NYCkayaker Paddling Down A Moonbeam

[CleanerHudson at aol.com]

Last Saturday evening an outing on the Hudson River turned into  something 
few of the participants will ever forget. 
 
An informal gathering of kayakers...11 in all...left Foundry Dock Park in  
Cold Spring about sunset (8:30 PM). We each clicked on our 360 degree white  
stern lights and headed north. Among the paddlers were some who had never  
paddled at night. We were all in for a spectacular outing.
 
Near the Cold Spring Pier, we saw people gathering for the 10PM fireworks  
display. It seems that we had happened onto the annual Firemen's Parade and  
Festival. What an added bonus to our trip! We checked in with one of the two  
Putnam County Sheriff's boats to let them know we would be in the area. They  
were glad we did and told us that they expected quite a few motor boats to be  
congregating near Mayor's Park by 10PM.
 
We kept on paddling north under a beautiful sunset. Mo Freidlich took some  
excellent pictures of the sunset and the paddle: 
_http://www.mofridlich.com/gallery/album16_ (http://www.mofridlich.com/gallery/album16) 
 
Since this was on informal outing, some chose to paddle towards Bannerman  
Island while others paused to enjoy the evening and hung around the waters near  
Little Stony Point Park. As the tide continued to rise, the current  pushed 
us north. Turning southward about 9:30, we had a bit of an "uphill"  
paddle.....High Tide was not to be for a while....
 
We spotted two lights on Breakneck Mountain. One at the very top and  another 
one about half-way. The person(s) holding the light about half-way  to the 
top heard our howls and answered us back. Great fun!
 
 
Jill commented that the kayaks looked like a floating birthday cake...with  
white lights mixed in with a few green and red ones.
 

As we passed Storm King Mountain, the moon came out behind white lacy  
clouds. It took a while, but before too long there it was... a moonbeam on the  
surface of the Hudson! With minimal powerboat traffic, it was maximum fun to  
paddle down the moonbeam!
 
At about the same time the fireworks started in Cold Spring. What few will  
never forget is the echoing of the exploding fireworks 5 to 8 seconds  after 
the beautiful night bursting colors to the south of us. The amphitheater  formed 
by the south side of Storm King Mountain captured the sounds of the  
explosions and bounced them back to us and the hills to our east...and then back  
again! The fireworks continued for about a half hour or so...a terrific  show!
 
We watched, we listened and we enjoyed the moonbeam drifting in  and out of 
cloud cover. 
 
Too soon the fireworks were over...we paddled a little closer to shore as  
the motorboats gently worked themselves up or down river.
 
Back at Foundry Dock Park we put away our gear...all the time smiling  with 
the enjoyment of an awe inspired evening on the Hudson River.
 
The next Saturday closest to the next Full Moon will be August  12...paddlers 
leaving Foundry Dock Park about 9PM. Hope to see you there.
 
Walt Thompson
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.rockandwater.net/pipermail/nyckayaker/attachments/20060710/bc56c185/attachment.html