Island Line Rail Trail (Colchester Causeway)

Also referred to as the Burlington Bikepath, this Rail Trail features 14 miles of super scenic lakeside riding including a spectacular white marble causeway....

What A Great Ride!

This is an amazing rail trail! Skirting the shore of Lake Champlain, it finishes on a spectacular causeway that goes right across the lake. The views across the lake of the Adirondacks are wonderful.

I started at Oakledge Park trailhead in South Burlington and rode the full 14 miles (one way). The weather was perfect as a severe thunderstorm during the night before cleared away much of the oppressive humidity.

Oakledge Park

An informative kiosk 

Reaching the causeway was fantastic.  It was beautiful with the sporadic trees and the mammoth white marble chunks it was built from...

The causeway was amazing!

There is a ferry here that operates on the weekends to allow bikers to continue on to the islands. The map was on the wall that led to the ferry.

End of the Line

Map of the entire trail

Heading back

White Marble and a Train Relic

Short Video Summary

 

More Trail Info

http://colchestervt.gov/Recreation/Causeway.html

http://www.traillink.com/trail/island-line-rail-trail.aspx

History of the Line

Built in 1899, Rutland Railroad’s Island Line finally provided a direct connection from southern New England to Lake Ontario.  Two breaks in the causeway were spanned by a fixed iron trestle and a swing bridge that could be opened to allow boats to pass.

It was a very expensive stretch of track to build. The three and a quarter mile marble-block causeway from Colchester Point to Allen's Point at South Hero alone cost the Rutland in the vicinity of $1 million. 

Railroad Related Links

http://colchestervt.gov/historical/railroads.htm

http://www.localmotion.org/programs/islandline/history

http://www.lavigneworld.com/rutland/story.html

Stowe Bike Path

It was a hot humid day but by late afternoon it cooled down a bit and this ride was quite pleasant. It's about a 5 mile trail that--much of the way--skirts a gravel-strewn river. There are quite a few bridges as well as the trail hops from one side of the river to the other quite a few times.

It's a super easy ride but a great addition to Stowe, a fun ride for sure...

check out the short video

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Further Info >

North County/Putnam Trail to Brewster

Biking the Rail Trail from Croton Reservoir to Brewster  

- 40 plus miles round trip -

CLICK TO ENLARGE

I got off to a late start today but at 10:45 AM I was riding. I started from the parking lot just north of the Croton Reservoir. It was beautiful day  - not too hot and the Rail Trail had a lot of activity: bikers, hikers, skateboarders, etc.

Croton Parking

This trail was nice because it not only went thru some nice woodsy spots, but it also cut through a few towns so one could stop and buy a snack or whatever if you cared to.

Yorktown Heights Panorama

At Yorktown Heights, I bought a Powerade at the gas station and filmed traveling by the old train station  Photo of the station in earlier days here >.

A few miles north of Yorktown Heights, there was a long gradual hill going toward Mahopac (but on the return, it was a 15 minute joyride coasting back down it!). My tires were a little under pressure so that made the going a little tougher but Rail Trail hills are super easy compared to road or mountain biking in the area so it was no big deal…

I took a Pic of the old Mahopac station and stopped to snap a shot looking over the lake.

Lake Mahopac Station

Lake Mahopac

The trail itself went thru a variety of scenery, marshland, deep woods, farmland and of course small towns. Along the way there were a few bridges over roads or streams.

At Lake Gleneida there was a kiosk with a good amount of info on the Rail Trail efforts  on one side and on  the other side:  the history of the old Putnam line. My favorite item on the history timeline was "in 1972, A teenager steals a Diesel Switcher in Brewster and takes it on a joyride - and finally ends up crashing it"- Yikes!!

Kiosk at Lake Gleneida

Before reaching the end of the line, the Rail Trail cuts right across Middle Branch Reservoir - I have super short segment in the video. The photo is a street view from the highway to the North.

Street View South at Middle Branch Reservoir

Trail's End

There was a nice Pizza Place at end of the line where I gobbled down a couple of tasty slices before heading back...

As mentioned, my tires were soft so I stopped in at the Bikeway store in Mahopac where they pumped them back up to 100 psi. Man what a difference! 

The best part of the trip was—once I reached the high point south of Mahopac—the gradual hill I mentioned on the way up was a sweet coast back down on my return. I hardly had to pedal for about 10 minutes or so… I was flying and peaked at 29.7 mph without even trying! (I shot  a one-handed video of course :-) ) Most of the rest of the trip back was almost as easy as well.

I stopped for a quick break to eat my plum which I had hung from my handlebars: it was super ripe, juicy and delicious! 

Finally... I stopped to shoot-- IHMO--the perfect picturesque railroad cut photo...

Video - Riding the Putnam Rail Trail (Part 2)

This is a continuation of Part 1
  Riding The Old Putnam Line...

Further Info

The Putnam Line in 1902

TIP: To view maps at full size...
Click on any of the maps below and then
right click and choose "open image in a new window"

1 - East View To Croton Reservoir

The Rockefeller Diversion John D. Rockefeller was annoyed by the railroad that ran through his family’s estate in Pocantico Hills. Rockefeller approached the railroad with a plan to move the line off his property. On April 15, 1930, a construction crew of 500 men began work on the railroad relocation. Three stations were closed: Tarrytown Heights, Tower Hill, and Pocantico Hills. The new route opened in 1931.

2- Yorktown Heights Section

3- Mahopac to Brewster

4 - Mahopac Branchline to the Mine

Mahopac Falls Branch Line The Mahopac Iron Mine opened in 1879. A railroad was built to the mines in 1902. It was abandoned in 1931. More about the Mahopac Falls Branch Line: Guide To The Old Put (PDF) http://www.mahopaclibrary.org/mplex/chapter5.htm http://www.mindat.org/sitegallery.php?loc=13415

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-Rail Trail Info-
South County Trailway
North County Trailway

-Railroad History-
The Putnam Line

East Ithaca Recreation Way

Sunday Mid Morning I rode the East Ithaca Recreation Way.  There is a nice historical sign at the entrance detailing the railroad history of the ROW.

 The first stretch Is super flat and the biggest excitement is crossing the road (yawn).

Not “doing my homework” and just “winging it” was a mistake. When I got to the end of the first section (at 2) , I had no idea where to go, Being without any digital connectivity, I cussed out the lack of signage and rode back.

I then drove to the other trailhead and enjoyed this section a lot more. It travels along a stream  (Cascadilla Creek) and bridges the stream and road right before a sharp turn up a steep hill. All was rideable and enjoyable. The weather was cloudy but thankfully it didn’t rain until just as I finished. When I packed up and got in the car - it downpoured!

Short Video 

Black Diamond Trail - Ithaca, NY

The Black Diamond Express
This was the Route of the Lehigh Valley (LVRR) To Buffalo. The LVRR’s most famous passenger train was known as the Black Diamond Express as the railroad was known for primarily hauling coal from the Pennsylvania mines. (further info > )

BTW: The name in no way reflects any kind of difficulty for a biker - it is just a name to link the trail with its past!

The Ride
On Saturday--about a little before 6PM--I rode a bit of the Black Diamond.

I started out in the southernmost part of Cass Park and started riding on the trail I saw but ended up by the pool, so I retraced my route to try and find the actual trail I intended to ride!

 I found a gravel turnoff that led to the old ROW. It turns out, getting started was difficult because there wasn’t any signage. I believe this section of the trail is still considered not open.

The trail itself looks like a jeep trail and I was even blocked with deadfall at one point!

Although easy to ride  (the grade wasn’t much at all), the trail really was more appropriate for fat tires as there was a lot of ballast-sized rocks scattered about and I worried the whole time that I was going to pop a tire. :-(

After about 3 miles of riding, I decided to turn around. This section near the fallen tree pictured below had lots of loose rock just waiting to cause a flat! Fortunately I made it out with my tires still intact - riding back down over the clover was a redeeming moment of fun...

Short One-Handed Video:

South Hill Recreation Way - Ithaca, NY

This is an easy but pleasant trail built from the old DL&W switchback. Further historical info here > 

I started around 8:45 on a beautiful Saturday morning at the Burns Road entrance and rode south. It was super smooth and easy to make a one-handed video (see below).

As the map indicates, there are two sections to the trail and a connector. The connector trail was pretty steep and a rush to descend but I rode back up it without an issue on my return.

Coddington Road Entrance

Hudson Street Entrance

Short Video featuring one-handed riding views...

Vestal Rail Trail

On my way up to Ithaca, NY for a family reunion, I stopped in Vestal and rode this easy and short Rail Trail.  (3.8 miles)

The unusual shaped building was a former DL&W coal house moved from nearby. It now serves as an ice cream parlor /coffee house and community performance center - pretty cool!  Going eastward from this point, it is super flat and easy. 

Going west has a little more variety. It winds up over a bridge above a dry river bed and a little further, there is a stream in the forest that you can see. 

(close up)

 A partially-burnt fuel storage station is along the way as well...

Once I returned to where I parked, I stopped in to check out the ice cream parlor and had a tasty expresso coffee and vanilla ice cream concoction - Tasty!

There is a display inside that details the history of the building...

Further Info

Vestal Rail Trail >