Today’s Paddle

[gorgonzola]

From last weekend

 

[Brownski]

That’s awesome. Where is it?

 

[gorgonzola]

That’s awesome. Where is it?

Ausable Chasm, it was a guided raft - just along for the ride but the pic came out nice even though it didn't pick up the mini rainbows that would dance along side the raft. A few years ago we did the tube float which was fun but theyre done for the season

 

[Brownski]

Ah yes. We’ve walked through a bunch of times but never done the float. Very nice

 

[Ripitz]

Don’t try this at home.

 

[Brownski]

Yesterday’s paddle: Plan was to circumnavigate Haverstraw Bay. It didn’t quite work out- one of those days when the river just humbles me.

I checked the tides before I went but didn’t pay enough attention to the weather. It was windy. Usually I will attach my spray skirt when I launch and then once I’m out on the river and comfortable I pop it off to let the breeze in. This time the skirt stayed on.

Not only did the skirt stay on but I decided it would be wise to deploy the rudder, which I rarely do nowadays. The pics don’t really do it justice because I can’t pull the phone out when I’m dealing with 3-4 foot waves.

It was rough enough that I ditched my plan and ducked into a little cove to the south. A couple of blocks of the town collapsed into the river here over a century ago. We have written about it before ….

Haverstraw Bay Paddle

Chasing the collapse of part of Haverstraw NY in the landslide of 1906.

nyskiblog.com

There is t all that much to do in there. I noticed this little church.

If you look closely, the shoreline here is almost all old bricks.

So I got bored pretty quick and headed back out to the river. Still pretty rough.

I pushed out a little further this time but it just got worse so I turned back north without attempting a crossing. The easiest way to turn left was to turn right and do a little loop, like how some people make 3 right turns instead of 1 left in Manhattan when traffic is heavy. I got into a decent rhythm here, surfing the front of each wave that as the tide pushed me forward and then wallowing for a second as the trough catches up. One wave did catch me unawares. It snuck up on me from starboard and - for a panicky 1/2 second - make me think I was gonna dump. In the moment I totally forgot my brace techniques but my hips retained enough muscle memory to keep me upright and once I got my brain back in the game I straightened it out and continued on. North of Haverstraw, I decided to seek shelter again, this time in a marina. Gawking at peoples’ boats is always fun.

And a little modern art to go with the yachts and sailboats.

I poked around a bit longer and then headed back to the boat ramp. I didn’t cover much ground but the river delivered me a pretty good workout anyway. Strava said it was just under 5.6 miles in just under 2 hours. Average speed 3.3 mph and max speed 7.5.

 

[Sick Bird Rider]

Go Brownski, good to shake it up with a little adventure.

 

[tirolski]

Yesterday’s paddle: Plan was to circumnavigate Haverstraw Bay. It didn’t quite work out- one of those days when the river just humbles me.

View attachment 25003

I checked the tides before I went but didn’t pay enough attention to the weather. It was windy. Usually I will attach my spray skirt when I launch and then once I’m out on the river and comfortable I pop it off to let the breeze in. This time the skirt stayed on.

View attachment 25015

Not only did the skirt stay on but I decided it would be wise to deploy the rudder, which I rarely do nowadays. The pics don’t really do it justice because I can’t pull the phone out when I’m dealing with 3-4 foot waves.

View attachment 25004

It was rough enough that I ditched my plan and ducked into a little cove to the south. A couple of blocks of the town collapsed into the river here over a century ago. We have written about it before ….

Haverstraw Bay Paddle

Chasing the collapse of part of Haverstraw NY in the landslide of 1906.

nyskiblog.com

View attachment 25005

There is t all that much to do in there. I noticed this little church.

View attachment 25006

View attachment 25007

If you look closely, the shoreline here is almost all old bricks.

View attachment 25008

So I got bored pretty quick and headed back out to the river. Still pretty rough.

View attachment 25010

View attachment 25009

I pushed out a little further this time but it just got worse so I turned back north without attempting a crossing. The easiest way to turn left was to turn right and do a little loop, like how some people make 3 right turns instead of 1 left in Manhattan when traffic is heavy. I got into a decent rhythm here, surfing the front of each wave that as the tide pushed me forward and then wallowing for a second as the trough catches up. One wave did catch me unawares. It snuck up on me from starboard and - for a panicky 1/2 second - make me think I was gonna dump. In the moment I totally forgot my brace techniques but my hips retained enough muscle memory to keep me upright and once I got my brain back in the game I straightened it out and continued on. North of Haverstraw, I decided to seek shelter again, this time in a marina. Gawking at peoples’ boats is always fun.

View attachment 25011

And a little modern art to go with the yachts and sailboats.

View attachment 25012

View attachment 25013

I poked around a bit longer and then headed back to the boat ramp. I didn’t cover much ground but the river delivered me a pretty good workout anyway. Strava said it was just under 5.6 miles in just under 2 hours. Average speed 3.3 mph and max speed 7.5.

View attachment 25014

The Hudson River down there is wider than any of the Finger Lakes.
With north or south winds th FL can get bumpy, but they don't get the tides.

 

[Brownski]

Yesterdays paddle on the bay

 

[Sick Bird Rider]

For my birthday micro-adventure, I drove into the back of beyond and enjoyed a nice paddle and hike withe the dawg.

A 1990 Blackhawk Zephyr that I have owned since new. Such a joy to paddle:

Moira in the canoe. She hates the PFD is is much better behaved without it: