• Where:  southern half of Columbia County, NY

• 80 miles, hilly (5200 vertical feet, hill index 4.3).

A shorter route can be done by using some of the variations: A, D, E, F.

We now recommend Variation A for those who lack a strong appetite for riding on dirt roads.

• Highlights:  Lots of beautiful farms and woods, sweeping views, and a great downhill. 

• Characteristics:  

Hill climbing:  Total climbing about 5200 vertical feet.  The hilliest section (about 1000 vertical feet of climbing) comes early in the route, as you climb East across the central ridge of Columbia county.  But even as you follow the creek on its long way south and west down to the Hudson River, there's lots of humps to surmount -- but also gentle sections.  Biggest single hill is 450 vertical feet at an average grade of 8% or more, including 100 feet at over 9% grade.  Another steep hill of 250 feet, and several more steep hills between 100 and 200 vertical feet.

Dirt roads: There's several miles of unpaved or partly paved roads on the route now. Some of these miles had asphalt when we originally selected and rode this route. Variation A is a way to avoid some of those miles, or Variation B avoids more.

• warning:  Riding a bicycle on roads has dangers and risks that need to be taken seriously.  For more on those, see our page on risks.

Map of route | Cue sheet | Trip Reports | Road Condition Reports

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more . . . 

• Directions to Start:  

By train:  Take Amtrak to Hudson, NY.  Take Route 9G South to Columbia County Route 10, and turn East (Left) to join the route at Mile 74.5.

By car:  

From the Taconic State Parkway, exit to Route 82 West and go 0.8 mile.  Turn Left on Livingston Road and go 3.2 miles to Livingston.  

From Route 9, look on the East side for Columbia County Route 19 or Route 10 to take you a short ways into Livingston. 

Alternate start points:  West Taghkanic (Route 82 just West of Taconic State Parkway), Elizaville, Philmont, Hillsdale, Copake. 

• Map:  You should have a detailed road map of Columbia County to do this route (see Maps).  

Map of route | Cue sheet | Trip Reports | Road Condition Reports

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 . . . more notes

• Roeliff Jansen Kill -- is the creek which drains most of the southern half of Columbia County.  It starts on the East side of the county, then curves down to the South and cuts through the great ancient Taconic mountain spine that runs down Columbia and Dutchess counties.  Then it curls back toward the North and finally into the Hudson River.  

• This route -- starts by completing the creek's flow to the Hudson River, then leaving the creek and going directly East across the ancient Taconic mountain ridge, to the high source of the Roeliff Jansen, and finishes with lots of gentle downhills and flat riding. 

• Big Question:  Who is Roeliff Jansen anyway?

Maybe these folks know.
 

Map of route | Cue sheet | Trip Reports | Road Condition Reports

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