The Duffys ski on their private trails from November until March.
The Amwell Valley Trail Association has pieced together 75 miles of private trails where East Amwell residents can ride or hike for a nominal annual fee.
White-nosed coatis scamper across the lawns, toucans call, private trails lead to rock pools, and convivial dinners are served at long candlelit tables in the thatched rancho.
His new passion project, the Ranch at Rock Creek, is Hemingway-meets-Ralph Lauren: the rustic-chic spread features horseback riding, archery, pistol shooting, mountain-biking on 10 miles of private trails and movies on a 24-foot movie screen.
Private trails crisscross the property, which adjoins a national forest.
Unlike its neighbor, PHC, notable for having its own private jogging trail, PHB maximizes its 4,200 square feet of loft-style indoor space with a Bulthaup kitchen and a living/entertainment area with a bronze-clad wood-burning fireplace.
Locals, weekenders and tourists from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Canada create a diverse scene in the restaurants, shops and galleries and at the two nearby ski areas, Holiday Valley (www.holidayvalley.com) and HoliMont (www.holimont.com), a private 50-trail ski area that is open to the public weekdays and reserved for members and guests on weekends.
This time, one of his three surviving adult daughters rode shotgun to answer nonstop calls on his cellphone, with two volunteer private investigators trailing in a van.
(I wrote about his lawyer, whom News International hired a private investigator to trail, in July).
