Out of the Woods and Into the Frying Pan

What a transition! After miles of hiking in the near-wilderness, we spent the other day biking along the highways and byways of Orange County. And guess what...it was still the Long Path! The previous section of the Path is the 10-mile trek over Schunemunk Mountain, which we did last year. The contrast was no less vivid from our Shawangunk hike last week. This was a whole different ballgame.

Our expedition began at the Hil-Mar Lodge in Salisbury Mills. This brought back happy memories of stumbling down Schunemunk to the Lodge, what seems like a long time ago. We parked in the exact same spot, and unloaded our bikes. Hmmm. I thought we swore not to do any more "round-trip" expeditions. What happened to the "car at either end" plan? Maybe we ran out of bike racks. Anyway, how hard could it be to bike along nice paved roads in lovely Orange County?

We began to find out the answer to this question as cars and trucks whizzed by us on Clove Road. They were going really fast, and we had no shoulder to ride on. Kinda scary. Soon enough we turned onto an old abandoned road, and things got more pleasant for awhile. Up a hill and down the other side. Past a beautiful pond, with turtles basking on a log. Silent Panther sped ahead on his hybrid bike, perfect for the rough pavement. My old beach bomber got a run for its money. Luckily, all seven gears were working.

Uh-oh, back on the public streets. Woodcock Mountain Road was just paved, and the drop off the edge of the road is precipitous. We did not want to end up in that ditch, so we had to switch sides a few times to avoid speeding cars. Does everyone drive too fast up here? Well, the scenery is beautiful, and the farms are still in business. At the corner of Route 208, a big sign welcomed us to Washingtonville. There was a huge cornfield, and cars going even faster.

Luckily, we soon turned off 208 onto Horton Road, which was more relaxing. We were getting quite a workout with the hills, and started to question our goal of 9 miles. Left on 94, past the Blooming Grove police station. I feel safer already. A quick right on Tuthill Road...hey, there's a deli. That could be useful in the future! Left on Cherry Hill Road, and down into a valley. There's a pretty stream, and a wide floodplain. Everything is under water, thanks to the rainiest month of August that I can remember. Around and down and left on Hulsetown Road, and...

You've got to be kidding me...it's the longest uphill climb in the universe! You never saw such a hill! It just keeps going up and up and up. All the Long Path Guide book says is "go straight." I think it should say "Warning! Longest uphill climb in the universe!" No way the old beach bomber was making it up this hill. (Or maybe I am out of shape. You can try biking up that hill and let me know). Anyway, it wasn't easy pushing that beast up that incline. Did I mention that it was about a thousand degrees, and very humid? Whose brilliant idea was this?

Finally back in the saddle, along route 51, down hill, then up alongside a beautiful stream full of rapids. Right turn on Goshen Road, and there's a scenic bridge over the stream, and a private park. The church nearby makes this park available to visitors. Thanks, guys; we really needed a break. Silent Panther and I ate crackers and drank water in a nice shady picnic spot. I explored the bank of the stream, and watched the water race around a tight curve. Bedrock jutted out all over, and the rocky islands were covered with moss. What an amazing place, wild and wet. Two teenagers rode by in the back of a pickup truck. Is that legal in Orange County? It worked out pretty well, because they went to the church, fired up their instruments, and played some heavy metal music. If that song was from the service, then I want to join that church!

Just ahead, the railroad crossing marked our 9-mile destination. We can park a car here next time. And guess what; two cars would be nice...one at each end. Because, we did not do that today, so now we had to bike 9 miles back to the car! I must admit, the endless downhill was much more fun than the endless uphill had been. We ended up at the bottom, looking out over Tomahawk Lake, our hair blown back, and ridiculous smiles frozen on our faces.

The highlight of the return trip was the Blooming Grove Deli. What an oasis! What a lifesaver! The nice lady made us sandwiches, and we found cool drinks. Maybe Orange County is okay after all. After a much-needed rest, we saddled up and pushed back to the Lodge. We were both exhausted, and needed a lot of stretching to work out the leg cramps. 18 miles is one thing on a rail trail, but it is a different story when hills and highways get involved. I will have more sympathy for the bikers that come through our town, but I still don't understand why they insist on riding next to each other, in the middle of the lane. It's nice to get home alive.

We have 3 more sections of "road walk" left in Orange County, then it's back to the Shawangunks, and then the Catskills. Onwards and upwards! And back into the woods as soon as possible.