Tag Archives: motorcycles

Freeborn Men

The northern woods are abuzz with the sights and sounds of fall. Bow hunters have taken to their tree stands, Trout are recovering from the long summer and the evening winds are brisk and cool.  Autumn is a welcome relief from hazy, hot and humid summer evenings. I believe in taking full advantage of every weekend opportunity to either get out on the motorcycle or Fly Fishing. It is also a fine opportunity to get in an extra camping trip or two.

The Hawk's Nest NYS Route 97
The Hawk’s Nest NYS Route 97

The Open Road

The East Coast Gypsy Run is a non-traditional motorcycle rally that starts down in Brooklyn with a Thursday night party, before heading up through scenic Ulster and Sullivan Counties in upstate New York. This year the ride set out on Friday the 13th, unfortunately we were unable to make it. On Thursday evening a ferocious storm blew through the county, leaving a path of downed trees and power outages through the Township.

The D&H Canal Roebling Aqueduct.
The D&H Canal Roebling Aqueduct.

Brandon and I decided to follow the run up through Route 52 in Sullivan County and into Ulster County on Route 55. We made some modifications to the route including a cruise through Walpack Center and the Delaware Water Gap along with Hawk’s Nest and a stop at the Roebling Aqueduct.

Sullivan County's Stone Arch Bridge, a murder was committed on this bridge.
Sullivan County’s Stone Arch Bridge, a murder was committed on this bridge.

In the Wild Forest designated areas within the Catskill Park there are remote roadside sites to camp at. This recreates the true freeborn man effect for a weekend warrior such as Brandon and myself. Cruiser bikes are a fine form of transportation; the saddlebags offer a place to store some of your gear and the seats are comfortable.

Road Star peeking out from behind the trees.
Road Star peeking out from behind the trees.

En route, we found the Blue Hill Café located in the sparsely inhabited mountain town of Claryville, New York. The café has a nicely renovated interior, they are a restaurant, bar, deli and small grocery. When we stopped in we met Irena, the owner and her bus girl Tishana. I had a delicious seafood feast washed down with a few Russian beers.

Russian Beers at the Blue Hill Cafe
Russian Beers at the Blue Hill Cafe
Brandon building a fire after the chilly night.
Brandon building a fire after the chilly night.

Wurtsboro, NY

As a boy, the family had a farm in Wurtsboro, NY on McDonald Road. It was a great place and one of the reasons I enjoy the outdoors. We no longer own the farm; we sold it a few years back. Wurtsboro remains one of my preferred destinations for a motorcycle ride; the Shawangunk Range running parallel with RT 209 town makes it beautiful country.

Cessna Bird Dog at the Wurtsboro Airport Hangar
Cessna Bird Dog at the Wurtsboro Airport Hangar

There are two stops that a rider should make when hammering down through Wurtsboro; the first is the Wurtsboro Airport. The airport is the oldest operating glider port in the USA, it was owned by the Barone Family since the 1940’s. The site of the airport was a large family homestead and the final resting place of the first non-Indian settler in Mamakating Township. Filled with storied history, the airport is under new ownership, the grounds are home to two Cessna Bird Dogs, gliders and several other historically significant airplanes.

Private aviation boomed after World War II, thousands of Americans were trained in the operation of the war birds; these pilots are the individuals who made America the great nation that it is. Recently aviation has fallen on difficult times, the Greatest Generation has retired, the housing boom destroyed airports to make way for subdivisions and the collapse of the housing boom wiped out trillions of dollars in retirement savings. Hopefully soon we will see a return to the pre-recession economy.

Danny's Motorcycle Parking
Danny’s Motorcycle Parking

Danny’s is my other recommended stop in Wurtsboro; popular with bikers, sportsmen and any red blooded American this is a fine roadhouse. America’s watering holes disappear all the time as our nation becomes successively more urbanized and suburban growth destroys each place’s unique heritage. Pretty much, this is the opposite of your average boring suburb’s Applebee’s, the building dates to the 1800s when the primary means of transportation through town was a canal. Over the years the establishment has been upgraded but you can still rest your kick stand less dirt bike against the pillar here and tie one on… now that’s America!

The Road Star all loaded up.
The Road Star all loaded up.

Next Weekend

That about wraps up the open road adventure, our time living as freeborn men. Like any weekend warrior, Monday is a fine opportunity to focus on numbers work and nurse the injuries of the adventure. It is a jam-packed fall and next weekend we will be at the Orvis Game Fair and Country Sporting Weekend along with Fly Fishing adventures in the Hudson Valley.

The Roundout Reservoir, New York City's thirst for water buried many Catskill towns.
The Roundout Reservoir, New York City’s thirst for water buried many Catskill towns.

International Motorcycle Show

Winter is the season of the trade show; considering the ice in New Jersey is much too thin for walking. Last week, Moose Knuckle Fishing went to the Pennsylvania Farm show; we reported back to you on the engaging displays of livestock and ancient artifacts. This past Friday, the Moose Knuckle team piled in the Suburban with SJS racing and drove into New York to see the International Motorcycle Show.

Moose Knuckle is predominantly a fishing and outdoor related blog; we believe that motorcycles, especially dual sport bikes are integral to accessing the back country. One such motorcycle is the 2012 Husqvarna TE 449; this bike appears nimble enough to navigate tight trails while fast enough to haul down fire roads.

Now if you have a little piece of recreational property out in the woods and require a nimble yet powerful four wheel drive ATV; Yamaha had on display the 2012 Grizzly. We are happy to report this vehicle is assembled with pride right here in the USA. Judging from the sorry state of the US economy, not enough of that happens anymore.  Yamaha utility quads are the most reliable out there, this beast is loaded with horsepower to tow your deer corn or gear out to your favorite spot.

Getting back to brass tax, on Saturday we were fortunate enough to receive roughly six inches of snow combined with frigid weather. If conditions hold we will be featuring the first ice fishing blog this coming weekend.

More Pictures Here