Just got back. 9G is much better and takes you right to the walkway.
The Wallkill Valley Trail, not so much. Nothing to look at and a not-so-nice surface that was overgrown in many places and had hard to see rocks embedded. In several places it becomes a single track ride. 208 in Wallkill is banged up in places. I nearly wiped out on a broken shoulder. Getting back to the former routing there was a good deal of traffic, no shoulder and a couple of short, nasty hills to start on Bruyn Pike. This new route adds about 4.5 miles and about 350' of climbing. It also cuts out what I remember to be a lovely stretch of riding south of New Paltz. Overall, it seems like trail mileage for the sake of trail mileage, resulting in a net overall loss of pleasantness.
I will also add this route observation: Adding the trail mileage on the Harlem Valley Trail between Amenia and Wassaic is nice, but if you have 32c tires or better and like virtually car-free riding there is no need to loop around through Mabbettsville. Deep Hollow Rd. off of SR 343/22 a little beyond the end of the trail is a treat. The surface is virtually all hard pack dirt with one very short, flat section of gravel as you close in on U.S. 44. The early part is steep, but then the grades ease and you eventually plateau. The road is mostly shaded and very pretty. Got passed by only two moving vehicles. Heading south, make a right on U.S. 44 and a left on Shun Pike in 0.3 miles. That will put you back on route, and you will pass Rally Farms, which you miss with the new routing using CR 98 to Shun Pike. Save 8 miles and nearly 500' of climbing.
