I almost didn’t make this trip for two reasons. First, Lisa and I were in the midst of selling our furniture and packing everything else for our move to Florida. It hardly seemed like the time to go on an eight-day paddle down the Hudson River. Never-the-less, Lisa insisted that I go on the trip, knowing that it was a chance for me to reconnect with some old friends and figuring that I would be pouting around the house if I missed it. And as luck would have it, a good friend invited her for a visit in New Hampshire for most of the days I would be away. Secondly, the week before the GHRP was to start I cut my hand on a broken pot shard requiting eight stitches. I wasn’t sure I would be able to hold and maneuver a paddle. But with a little adjusting, things worked out fine.
Albany to New Baltimore – 15.4 miles by GPS: We departed Albany about 9 AM with the usual fanfare and ceremonies, and the good wishes of dignitaries and administrators, all claiming to wish they could join us. Fred LeBrun, columnist for the Times 
Union, joined us in his canoe; we would be the topic of his next column. The day was sunny with bright, puffy white clouds, a lovely start to our trip. We passed along the familiar Albany waterfront with its beautiful architecture, past the destroyer escort USS Slater, the Barge Restaurant, Dutch Apple cruise ship and finally, the Port of Albany itself.
Our first extended stop was about eight miles down river at the town of Bethlehem’s Henry Hudson Park. Here we had lunch and conversation, giving Fred all the ammunition he would need for his column. Then it was on to our first campsite at Cornell Park in New Baltimore. Those of us who have made the trip before always look forward to this stop because it includes a community dinner hosted by the Baltimore Conservancy at the home of John Wallner. In addition to good food and the meeting 
of old friends, we were treated to a talk by Russell Dunn author of A Kayaker s Guide to New York s Capital Region: Albany Schenectady Troy; Exploring the Hudson & Mohawk Rivers: From Catskill & Hudson to Mechanicville Cohoes to Amsterdam, a new book on paddling the upper Hudson River.
New Baltimore to Town of Athens Cornell Park – 13.9 miles by GPS: Next morning it was wake-up at 6:00 AM, breakfast at 7:00 AM, Safety Briefing at 8:00 and launch at 8:30, our usual routine. I slept well and awoke early enough to do the stretches that keep me functioning throughout the day. Our next stop was to be Riverfront Park in the town of Athens. We would camp at the north end of the town park. A concert was expected at the bandstand that evening, but we were told it would end by nine or nine-thirty. It was a lovely place to camp, with the town and restaurants near-by.
The concert went on as scheduled, but didn’t end as promised. The band was a good local R and B group that modeled itself on Lynyrd Skynyrd. The music was loud and the audience enthusiastic. Nine-thirty came and went, as did ten-thirty and then eleven-thirty. The crowd was large, so to protect our tents, boats and gear we created a perimeter using our support truck, several vehicles and yellow caution tape. Then Scott, Carol and I, aided by several others patrolled the area, keeping people out in as friendly a manner as we could. The crowd never was out of control, but there was a fair amount of drinking among some groups. We all got to bed about midnight only to be awakened by two very drunk people who staggered into the middle of our campsite and exclaimed loudly, “Holy s#*t! There’s people sleeping here!” Scott convinced them that they needed to be somewhere else, and they staggered off. This was the first in a series of semi-sleepless nights we would have on this trip.
Athens to Saugerties – 15.7 miles by GPS: Our put in at Athens was somewhat involved. We had to put our boats on carts and wheel them about a quarter mile to the launch point, take them down a ramp to a special kayak launch and shove off into the Hudson. Then someone had to carry the cart back to others waiting to wheel their boats down and launch. It seemed like everyone pitched in and knew just what to do. Our put-in went like clockwork!
Our next stop was the US Coast Guard Station at Saugerties. On the water, this was turning out to be one of those trips where the paddling is relaxed and effortless with plenty of time to look for wildlife, observe the wonderful scenery that is the Hudson’s gift, talk with old and new friends and let your mind wander where it will. So there will be no stories about paddling into strong headwinds, battling oppressive heat, suffering from cold and rain or running from violent thunderstorms. Those stories will have to come from other trips. Our time on the water was benign and beautiful, but that doesn’t make for a good story!
We took a land break at a beach near Germantown. Several people on the trip knew that some veteran paddler friends and GHRP alumni lived near by, so they went off to see if they could find them. Soon, Kaare Christian and his wife, Robin Raskin dropped their yard work and joined us on the water. We stayed together until the entourage stopped for a lunch break. After the break, Kaare and Robin left us.
The camping area at the Saugerties Coast Guard Station is basically a mowed field with trees at the perimeter. There is plenty of space and it is private, but because of the lack of shade, it can be hot. It was hot. We spent a lot of tome under the land crew’s Ez-Ups. I begged a ride on a supply run and managed to buy a glasses keeper to replace one lost along the way. Dinner was pizza provided by the Hudson River Water Trail Association. I was in bed early and slept well.
Saugerties to Kingston – 12 .5 miles by GPS: I woke up slowly after a good night’s sleep to another spectacular day on the river. Because it was Sunday, we saw lots of powerboats, but they stayed mainly in the channel, far away from us. This was a banner day for spotting 
Bald Eagles. We saw at least six and one Osprey. It’s interesting that there are so many more Bald Eagles than Ospreys on the Hudson. It is quite the reverse on the Potomac. I wonder if they occupy a similar ecological niche with the Bald Eagle being the more dominant bird.
We all gathered for dinner at Rosalita’s Mexican Restaurant, then Bruce, Madeline, Leon and I decide to take a walk. That’s when the sky opened up and Madeline, Leon and I hurried back to camp. Bruce wasn’t going to be dissuaded by a little rain, so he continued, showing up much later, soaking wet but with a smile on his face and an ice cream cone in his hand.
Kingston provided our second fitful night’s sleep. The Museum lies below an elevated bridge that carries Route 9W over the Rondout Creek. Each time a vehicle hit the expansion joint in the bridge surface just above us, there was a loud “CLUNK-CLUNK”. Most of us turned in early. There was rain outside, but it was dry in my tent.
Kingston to Highland Landing Park at Lloyd – 15.9 miles by GPS: It was a loud night and I slept poorly. The paddle down Rondout Creek, past the restored PT Boats and other ships in the museum’s collection was awesome. When we reached the Hudson we found a 15 mph headwind, sometimes gusting to 25 mph, against the current and tide. This caused steep, short period waves running 12 to 24 inches. This was our only day of “hard” paddling. The arthritis in my left hand was really bothering me, which I mentioned during our lunch break. Jack stepped up and offered me some “Vitamin I” (ibuprofen), which helped immensely.
Our campsite at Highland as seen from the Walkway Bridge.
Back at camp a bluegrass concert was underway by three local musicians. They were great. Then it 
was to bed to avoid the mosquitoes. Just as I was drifting off to sleep the first CSX train came through. To say it was loud is a severe understatement. It was awesomely loud, overpoweringly loud, frighteningly loud!
The experience began with a blast of the train’s horn some distance to the north. It continued as the train came abreast of us. This was accompanied by a roar as the train approached and sped by. The sound was louder than a rock band in full flight. The bow wave of compressed air hit the tent, then the ground began to shake as the train came parallel to us, finally the roar subsided to be replaced by the screeches, clicks, clacks and groans of steel wheels on steel tracks as the mile long train rushed past. Finally, the last clicks and clacks receded into the distance and it was quiet once more. This scenario was repeated every thirty to forty-five minutes all night long.
I plugged into my iPod and listened to the soothing sounds of Katherine Jenkins till after 10:30. Then I found the earplugs I had brought, put them in and pulled a watch cap down over my ears and eyes. It helped a little, but not much. No one slept well that night.
Highland Landing Park to Chelsea – 11.9 miles by GPS: The yacht club at Chelsea is one of our favorite stops. The club always makes us feel welcome and the facilities are among the best we experience on this trip. The grounds are not large but are 
spacious enough for all of our tents and then some. There is plenty of shade, lots of benches and picnic tables and hot showers on the site. The grounds are relatively private being sandwiched between the Hudson on the north, west and south, and the AmTrack/Metro North track just behind the clubhouse on the east. These tracks carry passengers. The trains are quieter and shorter than the freight trains, and they stop running altogether by 2 AM.
Dinner was not provided here and there was no shuttle to a restaurant. Those who wanted pizza for dinner that night chipped in $5.00. Others cooked. I cooked Pad Thi for Bruce and I. It’s an easy meal to cook several days out on a trip when you have no refrigeration and it tastes great.
Chelsea is where we traditionally hold our “trade blanket”. Everyone is supposed to bring something he or she is willing to trade. There is a whole protocol for offering an item and proposing a trade. It’s always a lot of fun, usually filled with laughter as Mark offers a flashing belly button light or a toy for doing nose calisthenics. Unfortunately, in my rush to leave on the trip I forgot all about the trade blanket and had to sit there wishing I had something to trade.
I was tired after the trade blanket so I headed to bed. I was barely disturbed by the occasional passenger train that passed by. Wake-up tomorrow would be a blessed thirty-minutes later than usual.
Chelsea Yacht Club to Dockside Park, Cold Spring – 10.4 miles by GPS: We left Chelsea at 9 AM, a half hour later than usual, for a leisurely paddle through what is arguably the most beautiful part of the trip; a passage through the history of our country as the river makes sharp turns through the narrow high walled canyon where the fortress West Point prevented the British from taking control of the Hudson and splitting the colonies in half. You can literally feel the history here as you see the gun 
emplacements that would rake any vessel trying to come up the river. You can see a replica of the great chain that was floated on log booms across the river to slow down and stop any vessel that managed to slip past the forward guns. You gain a deep understanding of how great Benedict Arnold’s betrayal was, as he sent soldier-defenders away from West Point so that the British could easily take the fort. A simple twist of fate defeated his plan and made his name synonymous with the word “traitor”.
Upstrean from West Point lies Bannerman’s Castle (a.k.a. Bannerman’s Island). John Bannerman, a munitions dealer in 
New York was asked to move his munitions warehouse out of the city. He bought a island in the center of the Hudson opposite New Windsor/Cornwall in Newburgh Bay, and built a grandiose warehouse that resembled a huge castle. The castle is still partially standing with efforts underway to stabilize and preserve it as an historical attraction.
Dockside Park at Cold Spring is my favorite camping spot of the whole trip. The camping area is spacious and shaded. There are spectacular views of Storm King Mountain and Anthony’s Nose from almost any point in the park. And the village of Cold Spring is just a short walk away with shops, restaurants and a great ice cream stand.
The day was hot with not a breath of air stirring. The air was heavy, completely saturated with water and just begging for the release of rain. This is one of the few places on the trip where showers have always been marginal. This time our shower was a garden hose and sprayer under a great tree in the middle of our camping area. Hosing off did cool you down briefly, but because little water was able to evaporate, you never lost that feeling of being constantly damp. Despite the discomfort we drifted into town in small groups to sightsee, shop or cool down with a cold confection. We all agreed to gather at the Cold Spring Depot Restaurant for dinner.
The restaurant offered some blessed relief from the heat and humidity, though the owner was less than happy to see us. I don’t know if there were just too many of us, or if we looked like we’d been sleeping on the ground for a week (we had), or if we smelled bad, or what, but it took some cajoling to convince him to seat us. The dinner was great however and the cool dry air a blessed relief.
Too soon, we were again out in the heat and humidity, headed back to camp. The bugs were out in force in the still air, so I considered getting into my very warm tent to avoid them. I thought about completely removing my rain fly, but silent lightening far to the northwest said it would be more prudent to leave the fly on, and just tie it back as far as possible. I lingered outside till I couldn’t stand the buggy onslaught any longer, and climbed in. I pealed off my clothing till I was sitting in just my shorts. Perspiration was gathering on the hair at the back of my head and dripping onto my neck where it spread across my shoulders, slowly running down my back. I tried sitting in my Crazy Creek chair to read, but contact with the fabric of the chair just turned the wet on my back into a lake. I thought about lying down, but was afraid I’d soak my sleeping bag with sweat. And still not a breath of air was stirring while that far off lightening promised a storm and some relief.
About ten o’clock I decided to call Lisa and whine a little about my discomfort. She asked me if I had a towel handy and suggested that I lay it on the sleeping bag to protect it before I laid down. It was a great idea and at least got me horizontal. Needless to say, it was a fitful sleep, or half sleep as it were.
About 3 AM lightening flashes brought me out of my shallow sleep as the storm appeared to be close and rain imminent. I pulled the rainfly closed with a smile on my face, anticipating the shower that would wash some of the humidity out of the air. But alas, two monkeys peeing from the tree over my tent could have produced more liquid than that storm. The heat was building in the closed up tent, but I was too tired to care anymore and slept fitfully until wake-up at 6 AM.
Dockside Park, Cold Spring to Paddlesport Center, Annsville – 10.6 miles by GPS: What a grumpy morning. And our last day too. Coffee and breakfast were consumed mostly in silence. But once on the water, spirits began to rise. The paddle to Annsville was pleasant and uneventful. We easily found the familiar entrance to Annsville Creek and did a final sprint to the Paddlesport Center where we pulled our boats onto the grass and began packing up for the trip home by car. Lisa and Linda were on their way to pick up Bruce and me.
We were able to clean up and change into clean clothes at the Center. Then Bruce and I drove our brides back to the Cold Spring Depot Restaurant, the same restaurant we visited the night before, for a relaxing late lunch.
Taking a break along the Hudson on this year’s Great Hudson River Paddle. This was the first year that the trip’s goal was not Manhattan. In an effort to make the trip more appealing and affordable for paddlers, the planners cut the trip to eight days, seven nights, ending at Annsville Creek, with a lower overall cost
Sunday, October 17, 2010
2010 Great Hudson River Paddle (GHRP)
