We also still have snow on the ground here and there. Forecast sunshine didn't show up, but it was just barely warm enough for shorts rather than tights, so with the wet and dirty roads, I got a little bit of Belgian tan lines instead. 62 miles and 3200' but it felt like more climbing than that. Maybe because I was on the Propel/race bike with standard gearing, and had gotten used to the generous gearing of the CX bike. I went out with the intention of going a lot farther than I wanted to take the heavier, fat-tired TCX, and I didn't want to take the steel bike out what with all the brine on the roads....
The first few miles there were other cyclists all over the place, and The Market was PACKED. However, once I got to Nyack, The Spoon (another popular cyclist snack stop) was super quiet - only four other cyclists there. After a loop around Rockland Lake, I made my way over to climb High Tor (just 8/10 mile, but 10.2% average, 22.3% max grade), turned around at the top, then did a bit of exploring. Favorite find was Crusher Road. Love the name - it includes a modest climb, but it's called that because it goes by a quarry and rock crushing plant, which is kind of impressive - at least not something you see on your typical ride in the country.
When I got back to The Market in the afternoon, things had quieted down considerably. Plenty of customers, but only three other cyclists when I got there, and no line. Got a delicious late lunch of pasta, meatballs, vegetables and a beer (I was famished). I figured getting some food would just help make the ride the rest of the way home less miserable - didn't expect to get re-energized. But after warming back up, I found myself really working to hurry home. Got some serious sprints in and collected a fair number of PRs. Really surprised myself when, near the end, I took off from a stoplight and floored it - doubt I've EVER gone from 0-25 so fast on a flat.
A bit chilly at the beginning, some light rain here and there, and I'm quite tired, but it was exactly the kind of ride I wanted to get.
Bonus: discovered that the Maloja kit I picked up recently evidently repels road grime. I could feel the splatter on my back as I was riding, but when I got home and took it off, it was spotless!