Penny and I survive our first century

I got up at 7 this morning for an 8:00 start. My aim was Bear Mountain, 20 miles further north from Nyack. I escorted Emily most of the way through her second time riding in Manhattan. At one point, she had to remind me that it was her second ride. I wonder now, with over 5 years of training riding my bike in Brooklyn, Manhattan and queens, if anything on the tour is going to intimidate me. What does Casper, Wyoming have to throw my way that I haven't seen three times on a daily basis? I left her at her turn at 34th street and continued up the Hudson Parkway

I got to Nyack in a typical time, just short of an hour and a half from the GWB, with a break long enough to eat a banana. I cruised around downtown Nyack and up into the real hills. The first clue is turn left on Old Mountain Rd. Penny and I couldn't get up only a couple hills, and one of them we got about 80' from the top of what felt like a mile long hill.

Right before Bear Mountain, the marked Bike Route 9 goes off from 9W. The bike route hits the end of a dead end road and then becomes a rock and dirt trail. Since I've never ridden Penny on this kind of trail and I may wish to use something like it on the tour, I ventured forth. And walked much of the path. If I was on my mountain bike I would have been hesitant with some of the soft dirt studded with large rocks. But then, the parts where the trail was more or less even, I did ride, and it was just fine.

I got to Bear Mountain, took a couple photos of the area immediately around the entrance. There was a plaque and little map commemorating Doodletown, a fortified British village on the spot in the 1760's and 70's. There was also a pleasant little waterfall not far along the path. I then rode a little bit down the road into Iona Island Marsh for a couple more photos. I left Bear Mountain at 2:30 and started back up the hills. For every little climb I achieved I was rewarded with a nice curving descent and the opportunity to climb again. The miles started to flow by again, and soon enough, I was back in Upper Nyack. I continued down resting for a while outside Strictly Bikes, the shop 3 minutes from the GWB.

The whole time from when I got off the George Washington Bridge at 10ish AM till I got back to the bridge at 6ish PM, I didn't use my bell once. Then, I reentered Manhattan.

This was the first time that I've ridden her over 100 miles in one shot. Tomorrow I need to spend time cleaning her.

Anyway, here's the route.