2020 Frozen Apple - finally 3 years later

 

I signed up for the Frozen Apple right before the Global Pandemic shut everything down. I had heard some folks went out and did the ride on their own but I never got around to doing that. I met Dave (pictured above with the groovy glasses) at the Lent Cove parking lot in Peekskill, NY. Before getting on the bike I took off a layer and lathered up with sunscreen. It was going to be a glorious day.

First Dirt was 6.5 miles in on Old Albany Post Road. Some might argue that it's quite a distance to get to the first dirt road on this ride but the parking was all about proximity to beer. That's important. There were two breweries within riding distance to the parking.  I think it was a good call.  

I have ridden these roads a few times in the past but this was the first time coming from Peekskill and starting out by climbing Old Albany Post Road 

The profile for this ride clearly shows 7 climbs

This was a formidable climb to say the least but I had my yodelling pickle on hand to keep up the motivation.

It was still a long grind up

Malcolm stuck with us through the first part of the ride until we lost him at the turn into Bell Hollow.

You could not have asked for a better day. Even yesterday's rain didn't slow things down.

Descending down Canopus Hollow, just past the Barn of Signs I noticed another group of cyclists wearing D-SIG kit and figured that Brian Sullivan and his crew were riding out this way. I looked for Brian to say hi but our paths never crossed.

At the end of Bell Hollow the road turns into dual track

Some of it was rideable and some wasn't. At the based of the big climb there was single track heading down towards the stream, so Dave and I thought this could be a nice trail around it.

The trail dead-ended at the stream

Rather than turning back we pushed our bikes straight up the ridge

in Napoleon Death March fashion!

After that schlepp, Sunken Mine was beautiful

and it kept climbing

Until you get to the pond.

I think this is first time I have not seen the pond frozen.

Then some more climbing till a big decent down to Dennytown Road

We met up with Laura and Curt here and it was snack time!

Then came the long and chilly decent down to Route 9

At the parking lot to the Bird & Bottle Inn,

 I met up with some D-SIG riders and told them to tell Brian that Cyclesnack says hello.

One or two of them recognized the name.

The most grueling climb of the ride was Moffat Road.

Normally, I would avoid this by heading into Cold Spring and then take Lane Gate Road from Rt 301.

It's a long climb but not as steep. Moffat Road however was demoralizing. Add to the fact that the middle section of Lane Gate Road is now paved.

Then it turns to dirt again

and everyone is happy!

The seventh and last climb of the ride is a two parter

On the first part I met up with Dave Schwartz, a bike race promoter that I have met a few times on these rides.

Dave and I caught up to Laura and Curt again. I have ridden with Curt a few times but 

this is his last ride gravel ride in the Northeast as he is moving south.

There's a big decent following the first part of the climb

Then came Part 2

Dave S surged ahead

I slowed a bit so Dave M could catch up to me but I lost him on the next downhill.

I stopped at this shrine to check it out. Later, I learned that during Revolutionary times, Albany Post Road was the route that mail moved between NYC and Albany. The British assigned Benjamin Franklin Postmaster General of the Colonies and he invented the odometer to measure the distance between NYC and Albany and every mile was marked. Postage was measured on the number of miles the letter had to travel along this road.

I lost David in Peekskill because he wanted to go see someone to fix his phone because the screen was dead. I rode the last couple of miles back with Curt and Laura.

I LOVED IT!