Day Four -- Poughkeepsie NY to Port Jervis NY

Our ride this morning started out crossing the Hudson River on the Mid-Hudson Bridge. We had to walk the approximately one mile across the bridge, which was just as well, as it would have been a bit harrowing for me to ride a narrow sidewalk hundreds of feet above the Hudson.

We quickly climbed out of the Hudson River valley, and rode through quiet wooded countryside, wetlands and small towns beneath the prominence of Milbrook Mountain in the Shawangunk (White Faced) mountain range. As someone said, they are not quite as impressive as the Grand Tetons, but they were still a distinctive backdrop for the ride. We were still in wine country, but all the wineries were closed, so I was not tempted to stop for any tastings today.

After we swung away from the Shawangunks, we rode through gently rolling countryside on an easy and relatively short ride. A few weeks ago, if I had done this ride, I would have remarked about the spectacular beauty, quiet roads and fun riding. Today, it was just “another great ride.” The fact that the spectacular has become commonplace is a testament to what a great trip this has been.

Almost the whole group of 18 riders stopped for lunch at a deli/market in Otisville, New York, a small town that consists of just a handful of buildings. While we were there, I think bicycles well outnumbered buildings. The proprietors of the market were thrilled to have us visit and very helpful.

The last 15-20 miles of the ride consisted of a gentle run into the town of Port Jervis, which lies where New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey meet. About a half dozen of us came into town together, under somewhat threatening skies, and we quickened the pace a bit to avoid getting caught by a thundershower. In the end, we only ran into a few drops of rain, and the sun was emerging as we climbed up the last little hill to our hotel.

We ate this evening at a typical, small town diner, where I enjoyed getting to know Cindy Holthouse, from the Boston area, and Jean-Francois Munn, a labor lawyer from Montreal, a little better. With my ride almost half over, and most of the riders going on to Florida, I am beginning to wish I could spend more time on the ride getting to know more of the riders better.

Here’s today’s route: 68.9 miles and 1,750 feet of climbing.