from CRCA email list:
Major landslide in the middle of the Big hill on River Road. Wiped out
road bed. May take til the spring to repair. Time to find another hill
for repeats.
River Road
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 10:30am
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 1:31pm
#1
N. B'way in Yonkers is good. Several miles I think...
SteveB
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 2:33pm
#2
I like North Broadway, because it is close to me, but it does not compare to the Alpine climb on River Road.
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 3:24pm
#3
Alternates explored - hudson, clinton, (E. Broadway?)....
I checked a topo map of the area. Some alternates to River Road hill and how they compare are profiled below. I have not been on all of them, so I don't know traffic patterns/lights.
River road -(base loop to police station)grade 7.7%, climb elevation is 398 feet and linear distance is 5,140 feet.
Hudson avenue -(Country rd to 9W) - grade 7.2%, climb elevation is 356 feet and linear distance is 4,911. Located 5.1 miles north of GWB NJ side on 9W.
N. Broadway Hill -(Nagle to 179st) - grade 3.7%, climb elevation is 151 feet and linear distance is 4,075 feet. Has traffic lights.
E. Clinton -(Engle to N. Woodlawn) - grade 5.1%, climb elevation is 249 feet and linear distance is 4,093 feet. (There is a dip in the slope 1/3rd up the hill that dilutes the grade). Located 3.87 miles north of GWB on 9W.
E. Clinton -(Edgewood to N. Woodlawn) - grade 7.3%, climb elevation is 225 feet and linear distance is 3,086 feet.
Bob.
P.S. Don't forget to check out the regional hill grades compiled by Hank and located in the Resources section of this website. Many, many hills.
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 3:51pm
#4
Does anyone know the actual #'s of N Bway hill?
Sat, 12/17/2005 - 8:46pm
#5
How is E. Clinton for climbing? I've decended it many times from N. Woodlawn to 501, but never climbed from 501 to 9W.
E. Clinton is about 1 - 1.5 miles south of Hudson.
Sun, 12/18/2005 - 11:00am
#6
"Robert,
The N. Broadway Hill you mention is actually Broadway.
The North Broadway that we are trying to get information on is in Yonkers.
Heading North, when Riverdale Ave turns into Warburton, You make a right then a quick left.
Map of
North Broadway in Yonkers
Wed, 12/28/2005 - 7:58am
#9
Keeler Lane
R off 116/121 (Titicus Rd) just before the fork to Ridgefield in Upper Westchester. The climb is a mile, about half of it notably steep (Hank?). At the top, L on Hilltop for a wide open, well-paved, sweeping descent back down to 116, L back to Keeler. Scenic, with zero traffic. Of course, it's ridiculously remote, but it's worth a detour and reasonably accessible to/from all Metro North stops (especially Purdys) between Bedford Hills and Brewster. I regard it as an heroic accomplishment each time I get to the top, and I haven't even thought about it for repeats, but some of you macho types should love it.
Sun, 12/18/2005 - 10:26am
#10
Hill alternatives to River Road
Ardsley Road - from Scarsdale Metro North Station
Quaker Ridge Road - from North Avenue New Rochelle (Wykagil) to Weaver Street and back again
Mon, 12/19/2005 - 6:29pm
#11
Have you no fear for your life?
Ardsley Road - from Scarsdale Metro North Station.. this is like saying there is plenty of money in a bank, go help yourself.
A blind man has a better chance of crossing Times Square unassisted at 7 PM on a week night then doing hill repeats on Ardsley Road from the train station.
Tue, 12/20/2005 - 10:38am
#12
Have you no fear for your life?
Hank,
My daughter has lived off Ardsley road for some twelve years. And, when I was still riding, I would climb it, after cycling up from NYC - screaming and cursing all the way. But, I never felt in danger going up or down. . .probably because of my total lack of speed in either direction. . .huffing and puffiing on the ascent, and braking and braking on the descent. . .
Tue, 12/20/2005 - 5:14pm
#13
When I was a kid...
...I rode thru the neighborhoods to avoid Quaker Ridge Rd. I always had to get off and push my bike on the sidewalk going up Ardsley Rd (hey, it was a 3-speed) but some of my finest moments were on the way back doowwwwwwnnnnnn !!!!!
Tue, 12/20/2005 - 7:07pm
#14
Every time I have climbed that hill it has been rife with cars. When I ponder the probable statistics of drunk drivers and all those curves I get the feeling of Russian roulette with a bike.
BTW, going north on Scarsdale Rd to the intersection of Ardsley Rd has the danger of cars cutting you off as they enter the Bronx River Parkway. If you aren't aware that there is an entry ramp on your right and some of the cars turning off Ardsley are not actually going down Scarsdale Rd but going onto the parkway you can have a head on collision. No doubt you know that.
Sun, 12/18/2005 - 2:46pm
#15
Alpine Hill
Instead of immediately giving up, how about some actual first-hand info on the slide? Anybody been there, seen it? Is it totally insurpassable, can you climb over it (with cleats on), etc.?
Mon, 12/19/2005 - 6:38am
#16
the police have the road completely blocked off (nm)
Mon, 12/19/2005 - 6:43am
#17
"I checked it out on Saturday after a rider coming from the opposite direction told me the hill was blocked. A huge chunk of the road, along with the ground underneath it, has been completely torn away. ""Blocked"" is an understatement. It's outright gone, and I wouldn't climb across unless I was secured with a belay rope."
Mon, 12/19/2005 - 11:00am
#18
oh wow, this is bad! doesn't sound like it'll be repaired by the spring, or any time soon after. thanks for the update.
Tue, 12/27/2005 - 1:32pm
#19
Landslide -- FM Style
I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
’till the landslide brought me down
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life
Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
’cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I’m getting older too
Oh, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe the landslide will bring it dow
Mon, 12/19/2005 - 3:13pm
#22
blocked road
John, when were you there? When I was there on Sunday, I could ride right up to the slide and there was no police presence. It's pretty spectacular. There were some hikers who scrambled across the rubble but I won't be crossing it while carrying a bike and wearing bike cleats.
Tue, 12/27/2005 - 8:12pm
#23
Official Notice from the PIP commission
From
ALPINE APPROACH ROAD CLOSED
Due to a significant rockslide on the weekend of Dec. 17, Alpine Approach Road from Park Headquarters to the Alpine Boat Basin and Picnic Area is closed until repairs can be made. Until repairs are completed, there is no vehicle access to the Alpine Boat Basin and Picnic Area. (For foot access, hikers can park at Park Headquarters and hike down the Closter Dock Trail to the Shore Trail.) Notice will be placed here when the road has been reopened.
Tue, 12/27/2005 - 3:54pm
#24
Gate Hill Road
Gate Hill Road is far (granted), but a good hill.
Tue, 12/27/2005 - 5:27pm
#25
my personal favorite is Perkins Memorial Drive (too far!!) (nm)
Wed, 12/28/2005 - 7:37pm
#26
Eisenhower:11-12%, 1/2 mile in two parts, approx. 8 mi. from GWB
From 501/Piermont Rd./County Rd. in Tenafly:
East on Union / Hillside. Follow curve. Rgt. after the curve, which is Kennedy (which, appropriately, ends at a dead end). All the streets here are named for presidents. The first left is Wilson (a failed idealist). This route is historically accurate in that we take mostly right turns.
Second left: Eisenhower. (Read his prescient farewell address.) The climb is in two parts, each of which is c. .25 mile with a welcomed plateau between them. The first is 9-11%. The second is steeper.
At top L on unnamed street: maybe Truman, maybe Van Buren.
First right. It’s a swooping, semi-fast downhill that leads to the turn so modulate your speed.
First right: Hemlock (no street sign).
Each of these homes is a shrine to Excess and Tastelessness.
First right: Rio Vista. Follow around left curve. It ends at 9W.
Now you know where you are. When you ride north on 9W, you see a sign leading into where you come out: Rio Vista/Esplanade.
Thu, 12/29/2005 - 8:51am
#27
Passable
I recently crossed over the obstruction on River Road. It was pretty easy to navigate in my SPD shoes. Even if you were to fall, you would most likely not plunge to your death.
DISCLAIMER: Any information in this message will be taken at your own risk. I shall not be liable should something bad happen to you as you attempt to pass this obstruction.
Thu, 12/29/2005 - 11:19am
#28
not worth it
Why you want to risk getting hurt to cross it? Totally not worth it. I saw it last week, the road is completely gone. Close to an 80 ft section has to be traversed to cross it. The debris is not stable and might slide more. Take 9w and other roads to get north.
Thu, 12/29/2005 - 11:53am
#29
No pain, no gain
I found it very easy to cross so I was not risking injury. But let us say, for the sake of argument, that I was risking injury.
I would risk, perhaps, temporary injury, maybe a bruise or an abrasion, even a mild sprain, since River Road is such a beautiful stretch of road that it would be worth it.
