NYCkayaker Little Stony Point

[Ralph Diaz]

Back in the early 1990s, Ian Giddy and I also camped there on a trip that 
started in Rhinecliff and would end down at the 79th St. Marina.  Ian was 
doing research for the guide he would eventually write for the Hudson River 
Watertrail Association.  We were in a double Klepper and averaged about 35 
miles a day (made possible by a 3 AM start each day early in the ebb current 
and taking a late morning break when the flood current turned against us and 
then picking up the ebb current again late in the day).

We were trying to get to Arden Point but the current got strong against us 
again.  So we opted for Little Stony Point.  A NY State Parks ranger also 
came up to us after we had set up camp.  We explained our situation about 
not being able to continue further to the Arden Point destination.  He said 
it would be okay to stay.  He then said that kids tended to come down to the 
area at night and get rowdy.  He told us to contact him if that happened. 
All the time we were speaking with him we had a flask of wine that we were 
hoping he did not notice (taboo in state parks).

We continued on the next morning around 3 AM, waited out the next turn of 
current at Stony Point and then camped just a bit south of the NY/NJ state 
line on the Palisades side where there is (or was) a rock at the water's 
edge with a big JOE painted on it.  The camp area is full of large boulders. 
Luckily we had a small two man free standing tent with a small enough 
footprint to allow it being squeezed in among them.  The next morning we 
flew down with a strong ebb to 79th St.

For the record, Ian got the bug to do more of the river.  The next year we 
took the double Klepper up by train to Albany to paddle back down to 
Rhinecliff (we camped at Rogers Island).  Our start on the second day was in 
total fog.  We could not see a thing and did not know what side of the river 
we were on for a few hours.  We would occasionally hit a spit of jutting out 
land.  All the time we listened carefully for what we hope we would hear in 
time to get out of the way ... the churning engine sounds of a tug and 
barge.

Ian continued to have the bug of completing the Hudson.  Later he went with 
Josh Bloomgarden, an early president of the HRWA who lived at the 79th Boat 
Basin, from there to Coney Island or the Rockaways, again with a double 
Klepper that they then folded up and took a cab or the subway back to 
Manhattan.  Next the two took the double Klepper to the Rockaways by cab or 
subway and paddled out to Ambrose Lighthouse.  Ian had a GSP, the only way 
to do such a trip so out of sight of land.  There their kayak bobbed up and 
down with the large charter fishing boats who some of the sportsmen must 
have felt they had had one beer too many.

ralph diaz

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herbert Meyerson" <herbriver at msn.com>
To: "NYC NYC Kayaker" <nyckayaker at rockandwater.net>
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 11:09 PM
Subject: NYCkayaker Little Stony Point


> Two years ago, I did a overnight trip from Peekskill to Newburg. I camp on 
> the beach at little stony pt; In the middle of the night I was awaken by 
> nys. park police! They said that there is no over night camping there! But 
> since my car was in Peekskill, they were not going to make me go on the 
> river at night. I did spent the rest of the night there.
>
> Herb
>
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