Old 05-21-19, 09:59 PM
  #72  
arbee
Junior Member
 
arbee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: New York City
Posts: 146
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 60 Post(s)
Liked 27 Times in 17 Posts
Unless Yonkers has cleaned up its act (and the trail), the only reason to bike the OCA in Tibbetts Brook Park is for bragging rights. It's been a few years since I've done it. Once was more than enough. This isn't an example of benign neglect; it's active neglect: lots of broken glass and other trash. If you want to check it out with minimal unpleasantness, I suggest riding southbound on Midland Av. Between the Cross County Pkwy and McLean Av, the OCA is clearly visible immediately to the west of Midland. Between McLean Av and the Westchester - Bronx border, the OCA is essentially front and back yards, not unlike a few other OCA segments in Yonkers and Tarrytown. Within Van Cortlandt Park, in my experience, the OCA is lightly traveled. Officially, bicycles are prohibited, but there's a presence of motor-powered ATVs. My limited experience: this segment of the OCA can be muddy with no particularly scenic rewards. Where the Deegan crosses Mosholu Pkwy, there's a pedpath on the west side of the bridge with stairs south of the bridge. The pedpath and stairs were in craptacularly poor condition, then closed for repairs. I don't know the current status. Alternatively, I've bushwhacked my way north from where the OCA, Mosholu Pkwy, and the Deegan meet. Adjacent to Mosholu Pkwy and heading north, there was actually a paved path. Don't get your hopes up. Adjacent to the Deegan, the pavement stops, but a rudimentary path continues. Sort of. "Bushwhack" is probably accurate. I connected to the extension of Central Park Av / Jerome Av which bridges the Deegan. Worth adding: in addition to other delights, there's probably a real risk of exposure to Lyme disease along this route.
arbee is offline