My kickoff story is just a brief run through of my 4/5/10 biking mission to Peekskill NY. For those that don't already know, I've been getting deep into mountain biking. I was always into bikes, bmx/freestyle from like the age of 6 or 7 onward. At least until I got my driver’s license that is. Great outdoor activity and even better that it's an activity that's sort of in some level of wilderness.
Peekskill NY is a town in northern Westchester county. Maybe 30 min from NYC. This little town is set on a hill along the Hudson river just south of the Bear Mtn bridge. This area is really nice in the fall. Just a really nice area of NY state overall. Unfortunately Peekskill is not as wonderful as its surrounding area. The downtown area is shitty and rundown. Totally a depressing area. So weird because it has such potential to be such an awesome little downtown. It could easily be like a big “Stars Hallow”.
Being a big diner fan, there’s one old school, mid 40’s diner in town. I had breakfast there the first time I visited Peekskill. Food was fine, nothing to brag about, but you really get a feel for the grunginess of the town. One thing was that every parking meter on the street across from the diner was cracked and busted. Just really weird and a small measurement of the semi-ghetto-ish feel of the place. Think Atlantic City meets Perth Amboy type of depressing.
So this trip on 4/5 is my third trip to Peekskill and my second trip to Blue Mountain Reservation. If you like mountain biking or hiking, this place is pretty damn cool. The riding is very technical, northeast style singletrack. Lots of large rocks/boulders everywhere. Definitely a great hiking spot if you enjoy interesting wooded terrain. For our first trip here back in 2008, we hiked to the top of Blue Mtn, carrying our bikes(unfortunately). Not the most impressive view but it’s always awesome to trek to the top of any mountain! Even if it’s only 900ft tall.
Round two at Blue was bound to be better than my first trip here. I’m a much stronger rider now also better conditioned for technical riding. I remember being completely destroyed after riding this place the first time. Thinking to myself that it couldn’t be possible that anyone could ride these trails without getting hung up on rocks, wiping out, or just being completely exhausted. My second time around, I wasn’t in too bad a shape. Still not achieving every climb but I had no issues getting around such a large trail system. I just don’t ride enough and I’ve committed to improving this for 2010. I’m not doing any road cycling like a lot of my riding crew does. To my disadvantage I guess but the love/need to sport spandex just kills it for me. I’m hoping our 3rd mission here will suck us in to the flow of the place. Just a very rocky trail system.
The trails there are confusing and not solidly marked. The map is great (http://www.wmba.org/PDF/Blue-Mtn-map-rev3.pdf) but some of the markers are not entirely present. Some are on trees, some are wooden stakes in the ground and some couldn’t be found. Our first time here we got totally lost and had to ride out to a nearby road that circled the park to get back to our car. I’m definitely acclimated to the place now and how it’s laid out.
Regarding the rockiness of Blue’s trails, my riding buddy James prefers smoother, “flowier”(my new word) trails. Blue’s trails have a lot of technical segments that will cause stop and go to get around them if you are not sure how to properly navigate the terrain. We had a great time despite. All in all, a great workout and some good tech skill building.
Just before our last run for the morning, James ended up with a flat tire and caused a not-so-far ride/hike back to the car. It was now about 12p and time for lunch. AWESOME! Down near the Hudson river, about 5 min away, on the east side of Rt 9, you’ll find the Peekskill train station and some older brick buildings. One restored Victorian-styled office building and a much “cleaner” and brighter environment from the somewhat decrepit downtown area on the west side of Rt 9. In this area, across from the park that is right next to the train station is the Peekskill Brewery.(http://www.thepeekskillbrewery.com) Awesome place! Our first trip to Blue Mtn afforded us the opportunity to visit this restaurant the month that they opened back in 2008. They still hadn’t even brewed their first beer at the time. This is now my third time here and I will tell anyone who loves craft beer and doesn’t mind driving a bit, this is one destination to add to your list.
First thing to note about this place is the beer selection, outside of their own brews is more impressive than you’ll find anywhere in NJ. No BS beers! If you want Miller Lite, forget it. Not that they’d trash you for it. It would just force you out of your comfort zone for the bartender to recommend a beer that you’d likely enjoy. Everyone I’ve met there is very knowledgeable of all things beer related. I went for the Lake Placid 46er Pale Ale to start. Pretty standard Pale Ale but noticeably fresh. The menu is not over priced but the food selections could well cater to an upscale crowd. I wasn’t picky and decided to go for the pork belly appetizer with a side of the amazing lemon parmesan fries. Yea, a lot of fat and not enough protein but I figured that I might not be back here this season and I had never eaten Pork Belly before. Time to indulge a bit. Round two before the food comes out. I followed up the 46er with the Peekskill Old Wagon. Claimed as a English session ale, fairly low alcohol, but it tasted stronger and bigger. Pork and cabbage completely consumed and fries disappearing, no one needed to twist my arm on my day off to have a third round. I chose the Peekskill Hop Common. A hoppy but balanced IPA. Might just have been a little strong factoring the 90min drive home!
For those looking for a mid day getaway, Peekskill Brewery is tops in my book. Tack on a stop at Bear Mtn or mountain biking at Blue Mtn and you’ve got yourself a solid day adventure. Enjoy!
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