#8401
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Last edited by emjayel; 10-28-2022 at 02:52 PM. Reason: change img code |
#8402
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It's been a busy month . . .
. . . with lots of fantastic rides, so let's get caught up.
On October 12 I had a cosmically wonderful ride amid the fall foliage in the southern Adirondacks. I ended up doing a bit over 38 miles, spending the entire day just riding, exploring some new side roads, and grabbing a few moments of quiet contemplation in the middle of this miracle of nature. Friend Gary, who is lucky enough to live in the middle of all this, accompanied me for the first 15 miles to Garnet Lake, but then had to leave for a family commitment. So I had the next 25 miles and the rest of the day to myself. I hardly saw a person or car for the rest of the ride in the isolated valley that only has a paved road going in from one end. Garnet Lake was deserted, with most of the summer homes already shut up for the winter, the windows shuttered, and the pipes drained. But I did run into one couple out walking who tipped me off to several back roads into trailheads that I enjoyed exploring later in the ride. The temps started out in the upper 40’s when we started at 10 am, but eventually just barely broke 60 degrees at midafternoon, with sunny skies in the morning giving way to general cloud cover later in the day. This is by far my favorite time to ride up here, with the summer tourists–and the bugs–gone and the temps just right for tights and a light jacket. I hear so much about the fall colors over in Vermont, but this is every bit as good without the crowds. (All photos shot with my Panasonic Lumix ZS200 and iPhone 13 Pro.)
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--- __0 __0 __0 ----_-\<,_ -\<, _(_)(_)/_(_)/ (_) A thing of beauty is a joy forever--Keats |
#8403
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This local club gravel ride on October 15 . . .
. . . took our 20-strong Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club group over to Arlington, Vt, just over the border for some quality(?) climbing from the village up into the Green Mountain National Forest. The planned 40-mile ride started out with a ten-mile climb to get us up onto the top of the Green Mountain ridges, where we then rode along the top before enjoying going back down that ten miles. First climbing on Kansas and Kelley Stand Roads out of town, then turning south on National Forest “highway” 71. I had matching sore legs and hands after climbing, then riding the brakes on the whole gravelly, bumpy descent. But the weather was stunningly clear, with temps going from the high 40’s into the mid 50’s, thankfully warming up as we descended back down into the valley. I ended up with 35 miles and 3700 feet of vertical. You can’t really beat riding in the northeast in the fall! (Photos shot with my Panasonic Lumix ZS200.)
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--- __0 __0 __0 ----_-\<,_ -\<, _(_)(_)/_(_)/ (_) A thing of beauty is a joy forever--Keats |
#8404
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Last week I spent three days in the Catskills . . .
. . . to enjoy as much fall color as I could, and one of those days was spent doing a ride around Ashokan Reservoir with my friend Tom. This is a beautiful loop that circles one of the largest reservoirs in the New York City water system. The series of dams and reservoirs in the Catskills collects water and feeds it by gravity downstate to supply New York City. Building this reservoir required more earth fill than the rest of the dams in the system put together, so it has some spectacular lengths of car-free road along the top of the dam in addition to the newly opened Ashokan Rail Trail (https://ashokanrailtrail.com/) that goes for 11 miles along the north shore of the lake on an old rail bed from West Hurley over to Boiceville. There was still plenty of fall foliage left and we were blessed with brisk (but still warm) sunny weather. It was a great day to ride a bike! I’m so lucky to live in upstate New York with so many beautiful places like this within only a short drive. (Photos shot with my Panasonic Lumix ZS200.)
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--- __0 __0 __0 ----_-\<,_ -\<, _(_)(_)/_(_)/ (_) A thing of beauty is a joy forever--Keats |
#8405
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This October has been absolutely beautiful cycling weather . . .
. . . in the Great Northeast, and last Saturday was yet another chance to get out with my friends from the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club as we rode gravel into the countryside east of upstate Troy, NY, where the fall colors are fading, but still present a beautiful spectacle of color for us to enjoy as we ride. We started and finished at Tomhannock bicycles in Pittstown where the manager kindly lets us park and use the bathroom. They also have a great stock of bikes, parts, and supplies, so it’s a chance to get a ride in and pick up whatever you need in one trip. By the time we got done, we had ridden 26.36 miles and racked up 2061 feet vertical. The weather was incredibly nice, with sunny skies, temps that approached 70, and very little wind. Perfect ride day!
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--- __0 __0 __0 ----_-\<,_ -\<, _(_)(_)/_(_)/ (_) A thing of beauty is a joy forever--Keats |
#8406
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Yesterday at the beginning of this incredibly scenic 40-mile ride . . .
. . . on new roads with a few friends, I told myself I would just relax, and ride today and not shoot any pictures. Just enjoy the beautiful colors, nice roads, bluebird skies, yadda, yadda, yadda . . . Hoo-boy. I lasted almost exactly eight miles before seeing the silo and yellow backlit trees, letting out a scream, and yanking out my camera! So much for self-discipline! So we continued on this beautiful ride mapped out by Walt and he, Elayne, and Gail and I headed south 20 miles to beautiful, isolated Potuc reservoir before stopping for a break, then heading back north along the shoulder of the hills west of the Hudson River. It was a great ride on a stunning fall day with temps in the upper 50’s. A great day!
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--- __0 __0 __0 ----_-\<,_ -\<, _(_)(_)/_(_)/ (_) A thing of beauty is a joy forever--Keats |
#8407
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Bravo Dave!
I agree we are having a great end to cycling season up here. |
#8408
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Nice pics Dave! I spy a Duetti in there too!
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http://less-than-epic.blogspot.com/ |
#8409
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Not much for foliage left here, but the weather has been cooperating.
Sent from my SM-S127DL using Tapatalk |
#8410
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Yes . . .
Gail loves hers!
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--- __0 __0 __0 ----_-\<,_ -\<, _(_)(_)/_(_)/ (_) A thing of beauty is a joy forever--Keats |
#8411
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Another great day on the Rock! Windy and gusty especially at the water.
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#8412
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28 Miles with my wife in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia - it's about peak color here now.
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#8413
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Our foliage is done but the spectacular fall riding weather continues.
This summer and fall have been about perfect. |
#8414
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Last edited by Likes2ridefar; 11-30-2022 at 05:53 PM. |
#8415
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Quote:
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