Bajdas and Trippi spent nearly two weeks together on their bikes, traveling along the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany in mid to late August. The accomplishment itself was quite a feat for two women in their 60s, but it was more about the experience and the message it sent than it was just about reaching the finish line.

Just after a group of riders traveled the same path to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal, Bajdas and Trippi decided on the trip for themselves. They both enjoy being active and sharing their experiences online on a Facebook page, titled, “Deni & Silvana’s Big Adventures.” This trip was no different, with updates shared throughout the journey.

Bajdas, 63, and Trippi, 64, look to prove that age is not a barrier to living an active lifestyle. “What we’re trying to do is encourage people our age and older just to go out there and move,” Bajdas said. “We want to be motivators. We want to be shakers and movers. We want people out there to just go out and have fun.”

The trip along the Erie Canal was the latest in a long list of adventures the two women have shared on their Facebook page, together or apart. They were eyeing the trip for several years, as Trippi came up with the idea after traveling along the Appalachian Trail with her daughter and her nephew. She wanted to take a similar journey along the Empire State Trail, and after a few years of consideration, Trippi and Bajdas settled on the bike trip this past fall.

Silvana Bajdas, left, and Deni Trippi, right, pose with their bikes along the Erie Canal.

They traveled from their homes in Fredonia to Buffalo with their bikes, then hit the road with a small camping trailer attached to the back of one of the bikes to carry their supplies. In total, the trip lasted 13 days, including the Amtrak ride back from Albany to Buffalo on Aug. 28.

“I’m impressed with us, because at our age, we did it,” Trippi said. “… and the fact that we were able to problem solve everything.”

The journey was anything but smooth, as they faced several hiccups in the trip. Both bikes needed repairs during the trip, including a broken piece on Trippi’s bike and a flat tire Bajdas suffered early in the journey.

“Whatever problem we came across, we fixed it,” Bajdas said. “We took care of it and just kept going forward.”

Along the trip, Bajdas and Trippi stopped every 25 to 50 miles or so to rest, depending on the weather and terrain. They slept under the stars as stealth campers early in the journey, then at designated stops along the trail the rest of the way. They used booklets from the State Parks and Trails to find places to stay and some of the best restaurants to visit along the way.

Silvana Bajdas, left, and Deni Trippi, right, celebrate the completion of their journey from the Amtrak seats on their way back home.

All throughout the journey, Bajdas and Trippi were met with kindness from people they encountered. Various bike shops helped the women along their journey, and an attendant at the Brighton welcome center just outside of Rochester stayed more than an hour after closing to help the women get settled for the night.

Several times on the journey, the women were recognized. They became known as “the Buffalo gals” throughout the trail. They took photos with people along the way as if they were famous. “I was dumbfounded that we were known like that,” Bajdas said. “I felt like a celebrity.”

The trip was “a lot of firsts” for Bajdas, as she had never camped, used a porta-potty, or even visited a laundromat before the trip. As foreign as the experience was to her, it was far from the first time Bajdas was exposed to something new — and just like when they were kids, Trippi was by her side through it all.

Bajdas moved to Western New York from Italy when she was 9 years old. She met Trippi at St. Mary’s Elementary School in Dunkirk. Trippi helped Bajdas learn English and adapt to the culture change, and their friendship continued to grow over the years. They stayed close throughout their time at Cardinal Mindszenty High School, then into adulthood.

Of all the stops on the trip, the favorite stop for both Bajdas and Trippi was Little Falls, east of Utica. Their favorite meal was at Nonna Maria’s Italian restaurant in Little Falls.

The women also reconnected with a former classmate near the halfway point of the journey, and spent a night with Bajdas’ daughter in Rochester. They ate breakfast before hitting the trail in the morning, snacked on trail mix for lunch, and ate dinner each night when they were ready to stop for the day.

“It was a good trip. I’m glad we did it,” Bajdas said. “I want to encourage other people to do the same.”

The women trained for several weeks leading up to the trip, including weight lifting at the gym and bike trips around the area. What kept them motivated was the message they were sending to people like them.

“You’re not too old,” Trippi said.

Next year, Bajdas and Trippi are aiming to complete the Empire State Trail, from Albany to New York City. They are targeting the same timeframe as this year’s trip, with one exception: no trailer.

“That’s our goal, and if I know us, we’ll do it,” Bajdas said.

To keep up with their latest activities, follow Deni & Silvana’s Big Adventures on Facebook.