Connecting Between Poughskeepsie Train and Salt Point Trip Reports

 Joan, September 2004:

This past weekend my friend Richard and I repeated my favorite overnight trip: Wassaic - Copake - Poughkeepsie (only getting really drenched en route to Grand Central on Saturday). We tried the return from Salt Point per your current Westbound cue sheet, and found it wonderful - especially the corkscrew descent on Plass / Sleight Plass Road. The only change I'd make would be to leave out the turn from DeGarmo onto Old DeGarmo Road, but only because it's hard to get up a full head of steam for that short, steep climb!

Your cues begin at the intersection of Salt Point Turnpike and Hibernia Rd., and I can see why. If you're westbound, as we were, the left turn comes right at that evil curve on 115. It might be worth noting that it comes right after the sign for DC #18, and before the Sunoco Station. As of 9/20, the sign pointing to the Quail Hollow Inn indicated the turn onto Hibernia.

[ Ken responds: I've now added a warning about the steep hill climb to the West-bound cue sheet. ]

Story of this route

Ken Roberts, August 2002: 

One of Sharon and my first big bicycling adventures years ago was to ride from Poughkeepsie to Millerton and Rudd Pond and back. We started very early in the morning and rode out north on Salt Point Turnpike which seemed OK that time with little traffic. But riding back in the afternoon on Salt Point Turnpike with normal daytime traffic was not fun and a bit scary. Back then we didn't find any good alternatives, so we got in the habit of doing our wonderful riding up in Northeast Dutchess county by driving up there first in our car.

But then we started to meet New York City riders who did not own a car, and wanted to reach the great northern Dutchess riding by train. So we started looking harder for roads, and we found some, so we put them up on the website.

Ken Roberts, August 2004:

We also knew people visiting Poughkeepsie who just wanted to know a nice ride they could do right from the city without first driving their car somewhere. So we worked on a loop route at to Salt Point -- and Sharon rode it a couple of times solo on her single bike, and I rode it once with Haim on the tandem, and I also skated it once. (I didn't like skating on the shoulder of Rt 44, so that led me to try Sleight Plass Rd, which is now the main route).  So if you're interested in seeing something still "Under Construction", here is: