Exploring the ice caves of Cragsmoor
When I’m out riding, there’s always a chance I’ll see an out-of-the-way country road that entices me to go exploring. And, at times, some roads have regressed from pavement to dirt to narrow, rocky footpath.
On those occasions, while shoving the bike back and forth to turn it around in the middle of the woods, I’ve asked myself, “How did I get into this mess?”
A few weeks ago, I found myself in a similar situation. Except, this time, I was underground. I was attempting to shove myself through a narrow opening in a thick sheet of ice and snow to get out of a bad situation. What made the scene even stranger, I was wearing my leather motorcycle jacket, pants and boots. Not what I’d consider ideal spelunking equipment.
How did I get into this mess? I’ll explain.
I was taking a leisurely ride on Route 52 in New York, heading north toward Ellenville. As this road climbs into the mountains, it ducks in and out of the woods and ultimately hugs the cliffs and provides great views of the valley below. That’s where I usually pull into one of the lookouts to see how the mountains are doing and sometimes watch folks in hang gliders circling above.
Taking an unexpected turn
But, on this day, about 10 miles before the lookout, I passed a sign for Cragsmoor Road. Beside it stood another sign for Ice Cave Mountain. I’d never noticed the signs or this road before, and in two seconds, I decided to make the turn and take a look.The road went up the mountain and ended in a huge parking lot. A few cars were parked here and there. A number of hikers were arranging their equipment and preparing to head out toward the cliffs above the far end of the parking lot.
And why not? It was a nice spring day. The sun was shining and the temperature stood at about 70 degrees.
As scanned the area, I soon realized that at one time, cars could pass through this lot and continue on a steep, narrow drive to the cliffs above. But that portion of the road was now only open to foot traffic.
I parked the bike and walked over to a small kiosk containing displays and information about the area.
I learned that I was in the 4,600-acre Sam’s Point Dwarf Pine Ridge Preserve. The New York City-based Open Space Institute had formed the preserve as part its efforts to save the Shawangunk Ridge, which stretches from Pennsylvania to New York.
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