2.5 Mile Ride on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail (Copake Falls)
2 Mile Walk on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail (Hillsdale)
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
One of the oldest sections of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail runs between Undermountain Road and Copake Falls - I used to run, walk, and ride my bike on the trail back when I lived in Hillsdale and worked in Great Barrington in the late 1990's. Over time, portions of the trail have become damaged - nothing that makes it impassable, but some sections could be a bit bumpy on a road bike. The good news is, that section of the trail is currently closed for rebuilding and resurfacing, so it will soon be a shiny new asphalt surface. The bad news is, that's where I'd planned to ride tonight, so all I was able to ride was the mile and a quarter from Orphan Farm Rd to Copake Falls. (I could have driven to one of the sections south of the construction, but I was short on time.)
Fortunately the newer section south of Hillsdale was perfectly fine for a walk after my ride, so I did get to enjoy some warmish weather, lots of birs, squirrels, and chipmunks, and even a number of very loud toads off in one of the wet areas trying to attract lady toads.
