On Saturday, Sept 25 a small group of riders left Cold Spring, NY to traverse the dirt and gravel roads around Fahnestock State Park and Garrison. Our route included virtually all of the true gravel roads in the region, which also meant tackling many of the longest and steepest climbs. Our route did not include the rough trails in the center of Fahnestock, which are more suitable to a mountain bike.
Overall, it was a beautiful ride. The weather was perfect, we spent much of the day traveling through forests, past ponds and streams, and through occasional farm country. We had lunch and replenished snacks and fluids at Boyd’s Corner Store/Deli at mile 30. After surviving all the climbs, we had a cold beer at Barber and Brew in Cold Spring. They had a few outside stools and no haircut is required to enjoy a good microbrew.
Notes about road conditions:
1) Expect some very steep grades (>20%) on some of the climbs and descents.
2) There were some very rough sections on those steep downhills (e.g. bad washboard), so keep your speed in check. One rider went down, but is okay.
3) Sunken Mine and Indian Brook roads: the gullies across the road were deeper and more numerous than I remember them in the past. Keep your eyes on the road ahead.
4) If you are looking for a still-challenging, but less intense version of this route, see here: ridewithgps.com/routes/37003811 . The alternative route has less gravel/dirt (sorry!), but adds a potential stop in pleasant Carmel Hamlet and skips some of the more ridiculous hills.
ROUTE (~64 miles with ~7000’ of climbing) :
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37593227
ALTERNATIVE ROUTE (a bit easier, but still plenty of climbing):
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37003811
-Steve
