Activity: road cycling
Location: Hillsdale, NY > Copake Falls, NY
Distance: 16.7 miles
Duration: 1:35
Weather: hot and sunny, 84 degrees
Avg HR: 147 (est.)
Type: aerobic

Not nearly as hot as the previous day’s ride, sprite and I rode to the Ore Pit Pond swimming hole at Taconic State Park. We rode at a slower pace, as sprite is still developing as a cyclist (though she keeps up a good pace, better than she thinks). The ride from Long Hill Farm to Copake Falls cuts through some wonderful farmland, and has a few rolling hills.

We took our time on the hills and were rewarded with some wonderful swimming in the Ore Pit Pond. The pond was originally an iron ore quarry in the 1800s, and was flooded when iron production in Copake Falls dwindled in the late-1890s. The mine decided to flood the pit with natural spring water flow, and locals soon discovered it to be a wonderful swimming pond. Since 1927, the pond has been a great place to swim and cool off on a hot summer day. The pond’s swimming area ranges from 8 ro 40 feet deep, so big dives are possible, though not encouraged by the ever-present lifeguards.

After the swim, I rode up the Bash Bish Falls notch again (tougher this time, riding from a cold start after lying in the sun, and also carrying more weight with my rack, towel and aqua socks), then caught up with sprite back in Hillsdale. It was a great time away from the music, the crowds and the heat.