Bannerman's Island Paddle

My friend Jim and I did a Labor Day paddle. This day has special significance besides the labor holiday (which I get), which is that it's the last day of summer. Waaah!

The weather was looking lousy with rain and ominous rumbles in the distance. Yet when I checked the satellite imagery, the storm was right over us but due to blow over. So we set out in my CRV with Big Red and Jim's 17 foot kayak on the roof.

We parked at Cold Spring. Usually on a weekend morning the parking lot by the Cold Spring railway station is a beehive of kayakers and other paddlers. This morning there was only us and two other paddlers (and a few parked cars with empty racks).

This is the launch site. Such gorgeous mountains.

We paddled north to Bannerman's Island and its famous castle, about three miles. The rain had completely disappeared. The water was almost glassy. (You can see that in the picture above.) Very easy and satisfying paddling. Of course Big Red was a turtle compared to Jim's sleek kayak, but I expected that. There's a good history of the island here. You can also take escorted tours.

The island from the south.

An arch. It seems the twisted metal below the arch was set deliberately to prevent paddlers from going underneath. Which was mean.

A very cool Jim. I meant like calm and collected, not at a lower temperature, because that kayak skirt keeps him pretty warm.

We debated going on the island until the third sign warning us to not do that. Okay. So we parked at the dock on the north end of the island (which we were also warned not to do) and ate our Kind bars. Those are good, by the way. I also ate the second of my Hammer Gels (Huckleberry then Vanilla). I'm beginning to like these more and more, even though they still remind me of slurping an oyster.

I'm looking pretty emo here. I think it was the glare.

I can see the Beacon Bridge in the distance. This and that peninsula sticking out from the right was the most southerly I got on my distance paddle.

Then we headed around to the other side and paddled back. A wind had began from the south and was pushing back a little. Not a big deal, but there was chop. Jim's sleek kayak slice through the chop like buttah. Big Red thudded over them for the most part. We talked about books, mostly. Jim and I both love Stephen King and he gave me a few new authors to look up.

A pretty dramatic view. These are the Hudson Highlands from the north.

Tomorrow I go back to school. We begin a new era with the Common Core Curriculum. Joy.