DAY 43: 10/27/2012 The Calm Before

a still night after a long ride

After our ride Saturday, we enjoyed sweet calm and a near-full moon over the campsite.  A beautiful sunrise snuck gleaming under the cloudline.  Here we are in Rosendale “awaiting the storm”.  Various caring family and friends worry that we should rent a car and come home (or some variant).

We’ve decided to stay our course here in NY.  Rushing South will not guarantee that we don’t wind ourselves right into the worst part of the storm or a frenzied car accident.  We are on high ground, over 100′ above the river, have inspected for dead trees and branches, and bolted down the solar panel.  I’ve found a piece of plywood to cover it with and we are willing to run or drive for better shelter as necessary.  We have a good new friend in Jason with us here, who, unlike us has a vehicle in case we should need to evacuate.

With that in mind, today was partially a cleanup/batten-down preparation day.  However, in spite of the eternal grey skies, we fully charged our solar batteries, have a full tank of propane, and have stored 5-7 days worth of water.  We will be better off than some even if power is out.  I saved the food from our freezer in Baltimore last Summer during the derecho using this camper’s propane refrigerator.  “We’re good”.

On to the day post, Jane and I did a killer bike ride Saturday.  ‘Manah-manah’ part two.  Actually the park we biked to (no car, remember) is called Mohonk Preserve.  The showcase of which is Mohonk Mountain House on the top of a mountain.  I think the showcase is the Mountain and Preserve.

The Mohonk Mountain House (perhaps the back view)

The Mountain House looks like a 10 story compromise between decades of differing opinions.  There is a turret, a peaked roof, German timber/stucco style and innumerable other features.

Surely rife with luxury.   If the tennis court and golf course didn’t belie the depth of indulgence

A little trick for when you don’t have a map: take a photo and you can scroll around it on your camera for details

available, then the massage therapist who gave us directions or the Wheelhouse with its fleet of new Specialized Rockhopper bikes for rent lent a clue.

Our ride carried us just beyond that distant ‘squared’ notch near the Trapps access area.

Funny story about the phrase; “on top of a mountain”.  Some years ago, Jane was riding with me in Susquehanna State Park.

Jane rolls the carriage trails at Mohonk

We were weaving our mountain bikes up and down on the ridge along the river when fatigue overwhelmed her.  We had climbed and clawed our way up and down the 2-300 ft. elevation single track trail more than a dozen times headed back to the car.  Then, while climbing yet again, my exhausted Jane cried:  “WHERE is the parking lot? on the top of a F-ing MOUNTAIN?”  Today, once again our goal was on the top of a mountain.  You really need to hike or ride from a valley to a mountaintop sometime to understand.

The Shawangunks are an eastern climbong mecca, seen as we biked back on the Under Cliff Trail

This is likely a frequent view Jane is stuck with

I always think of Ski Roundtop or Ski Liberty in Pennsylvania as small mountains with about 600′ elevation change.  The lifts make it seem so short, I ski down in 1 and  ½ minutes (and thats not racing).  Well, hike up or bike up a 600′ elevation gain and you know its a nice long way.  The summit at Mohonk Mt. is ~1275′, several of the dips we went down into were 600′, and our little town of Rosendale sits at about 200′ above sea level.

We biked up that road down there by the barn to get this view from the top

We peddled up over a thousand feet to get up there.  The views and carriage roads made it worth it.  Then the sweep back downhill to town also repaid us in swift glee.

A downhill smile, after hours of climbing!

Ah Rosendale.  I don’t think I’ve given Rosendale the delightful credit it deserves.  We went to the Rosendale Theater Friday to see an enthusiastic, interactive Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Funny that thing won’t die.  Proving a good diversion and exposing a vibrant true community theater.  Rosendale bought the place and keeps it going with other more mainstream productions including dance, opera and plays at the edge of the Big Apple.

The town has a main street, great bike shop, barber shop, guitar shop, antique store, three convenience stores, two gas stations, a laundromat, several bars, an organic grocer and an earthy feel under the Northeast cautious attitude (also known as chill).

Main Street, Rosendale, NY

It has a groove, I think I could live in a place this size.

– David