Hudson River at Haverstraw
by Betty Wiest
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Move over Bob Rancan. Eagle sighting on the Hudson River just north of the Tilcon Plant! We were mesmerized at the sight of a lone eagle perched in a tall tree. Maybe he was just as mesmerized by us as we lingered until it had enough of us and decided to spread his wings and move on.
Our group-- Lori, Manfred, Hatice, Andy, Ann, Janet, Ken, Cora, and me--launched at the Haverstraw Bay County Park. The water was initially mirror-like and we were delighted to launch in calm seas in the early morning.
We kayaked along the shoreline seeing various sights: a gas line installation that extended several hundred feet into the Hudson, condos, a river-level restaurant that was flooded from Hurricane Sandy, the Tilcon plant, the sculptor who carves faces in stone he finds along the river, the boulder with the inscription “Andre the Spy was here in 1780”.
Our destination was a stretch of beach that was rock free and made beaching our boats very smooth. As we approached this tranquil spot, we encountered another boat and I thought we had company on the point. But it was a boat that had substantially seen better days. There are remnants of a foundation from long-ago days gone by.
The water had changed substantially on the return trip and many of us felt like fish out of water. The water was relentless in making us feel that we had no control over our boats!
We were treated to Manfred’s wife’s fabulous food--a scrumptious rum-flavored pound cake--and coffee. It’s always a delightful way to end the trip! Thank you Manfred!
Betty