RAMAPO MC FALL FOLIAGE ‘21

As we know the 2020 season was crushed for so many and as we rolled into 2021, although some things began to return to normal, there were a few things and events that, well, never happened. Many of the rides and events that we had faith would happen each season suddenly became things we simply hoped would happen. Apologies to my friend Mario – sorry, buddy - there is a huge difference between feeling hope and having faith. That rst year we sorely missed Americade, the Ramapo 500, and Fall Rides in our region. As 2021 rolled in, we now just hoped they would occur. And then, things began to happen again. Americade – in September, rather than the usual June – but, we’d take it.

And then Shira saw a post that the Ramapo Motorcycle Club would be holding their annual Fall Foliage Run on Sunday, October 17. Suddenly hope was happily tossed away, replaced by faith that this club – one of the premier riding clubs in the country - would come through with a day full of miles and smiles along the backroads of the region. Our faith was rewarded. The previous afternoon a strong storm front passed through and the week that had seen the mid-80s was pushed into the past, replaced by puffy clouds, blue skies, and morning temperatures in the mid-40s. So, we went back in time temperature-wise. From the Go-Go’s and Laura Branigan back to Glenn Miller and Bing Crosby. Still, the sun was shining. As the day moved, on as we did, from our northwest New Jersey abode to the Rhodes Tavern in Sloatsburg, New York which would be both the start and nish of Ramapo’s Fall Ride, the day grew warmer. It was more than a bit excellent to see familiar faces as we rolled in and signed up for the ride, happily making a donation, as all the monies raised this day would go directly to The Valerie Fund who are part of the search

for a cure for the scourge of Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders. Truly a worthy cause. Ramapo also offered a GPS Route option as well as three guided tours for those who just wanted to ride and not have to navigate the Route Sheet or play with a GPS. The ride was a healthy 140 or so miles and would bring riders up through the Greenwood Lake area and then scooting into New Jersey and into,

ironically, the Skylands Region of the state for a late breakfast or early lunch at Jumboland Diner & DriveThru – a Sussex County mainstay that hosts both Thursday Night Bike Nights and weekend Car Shows during the summers. For the rst part of the ride, Shira and I did our own thing, but we eventually caught up to one of the guided tours. Although they had a great pace for a group, we felt the need to, ummm, get clear of the crowd. A pass of so many riders on the twisty roads of hilly northwest New Jersey would have been ill-advised, so we waited until a long red light and then semi-sheepishly made our way to the front and got ahead of the pack. All too soon we rolled into Jumboland for breakfast. By the time we were getting ready to leave the lot was full of all sorts of machines and riders and some that had come a good distance to be part of Ramapo’s rst ride since the pandemic. The returning route was twice as long as the rst half of the day and brought riders up and over Sunrise Mountain that, at 1,650 feet, is the second-highest peak in the Garden State and has the Appalachian Trail cross right over it. Riders continued through High Point State Park. High Point is, well gee whiz – High. At least for New Jersey. High Point, the summit of the Kittatinny Ridge, rises 1,803 feet above sea level — the highest elevation in the state of New Jersey. Kittatinny Ridge is the product of continental collisions that crumpled the earth’s crust, the grinding force of mile-high ice sheets, and centuries of erosion that washed soil and rock into the valleys. The result is a mountain with unrivaled views of three states and a scenic landscape where uncommon plants take root, animals nd refuge, and people come to sightsee, play, and relax. Atop the mountain’s summit is the High Point Monument, dedicated to New Jersey’s veterans. This monument and the more than 16,000 acres that comprised High Point State Park were the generous gifts of Anthony and Susie Dryden Kuser in 1923. Beginning in the mid-1800s, people have been re ning High Point’s already-inviting natural landscape – building roads and trails, beaches and picnic grounds, concession areas, and campgrounds – all planned to enhance both the natural beauty of the landscape and to make the park more enjoyable for visitors. We like to ride around and in it.

It is a superb part of the state and we can see why Ramapo routed us through there. This day’s romp headed a bit north as it rolled back into New York State and through the historic “Drowned Lands” now called Pine Island. Many have ridden this area before and perhaps you have wondered why it is named Pine Island and why was it once called The Drowned Lands? Well, here is the quick background: When settlers rst came to the region farmers generally avoided the area in the early years of settlement, because the soil, although rich, was frequently ooded and poorly drained. Instead, the land was used for pasturage, though sudden storms would often drown the stock. Starting in 1804, talks began about the best way to drain the swampland. First, an attempt was made to clear the natural obstacles, but that proved too expensive. Instead, a drainage canal was constructed by General George D. Wickham through his property in 1835. (The former course is now a creek meandering parallel). Immigrants from Eastern Europe, particularly Poles and Volga Germans, had worked similar soils, known as ‘chernozem,’ Russian for black dirt, in their native countries and began farming the former swampland. In the mid-19th-century they won a series of con icts with downstream millers later dubbed “The Muskrat and Beaver Wars” (where is O’Life when I need him?), giving them the right to prevent a dam from being built on the drainage channel. The region is now famous for the pungent, highly prized black-dirt onions that you can smell as your ride by in late summer. As we said the ride started and ended at the Rhodes Tavern – a great place to stop and have a meal too. Kudos to Ramapo for kickstarting their legacy of fantastic and enjoyable riding events. Many of us were worried that the last two years would bring in a “New Normal.” For us, we like the way things were… Let’s go riding! ,