11. April 2010 by Kevin.

04-01-10

the dirt parking lot as it appeared in August of 2009

  The split hill formed by the ROW siding,that is now the RT entrance off Parker Ave. in the city of Poughkeepsie, has been removed.This has allowed a view of the main ROW RT approach to the Walkway bridge from Parker Ave. thus changing the “landscape” of this part of Poughkeepsie that has remained unchanged for many years.Jason Anthony had told me the newly cleared area will be a dirt / gravel parking lot for the remainder of the year.

Anthony’s Bike Rental

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5. April 2010 by Kevin.

04-01-10

old ROW looking east - the west end of the WOTH SP can be seen in the background

  On this day I had seen that construction of a possible new parking lot along Haviland Rd. ,near the west end entrance of the Walkway OTH state park,
was underway. I would presume this will be the eastern terminus parking lot for the RT. I would imagine,in the future,this parking lot will serve as an auxiliary parking lot for the Walkway as well.The west end of the WOTH is only 100 yards or so away. I had ridden to route 9W north,on the east side,to see the ROW going under the highway via the tunnel. When I was here last year,I could hardly see the ROW with all the overgrowth. The ROW is now clearly visable. When I was at the Hanaford doing some shoping,I had seen a truck go by with old RR ties,then another flat bed truck with sections of rail. I could only presume that this was from the old ROW. I did not know that there was any track left, though.

the old ROW going under route 9W

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24. March 2010 by Kevin.

03-20-10

“blessed are those with triple gearing … for they shall have more time to enjoy God’s creation”
K.E.N. 2010

  I had,during the week,went for my first ride on the Walkway for a short shopping sojurn in Highland. I had discovered that the Hudson Valley rail trail was being extended eastward to meet with the WOTH.The “phase 2″ construction of this rail trail had begun.I wanted more info and did a search for the website. (oddly I had not gotten the website URL for this rail trail before - I have the URL’s for the websites of the other RT’s in the area) I had seen a link on their site for the Hudson Valley Rail Trail Riders. I followed the link and was taken to their home page of www.meetup.com.This website has a number of groups throught the country that meet in the “meat space” real world to do various activities. A most unusual concept in today’s virtual cyber world.The HVRTR group is a Dutchess county based cycling group dedicated primarily to riding the area trailways.I had seen that the group would be having a “meetup” on Saturday,the first day of Spring,for a ride on the phase II (northern) section of the Dutchess Rail Trail and the Walkway Over The Hudson state park. The start location would be the Overocker Rd. parking lot of the DRT. The start time would be 2:15 PM.I signed up as a member of the group,uploaded a picture of myself with my Giant Rincon bicycle at the Wappinger’s Greenway Trail,and RSVP’d for the “meetup” 

  I arrived at the start location via bike a bit more than 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.As I was waiting I had seen a familiar bicycle in the parking lot. It was that 1960’s Sears “Free Spirit” “Sting Ray”-type bike of that fellow I had met last year on the Walkway.This is his childhood bicycle his parents,now deceased,had kept all these many years.While I was talking to him,a female voice interupted and asked if this is the “meetup”. I replied “yes … but our leader Dave is not here” (Dave?… Dave’s not here man) The mature woman who had spoke was wearing an older helmet, of a name brand I did not recognize,that harkened back to the early years of my cycling “career” The days of “woolen shorts (and real Chamois) and Iron men” I did not see them arrive,but a pair of female cyclists appeared.This was Laurie and her “+ one” friend. At first glance from their Velogear “boutique” cycling attire,matching Giro ladies helmets,and cleated shoes they were a pair of “turbo divas”,but they were riding decidedly non “turbo” bicycles.They were “D ride divas”. I had realized latter that this group is a “D ride” group. (my clue that this is a social - “D” class type ride should have been the third part of today’s meetup - a restaurant - the Bonefish Grill)
It has been a long time since I had been on a club ride,and even longer since I had been on a “D ride”. The D ride classification of most clubs is typicaly a short,flat ride for novices (or in today’s cyber lingo “newbies”) or a family oriented ride.These rides are more social and a lot slower than the higher classification rides like the B or A which are the rides for the”turbo jocks” (or “turbo divas”) “+ one” had a Giant “hybrid” bicycle with 700c wheels and ATB style bars.Laurie had an old Trek “ladies” bike with a top tube that sloped down halfway to the bottom bracket.This reminded me of the French Peugot “mixte” frame bicycles.As a matter of fact,this Trek had Simplex deraileurs, with old pre-index friction shifters, as would be on the aforementioned Peugot. The bicycle also had triple gearing and many,many miles of grunge and grime.This led me to wonder  if the owner had done any touring.I asked Laurie if she had done any multi-day trips or tours. She had told me no.I then broke one of the ten comandments of cycling - “thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s gearing” - when I openly admired the small chainring and large cog on the freewheel her bicycle had.Laurie had admited she did not use the inner chainring and had indicated she did not know how to shift into that chainring “Has she been riding all these years using only the middle chainring on the hills?” I had wondered. I pictured her strugling up a grade with that relatively big middle chainring when she could be in that wonderfuly small inner chainring spinning her way up the grade. Ahhh yes … teach a person how to shift, and they will not suffer (well.. at least the suffering will be greatly reduced)

It was almost 2:30 when our group organizer-leader,Dave,arrived .It had seemed Dave had forgotten to take into acount the beautiful sunshine 70 degree first day of spring (and the mid afternoon start) and that the small Overrocker Rd. parking lot would fill quickly. He had to park in an auxilary parking lot down the hill. Dave was wearing a floral print shirt and cargo pants and looked like he was riding to a nature  walk/bird watchers group meet,not a cycling group.Dave was riding a pristine new Kona hybrid/trail bicycle equiped with semi-knobby 700c tires. I took note of these tires.These tires would be and excelent choice if one were to do an extended ride on an un paved trail such as the 150 mile long Great Allegheny Passage trail in PA and the adjoining C&O towpath trail in MD and Washington DC (335 miles total for the 2 trails) We saddled up and began our northward ride.The group got split crossing Overocker Rd.After crossing,I easily caught up to Dave. I had just started to ride alongside him when he said something like “I have to go back” It had seemed someone in the group may have had a problem. I continued
to the next intersection,No. Grand Ave.This would provide me with some time for a “photo op” to take pictures of the group riding the DRT,and to fortify myself with some mini chocolate chip cookies I had in my front bag. After some time I saw a flash of yellow emerged from behind a roller bladder. Laurie had taken the lead. It had seemed Marcy had a flat and replaced the tube.This may have ocured after the pre-ride pumping-of-the-tires “ritual” With half of the group re-grouped,we continued to the northern terminus,Morgan Lake.With the lack of thick vegitation this first day of spring, one is able to see a lot more than during the summer when the vegitation is lot thicker. And there it was,clearly seen from the rail trail,the WW I monument in St. Peter’s Cemetery.This section to Morgan lake from No. Grand Ave. is shorter than the previous section from Overocker Rd. And so,all of a sudden there was the Creek Rd. overpass at the end of what will be someday?? the 12 mile Dutchess Rail Trail. (4.2 miles total open as of 2010)
We had had arrived at Morgan Lake.We would take an extended break to re-group.”+ one” offered me a healthy Apple slice.I declined her offer,I had chocolate chip cookies. As the undeveloped ROW between here and the Walkway is not a RT yet (and most likely will be many many years before it is - if ever), we would have to exit the car free,billiard table smooth RT to ride city of Poughkeepsie roads and streets to the east entrance of the WOTH state park on Parker Ave. Dave took us on the “riders in ‘tha hood” Smith Street route as oposed to the “colegiate” route past Dutchess Community College. I said a silent prayer to the “holy muthaphukah” to guide us safely - YO! Smith St. goes through an industrial section of the city. On this day the road was rife with spring potholes,broken glass and other debris,and of course the traffic. Dave unexpectedly turned right off Smith St. onto a side street past an old Army base. I had turned my head to look back to see if the other riders were behind us and saw us make the turn.There was a small grade and all of a sudden  I was on this grade and could not shift into my small chainring. I had done,what I will now refer to as,a “Laurie”. At some point before this, someone had noticed the Sky-Mounti inclinometer on my bicycle. Laurie then expected me to let her know what percent the grades were. In a fasion similar to the ‘bosuns of the old sailing ships calling out depth soundings,I called out the percent of the grades … THREE PERCENT! FIVE PERCENT! SEVEN PERCENT!

We arrived safely at the WOTH state park.The Walkway has had 450,000 visitors so far,since opening,before this weekend. After this weekend I am sure the Walkway will have had a half million visitors,and counting (and counting). I made my way through the mass of humanity. As I was stoped to take a picture,someone with a 3 wheeled B.O.B. stroller,his wife and children,asked me if I had a pump and if he could borrow it to pump up the tires on the sroller. I extracted the mini pump I had, from the front bag on my bicycle,and handed it to him. I told him I did’nt know that B.O.B. made strollers.They of course make those trailers for bicycles.With half his family in the stroller,he pumped up the tires.He returned the pump to me and thankedme for it’s use. I continued to the west end.I put my bicycle in a bike rack that I am sure was not there last year. I apparently had ridden past Dave without seeing him. I told him I would be riding a bit past the west end to take some pictures of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail extension construction progress, or lack thereof. (see below seperate blog entry) I said goodby,and presumeably,Dave and some others would back to the cars and do the third and final part of today’s meetup - the Bonefish Grill

SKY-MOUNTI inclinometer and other stuff

B.O.B. trailers and strollers

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24. March 2010 by Kevin.

03-20-10

ROW and the old tunnel under route 9W

  As previously noted in my first ride, of 2010,on the Walkway report,construction to extend the Hudson Valley Rail Trail east to the Walkway
has begun.I have dubed this Phase 2, in similar manner to the Dutchess Rail Trail construction stages. I had kind of wondered about that side road
from Haviland Rd., Mile Hill Rd., that crosed the ROW at elevation above the ROW.Was there a second tunnel? I had known there was a tunnel
under rt. 9W.I had found out there was once a bridge and the area between the 2 ends of the bridge had been filled in.That area is now being excavatedand a new bridge over the ROW will be put in place,thus reverting to the original road overpass with,what will be,the rail trail going under. This in addition to the new bridge over Vineyard Ave. - rt.44/55 - in the village of Highland.When I had checked the HudVal RT website,I saw that a side trail up to rt. 9W,to access the services,will be constructed as well.

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18. March 2010 by Kevin.

03-16-10

build it and they will come …

  The Walkway has had 450,000 visitors so far,after just 5 months.The Walkway is now the third most visited state park.For my second ride of the year I would ride to Highland via the WOTH.When I had arrived at the east end entrance off Parker Ave., in the city of Poughkeepsie, I was surprised to see heavy construction equipment in the lower dirt parking lot.It had seemed the small hill between this parking lot and the RT approach area on the other side,was being removed. I had noticed some new bicycles in the parking lot of what is (or was) the antique center,which was an old factory,across the street. My curiosity piqued,I went across the street to find out what was going on. I had talked to a couple and they had told me they were renting and selling “cruiser” bicycles.The fellow I had talked to was Jason Anthony of Anthony’s bike rental.He had told me they will be moving into a new park concesion building that will include some sort of food concesion.There was much ado about the economic benefits of the Walkway. I had figured it would take more than the 5 months the Walkway had been open,like maybe over several years, before I would see something like Anthony’s bike rental,or Mahoney’s of Poughkeepsie operating a food concesion cart/stand during the fall last year,just weeks after the Walkway opened. It would seem people are taking notice of Parker Ave. as well. Because of the Walkway, this part of Poughkeepsie may become another economicaly developed area of the city, as is the waterfront. At the west end,in Highland,I had noticed that work on extending the Hudson Valley rail trail
 to the Walkway had begun.
 

new construction at the east entrance of the WOTH state park - City of Poughkeepsie

snow on the Cats’

“phase 2″ Hudson Valley RT construction - extending the trail to the WOTH

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2. February 2010 by Kevin.

12-30-09

  I would return to the Walkway one last time for the year. As it was winter, the bicycle is in winter storage and so I would, as I did during my first
time out on the Walkway on opening day in October, be in “hiker” mode.I had taken the Poughkeepsie City bus NORTHSIDE route to the intersection of Washington St. and Parker Ave.I would walk the 1/4 mile from there to the Walkway entrance and then another 1/2 mile total in the Walkway park. (FYI: the NORTHSIDE route bus also serves the Dutchess RT at Morgan Lake).
I had timed it so I would be on the Walkway near sunset. As I was taking the last few pictures, I had noticed a private car,not a state park vehicle,aproaching from the west end.A park employee leaned out to let everyone know the Walkway would be closing in a few minutes.I quickly took the last few pictures and began the walk back to the east entrance along the south side. I had seen the electrical work that had been done.There seemed to be LED lights at regular intervals on this side.I did not see lights, on the north side.In just this last few months of 2009,the Walkway has already seen 215,000 visitors.

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1. February 2010 by Kevin.

10-25-09

  When I had taken the UCAT bus to Rosendale in April (2009), I had been thinking of a longer ride starting from the park-n-ride. With Rosendale’s proximity to the Catskill park,it had seemed likely I could ride to the Ashokan reservoir,and back,in about 35-40 miles. To make what had promised to be a very scenic ride even more scenic,I would hold off doing this ride untill the fall.

  I would follow my April route from Rosendale into the town of Marbletown along CR 26,all the way this time,to the intersection with US rt. 209/SR 213 at Ulster Community College. There is a country farm market at this intersection.I would get a soda and some “munchies”,and an Apple from the nearby Stone Ridge orchard, to have with the sandwich I had brought with me, for a leisurely lunch.The next road I would follow,Mill Dam Road,would provide me with my first bit of awesome, with a peek of the very near Catskill mountains.The Catskill park would be only 7 miles away from here.This road also provided me with the second of 2 serious hills from hell for the day,a 16 percent grade.The first being the ride out of Rosendale up the 14 percent CR7 Binewater Rd. grade.

NYC DEP watershed along SR 213 in the town of Olive - Ulster county NY

  Mill Dam road would take me to SR 213/CR 4.After going along some farms,the highway entered a forested section.The highway began a very gradual uphill climb, with an ocasional not so gradual uphill grade to the reservoir.I had stoped to take some pictures when I had spoted a NYC DEP watershed sign across the road.I was still 5 miles away from the Ashokan reservoir.After a few more miles I had entered the Catskill park. The so called “park”, is actualy more like a national forest out west covering a very large area with diferent sections,and diferent jurisdictions.The Ashokan reservoir area is under the jurisidiction of NYC Department of Enviromental Protection.The Ashokan reservoir is part of New York city’s vast reservoir,and aqueduct,system.I had stopped in the tiny mountain village of Olive Bridge to take some pictures (the camera realy slows you down on a ride like this) before continuing another mile to the intersection with SR 28A, where SR 213 ends. The reservoir, as per my map,  should have been near this intersection, but I could not see the reservoir because of the trees. It had seemed that I was in between 2 access points for the NYC DEP road that goes along the top of the dam which would asure me a view of the reservoir. I would turn right going downhill through the forested area that encircles the reservoir. After descending the grade. the 2 lane highway was restricted to a very narrow one lane for construction of a new viaduct under the highway.
  I rode past the DEP NYC Catskill region police HQ-baracks at the end of this construction area. A vertible mini Army base with the increased post 9-11 security. I would stop at the hydro-electric project public area and the base of the dam.I could see the dam road way up. I would have to ride a bit more in the direction I had been going on the state highway to find the NYC DEP road to the top of the dam. I did not have to ride too much farther, just a 1/4 mile.Then a short ride uphill to the top. And there it was before me,the reservoir view I had been expecting,There was a section closed to motor vehicle traffic to my right and I rode onto this section a bit for a much anticipated “photo op”.I would ride back mostly the way I had come along SR213 in order to get back to Rosendale before 4:30 PM.On Sundays,the last bus back to Poughkeepsie leaves at this time. With all the photo stops there was not enough time for exploring an alternate route.

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4. November 2009 by Kevin.

  Today I went for a short shopping sojurn to the Hanaford’s in Highland . Of course, the walkway is now the primary bicycle-pedestrian crossing. As this is not the summer vacation time of year, and a workday, I was somewhat surprised at the number of people. There must be a lot more people out of work than I had thought. I had expected to meet some touring cyclists at some point. The walkway has already become a gathering place and perhaps the new slogan for the 21^st century,at least here in Poughkeepsie, will be “meet me on the walkway”.

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10. October 2009 by Kevin.

  In the early 1990’s, when I was living in Pawling, an organization was formed by Bill Sepe. Bill Sepe’s dream was to convert (with volunteer workers and private donations) the old RR bridge between Poughkeepsie and Highland, that had been a part of the area “skyline” for over 100 years, into a linear sort of park with a boardwalk, or walkway, so that people may go out onto the bridge and enjoy the awesome view etc. That organization would be named “Walkway Over The Hudson”. In the late 90’s, after I had moved to here in Poughkeepsie, I had the oportunity during a public “open bridge” day at the west end in Highland, to go out on the bridge up to the first support, or “bent” in RR trestle parlance. It was indeed quite awesome, but was also a bit precarious.The track was still there and so to my left I could seen down through the RR ties, and to my right the only thing to prevent me from plunging 212 feet down to the river, was a somewhat flimsy looking wood rail. Once on the bridge I could also get a scale of just how big of a project it would be to convert this bridge into a “walkway” This would be no job for a bunch of amateur volunteers. Bill Sepe’s dream would have been a nightmare. Over the next 10 years both the Dutchess rail trail and the Walkway seemed to fade into a wishful dream by a small handful of visonaries.

27. September 2009 by Kevin.

09-24-09

I went for a short ride from the Poughkeepsie RR station to the east entrance of the Walkway OTH, to do a mileage check of the route I had previously maped out. The east entrance is now paved. The single track siding, that had served as the construction entrance, was also paved. There was a wood frame for a large sign. Interestingly, I had seen some NY state parks - Taconic region - vehicles in the dirt city parking lot. The soon-to-be new owners of the Walkway. One of the dark green vehicles was a dump truck with a trailer. I could also see a paving roller machine nearby. It would seem they had done the paving. I did not have my camera, so I would have to return the next day on Friday to take some pictures (thus the photo date discrepency)

09-25-09

The west entrance in Highland is now complete. The chain link fence gate and the construction office trailer, that were a part of the Highland ”landscape” for a little over a year were all gone. The big sign on the concrete base seemed to be up higher. I could see at the far end of the parking lot, behind a tree, a small structure. In the zoom close-up picture I could see that this structure had a solar panel and a vent pipe. It would seem to be a pre-fab solar powered bathroom. There was striping on Haviland road for additional parking. If the phase 2 section of the Dutchess RT is any indication, the Walkway should be very, very popular.

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