Hudson River Trip - Day 1

Day 1

Ready to launch our kayaks

Just south of Albany

To make the trip a little easier, we launch just south of Albany.  It takes a while to stuff everything into my kayak.  Literally every inch of usable space it taken.  Several items are jammed behind my seat and my spare water is in the cockpit, pushed down past my foot pedals.  It is a warm, sunny day and we paddle off.  The river is beautiful in this section.  Lush, green trees line the banks and the water has a muddy brown color.  If you didn’t know where you were, you might guess it was a southern river.  It isn’t long before we spot a great blue heron and a bald eagle.  The first day is really a half-day.  We launch at 11am and paddle only 14 miles.  It is a great warm up as we paddle mostly against the current. 

 The Hudson River is not really a river once you get south of Albany; it is a tidal estuary.  The river runs both southward and northward depending on the effect of the tides.  While the southerly currents tend to be stronger, the northerly currents can really slow you down if you paddle against them.

View from our 1st campsite

 Although we have only covered 14 miles, we are hot and tired as we arrive at Gaye’s point.  Here there are rustic beach-like campsites that used to be maintained before all of the government funds dried up.  Some of the campsites are overgrown, but many are still well-worn, not by campers, but by power boaters who use them for the day.  All of the sites are taken when we arrive, but it is 4pm and we know the power boaters will soon depart for the comforts of home.  By 4:30 we find a nice sandy site, complete with a still-burning campfire and settle into the shade.

Our 1st campsite on the Hudson - A nice sandy beach.

Here I am teaching my online class from my iPad - I would use the iPad, my phone and a few stops at local libraries to keep up while on the trip.