Diane Goodwin - 212-875-9547
Pat Carter - 718-471-1283
START
6:15 a.m.
American Youth Hostel, 103rd St. and Amsterdam Ave.
ROUTE
GW to Central New Jersey - Orange County - Sloatsburg - Seven Lakes Drive - Bear Mountain - West Point - 9W South. Entirely West of the Hudson.
Train for Boston-Montreal-Boston (August 2001). This is the first of 4 routes in the Brevet Series.?Due to lack of daylight, we can only?complete the shortest route. ?Series to be continued in the Spring.?
RIDE UPDATE:
The TEMPERATURE was around 46F at 6:00 a.m. - I really didn't want to ride to AYH - too early and too cold - but I did it. Robert Eberwein was the first to show - me, Diane, and then Chris Pile (Connecticut) and Pat Carter (Flatbush). Very important - check your gear twice before leaving the house AND look for the weather report for the ENTIRE day. Chris brought 2 pair of arm warmers and I overdressed (winter fleece jersey and long-fingered gloves for 40F weather). Robert, of course, carried a pannier - too much weight. I carried my backpack without water inside - we wouldn't get lost because I had 3 county maps Bergen, Passaic, and Orange. Besides the maps, we had Chris, who already completed this route in 8 hours early in the Spring. Photo moments? Couldn't be missed since I was armed with a film and digital camera - yes, 2 cameras. At the end of the ride, my back was so sore.
The roads were quiet, cool and pretty clear - in Englewood, some of us felt the need for more layers. By Sloatsburg, I was peeling whatever I could - but there wasn't much left. (I almost considered cycling in my bra due to heat) Most of the roads through Bergen were parts of different routes I have scouted - what a surprise! Skyline Drive and Seven Lakes Drive were new for me. It was interesting to descend Seven Lakes Drive near the entrance to Perkins Memorial Drive rather than ascend - as we did on the Hilly Bear Mountain Ride. I thought Pat and Chris would have waited near the Bear Mountain Inn - nope, I don't even remember where we met up. That's why these rides are so good - you have a cue sheet - probably a map - and need to push yourself because of embarrassment of others dropping you. Also, you probably don't want to get lost. Chris and Robert were good navigators in two places we could have turned incorrectly.
Mine Road - don't do it if you don't like WALLS! I believe this is the area