Seamless in NY

September 17, 2021

Laura and I began the cloudy and drizzly day heading for the west side of the Hudson River in Highland, NY. After a quick breakfast at Flavorful Ladle, we jumped on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail nearby. The trail was completed earlier this year and, as you would expect, the riding surface and trail heads were outstanding. This is a real gem.

Three attractive underpasses as we headed to Walk Over the Hudson.

After four miles the Hudson Valley flowed seamlessly into the Walk Over the Hudson. Laura was a bit uncertain about this but she was encouraged by yesterday's pictures. As you can see, she was ready to ride it out and back.

While clouds persisted, we were fortunate the damp weather did not. We couldn't resist stopping for some more pictures. The views must be stunning on a clear day.

When we reached the Hudson's east shore it was time for us to take separate paths. Laura would head back 5.5 miles to the truck in Highland and I would start down the Duchess Rail Trail that would run 13 miles from Poughkeepsie to Hopewell Junction. To stick with the theme of this post, the Walk Above the Hudson flowed seamlessly into the Dutchess. Poughkeepsie is a rather larger city with a good deal of commercial and residential development but you would not know it on the Dutchess. From one end to the other it was heavily wooded and development was well screened. This was a real pleasure to ride.

It is interesting to note in 2016 Rails-to-Trails Conservancy welcomed the Hudson Valley, Walk Above the Hudson and Dutchess trails into their Hall of Fame. This is an outstanding ride.

By the time I arrived in Hopewell Junction I was well outside the city and the character continued to change from urban to suburban to rural.

Would have loved to check out the old Hopewell Junction Depot but it was unfortunately closed.

Hopewell Junction marked the end of the Dutchess Trail and the beginning of the Maybrook Trailway...of course, the transition was seamless.

The 23 mile Maybrook parallels an inactive railway from Hopewell Junction to Brewster. At first I wasn't sure I would enjoy riding next to the tracks but in short order my focus shifted to the heavily wooded corridor.

The tracks quickly blended into the surroundings.

As I made my way down the trail I was pleasantly surprised to see a sign for the Appalachian Trail crossing the Trailway. I could not resist doing a bit of exploring even though the area was posted with signs suggesting you keep an eye out for snakes and additional signs cautioning riders about leaving the trail due to poison ivy and tick habitat!

White blazes are quintessential Appalachian Trail. Two blazes indicate the trail is about make a change in direction.

A short distance before arriving in Brewster, there are several protected marshland areas.

After 43 miles it was nice to see Laura's smiling face. We loaded the bike and headed a short distance to the next trail in Connecticut.

Today's ride: 43 miles (69 km)
Total: 204 miles (328 km)

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