Not Tropical But Still Pretty

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Hey guys, I wanted to share some pictures I've taken over the years of the Hudson Highlands where I live. There's some pretty dramatic landscape here, and it's worth seeing.

[Badger]

How is the downwinding there?  It looks like a great place for it.

[surfinJ]

Nice area, lotta space.  As a kid I backpacked alot on and about Bear Mt.  I didn't have much to do with
fresh water back then, guess I missed out.  How is the hudson river for paddling?  Very beautiful water views.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Badger, I have yet to do a real downwind. The highlands themselves don't have many launch points. I live in Peekskill and you can see on the map that the river does a weird elbow turn there. We do get winds directly out of the north or south sometimes, but I'd have to get around that elbow. Making matters harder is that there's a nuclear power plant directly to the south of me. If I stray in their no-go zone, I get a free night in a jail cell and my paddleboard becomes government property.

I should investigate it downwinding more though. The thing is, there's really only one good recovery point south of West Point and north of Peekskill on my side of the river and a couple of lousy ones on the west bank. It gets better further south where the river is about three miles wide.

[Badger]

I see what you mean. The elbow and nuke plant make it a bit tough.

It's a long river though. There's got to be someplace where two spots line up for a good run.

[eastbound]

first turn on skis for me were at age 3 fahnestock state park--rope tow btwn daddy's legs--probs been very nice x-country this year

not sure the wind would be sufficient for DW but for a couple times a year, if that

once tried to WS out of haverstraw--blew nice at times, but too many holes with the topography and forested banks

scenic tho, for sure.

and the water, courtesy of GE, is controversial. civil war up there over whether to dredge the poison, or let it sit and not be stirred up.

f'ing GE put a blight on the hudson and throughout the groundwater on the west side. gross