When the weather in early April gives you four beautiful warm days from Friday through Monday, it is difficult to avoid the temptation to stretch Saturday and Sunday to include the last half of Friday and the first part of Monday. So, when it looked like this last weekend was going to be temperatures in the high-teens and low-twenties centigrade, I my escape for a stretched weekend.
On Friday, I took the early afternoon train from Grand Central and got off in Beacon, for a ride through the hills along the Hudson River up to Poughkeepsie and, after an early dinner, across the Hudson to spend the night in Highland.
On Saturday, after waiting for the temperatures to get up above 10C, I rode west up over the Shawangunks and past Mohonk Mountain House and then down along the path of the D&H Canal.
This shot was taken at along the canal route, where the Ulster Correction Facility is located.
From there I decided not to take Highway 52 to Liberty, but climbed through the Ulster Highlands. Fewer cars but bigger hills.
The next day, my plan had been to ride from Liberty to Big Indian and then down to Shokan, but decided for a shorter route over Peekamoose to West Shokan. I have no better excuse than that my legs were spent from a full day of big hills.
The route up Peekamoose had some lovely sights, including this waterfall:
And the route ran along the Peekamoose River:
After a stop in Shokan at my friend Simon Strauss’ home, I rode back to Poughkeepsie early this morning, missing the 10:40 train by just enough to wish I had ridden harder. But, honestly, after three full days in the saddle, this was a good as I could do.
Headed home on the train.
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