Are You a White Water Rafting Junkie?

Personally, I've only been rafting a few times but I loved it every time. I've been rafting in a few different locations but never within three hours of the City.

I recently learned about Urban Sherpa Travel which leads white water rafting trips to the Lehigh River in the Poconos from New York City. Bonus: they provide everything, "rafting equipment, round trip transportation from NYC in a luxury motor coach, shuttle service to/from the river, pre-trip instruction, a river lunch, free use of all the facilities and changing rooms at the Whitewater Challengers Rafting Center, and, of course, experienced river guides for the trip itself." 

They have certain designated dam release dates, so sign up early, because I am sure all the other junkies out there are signing up now too.

The company also leads rock climbing, skiing/snowboarding and zip line trips from both New York and Boston. Urban Sherpa's white water rating trip was also recently endorsed by EMS and since the individuals who work for EMS generally really know their stuff I would trust that this is a worth while trip.

Have you been on an Urban Sherpa trip before? If so, would you recommend it? Why/why not?

Spring Skiing

So my inbox has been flooded with info on Spring Skiing (best time of year to ski, in my opinion).

For all you boarders out there Stratton's (my favorite mountain) half pipe competition is going on now!

The e-mail reads: The first 50 carpoolers on Friday and Sunday and the first 100 carpoolers on Saturday will receive US Open freebies.  For more info on the competition, lodging or trail conditions check out Stratton's Website. 


Okemo is also running specials: Winter Wildlife and Moonlit Snowshoe Tours. Discover footprints from our furry friends at 1 pm and 3 pm, or enjoy the night sky and a little adventure at 5 pm and 7 pm. $20 for adults, $15 for ages 12 & under. Reservations are required. (802) 228-1419. Check the online calendar for more information and other cool events!

But perhaps the best deal is local: Bellearye Mountain is running Flex Sundays, $20/$10 Wednesdays have been extended as well as Fridays are $25 Customer Appreciation Days!

Hope you are enjoying the early spring weather and have a chance to get out there while we've still got some snow!

RunAMuck-NY

So I heard about this very cool mud race the other day while I was in Super Runners Shop (my second home at this point in time) and then I started to see it advertised everywhere. It looks like a lot of fun!

The RunAMuck race takes place outside of New York City, in Harriman State Park, but they do provide bus service for those New Yorkers who do not have their own transportation.

Frankly, I am strongly considering doing the race. Some of the best times I can remember from childhood were playing in the swamp at camp. Combining my love for mud and a trail race, with good music and beer and wine to follow, what could be better? I hope some of you will consider joining me!

Harlem Valley Rail Trail

 

View from the Copake Section of the Rail Trail

This is such a  great resource for cyclists and cross-country skiers alike that I am continually surprised by how few people know about this resource. Right now the trail in blanketed in snow, so its better for snow shoeing, x-county skiing and skijoring (and yes I have seen quite a few skijorers out on the trail).

Where it is: Wassaic, NY through Millerton New York through Copake, NY

What it is: 15 paved miles of abandoned rail bed just north of New York City in Columbia and Dutchess Counties. They will be adding more miles soon, for now if you want to go between the Millerton trailhead and the Under Mountain Road trailhead (near Copake) you can take Rudd Pond Road to Boston Corners Road to Under Mountain Road. Here is a link to the Google Maps page of the route to bike from one trailhead to the next. The route has very low traffic and is incredibly scenic.

How to get there: Take Metro North to the Wassaic Station on the Harlem Line (last stop). The southern most trailhead is the Wassaic Metro-North station on NY 22. There is also a parking lot there for those of you who want to drive and parking on weekends is free. Additionally, there is a trailhead further north in Millerton, New York near the intersection of US 44 with NY 22. There is also a trail head on Under Mountain Road (about 10 miles North of Millerton, see Google Maps link above) and one near Copake Falls, New York (look for the signs about 13 miles north of Millerton on route 22).There are also free parking lots at all the other trailheads.

Other information: The trailhead near Copake Falls is next to a great bike shop, cute deli  and wonderful swimming hole in an old rock quarry. Its a great place to cool off and relax. For more information on the bike shop check out Bash Bish Bicycle. They also rent bicycles for those of you who don't own them or can't transport them.

Great Places to Eat: Irving Farm is a great place to eat in Millerton and they also have cafes in New York City. Millerton also has a great diner in town right by the trailhead for the Rail Trail. McEnroe's Organic Farm is located between Amenia and Millerton on NY 22. Not only are they an organic farm but they have delicious sandwiches and barbeque options for lunch.

For More Information check out: The New York and New Jersey Trail Conference and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail.

P.S. I've recently heard that one can bike all the way from Manhattan to The Harlem Valley Rail Trail on designated bike trails that run through Westchester up through Dutchess County. I will do some research on this and report back. For you true distance cyclists, biking the entire way sounds like a lot of fun!

Thinking about a Ski/Snowboard Getaway?

If you are thinking about taking a day out of the city to hit the slopes the Frugal Traveler may have the answers you are looking for.

In 2009 The New York Times published an article on its Frugal Traveler Blog about day trips to Vermont ski areas from the New York City metro area. Now Vermont seems like a long trip, but the Frugal Travel makes it doable and affordable (two pluses in my book). Check out his post here.

More recently, the Frugal Traveler provided us with an even more doable option for skiing in the metro area, Rail to the Trails. How much easier could skiing in the Tri-State Area be when you can just hop on a train straight to Thunder Ridge?

Over all, I usually recommend keeping an eye on the The Frugal Traveler. While he discusses world-wide travel ideas, he also often discusses things to do locally, as well as day or weekend getaways.

So what do you think, are day trips to Vermont worth the effort and expense? Would you do a Metro North Railroad ski trip? Have you gone on either of these trips or similar ones? Got any reviews to share?