Up The Hudson River. Where, when, and how to discover the best photography in America

Transcription

1 Updated - November Where, when, and how to discover the best photography in America Published since 1989 Up The Hudson River The George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River The beginning of the romantic period of American landscape painting began in New York State as the Hudson River School in the mid-nineteenth century. Moody landscapes, using rich colors, dark shadows, and golden light, were captured by painters like Thomas Cole to idealize nature s grandeur. Their inspiration was the majestic Hudson River, the towering Palisades, primeval forests, and distant mountain ranges. These artists broke with tradition and often eliminated human beings in their paintings. This has been carried on by nature photographers who escape from the city to find solitude. Pack up your camera gear, leave the busy city streets of New York, cross over the Hudson, and head north to explore remote trails that lead to landscapes that rival any in America. I traveled to New York City for a longer exploration of the Hudson River, up the eastern edge of New York State. Following are some of the fascinating places I found to set up my tripod during that trip.

2 issue 64 - page 2 To start your Hudson River journey from the mouth of the Hudson, find a viewpoint above the western end of the Verrasano Narrows Bridge on Staten Island. Included in this newsletter are the more interesting locations I found for photographing landscapes, picturesque villages, historical locations, and unusual images. Especially good locations for autumn foliage photography will be noted. Check New York State s Fall Foliage hot line number for an autumn foliage report that s updated weekly or go online. These hot lines are usually active from sometime in early September each year. From New York City, From New York northward up the west side of the Hudson River, Interstate 87 is called the Thruway the toll road. The Thruway veers west at Albany, halfway up the east side of the state and heads west, to Buffalo, New York, for a total of 426 miles. Interstate 87, continues north as a freeway along the Hudson River another fifty miles, then crosses and leaves the river near Glens Falls, New York. Highway 87 continues north, it s called the Northway, all the way to the Canadian Border. Fly into New York s JFK or into Newark, New Jersey, to start your photo journey along the Hudson. If you plan to arrive for a fall foliage photo tour, start your trip in the north, and follow the color as it moves south. It is said that autumn color moves south at a rate of 100 miles per day. You can fly into Burlington, Vermont, or just across the Canadian Border into Montreal, and work your way south. I started my trip heading north along New Jersey s Palisades Parkway. The southern entrance is just south of the Fort Lee Historic Park. The narrow road follows the cliffs above the Hudson, on the New Jersey side of the river. Most of the Henry Hudson Drive is half-way down the cliffs, between the top of the Palisades and the river, running north/ south. It passes directly beneath the George Washington Bridge where you will find some great views of the structure. The road continues north, past red sand beaches to Ross Dock, where there s a parking lot, picnic grounds, and restrooms. From there, you ll find a good angle for evening light on the George Washington Bridge. If you are a walker, the Shore Trail follows this same route from Fort Lee, along the edge of the Hudson River for almost fifteen miles to the New York State line. From the trail you can see across the river to Washington Heights and the Cloisters on the northern end of Manhattan Island. Greenbrook Falls is a 250-foot cascade dropping to a small, secluded beach near the Englewood Boat Basin. Late afternoon light illuminated the structure of the bridge and lit up the high-rise skyline of Manhattan. I arrived on a clear day after a storm with a sky full of large clouds. No parking is permitted along the Henry Hudson Drive. You can park your car only in the parking lots at the boat basins. It s a long walk back to that great tripod spot beneath the George Washington Bridge. The George Washington Bridge

3 issue 64 - page 3 Park along the street just outside the south entrance to the Henry Hudson Drive and make the fifteen-minute walk to the base of the George Washington Bridge. You can walk along the road or find the trailhead for the Shore Trail, almost hidden in the trees to the right of the entrance to the Henry Hudson Drive. The trail descends a hundred feet below the road, down stone stairs to river level. The Long Path follows the edge of the Palisades along the top of the cliffs. The Shore Trail follows the water s edge. The Henry Hudson Drive parallels the Shore Trail, a hundred feet higher up the slopes, but doesn t follow it over talus slopes, through deep ravines and into old forests of oak, maple, and hickory. The trails cross old and crumbling estates, follow streams, and narrow ledges on the rim of the Palisades, finally reaching the highest point on the New Jersey Palisades at 530 feet. Buy a New York State Delormé Atlas, unless you have a road map with more detail. Traveling north of the Tappan Zee Bridge, stick to the west side of the river and drive north on Route 9W in the late afternoon for the best light. Stop at Tallman State Park for a view up the Hudson below the Tappan Zee Bridge. Depending on the time of day and the light, you can pull off the highway at Nyack Beach State Park, Rockland State Park, Hook Mountain State Park, or Stony Point State Park. Route 9W passes through Nyack and Haverstraw before reaching West Point. I entered the gates at West Point, turned right at the first fork in the road, and drove down to a small park with picnic grounds on the edge of the river. I found some great views and a pier where I boarded the small vessel called the Commander, for a short, guided cruise north to Bannerman s Island. Call Hudson Highland Cruises to book a cruise and inquire about departure times. You ll want to be out there on the river before the sun drops below the summit of Mount Storm King and casts a shadow across the Hudson River.

4 issue 64 - page 4 After leaving West Point, heading north on Route 9W, I turned right onto County Road 218, a narrow, winding two-lane country road that passes through some magnificent old hardwood forests, climbing up for a wide-angle view of the Highlands and the Hudson below. The best view, in the late afternoon, is from a small parking spot at the highest point along this route. of the river. Watch for signs pointing out routes 9G or 9A or 9D. These slower side roads often get you closer to the edge of the river. Any time you see a road sign marked River Road, take it if you re looking for spots near the water for your tripod. Look at a topo map of the state of New York, and you will see that the landscape was carved from solid rock by glaciers moving down from the north and then eventually retreating. Most of the valleys, lakes, and rivers run more-or-less north and south including the Hudson River. Interstate 87 near Lake George For the best early-morning photograph of Mount Storm King, just north of West Point, be on the other side of the river looking west from the villages of Cold Spring or Nelsonville on the east side. There are only a few bridges that cross this river. During my eleven-day trip up the Hudson River, I traveled up and down both sides of the river, in the morning and the afternoon, crossing bridges just to find different views and better light. For my journey north, I stayed overnight in the towns of Nyack, Newburgh, Kingston, Albany, Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls, and in a small town just south of Lake Placid. If you plan to arrive at the peak of autumn color season, make your lodging reservations several months in advance. State Route 9W, the main highway before the Interstate was built, runs along the west side of the Hudson. State Route 9 runs north and south on the east side Saugerties One of the more attractive communities on the west bank, Saugerties is where Esopus Creek drops over some spectacular falls just before flowing into the Hudson. I headed west from Saugerties on Route 32, veering left onto Route 32A and drove fifteen miles into the Catskill Mountains. A sign in the village of Haines Falls marks the right turn onto Route 18, the short side road to the North South Lake Campground. Catskill Mountain House The Catskill Mountain House was one of the most famous hotels in nineteenthcentury America. The 300-room Greek Revival style resort had thirteen white pillars across the front facing the edge of tall cliffs above the Hudson River. The hotel was built in 1824 and had presidents, artists, tycoons, and virtually everyone from Mark Twain to Alexander Graham Bell as guests. The Mountain House became a symbol of America s new-found wealth and cultural aspirations. It was closed in 1942, then burned to the ground in 1963 by the state. The site of the Mountain House is easy to find and the awe-inspiring view is still magnificent. The Hudson River is twelve miles away, a long silver line that stretches from edge to edge, across

5 issue 64 - page 5 this panoramic vista. The tops of young evergreens rise through the deciduous forest covering the slopes below the rim. The rocks along the edge of the cliff are covered with carved names, initials, and dates back into the 1800s. It s a fifteen-mile drive west of the Hudson River to find the panoramic overlook and the site of the old Catskill Mountain House. Leave the Thruway Interstate 87 at exit 20 near the town of Saugerties. Head west and follow the sign at the left fork in Saxton onto Route 32A pointing the way to Palenville. Continue west on 32A to the town of Haines Falls. Turn right at the sign pointing the way to North Lake State Campground. At the entrance to the park ask for a map to the Catskill Mountain House. The person on duty will point you toward the right road past South Lake. Drive two miles to the end of the road. Park in the lot and walk around the closed yellow gates. Don t bother driving up to the overlook on a hazy day. To be sure of being up there for the sunrise and sunset, bring your camping gear. The campgrounds at North South Lake remain open through the end of October. Mary s Glen Falls There are trails to several waterfalls around North South Lakes. One of the easiest to find is Mary s Glen Falls. From the parking lot at the trailhead to the Catskill Mountain House site, drive back toward the park entrance. At the last fork in the road, just before reaching the entrance booth, turn right and drive into the North Lake Campground. There is a well-marked parking area just beyond the trailhead to the falls. This short, easy hike skirts the edge of a meadow in the woods to the base of Ashley Falls, following the red markers. From there, it s a quarter-mile walk to the short spur trail with yellow markers, up to the base of Mary s Glen Falls. Kaaterskill Falls Drive out past the entrance booth, turn left, and leave the North South Lakes. Turn left again at the first road beyond the entrance booth and follow the road to its end. Walk the dirt path, and you ll arrive at the top of Kaaterskill Falls, the highest waterfall in New York State. The stream drops 260 feet in two plunges to a rocky basin.

6 issue 64 - page 6 To reach the bottom of the falls, return to the hairpin curve on Route 23A below the village of Haines Falls, park in the lot, walk downhill along the road, cross the bridge, and turn left onto the trail marked with yellow blazes. After a short, steep climb, the trail levels out for a halfmile hike up the easy trail to the base of Kaaterskill Falls. Catskill Autumn Color Route Most of the Catskill Mountains lie to the west of Haines Falls. When you leave Haines Falls, head west on Route 23A for twelve miles, turn left through the village of Lexington and bear south onto Route 42. This has to be one of the best autumn color routes through the Catskills. There are a couple of small villages and a few old barns. The hardwood forests have been well preserved, especially between the villages of West Kill and Bushnellsville. A narrow side road parallels the highway and the stream near the village of Bushnellsville. I parked there and walked upstream with a telephoto lens on my camera to shoot the cascades. You can find views of crashing cascades along Bushnellsville Creek at almost every point along the road. Route 42 joins Route 28 at Shandaken where you can head east toward the Hudson River again. Catskill To return to the Hudson River, head east on any of the roads that lead back into the town of Catskill, New York. Follow the main street to its end at the bottom of the hill on the edge of the Hudson. There is lots of fascinating architecture along this route and a great view looking up and down the river from the boat launching ramp. The home of painter, Thomas Cole, the best of the Hudson River School, is at 218 Spring Street in the town of Catskill, New York. He lived there for twelve years until his death in The home is a National Historic Landmark. Cohotate Preserve Just north of the town of Catskill, on the west side of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, a mile north of the intersection of Route 23 (east/west) and Route 385 (north/south), you ll find the entrance to the Cohotate Panoramic view from the site of the old Catskill Mountain House

7 issue 64 - page 7 Preserve, one of the most beautiful parks along the Hudson. Trails from the parking area lead down into deep hardwood forests, through a steep ravine to the edge of the river and along the shore. This park has preserved the habitat of local wildlife as well as three-thousand feet of river front wilderness, with views of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge to the south and the town of Hudson across the river to the east. Coeymans Drive through the village of Coeymans to the edge of the river and follow the river road south. It s marked Route 61 on the map. Stay as close to the edge of the Hudson as possible and you will discover some great old towns along the river, including New Baltimore, Coxsackie, and Athens. Whenever you see a side road marked River Road, take it. Drive down all the side roads to boat landings and state parks. Rensselaerville If you want to get off the Interstate Highway and explore some beautiful back roads and one of the most fascinating small villages in New York State, head southwest from Albany on Route 443. Watch for the signs pointing the way to Rensselaerville. The route winds through farm country, north of the Catskills, and climbs into wooded mountains. The main street of Rensselaerville, established in 1787, curves up a steep hill and is lined with a mixture of colonial, Victorian, and Dutch architecture. Tenmile Creek flows under the Main Street Bridge, drops over a dam, then cascades past an old red mill, now the Historical Society building. You can hear the creek splashing down the hill as you walk through the village. The sidewalks are large slabs of black slate. There are several bed and breakfast establishments, a cafe, and a small book store. There are no modern businesses. The library, at the bottom end of the long line of connected row houses, is unique and easy to photograph from across the street. Many great maples grow along Rensselaerville s Main Street, making this village a place you must add to your fall foliage photo itinerary. If you enjoy photographing the small details of old doors, windows, and flower boxes, you can fill a whole day walking the streets of Rensselaerville. Rensselaerville The Rensselaerville countryside Leave Rensselaerville heading downhill and drive south on Route 351 for four miles. Watch for the sign pointing out the right turn onto Willsey Road (Route 361) which was once the Rensselaerville/Durham Turnpike, a historic route. The road is lined with crumbling stone walls and tall maples and beech. A mile down the hill, on the right, is a small pond reflecting an old red shack and some autumn color if your timing is right. Morning light is best for this photograph. Farther down the road is a large barn, a silo, and an old farmhouse that are all that remain of the village of Peckham Hollow, settled in This was the site of a small community with twelve houses, two stores, a blacksmith shop, and a tannery. Drive up the narrow dirt lane marked Fleming Road for the best panoramic view of the farm in the distance against hillsides covered with hardwood forests. Drive back down the hill, past the farmhouse and turn right on another unpaved road marked McCulloch Cross Road for several more views of the old farm house and barn. Stop at the bridge on McCulloch Cross Road for a photograph of Tenmile Creek flowing through the woods.

8 issue 64 - page 8 The Hudson River near Lake Luzerne Continue driving west on the McCulloch Cross Road, bearing right at the junction, and return to the top of the hill in Rensselaerville, where you will be crossing the bridge again. Turn around and continue driving south on Willsey Road. You will soon arrive in the small village of Medusa, smaller than Rensselaerville, with some equally fascinating architecture Troy The Mohawk River flows into the wild Hudson River just north of the city of Troy, New York. This is where the Hudson River becomes a deep, navigable waterway, accessible to ocean-going ships. Saratoga Springs August is the horse racing season in Saratoga Springs. The racecourse, the oldest in the country, was established in There are some beautiful gardens in Congress Park, just off the main street, called Broadway. Park in one of the free visitor parking lots around town and walk the back streets through the residential neighborhoods. Elegantly restored homes from the 1800s line wide, tree-shaded avenues. Heading north of Saratoga Springs, I followed Route 9N through the town of Corinth, to Lake Luzerne. Head east of Saratoga Springs on Route 29, turn left and drive north on Route 4. You ll cross the river near the village of Thomson. By driving up the east side of the Hudson, you can visit the locks along the navigable Champlain Canal which parallels the Hudson River between Troy, New York, and the city of Hudson Falls. Lake Luzerne Ten miles west of the southern tip of Lake George is a remote back road that follows the east bank of the Hudson. Find the small town called Lake Luzerne on your map. It s twelve miles west of Glens Falls, New York. Here, on the west side of the village, the Hudson drops over Rockwell Falls. There is a small parking area on the east side of the bridge that crosses the falls. To the south, you can see the Hudson flowing into the Sacandaga River. There are some interesting smalltown scenes to be photographed in the village of Luzerne. To find some of the more remote views of the Hudson, drive north through the village The village of Lake Luzerne on Main Street and turn left onto Mill Street, just past the City Hall. Mill Street becomes River Road and follows the east side of the Hudson northward for about ten miles. The pavement ends, but the graded gravel road dives through a long tunnel of tall maples and beech, following the edge of the river another great autumn color route.

9 issue 64 - page 9 With a long telephoto lens, you can shoot down these winding country lanes. With a focal length of mm or longer, you can compress perspective to the point where your composition is only two-dimensional. Eliminate a busy foreground and crop out an uninteresting sky. Use a solid tripod, a small aperture, and a cable release to make a long exposure. The River Road north of Lake Luzerne When driving north of the Clermont State Historic Site along Route 9G, watch for the side road into the village of North Germantown. Turn west into Anchorage Road and drive down to the landing for another good view across the Hudson River towards the town of Saugerties. Hudson, NY, to Glens Falls Across the river from the town of Catskill, Route 9 cuts through the old town of Hudson, settled in 1785 by Nantucket whalers who wanted a safer home port to ride out the upcoming war with the British. They found it here, a hundred miles up the Hudson River. Don t miss the fantastic horse-drawn hose carriage in the American Museum of Fire Fighting in Hudson. The museum, at 125 Harry Howard Avenue, has more than sixty fire engines. From here, I headed north again on route 9, bearing left on Route 9J, the river road. Clermont Driving north or south on Route 9G, on the east side of the Hudson, watch for the sign pointing out the entrance to the historical estate called Clermont by its builder, Robert R. Livingston, one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence. As the first Chancellor of New York, he was the man who, in 1789, administered the oath of office to George Washington. He rebuilt Clermont after the British burned it to the ground while destroying the city of Kingston. Clermont is located on Route 9G, on the east side of the Hudson River, sixteen miles south of the town of Hudson, and almost directly across the river from the town of Saugerties, New York. The estate is surrounded with huge old trees and gardens full of lilacs. The large white Georgian-style home sits high above the river amid vast, undulating lawns. Bridges over the Hudson I made several stops to photograph the river while driving the narrow river road, 9J on the east side of the river. Near Castleton-on-Hudson, I made a quick U- turn when I spotted a unique and abstract pattern of bridge supports beneath Interstate 90 (above).

10 issue 64 - page 10 North of Troy, New York, I followed Route 127 up the Champlain Canal, stopping at seven of the locks spaced several miles apart. I drove up Thomson Road, past Lock #5 and found an old bridge across the river. The bridge was closed to traffic but made an excellent viewpoint for several photographs looking downstream and upstream toward the falls Near Fort Miller. The locks are numbered on the Delormé Atlas. At the north end of Lake George, turn right through the small town of Ticonderoga and follow the signs to Fort Ticonderoga. The fort was built here by the French in It was located at the north end of Lake George, above the shores of Lake Champlain, controlling the connecting waterways between Canada and the American Colonies. This strategic fort was burned by the British in This was the site of many battles during the Revolutionary War. The surrounding battlefields are covered with groves of maples. Long rows line the road to the fort. The bridge to Thomson, NY Farm Country The rolling hills south of Greenwich, New York, are covered with farms and dairies with large barns and silos. When you are looking for farm scenes to mix in with your autumn color, drive Route 40, both north and south of Greenwich. Lake George/Fort Ticonderoga Heading north of Glens Falls, leave the Interstate and follow the west shore of Lake George. The southern end of the lake is lined with motels, resorts, and summer homes. Take exit 23 or 24 off the Interstate and you ll miss the development. Stop at the overlooks along the drive for photographs of the lake. Don t miss the small pond near the trailhead to Fivemile Mountain a beautiful spot on the right side of the road. stream dropping from Mt. Marcy, the source of the Hudson River The source of the Hudson River Eleven miles south of Lake Placid, New York, I turned off Route 73 and drove a rough side road to the trailhead of the Van Hoevenberg Trail. A half-mile up the road to the Van Hoevenberg Trailhead is a panoramic view of the highest peaks in the Adirondacks. The foreground is a mixture of young pines along the edge of a hardwood Forest.

11 issue 64 - page 11 This five-mile trail is the shortest and most direct route to the source of the Hudson River. It begins high in the Adirondacks as a small stream cascading down the steep slopes of Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York State (5,344 feet). It flows from a tiny pond called Tear of the Clouds at 4,293 feet on the western slopes of the mountain. The small stream is joined by the Opalescent River, Wolf Creek, and the Indian River as it heads south. It s a rugged and difficult trail that leads up to the source of the Hudson River. You ll need to be an experienced backpacker to reach that spot. If not, you can easily find an even more exciting place to photograph the upper stretches of the Hudson, a few miles downstream from the source. For a mile, the wild river crashes through a deep and narrow canyon called the Hudson River Gorge. You can reach this spot via Route 28N, just south of Harris Lake. When you are heading north or south on Interstate 87, take Exit 29 and drive thirty miles west toward the village of Newcomb. An unpaved road follows the east side of the gorge. If you hike New York s Adirondack trails in early summer, expect to be attacked by the area s notorious black flies. Autumn color visitors need not worry about the flies. Pack mosquito netting to wear over your hat and tuck into your shirt collar. Try a tube of the new and improved DEET insect repellent with a lower (and safer) concentration of the active ingredient in a controlled-release polymer base that is claimed to work for twelve hours per application. If you are concerned about hiking through woods with high concentrations of ticks, you ll need a product with permethrin, such as Coulston s Duranon. Not a repellent, this stuff kills flies, chiggers, mosquitoes, and ticks on contact. Permethrin will not stain your clothing and is odorless when dry. Use permethrin on your clothing, DEET on your skin, and forget about the bugs. Lodgings There are lodgings at all the larger towns along the Hudson River. Most towns have a B&B or a small motor inn. The larger motel chains can be found at the interchanges along Interstate 87. Four great autumn color drives: Route 42 through the Catskills between the villages of Lexington and Shendaken Route 30 around the west side of Upper Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks Route 361 (Willsey Road) just east of the village of Rensselaerville The River Road up the east side of the Hudson River, just north of Lake Luzerne, New York. New England autumn foliage telephone hotlines New Hampshire (800) Massachusetts (800) Connecticut (800) Rhode Island (401) Vermont (802) Maine (800) Have a great trip and send me an !

12 Autumn Color September Late September is usually the peak of the autumn color in Upstate New York, northern Vermont, and northern New Hampshire. Larch Valley near Moraine Lake in Banff National Park is filled with yellow larch, a deciduous conifer. Mid-summer is the peak of the tourist season in Jasper and Banff National Parks in the Canadian Rockies. Avoid the crowds by visiting in mid-september. Aspen covering the San Juan Mountains of Colorado are all yellow by the last week of September. You can find autumn color in Utah around Park City, Mt. Nebo, along the Aquarius Plateau between Boulder and Torrey, and over the Cedar Pass, near Cedar Breaks National Monument. The east side of California s Sierra Nevada Range is bright yellow above Mono Lake. Michigan s Upper Peninsula reaches the peak of color across the Porcupine Mountains State Park in late September and early October. The last ranger-led hikes of the year are available into the Anasazi ruins called Betatakin in northern Arizona s Navajo National Monument. There s a large grove of aspen along the trail. October Autumn color moves into southern Vermont, New Hampshire, and along the coast of Maine during the first two weeks of October. Acadia National Park usually sees the peak of Fall color by October 10, about the same time Nova Scotia s Cape Breton reaches the peak of color. Mid-October is the best time to drive the Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Autumn color spreads south, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where the color peaks in late October. Nevada has fout great autumn color locations: Rainbow Canyon, Mt. Charleston, Lamoile Canyon, and Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park. Cottonwoods in Arizona s Canyon del Muerto and Canyon de Chelly are bright yellow during the last week of October. Most of the cottonwoods along the Virgin River through Zion National Park are bright yellow in late October. The river level is usually low enough to safely wade up the Zion Narrows. Polar bears gather on the shores of Hudson Bay during the last two weeks of October, waiting for ice to form on the bay at Churchill. My life-long career in photography began at San Jose State University in After college, I enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, serving as a photographer and darkroom technician. In Germany, my skills and experience with equipment and lab work were developed and polished. I took the opportunity to photograph the beauty of nature in the Black Forest. Returning to California in 1965, I produced industrial and military training films for Raytheon Electronics and began showing my color nature prints. From 1969 through 1981, my photography was exhibited and sold in West Coast galleries. During the early 1980 s, I taught color darkroom workshops, then expanded to include field trips. Former customers, who had purchased my framed photographs, wanted to learn photography. My Pacific Image Photography Workshops offered adventures to the Pacific Coast, the Southwest deserts, national parks, Hawaii, New England, Canada, England, and the South Pacific. The workshops evolved into writing and sharing my adventures with others. Photograph America Newsletter provides information on where, when, and how to discover the best nature photography in North America. Photograph America Newsletter is published quarterly (four issues/year) by Robert Hitchman assisted by technical associate/wife, Katherine Post Office Box 86, Novato, CA All contents of this newsletter copyright Robert Hitchman Please don t make copies for your friends. This is a violation of Federal copyright laws. This newsletter survives on subscriptions.