Daily stats
Start: 6:00 AM - Esopus Meadows, NY
Finish: 5:15 PM - Hudson River Island State Park, Near Colombiaville, NY
Time: 11:15
Daily dist: 31 miles
Total dist: 3600+ miles
Companions: Bill for the first three hours then solo until he caught up at camp
Weather: Windy - NW 15-20+ temps in the low 70’s mostly cloudy
Notes: Parted ways with Bill on the water so we could paddle at our own pace.
Start: 6:00 AM - Esopus Meadows, NY
Finish: 5:15 PM - Hudson River Island State Park, Near Colombiaville, NY
Time: 11:15
Daily dist: 31 miles
Total dist: 3600+ miles
Companions: Bill for the first three hours then solo until he caught up at camp
Weather: Windy - NW 15-20+ temps in the low 70’s mostly cloudy
Notes: Parted ways with Bill on the water so we could paddle at our own pace.
The first and brightest highlight of the day came very early on when Bill grabbed a roll of toilet paper and a short shovel then headed down the trail on a long walk. Moments later he returned with a big smile on his face with the exciting news that he’d discovered a composting toilet (complete with toilet paper and hand sanitizer). I guess us kayak campers are easy to please
I guess we're easy to impress
While walking over to check out Bills discovery, I came upon wild black raspberries along the trail. There are few foods that say summer in the north woods more than wild raspberries picked right off the plant and I was happy to add them to my breakfast.
Nice addition to breakfast
The other highpoints of the day included more stunning scenery and, yet again, a fantastic camp spot. The great scenery is stretched out all along the Hudson River Valley. The great camp spot is on the Hudson River Islands State Park. The islands the state park encompasses are actually huge spoil islands left over from when the river was deepened to allow larger ships to travel the river. Fully grown up with large trees that provide plenty of shade yet with nicely sloped sand beaches, the camp sites are a kayak camper’s dream come true.
Bill on the water just after sunrise
Bill coming into camp at sunset.
Bill and I started the day paddling together but after the first three hours it was plain to see that our individual speeds were not running together well. So it was decided that I’d paddle ahead at my own pace and meet Bill in camp at the end of the day. Even with an hour and a few miles between us we both managed to find the concession stand at a small park in Catskill and each enjoyed a quick snack before passing by. My faster pace did bring me into camp about two and a half hours before Bill and I was sitting on a stump eating dinner as he paddled up. Still, with his dinner already taken care of, Bill set up his camp quickly and even made it to bed before me. You can tell he’s done this before.
Twilight on the river at camp
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