New York - Montreal Trek Rises to Challenges in the Hudson Valley

Traveling from Croton Point Park to Fishkill, NY, our New York - Montreal Trekkers hit more than a few bumps: it was a hot day, they went up and down a lot of hills, and they had a number of bike problems, from flat tires to a wrecked derailleur.  At the end of the ride, they even hit a brief but heavy downpour.  They stayed positive, though, and put in some fantastic team effort to keep everyone moving.

 

Plus, the whole group did a lot of hands-on learning, so every one of them is now more confident about making their own repairs.

After their tough day, the Trekkers swam in the hotel pool and ordered out for pizza to give themselves a night off from cooking.  They're now continuing up the Hudson, with Hyde Park and the Franklin D. Roosevelt House as their next stops.

New York - Montreal Trek Reaches Croton Point Park

Our second group of New York - Montreal Trekkers enjoyed their ride into Croton Point Park along a scenic bike trail.  It was a hot day, but everyone stayed in good spirits (and drank plenty of water).

The Trekkers set up camp together, explored the beach, and took some well-earned showers.  They'll continue up the Hudson Valley, heading to Fishkill, NY next.

New York - Montreal Trekkers Bike the Hudson Valley

Our New York - Montreal Trekkers are having a great time making their way up the Hudson River Valley.  They're getting good biking weather and bonding well as a group.

Two nights ago, they lived it up at a hotel in Fishkill, NY, with a pool:

The night in left them refreshed for a 32-mile day. They biked across the Walkway Over the Hudson at Poughkeepsie, a former rail trestle that's been converted into a stunning pedestrian bridge, 212 feet up and 1.28 miles long -- the longest bridge of its type in the world.

From there, they went on to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt House, where they toured the grounds and the first Presidential Library ever founded.  They hit a little rain on the way to their campsite for the night -- but it had been a hot day, so even that worked out all right.

Over the next few days, they'll head toward Lake George, into Burlington, VT, and then cross into Quebec!

New York-Montreal (NYM A5) is Along the Hilly Hudson!

The Trekkers had an amazing day yesterday.  The group had a day of higher mileage and hills, and the group took on this challenging route with gusto.  The downhill rides were worth the climb and the views of the Hudson River and greenery was really great.  The group cruised into Croton, and enjoyed the evening in a beautiful spot full of big trees and great views of the Hudson Valley.  They group all hung out, cooked up dinner and went swimming in the river before heading to bed.  The group woke up to great weather, and are now making their way (on a less hilly route) to Franklin D. Roosevelt's mansion home in Hyde Park, New York.  The group is content with one another and are having a great time so far, made even better by the lack of bike problems and great weather. 

New York-Montral Day 5

After our longest day of riding yesterday (over 50 miles), we had a leisurely breakfast of cereal and milk before heading out for Albany and our first night in a hotel!

We biked along the Hudson (check out the view from our parked bikes) and then made a detour into the town of Greenbush in order to play putt-putt. It was the first time playing for Bronx-raised Yoni, but by hole 3, he was already an expert.

New York-Montreal Checks Out FDR's Home

The Day 3 update:

The group biked a fast 30 miles from the camp site to what was Franklin D. Roosevelt's favorite home: Springwood in Hyde Park, NY. We were happy to see less hills today on the route. We got to tour the home he was born in and learned a lot. The grounds were absolutely beautiful! We are camping again tonight, and only have a couple more miles to bike today.

Springwood Estate, located along the Hudson.

 Words to summarize today's trip from the Trekkers: pizza (yum!), quick, pleasant, damp, enjoyable. 

So far the trip is going well, no major bike or direction problems which is making the trip run very smoothly!  The group gets on great-the benefits of a small group of Trekkers is that everyone already knows one another pretty well.  Ready for another great day along the Hudson...!