Bikepacking Solo Across New York on the Empire State Trail
[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] New York state is a land of remarkable Beauty and diversity offering inviting Landscapes that range from The Towering peaks of the adonic to the countless Serene rivers and lakes the Hudson Valley enchant with its Lush Greenery historic Estates and many locks while the cat skills provide bucolic views with their dense forests and Charming Villages whether you're taking a journey through the rich tapestry of history and culture or seeking a restful respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life the state's diverse Landscapes offer something for everyone making it a truly unique and captivating destination the the Empire State trail is a remarkable multi-use trail that spans the entire state of New York it stretches from the bustling streets of New York City through the cic Hudson River Valley Westward along the historic Erie Canal to Buffalo and North to the picturesque Champlain Valley and ader Onex the Empire State trail is made up of many different paths around the state and is broken into three main segments the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail spans from New York City to Albany the area canalway Trail heads West from Albany to Buffalo and the Champlain Valley Trail heads North from Albany to the Canadian border for my trip I rode North from New York City to Canada plus I chose to spice things up a bit and take the scenic old croen Aqueduct Trail this is a rustic 25m 40 km trail that follows along the Hudson River from Yonkers to the Coten Reservoir before rejoining the Empire State trail day one took me from my hotel in Manhattan to Battery Park where the Empire State trail begins from New York I headed north to mayopac this included the spectacular old croen Aqueduct Trail its history scenery and terrain were all a welcomed addition to my trip it's amazing how quickly the city was left behind well that was an adventure just getting to the start working my way through downtown New York City uh double Park ERS people in the bike Lanes uh people parked in the bike Lanes anyway General City Adventure but uh amped Up made it to Battery Park and what a disappointment it's under construction so there is no view of Statue of Liberty here let me turn around and show you the best view that I found after riding around for half an hour there you have it if you look over that dumpster you can see a little piece of it [Music] f [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] just miles and miles of this gradual rail climb for the next couple [Music] hours day two was 75 mi from mayap to Kingston I got a late start due to thunderstorms but eventually cleared making way for another hot day this day featured more Lush Greenery and some spectacular views from the walkway over the Hudson the trail then turned to the smoothest gravel I've ever seen with the Highlight being the much appreciated cold air blowing out of the Rosendale Ice Caves providing Nature's air conditioning is [Music] [Music] [Music] h you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] day three from Kingston to East Green Bush featured more spectacularly smooth gravel paths however this day also signaled the start of the transition to more and more highway riding foreshadowing what was to come this day once again crossed the Hudson and featured quaint villages Majestic waterfalls and a tour through the historic Bard College [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] he [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] day four from East Green Bush to taond deroga marked a dramatic shift in the route the number of highway miles increased considerably with the last 30 mies being quite hilly while traversing the the Eastern edge of the adoric mountains the first half of the day featured paved paths and gravel roads with the route Meandering through locks and old canalways but as the day went on the gaps between Trail segments grew and the roads got busier while riding into the busy city of Albany was a bit of a culture shock after the past few days of Serenity this part of the route stuck to bike paths and lightly travel the roads [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] day five was another big day riding from taond deroga to the Canadian border the climbing from the day before continued but with much less major highway riding bike paths were extremely rare but most of the days paved in gravel roads were lightly traveled the day was highlighted by the awe inspiring aable Chasm riding along the shores of Lake Champlain and of course reaching the Canadian border to complete the trip [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]
2024-08-06 11:51
