the Way of the Turtle

MINNEWASKA + TURTLE = OUTDOOR GOODNESS! - Part 3
Awosting Falls
Sunday, November 2, 2008

With all the water in the streams along the carriage trails, I decided I had to get down to see Awosting Falls before I left the park. So I changed into my riding clothes (easier said than done... a van parked very close to the driver's side of my car, which left me constantly scrambling to find gear from the wrong side of the car while I tried to figure out how best to deal will the blister on one of my toes. But I finally got my act together and headed down the road to the Lower Awosting lot, so that I wouldn't have to push my bike all the way back up to the Lake Minnewaska lots.

After parking the car it became clear that a lot of where I'd be riding would be shaded, so I added some clothing to try and keep warm and then headed across the road and down the carriageway to Awosting Falls. The waterfall was beautiful - the highest I've ever seen it - and much of the time there were only a few people around (and it was cold enough that no one lingered too long.)

After that I headed down along the path until I reached the main road. Walked across the road and took a picture of the remnants of the old power station (from back when the Minnewaska property contained two major resorts.) Unfortunately I wasn't sure how far I'd have to walk to see the waterfall there, so I headed back up the path. Much more slowly than my trip out, I might add, because it was all uphill.

As I pedalled and pushed uphill, it became very clear that I just didn't have any juice left in my legs for sustained riding. (I wonder why... 23 miles of running in 2 days perhaps?) That meant my plans to ride the southern part of the Walkill Valley Rail Trail were a bust. Some other time, I guess.

So once I got back to the car I headed out of the park, stopping first at the overlooks and then at the Mohonk Preserve Visitors' Center, where I picked up a couple of trail guides I hadn't seen anywhere else. And then all that was left was the drive home... which didn't seem so bad after driving to and from Rochester earlier this weekend.

Maybe this winter I can get down to the Gunks to do some skiing or snowshoeing...

JMH