shale32

I am new here, but not new to bike touring. A couple of friends and I plan to tackle our last stretch of the Empire State Trail in late May. We want to ride from Rouses Point to Albany. We have reserved a pick up truck for us to drive us and our bikes and gear to Plattburgh from Maryland, but need a way to get to the Canadian Border (Rounses Point) to "officially" complete the entire Empire State Trail. Does anyone know how we can do that? We have contacted someone at a bike shop in Plattsburgh to find out about a shuttle, but welcome other ideas or experiences. TIA

Thulsadoom

There's a bus. Clinton County Public Transport. I've never ridden it myself, but I've heard they allow bikes.

Steve B.

Umm…. bike it ?, it’s 25 miles, maybe 2-1/2 hrs. Maybe the PU driver could drop you off 30 minutes up the road ?

bktourer1

Check out the cue sheets of the Champlain Valley Trail
https://empiretrail.ny.gov/map

djb

hopefully you respond, but are you tight for time, ie riding days?
How many miles do you plan roughly to ride per day, 20, 40, 60?
I have a recommendation for you but will see if you answer.
cheers

Yan 

What's wrong with just riding up on Route 9? I drive through that area occasionally. It's sparsely populated, not much going on. Not that much extra distance to do the round trip.

Pratt

Or, it might be fun to take the ferry to Burlington and ride up through the islands ( check that the little bike shuttle ferry on the causeway is running). At Alburgh, follow the main road across the bridge to Rouses Point, stay at a nice B&B there (Au Born du Lac) and start fresh the next morning.

mev

In 2023 I was looking for the ferry that went from Burlington to Plattsburgh and apparently it was still closed from 2022 on - https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...on/7565784001/ Are you thinking of that ferry or the one that now goes to Grand Island?

shale32

HI,
We are planning to drive on a Friday in May and if we can get a ride to Rouses Point, begin our ride that day. Otherwise, we will ride from Plattburgh, 40-60 miles per day. for the next 3 days. It varies due to where we were able to get lodging for each night.

shale32

Are you suggesting an out & back from Plattsburgh? That would be 50ish miles, a whole day of rifing. We don't have time. We have4 days.

djb

Thanks. My suggestion wouldn't work then. It was similar to someone else, to get a ferry over to the islands and make your way to rouses point that way.

I've ridden the islands a few times, including one of my very first bike trips, maybe in 89. Pretty place to ride. I rode down them again going from Montreal to Boston not too many years ago and still found it pretty.
I've also ridden from lake George up to the Quebec side ten years ago +, followed the road on the west side of the lake. No clear memories of it, so not great but not bad either.

I hope you can all find a ride to rouses point.
Perhaps ask at bike stores, perhaps someone would have a friend with a big pickup or whatever, happy to make some extra cash for a 50 mile round trip drive.

Steve B.

Well, this now sounds like you are kind of asking a stupid question. You can’t get a ride to Rouses Point and don’t have the time to ride the distances you want to do, so looks like you’ll be riding south from Plattsburgh. Or find an extra day.

shale32

Wow, Steve. No need to be rude. My original question was asking for help arranging a ride to Rouses Point from Plattsburgh because we could make a 25 mile ride happen based on our schedule, but not 50 die to the distance we would be driving on the first day of our adventure.

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shale32

Thank you, djb. We are thinking that might be our only hope, based on our research so far.

shale32

Thank you! I'll check that out

indyfabz

+1. You might have a “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” experience.

djb

Do you have a specific reason you are staying in Plattsburg, rather than looking for accomodations in Rouses Point and possibly asking your first drive to continue up to Rouses Point the day of car traveling day?
I have no idea of how many hours by car from Maryland to Plattsburg, I even have to look up where is Maryland, I'm Canadian.

PS, just saw where Maryland is, holy geez, thats a good long way, 500 miles 800 kms. That is a long days drive.

Steve B.

This is why I am having some questions about how the trip is being planned. I get the info that the vehicle portion of the ride can only go as far as Plattsburgh, not Rouse Point, which is 25 miles, which after driving up from Maryland I would think is maybe 20 minutes up I87. That’s somewhat puzzling and I probably should not ask as Ive already been called rude. Maryland is near 600 miles and about an 8 hr. drive, so that extra 20 minutes is what’s puzzling. Might be a good reason, we can’t know based on what we’ve been told.

mev

I am not the OP, but interpreted the sentence "We have reserved a pick up truck for us to drive us and our bikes and gear to Plattburgh" as one-way rental car probably dropping off at the Plattsburgh airport...

If that were the case, then at minimum one would drop all but one at Rouses Point and then meeting the person who dropped off the rental car on the way south...

Steve B.

Oh, ok, that’s a maybe. I think I would just skip Rouses Point and start in Plattsburgh.

indyfabz

So would I, but maybe there is a desire to say they did the entire thing. I distinctly remember Pedal PA in 1998. One day was a tough near century. Two guys rode around and around at the college we were staying at that day just so they could claim a full century.

bktourer1

If you make it to Rouses Point, there is a really good place for food just before the bridge that goes over Lake Champlain.
There is a motel and a Warm showers host ( if you are a member) in RP

djb

shale, how is the group opinion on what to do going?

bktourer1

Option 1: Leave real early, ride to RP then back to Plattsburg (4+ hours round trip)
If you make it to Rouses Point, there is a really good place for food just before the bridge that goes over Lake Champlain.
There is a motel and a Warm showers host ( if you are a member) in RP
Option 2: TRY to add a day of your trip and overnight in RP (warmshowers Host & motel)
Option 3; Bypass RP and plan another vacation and add RP in, and head over to Burlington