Gardiner Biathlon

The week has finally come to an end and with no races in site for the next few weekends it was time to go out explore and indulge in some good old fashion fun. Living in Gardiner has some great benefits for the active set. Among them are Stewart State Forest, home of the Dark Horse 40 and  over 5000 acres of some of the sweetest single track you can turn a wheel on. There is also Minnewaska State Park and Mohonk Preserve, back in their day the playground of the Mellon's, Rockefeller's and Morgan's, which between them boast a staggering 10,000+ acres of woods, single track, carriage trails, lakes and rock climbing.

The weekend's adventure began with a ride deep into the woods of Monhonk Preserve to the northern most end to an area know as Table Rocks. My guides were a sweaty, falling apart trail map that did no good as I left the reading glasses at home and Paul Livornese, one of my weekend riding mates and single speed racer.

Paul showing no concern over the impending thunderstorms

Paul has this ability to find great trails in some of the most obscure regions and always manages to get us back to the trailhead before dark. Again he lived up to his abilities and after 14  miles of trails (mostly downhill) we arrived at Table Rocks, a spot that provided one of the more spectacular views of the Catskills.

The scramble up to the rocks was a bit tricky with cleats on but having avoided falling into the abyss between the rocks it was time to relax, contemplate life and worship all things natural. With our heads spinning and time flying by we were brought back to reality by a sudden boom of thunder and the distant flash of lightning. Holy shit, countless miles of up hill riding on metal bikes and the forecast was for severe thunderstorms....not the best combination.

Chris doing the backwoods version of a trackstand

Well what started as a mellow ride back not so slowly turned into an all out sprint to make it to the nearest shelter, the pavilion half way home. We arrived just as the rain started to fall and lightning strikes all around. Forty minutes later we were back on the trail, dodging thunderheads and getting covered in mud as we hightailed it back to the safety of the cars and cold beer. With the buzz gone it was time to head for the hacienda and once the skies cleared begin the second leg of the day's activities - kayaking the turbulent waters and class .5 rapids of the mighty Wallkill River.

Keeping the beer upright is essential in the rapids

Beth and I packed the boats with almost the same skills as Admiral Perry when he set out for the pole and over the course of the next 3 hours we managed to consume all of the beer, wine and food before we finally pulled out of the river and made our way back home for the nightcap.

Ahhh, nothing quite like a weekend in Gardiner!