite a ways but it is really not all that far between locks 11 and 12 (which is where this part of the trail is).

Here's a closer view of the canal and fall colors in the distance. One of our goals for this ride was to catch the peak fall colors as we rode the I&M trail since our previous ride (the earlier pages in this photo tour) was in the middle of summer. I think I actually like riding this trail in the fall better. Less mosquitoes too!

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In some ares there are exposed rock walls above the canal and trees above the rock walls.

This is a view as we were approached this Lock #12 along the I&M Canal Trail. Each one of these abandoned locks has its own look and character. The previous lock that we rode by (lock #11 east of this one) was dry. This one had water flowing through it as you can see here.

I have seen other photos of Lock #11 with water flowing through it so I think this might depend on the time of year and water levels at that time. It would be interesting to ride this trail in the spring to see the difference (as long as there is no flooding along the trail).

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This is Lock #12 as seen looking southwest (as you approach the lock on the trail heading west).

Here is a view of the same lock, on the I&M Trail, as we passed by the same location a little later in the day. This is the opposite side of the lock as we rode by heading east.