New England to the Atlantic Coast Route

[indyfabz]

Some photos from my recent tour from Brattleboro, VT to Philly, hooking up with the Atlantic Coast Route in Canaan, CT:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/105349603@N05/albums/72157670896460903

(Click on the first image and advance manually to read the captions.)

My computer decided to go on strike the morning after my 1 mile ride from the Brattleboro Amtrak station to my motel, but mapping shows about 400 miles total. Day 2 was the hardest, with neatly 4,100' of climbing in 53 miles. The overwhelming majority of that came in the first 30 miles and featured grades in the double digits in the southern Berkshires. Other than brief showers the first two days and some humidity, the weather was quite nice.

Heard a bunch of coyotes while camping at Lone Oak in E. Canaan. The Atlantic Coast route south there has some gut buster climbs. Not long, but very steep in places. The Harlem Valley Trail south the Millerton, NY is gorgeous, as is Shunpike Rd. heading towards the Hudson Valley outside of Amenia. (CR 41 into Hyde Park, not so much, as there was a lot of traffic, and the road needs some serious work in places.) The ride along the Schwangunk Mountains south of New Paltz, NY was similarly beautiful. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was terrific as always. I don't think I got passed by one vehicle in nearly 30 miles and encountered maybe a dozen travelling in the other direction. The campground in Worthington State Forest is a must-stay place if you ride that section. (Sites 11 and 12 are close to the rest room and front the river.) I did deviate from the route in Phillipsburg, NJ by crossing the river into Easton, PA and riding some of the D&L Trail but got off it in Riegelsville and crossed back into NJ via the Roebling bridge there. The final night was spent in Upper Black Eddy, PA, where the owner of Dogwood Haven charges cyclist only $10 to camp.

Looks like the weather is about to start turning in these parts, but I am hoping to get in at least one more three-day trip. Last year we had a 75 degree weekend in December so it's quite possible that I will.

[BobG]

Thanks for the photos! Brought back memories of similar trips I took in '13, NH to VA. First attempt was in June, N Tier to Orford NH then south to Brattleboro. Picked up the ACA route at Granby CT and continued to Poughkeepsie. Camped at Riverton, Millerton and Staatsburg. I aborted trip there due to weather and fitness and took Amtrak back to Boston via NY then bus home.

Second try in the Fall was same week after Labor Day as yours with perfect weather. Successful all the way to VA using the same ACA route you took through NY and NJ. That trip I modified the route through CT and rode from Westhampton MA to Bantam Lake CT and then to Highland NY. From there continued on ACA route south to DC with an alternate route from Riegelsville to French Creek SP where I re-joined the ACA route as far as MD, then continued on my own route.

Didn't take many pics so I enjoyed yours!

[indyfabz]

I originally eyed up Taconic State Park near Millerton, but Labor Day is the last day of its season, which seems strange. One would think there would be some leaf pepper business, at least on weekends.