Hikers, bikers bask in nature's serenity

Mountains and hills challenge climbers

By Pete Colaizzo
Poughkeepsie Journal

For the past century, the Appalachian Trail — a 2,160-mile chunk of the great outdoors that passes through eastern Dutchess County on its way from Maine to Georgia — has lured adventurers of all ages to hike some or all of it.

Bicycling has changed from merely being a way to get from point A to point B to the mud-slinging trail pursuit of mountain biking that is all the rage as the century comes to a close.

The beauty of this area is indisputable. It has inspired poets and artists, as well as average hikers and bikers. It has spawned the creation of recreational groups dealing with hiking, rock climbing, cycling, orienteering and a bevy of other interests.

But while the mountains remain the same, and the trails as appealing as always, outdoor recreational activities in the Hudson Valley have undergone tremendous change during the past century — from the equipment used to the places it is used to the people who used it. And myriad changes are on the horizon.

One shift in recreational trends will be in direct correlation with the increased pace of life in the Hudson Valley. As we lead more harried lives, our recreational pursuits may lead toward more serene outdoor pursuits.

‘Relaxing activities’ sought

Herb Eschbach was director of the Department of Environmental Conservation Stony Kill Environmental Center in Fishkill for 20 years before his retirement in May. He witnessed the shift in recreational needs of local residents.

‘‘One of the terms that has been used frequently in this area is ‘eco-tourism,’ ’’ Eschbach said. ‘‘I feel that people are going to look at the more relaxing outdoor-type activities. I think we’re going to see an increase, for instance, in leisurely hiking. We are all so busy and so involved in our lives ... The desire to kind of free the mind, and relax the mind, is strong.’’

‘‘People are really coming to appreciate and rely on the outdoors as a way to get away from their harried lifestyles,’’ said Michelle Terwilliger of Scenic Hudson. The Poughkeepsie-based nonprofit environmental organization has created or enhanced more than 20 parks and preserves for public recreation and enjoyment in the Hudson Valley.

Steve Axelson, owner of Peak Performance Sports in New Paltz, makes it his business — literally — to track the trends in recreational activities. The concept of ‘‘eco-tourism’’ is not lost on Axelson, whose store sits in the shadow of the Shawangunk Ridge.

Axelson has witnessed the surge in interest in recreational activities in ‘‘the Gunks’’ and he sees no end in sight.

‘‘Last year, Mohonk Preserve constructed two new parking areas,’’ Axelson said. ‘‘If they put an additional square mile of parking, it would be totally filled every weekend. It’s like ‘Field of Dreams.’ If you build it, they will come. And they will!’’

Ulster foothills attractive

While the Gunks have seen a boom in interest in the past decade, the pull of the Ulster County foothills has always been there.

The Adirondack Mountain Club has a mid-Hudson chapter that was formed Nov. 15, 1947. Jane Geisler of Union Vale came in on the ground floor of the local chapter and recalls long-ago treks in Ulster County.

Geisler also fondly remembers many other hikes in Dutchess County at Norrie State Park in Staatsburg and up such Taconic range peaks as Brace Mountain and Stissing Mountain in eastern Dutchess County. In her 50 years on the trails, she has seen dramatic improvements in hiking and camping gear.

‘‘When I look at the old-fashioned stuff I have in my basement, it’s so heavy and different,’’ Geisler said. ‘‘When I was in high school in the 1930s, there weren’t even hiking boots that women could buy. I had to use a high-top boot that people used for horseback riding.’’

Geisler said more than the equipment has changed for the better, especially with programs like the Hudson River Greenway. ‘‘The future is bright with things like this Greenway push,’’ she said. ‘‘We see the threats of overdevelopment and we now realize action needs to be taken for open space protection. We need to prevent further development of open spaces.’’

As Geisler enters the autumn of her hiking years, her focus has switched to the Appalachian Trail — a 2,160-mile stretch of wilderness that runs from Katahdin, Maine, to Springer Mountain, Ga. An 88-mile portion of the trail cuts through southeastern New York and parts of Dutchess County.

‘‘I still hike a lot, but most of my time now is involved with the Appalachian Trail management committee in Dutchess County,’’ Geisler said. ‘‘The mid-Hudson chapter, we are kind of the maintainers of the trails.’’

Trail cuts through region

While Appalachian Trail maintenance is a part of Geisler’s life, the trail itself is part of everyday existence for Paul Kuznia. Kuznia is the director of Taconic Outdoor Education Center at Clarence Fahnestock State Park in Putnam County. The Appalachian Trail cuts through several thousand acres of the park.

Kuznia said that the trail has always had its regular users — hikers, backpackers, picnickers and trail runners. But he notices new uses for the park’s extensive trail system.

He said interest in bird watching has increased. Another big issue Kuznia and his staff will face in the new millennium is accessibility to the park system for the disabled.

‘‘The question we are asking ourselves is, ‘How do we as parks accommodate the disabled?’ ’’ Kuznia said. ‘‘We are part of the law, and we must abide by the law. But you can’t re-create terrain. There are areas, though, that can be adaptable for (handicapped) individuals to enjoy the outdoors.’’

At Fahnestock, though, the biggest cause for concern for Kuznia and company has to do with the surge in interest of mountain bikers. These off-road cyclists yearn for the same open spaces that are the domain of the hikers, runners and bird watchers.

‘‘Mountain biking is becoming a factor,’’ Kuznia said. ‘‘There are a lot of people interested in it, and that creates management questions and issues.’’

The onslaught of off-road cyclists also has caught the attention of New Paltz’s Axelson. More than 20 years ago, there were no such things as mountain bikes. Now, road bikes are the items heading toward extinction, Axelson said.

‘‘(Road biking) is just too dangerous. In Ulster and Dutchess, there’s just no place to do it safely. The roads are not designed to give any protection to biking.’’

Rail trails — dormant railroad beds converted into cycling and hiking trails — are beginning to fill the void created by overcrowded roads that cyclists once shared without impunity. The Wallkill River Valley Rail Trail in New Paltz runs for 16 miles from Gardiner to Rosendale. The Harlem Valley Rail Trail in eastern Dutchess County is a popular spot, and should draw even more visitors when it is completed.

‘‘Interest in cycling as an aerobic type of exercise has grown quite a bit,’’ said Fred Schaeffer, a Poughkeepsie attorney and organizer of several bike tours in Dutchess County. ‘‘The rail trails are perfect for these people.’’

While the rail trails may boost interest in cycling, New Paltz’s Axelson has noticed a nosedive in interest in in-line skating. As with road cycling, the biggest factor in the decline is a lack of safe areas to skate. ‘‘Five years ago, we were flying with it,’’ he says. ‘‘Now, it’s dead.’’

Rock climbing popular

Axelson said thrill-seeking has become the new recreational fad. The Shawangunks are considered one of the biggest hotbeds for rock climbing in the country. Serious climbers make pilgrimages to the Gunks’ cliffs, which offer among the best climbing in the country, and in some cases they’ll move to the area to have everyday access.

Specialty stores such as Peak Performance and Rock and Snow in New Paltz cater to climbers’ needs. The cliffs and Mohonk Preserve trail system are ideal for neophyte and serious climbers alike.

‘‘During the past 50 years, as far as its huge impact, the Gunks are probably the premier location that helped build rock climbing as a serious alternative sport in America,’’ Axelson said.

Not everyone, though, wants the thrills that rock climbing and aggressive mountain biking can offer. The tug of the great outdoors for the less adventuresome is just as strong, though.

Axelson said the big trend these days is for family outdoor activities that are physical but not too strenuous. He refers to this as ‘‘families seeking convenient exercise,’’ and the latest area of interest in canoe and kayak sales.

It gets back to what Stony Kill’s Eschbach was talking about with ‘‘eco-tourism.’’ Eschbach also sees more generations developing an interest in outdoor recreational activities, laying the groundwork for a future of environmentally conscious young people.

‘‘Twenty years ago, school kids were definitely not as informed as they are now,’’ Eschbach said. ‘‘Third- and fourth-graders ... you take them outside to talk about pond ecology, and they already understand some of the terms we’re using.

‘‘And it makes me wonder, ‘Where are they hearing this from?’ ’’ he said. ‘‘There’s a significant difference in the appreciation and understanding of the environment.’’

With several generations of mid-Hudson Adirondack Club members, thousands of climbers, hikers and bikers in the Shawangunks and now even the wheelchair-bound looking for their place on Hudson Valley trails, the yearning to be outside in pursuit of recreation and fitness has never been greater.

‘‘There’s a change in society taking place,’’ Eschbach said, ‘‘and we’re really beginning to realize that we do need to protect our water, our forests. We all breathe, and we all need clean water and clean air.’’