Margaretville to Hillsdale NY - the Catskills Day 2

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They didn't see me. I didn't see them. All of a sudden the flock of wild turkeys walking sedately down the road took off. One poor bird went straight on down the road, with me rapidly closing in from behind. He must have been doing 20 miles an hour as he dropped his load, gradually rose above helmet height and turned off into the forest. I saw more wild turkeys than any other form of wildlife, deer included.

The Catskills are very picturesque. Low hills and green valleys watered by the Delaware and its tributaries. I had to cross the Pepacton reservoir at the start of the day. It was dark and stormy. Beautiful moment. The mix of mountains and lakes was just right, with a small trout hatchery thrown in for good measure. Today's route also had a long difficult section, so I took the "Alt-easier" road and felt wimpy, but safe. Having these options kept the worry factor down to tolerable levels.

I was almost caught by the gas situation. The first two locations on the map with the "Fuel" icon turned out to be out of date. I got the warning signal from the bike up close to Blenheim, and was able to find gas at the Breakabean General Store. This place was great. Sold everything, including regular gas. While I was fiddling with my straps and things after loading up, the next guy, must have been about my age, started to fill his gas container. Even Covid can't stop the conversation around a gas pump. "Got to keep the generator going you know. Its just me and the dog. Live in a camper now. Much simpler. On my son's land. When I have to I go over, give the kids a hand. Get fresh vegetables..." I got the short story of the way it was, up against the old pump in the sun.

Fleischmanns is a small town right in the middle of the Catskills. It sits on the East Branch of the Delaware, surrounded by hills, couldn't be prettier. In my search for a coffee I happened on a small Moroccan cafe on the main drag. I was invited in to sample the baklava brought in by a new baker. Whether it was the delicate pastry or the capuccino that went with it, or the garden on the banks of the Delaware where we sat is not clear, but it made my day. The new baker joined me in the garden and explained how she and her husband had recently moved to the Catskills to escape New York City. He was working remotely, she was now baking. No plans to return. She said real estate markets were booming in the region, driven by families like themselves.

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Photos

Spent the night at Hillsdale NY
Made me wonder how things were going in Hillsdale MI