RIVER TALK

Banish the blues

BY SANDY LONG
Posted 2/15/23

Looking for a good day trip to ditch those winter doldrums? Pack a picnic and your favorite hiking pals—people or pups—into your vehicle of choice and head to nearby Ulster County, NY, where you can access the terrific Ashokan Rail Trail (ART) and take in sweeping views of the Ashokan Reservoir. Get a decent dose of revitalizing fresh air, stretch and strengthen your winter-weary body, all while experiencing breathtaking scenes of water, sky and forested landscapes.

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RIVER TALK

Banish the blues

Posted

Looking for a good day trip to ditch those winter doldrums? Pack a picnic and your favorite hiking pals—people or pups—into your vehicle of choice and head to nearby Ulster County, NY, where you can access the terrific Ashokan Rail Trail (ART) and take in sweeping views of the Ashokan Reservoir. Get a decent dose of revitalizing fresh air, stretch and strengthen your winter-weary body, all while experiencing breathtaking scenes of water, sky and forested landscapes. 

Constructed between 1907 and 1915, the Ashokan Reservoir is part of the largest unfiltered drinking water system in the United States, serving millions of people in New York City and the Hudson Valley. High-quality waters from the Catskill region are delivered to New York City through the 92-mile Catskill Aqueduct from the 128-billion-gallon reservoir.

The creation of the Ashokan Reservoir didn’t come without cost to the communities lost to its development. Along the trail, visitors can learn about that history via a series of interpretive panels. For example, over 10,000 acres were cleared to make way for the reservoir. “Entire communities were displaced and hamlets abandoned as farms, houses, businesses, and industries were taken by eminent domain… Over 500 dwellings, 1,500 barns and outbuildings, 10 churches, 11 schools, 40 cemeteries and 13 miles of railroad were removed. Approximately 2,000 people were forced to move.”

Even before the towns and trains, people were living in the Esopus valley, depicted in the photo here as the flooded valley of the Esopus Creek. The Esopus, a Lenape people, and their ancestors lived in the valley for more than 10,000 years and their descendants have strong cultural ties to it today. A series of violent conflicts between the Esopus and European colonists in the 1650s, known as the “Esopus Wars,” led to the signing of a peace agreement known as the Nicolls Treaty. The treaty is still reaffirmed annually in Ulster County.

By the time your ramble along the ART is over, you will have learned a good deal about regional history and those doldrums will have disappeared. Warm up with your favorite beverage and a tasty treat in the delightfully quirky town of Woodstock (only minutes away from the Woodstock Dike Trailhead access area). Prowl around the town’s interesting shops and grab a great book to cozy up with at home to keep those winter blues at bay.

To learn more about the Lenape Nation, follow up with a program closer to the Upper Delaware River region, hosted by the Delaware Highlands Conservancy in Beach Lake, PA on Wednesday, March 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. “The Lenape Nation at the Van Scott Nature Reserve” will feature members of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania sharing their history and current status, and will answer questions. 

Following the presentation, Conservancy executive director Diane Rosencrance, will sign the Lenape Treaty of Renewed Friendship. 

There is no charge for the event, but space is limited and registration is required. Email rachel@delawarehighlands.org to register, or visit  delawarehighlands.org/events/the-lenape-nation-at-the-van-scott-nature-reserve/.

ashokan rail trail, ulster, scenery, esopus

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