I rode my Unicycle from NYC to Canada | 700-Mile Solo Camping Adventure (Day 2)

DAY 2 of my 8-day SOLO-CAMPING trip from NEW YORK CITY to CANADA 🇨🇦 via the Empire State Trail! Thursday, August 7, 2025 marked Day 2 of my trip, and began exactly where Day 1 ended. I woke up in the Depot Hill Multiple Use Area — a simple, wooded patch of state land with no facilities and no landmarks for orientation. I opened the tent, showed the small pocket of essentials I kept near my head, packed everything up, and walked out of the forest back toward the Empire State Trail. The trail opened into a long, tree-tunneled stretch that reminded me of Jurassic Park — dense branches arcing overhead, lakes and reservoirs occasionally appearing through the gaps. Green Haven Correctional Facility sat unexpectedly close to the path. Soon after, I reached Hopewell Junction, the last major stop before Poughkeepsie. A cyclist there waved me through because he wanted to “see the technology ride by,” and our brief conversation set the tone for the day: generous people, easy conversations, and small moments that stuck with me. Hopewell Junction used to be part of the old Maybrook Line. The trail runs through restored rail cars and the old station, now converted into a small museum. From there, the Dutchess Rail Trail carried me toward Poughkeepsie on clean pavement, wide lanes, and occasional truss-style bridges that once supported rail lines. The Walkway Over the Hudson was the first major milestone of the trip. Riding hundreds of feet above the river and the town below felt different this time — not just scenic, but significant. This was officially the furthest I had ever ridden from New York City on an EUC. Past the river, the Hudson Valley Rail Trail became quieter and more rural. Old stations appeared along the path like small time capsules. New Paltz was the next break, and I stopped at a place called IPHO for lunch — Vietnamese fusion, unexpectedly good, especially for being this far outside the city. North of New Paltz, the pavement turned into loose gravel. Then came one of the day’s highlights: a long, open-sided railroad truss bridge with a wide view of the river. After that, the Rail Trail Café appeared suddenly through the trees — a small, weathered café in the woods with a brick oven, postcards faded by rain, and a relaxed setup that reminded me of stumbling into a hidden cave in Zelda. I grabbed an iced coffee and continued north. The Rosedale Trestle Bridge was the defining moment of Day 2. The trail turned into a narrow wooden deck, and before I realized it, the trees fell away and the path lifted into open air. For a few hundred feet, it felt like I was riding a unicycle through the sky — low railings, wide valley views, and nothing next to me except empty space. The temperature dropped sharply as I entered the Joppenberg Mountain area. Old cement mines in the rock still breathed out 50-degree air year-round, and the cold settles across the trail like a visible layer. Rosendale cement came from here — naturally hydraulic material used for bridges, dams, and canals across the country. Past the mountain, the trail turned into a narrow on-road section with fast traffic and an uneven shoulder. Kingston itself felt like a small industrial town in transition, and the Empire State Trail weaved directly through its streets. North of town was a confusing gravel detour along the river beside an abandoned rail line. The terrain was rough and uneven, with water on one side and tracks on the other. The Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge was another tense moment. The official bike lane disappeared on the on-ramp, leaving cyclists exposed to fast-moving traffic, so I chose the pedestrian side — empty, protected, and safer. The view from the top covered one of the widest sections of the Hudson River, lit by a break in the clouds. Bard College was a quick charging stop, with old stone buildings mixed with Gehry’s curved metal architecture. As evening approached, the Red Hook Trail tightened into dense woods and rough terrain with potholes big enough to swallow my wheel. Past that, everything opened into Columbia County farmland — smooth roads, empty fields, and unexpected elk farms stretching along the horizon. I reached Roe-Jan Kill Park just before sunset. This campsite had platforms for tents, a small shelter, and a BBQ grill. I had just enough time to set up before dark. After settling in, a firefly drifted inside the tent, blinking in slow green pulses. That was the last thing I saw before falling asleep at the end of Day 2. Thursday, August 7, 2025 Holmes to Germantown, NY 84 miles Watch next → Day 3 (coming soon)