Brooklyn

As planned, we pulled up anchor on Monday and motored down the Hudson, anchoring along Palisades Interstate Park on the western banks of the Hudson River. After a quick lunch, we launched the kayak and paddled along the shore downriver and then upriver, pulling onto a beach by Green Brook Waterfall. There is a trail for for many miles between the shore and the steep wooded hills at the base of the Palisades, so we walked for a couple miles, encountering many tiny waterfalls and a variety of wildflowers along the way.

Honeysuckle

Fuzzy deutzia

Dame's rocket

Cutleaf evergreen blackberry

The shoreline was developed in the 1700s by a few families beside natural landings on the banks at the base of breaks in the cliff, which they enhanced with huge blocks of local stone to create bigger eddies. They also used this same rock to build a continuous wall for miles along the banks of the Hudson. Farmers on the western side of the Palisades built roads, following centuries old Native American trails, down to the water's edge to ship their goods to New York City's markets. 

Our kayak by the miles-long river wall

Reinforced bank of the Hudson in the park

Green Brook Waterfall

During the 1800s, the landings developed into thriving communities of boatmen and laborers and their families. Dozens of small quarries were established to mine the talus beneath the cliffs, which was then shipped to New York and Brooklyn to construct docks and buildings, including the iconic brownstones. However, by the late 1800s, the settlements were abandoned. Large, industrial quarries were created, blasting sections of the cliff itself. Although Palisades Park is in New Jersey, it was citizens of New York City who advocated for its establishment because they could view daily the devestation to the landscape. In 1900, the park was created, and J.P. Morgan donated funds to close the largest of the quarries.

The area also saw a lot of action in the Revolutionary War. For example, in November 1776, 5000 British troops, led by General Cornwallis, landed at Lower Closter Landing (which we visited) with the intent of capturing nearby Fort Lee. Alerted by a member of the New Jersey State Troops, 3000 soldiers under the command of George Washington and Nathaniel Greene retreated across the Hackensack River through New Jersey to Pennsylvania. Over the seven year course of the war, the landings were used by both British and colonial armies and raiding parties.

Lower Closter Dock history sign

Geologically, the Palisades stretch from Staten Island for more than 40 miles north to Haverstraw, New York. Above the trees, the vertical columns of igneous rock soar to the sky, from 300 to 800 feet in height. The main rock is diabase, which is similar to basalt. Around 200 million years ago, when Pangaea was breaking up, magma was forced up to sandstone and shales close to the surface. These heat from these intrusions metamorphosed the sedimentary rock and created a hard sill about 1000 feet thick. Vertical cracks hundreds of feet long formed polygonal columns. 

Glaciers also had an effect. Before glaciation, the Palisades had a sloping face down to the Hudson. When a glacier passed through, it scoured loose sediments and rocks as well as vegetation and animal life, leaving stark vertical cliffs. The bedrock of the Palisades was polished and smoothed by the weight of the ice. Since then, rockslides, chemical erosion, and human impacts have continued to shape the Palisades.

After kayaking, we enjoyed the calm anchorage, got some work done on the boat and went to sleep with a large yellow moon illuminating the sky and reflecting on the smooth water.

This morning, we motored (unfortunately not enough wind to sail) to Brooklyn. As we passed by Hoboken, New Jersey, we went close to shore to admire the new 80 foot sculpture on the waterfront named "Water's Soul." 

Water's Soul

Now we are currently docked at One Degree 15 Marina. It has been developed more than when we were here in 2018, but it is still a very rocking and rolling place where even the floating docks shift and sway. We are awaiting Peter's brother Rob and sister-in-law Susan, who landed at JFK a couple of hours ago. I already walked into the heart of Brooklyn Heights to find the post office and a McDonald's for a Diet Coke. After they arrive, we plan to walk a few blocks to Montesque Street to find a restaurant for dinner. I have an abundance of food prepared, but the constant up and down and side to side motion of our boat (as well as even superyachts here) makes that not an attractive option.

Tomorrow morning, we catch the current and go up the East River to Long Island Sound.