New York
the Catskills
"blessed are those with triple gearing ... for they shall have more time to enjoy God's creation" K.E.N. 2010
Ulster County Tourism
note: a section of NY rt. 28 in the city of Kingston is a spur of I 87 - cyclists must use Washington Ave.
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New York state route 28 has always been a cycling friendly highway and now is a part of New York's intra-state bicycle route system and the 28.5 mile section in Ulster county is bike route 28, as indicated by the DOT photo to the left. This section of highway goes past the high mountains of the central Catskills.There is a substantial grade out of the city of Kingston, elev. 200' at US rt. 209, to the village of West Hurley, elev. 600', at the east end of the Ashokan reservoir. |
town of Olive NY - south side of the Ashokan reservoir looking west
The highway then begins an extended uphill climb, mostly at a gradual grade with an ocasional steeper grade, from the Ashokan reservoir area to Pine Hill at the western end. Pine Hill is at an elevation of 1,500 feet.
Sulivan county visitor's association
 Sulivan County October Rally 1980 - held at the Tennanah Lake Lodge Roscoe NY |
The mountains of Sulivan county might be lower but, unlike the big mountains of Ulster county, the roads here actualy go over these mountains. The "Jewish hills" of this county can be quite substantial and make for very chalenging, albeit very scenic, cycling. A portion of Sulivan county extends to the upper Delaware, and so is also a part of that region as well |
the second (or at least one of the top 5) most extreme climbs in New York is in this section of the Catskills - the Shandalee Mtn. climb
- I had seen a topo for this climb and over 1 1/2 miles there is a 17.5% grade - however I had checked the Google terrain maps recently for
this climb and there seems to be a section that is a 20% grade,and so that 17.5% grade may be the average grade over 1 1/2 miles
Catskills Tourism - this Catskill mountain tourism site has links to the individual counties within the Catskill region - Ulster,Sulivan,Delaware,Greene
Catskill Scenic Trail - UN-paved 19 mile rail trail in Delaware county
CST map (PDF from my site)
western Catskills tourism - tourism site specificaly for the western Catskills of Delaware,Greene,Schoharie
the most extreme climb in New York is in this section of the Catskills - Platte Cove Rd. in Greene county - a 23% grade. I don't know how long
the climb is - to beleive it or not, this was part of a pro bicycle race in the 1980's,and so this climb is literaly a "pro" class climb - this climb would be in my
sub-category of you-have-to-see (or ride) to beleive
