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A Full Moon and a Space Station Attract Visitors During Nighttime Paddle
By Walt Thompson
 | | Pictured is Donald Urmston paddling north before the rising of the full moon on Saturday the 19th. |
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Last weekend, from as far away as Ulster County, Staatsburg, Ardsley, Hyde Park, NY and Parsippany, NJ, kayakers came to Cold Spring to enjoy two nights of paddling under a full moon in the Historic Hudson Highlands.
On Friday night July 18, 8 paddlers left Foundry Dock Park about 8:30pm. After circumnavigating Bannerman's Island, we headed back. On the way south, we paused to watch the International Space Station (ISS) move quickly across the sky. It looked like a very bright star and seemed to take only about 5 minutes to move from Southwest to Northeast.
Off to the Southeast we soon saw Jupiter closely followed by the full moon rising over Cold Spring. It was fun to paddle down the bright moonbeam in water that was as flat as glass.
Saturday evening brought 21 paddlers from points far and wide (one from Cold Spring). In groups of 2 or 3, paddlers went north to the magical area between Breakneck Ridge and Storm King Mountain.
The dancing (sometimes prancing) and always entertaining Hudson River laughingwarblers cavorted across the water between Storm King Mountain and Breakneck Ridge. What a show they put on! It seems that the key to being aware of these mysterious beings is to rest one's paddle across the spray skirt, close your eyes and put both hands gently on the top of the water. Then you may be able to feel the vibrations of them running across the top of the water. That night, at least one kayaker was able to see one of those elusive beings. This time the 98% full moon came up looking very red before it changed into its more traditional pale color. Because of clouds to the west, we did not see the ISS. Both evenings ended with paddlers adjourning to the Depot Restaurant before heading home.
The next full moon paddle will be Saturday, August 16. Paddlers will leave Foundry Dock Park about 7:30pm to watch the moon rise about 8pm. These outings are not organized by anyone. They are simply opportunities for experienced kayakers to enjoy an evening under awe-inspiring sights.
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