October 22, 2022
Brewster to Rosendale
Day Two, Saturday
We ate the continental breakfast provided by Heidi’s and started out. It was a cool, misty morning.
Google Maps said we could access the Maybrook section of the EST nearby. We humped the bikes up a flight of stairs to see that the trail went in one direction. The wrong direction. We started off again down Main Street to a trailhead. The Maybrook section was beautiful; the trail was wider, less of a tree tunnel. The foliage was popping.
We had a great lunch in Daddy O’s right off the trail in Hopewell Junction. We hike-a-biked across the Walkway over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie due to the Saturday crowds. The trail went to gravel north of New Paltz. I was happy to reach the trestle bridge in Rosendale. Seven and a half hours and 60 miles after starting, we arrived at the cabin in Rosendale.
The ride was tough due to the mileage. 95% of the trail was flat. Being off road on the trail was car/stress free. The trail was a little monotonous--you don’t have the same variety of stores and homes as you do on the road. You tend to ride in a tree tunnel. Since Ash didn’t have a GPS, he was a little out of sorts not knowing where he was, the distance traveled or remaining. Touring with someone was a different experience for me; the time went quicker, Ashley is great company, the conversation was always interesting. I think we pushed each other to finish and our pace was similar. If I held Ashley back, he was too polite to say. It was a tough ride for both of us, the distances are larger than we are used too. We were happy with finishing and glad it was over. The Empire State Trail is a great asset for the surrounding communities and bicyclists. There are very few long distance car free routes in the US. Thank you New York State. Now if you could just add camping spots, bathrooms and potable water....
Today's ride: 60 miles (97 km)
Total: 132 miles (212 km)
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