2010 Tour of the Adirondacks

June 12-21, 2010

Atop Mt Greylock in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts

On Saturday, June 12 we all convened at the Wilmington Amtrak station to

load our bikes on the rental truck manned by Gary and John and then we boarded the Vermonter for the 12-hour train ride to St Albans, VT. The train was much faster than the last time we rode it in 2007 because the marginal track had been replaced.

Some of the scenery enroute to St Albans

After an overnight at the Cadillac Motel in St Albans we rode over some nice country roads to the ferry to Plattsburgh, which took just 12 minutes to cross Lake Champlain.

The Plattsburgh Ferry

In Plattsburgh I stopped at a bakery to enjoy coffee and pastry at an outdoor table next to a local long-distance cyclist with whom I swapped tales of mutually familiar roads. Then we continued on to Wilmington, NY and the Hungry Trout Lodge. My dinner at the lodge featured a delicious trout sandwich [81 miles, 3956 ft. of climbing].

Next day we rode along the fast flowing Ausable River to Lake Placid where we stopped to visit Jack’s son’s bicycle shop Placid Planet Cycles before continuing on to Blue Mountain Lake for a stay at Hemlock Hall near the Adirondack Museum.

We followed the Ausable River from Wilmington to Lake Placid

Hemlock Hall was just as delightful as it had been on previous visits. We were welcomed with a bowl of fruit and cookies. While some of us took kayaks out on the lake, Tom went for a swim in the frigid water [75 miles, 4543 ft. of climbing].

Hemlock Hall at Blue Mountain Lake

From Blue Mountain Lake we rode through the southern Adirondacks to Amsterdam on the Mohawk River, where we had dinner at our motel’s Indian restaurant, The Monsoon [91 miles, 3373 ft. of climbing].

Lunching by Pleasant Lake in Speculator enroute to Amsterdam, NY

Dinner at the Monsoon in Amsterdam should have raised concerns about the next day’s weather.

On Day 4 we headed toward Pittsfield, MA. As soon as we crossed the Mohawk River we began riding the Mohawk-Hudson bike trail, which is very well maintained and a joy to ride. We did need to detour past a section that was being resurfaced, so it was very helpful that those of us with a gps were able to view a gps track that we obtained from Pat Rooney of the Mohawk-Hudson Wheelmen.

A lock on the Erie Canal along the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Trail

After about 37 miles on the bike trail, we crossed the Hudson River to Troy, NY where we stopped for lunch. It soon began to rain lightly, so we split into two groups, one of which headed on toward Pittsfield, and the other group that hung around the restaurant for a very long time waiting for the rain to stop. The rain caused the three-mile stretch of unpaved road through the Cherry Flat State Park to become treacherous with some near falls. We helped the later group reroute to avoid this stretch. In Pittsfield we were pleased with our nice accommodations at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (formerly the Berkshire Hilton) in the center of town [88 miles, 4473 ft of climbing]. Next day we left our panniers in the hotel and headed toward Mt. Greylock. As we began the ascent of the mountain on the newly reconstructed roadway it began to drizzle, and it became foggy. We stopped at a Welcome Center shortly after the start of the climb, hoping to wait out the fog, so we would be able to enjoy the view at the top. Tom didn’t bother to stop since he thought we were right behind him. Eventually, inspired by Barb, we continued to the top where we stopped in Bascomb Lodge for lunch and to await a change in the weather (which never came until we were back in Pittsfield). After another long wait, we descended the North Adams side of the mountain, which was scary due to the wet road, sharp turns and steep (up to 17%) grades. A real treat on the return to Pittsfield was the 11-mile ride on a bike trail from Adams to the Berkshire Mall near Pittsfield [49 miles, 3396 ft of climbing]. That evening we enjoyed a street festival near the center of town.

Trying to keep warm at the top of Greylock where it was 53 degrees

On Day 6 we headed to Acra, NY with a stop in now-upscale Hudson for mid-morning snacks. We crossed the Hudson River on the Rip van Winkle Bridge, which was very accommodating for bicyclists. In Acra we stayed at Lange’s Groveside, where we had stayed on several earlier tours. But, the place had deteriorated quite a bit. There was a deep pool in the stream behind the motel where some of us took a dip to cool off [71 miles, 3635 ft of climbing].

No water is ever too cold for Tom – behind Lange’s Groveside in Acra

Not too cold for Rachel either

On Day 7 we headed through the Catskills to Wurtsboro. After lunch at Big Indian, we headed up the long climb on CR 42. The grand finale to the climb was a grueling 650 vertical foot section that varied between 11% (in the short rest sections) and 17%. This was our toughest day [88 miles with 5900 ft of climbing]. At the Wurtsboro Days Inn we were surprised to meet up with Dave, who had ridden from Landenberg to join up with us. The Days Inn was very well maintained, and we enjoyed a swim in the pool with some of the owners’ children.

Underwater antics of the kids at the Wurtsboro Days Inn

For the ride from Wurtsboro to Phillipsburg, NJ most of us opted to ride to Port Jervis in order to ride through the beautiful Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. But, Frank opted to explore the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River on busy US 209. Rachel and Don, who accompanied Frank, abandoned his exploration, and returned to the National Recreation Area by way of Dingman’s Ferry. We stopped at the Walpack Inn (not open yet) to get some water and munch on our snacks. The steep climb from Flatbrookville to Millbrook was challenging [96 miles, 5460 ft. of climbing].

The final day was hot, and we enjoyed a nice lunch stop at the Cedar Hollow Inn on Yellow Springs Road [my distance 98 miles, 4861 ft. of climbing]. All agreed that it was a pretty nice tour.