Hudson Valley Mountain Bike

© HVmtb.com

If you can still ride in December, it's a good time to explore trail systems that you have not been on before, since its "off-season" and hammering your training loop is generally the last thing on your mind.  I decided to give the trail system at Shaupeneak Ridge a ride and was not disappointed! Parking lot is easy to spot and is well developed as this area is managed under an agreement between Scenic Hudson, New York State DEC and West Esopus Landowners Association.

Took a few minutes to get my bearings on the park by checking out the trail head kiosk, lots of terrific info. Signed in and picked the blue loop right from the parking lot - heading counterclockwise first, to check out the new addition that the Fats in the Cats club just finished, and off exploring I went!

Impressions -

Not a huge park, did 80% of trails in about 2 hours (with stops for pix)

First class trail maintenance! It was deep fall and it looked like someone had raked all the trails.  Check out some of the rock work in the image gallery!

Forest has a very old growth, deep woods feel to it, similar in feel to Ninham trails.

Singletrack can be VERY rocky in sections...Climbs were well paced, I think I went "the long way" up the orange trail (counter clockwise) - I believe going clockwise up orange would result in longer downward singletrack.

Red trail out to the ridge edge was very rewarding...spectacular views of the Hudson Valley! 

Great place to come back to hike with family as view points are easy to get to.

Will be going back again to ride! 

Tech -

All pix were taken with an iPhone 3Gs and only minor punch up with color saturation in Photoshop. 

All images © 2011 HVmtb.com

*Click on thumbnail below to pop up full sized image and to click thru slide show