Trip Reports on Farms and Hills 
of SE Columbia County

Ken Roberts, September 2001: 

Andy and Tony and Sharon and I met in West Taghkanic on a warm day that didn't really seem like fall yet.  Oak Summit Rd had received fresh gravel over the dirt since we rode it just a few weeks before in August.  After Philmont we tried a new food stop in Harlemville -- the Hawthorne valley organic store -- which had some nice selections.  The long climb from there up Rt 21 still seemed long.  The descent of Hunt Rd still was wonderful.  

This time we tried heading south on some roads on the West side of Route 22, borrowed from the Roeliff Janssen Kill route -- and they were pretty and certainly not as hilly as our usual roads on the East side.  We stopped for a snack at the Copake General Store, then made our way back to the dirt roads of New Forge Rd and New Forge Rd II -- which worked out pretty well.  Then the last climb on Rt 82 and the final cruise down to West Taghkanic, looking into the Catskill mountains. 

Ken Roberts, October 2000:  

About eight of us from the Mid-Hudson Bicycle Club gathered on a nice fall morning at Lake Taghkanic State Park.  Greg unfortunately discovered in the parking lot that he had a problem with his rim, and decided he better go back home.  The rest of us headed out together, and it was even prettier than I remembered.  Also hillier.  Two riders went out ahead and rode the Bash Bish Falls road.  The rest of us decided to try the Wiltsie Bridge Rd / Route 82 variation that avoids the New Forge Rd dirt road.  But Route 82 through there turned out to be hilly.  The roads were all in good condition.  People told us they liked the route -- and one very experienced Hudson valley rider said they had never been on most of those roads before. 
  

see also: 

• Grand Tour of Columbia County reports  
• Road Condition Reports  
• all Trip Reports index  

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Story of this Route 

Ken's story:  Sharon and I wanted to lead a Mid-Hudson Bicycle Club ride in this area for October 2001.  But the routes we knew from our own riding were longer, and we agreed with other club ride leaders that more more people would be able to enjoy the ride if we made it shorter.  So we made up a sort of combination of Roeliff Jansen Kill with Grand Tour of Columbia County.  And it worked with the club.  And we're going to do it again with the club. 

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