100 miles, reverse Autumn

There was a moment yesterday when I was passing by Iona island, right by Bear Mountain, when I felt a rush of longing for the roads I wouldn't be able to ride. I wanted to turn around and keep riding past Bear Mountain, into the mountains north of the city. Realizing that I can only ride so far in one day, I of course kept riding South towards my current home, but that feeling pervades my thoughts today. The Hudson river valley simultaneously reminds me of my first home, in St. Paul, MN and instills in me a sense of wonder at the unknown and dramatic. The valley is dramatic, with its huge sharp cliffs and expansive river. Now that leaves and blossoms are starting to emerge, the valley is more comforting, as it is alive. I wonder how I'll feel when I'm surrounded by nothing but what appears to be the inorganic in the West.

The marshes by Iona Island

I rode 100 miles yesterday! I think that is the first time I've ever ridden more than about 80 miles. I know that my dad and I would some long rides when I was a kid, but never 100 miles. This is a pretty exciting accomplishment for me. The ride was okay until the last 20 miles. I hadn't eaten enough while riding, so I was starting to feel kind of faint as I made my way down familiar stretches of highway 9 in New Jersey. Now I know that a couple of Cliff bars and a puff pastry is not enough to sustain me for such a long ride. Ultimately, I made it back fine. After a ton of food and 10 hours of sleep, I'm feeling great, albeit a little sore. Oh, and my ass. It's feeling a little tender, to put it lightly. 

I get a kick out of riding unpaved trails (hence my bike), and I think that must have ridden about a third of my ride on unpaved trails. While not technically difficult, one of my favorites was the path in Nyack Beach State Park. Instead of going up and over Hook Mountain (which 9w kind of does) you skirt right along the beach. The path is finely crushed rock. My 40c tires make short work of this terrain, so I was just tearing it up. After a section that goes right along the beach, the trail goes up a steep little grade and then rolls and turns along the cliff before ending in Haverstraw. This section was lots of fun, as I was going fast enough to lose a little traction on the turns. This meant that I ended up sliding through the turns. North of Haverstraw there is another trail that goes almost all the way to Bear Mountain State Park. This trail doesn't appear to be as well maintained, so it was a little more technically difficult. I took a little air out of the tires and mooshed through all that gravel. This week I hope to make it to Hook Mountain State Park in order to ride some more cool trails. 

Nyack Beach State Park bike trail

Panorama from Nyack Beach State Park

Another shot of the trail in Nyack Beach