[Journal Entry for November 14, 2014; Alpine Boat Basin, Palisades Interstate Park, NJ] The day was beautiful; sunny with a clear bright blue sky. I parked at river level, below the Hudson Palisade cliffs, driving down the access road from Exit 2 on the Palisades Parkway. While the fall foliage in southern New York is nearly gone, the trees below the cliff are only a little past peak. I suppose the microclimate up against the cliffs is marginally warmer than elsewhere in the area. The view of the Hudson River and of the more distant parts of the cliffs further north is very nice, but the cliffs that tower above the boat basin itself are hard to see, on account of all the trees. I hiked north, along the sidewalk by the docks, which are now empty of boats. This area has several park buildings, constructed with the beautiful stonework characteristic of the New York - New Jersey park system. The largest, which is some sort of pavilion, has an impressive archway. It Boat Basin also contains the Kearney House, a white-painted stone building, dating from the 1760’s. Beside the house is the huge boulder that fell from the cliff top on April 18, 1896 - a narrow miss. I then took the Shore Trail (blazed in white), which follows the river. It first climbs to an elevation of about 100 feet, following a woods road cut into the side of the apron of debris beneath the cliff proper, and slowly descends to river level. I take a short side trip up a stone staircase to visit a tiny stone hut, now falling to ruin, that looks to have been some sort old utility shack. The trail divides by a large stone monument, one strand maintaining its elevation, the other descending to the river bank. I take the upper strand. The woods are very pretty, full of orange and red maples and yellow and brown beeches. Some of the maples are a variety with very wispy leaves. I suppose them to be ornamentals, escaped from some long vanished garden and now happily colonizing the woods. The upper trail descends to river level and joins with the lower trail. I turned around at the junction and took the lower trail back. The edges of the trail have beautiful old stonework, including a sea wall along the river and retaining walls on the hillside. Twice I walked out onto to jetties that jut out into the river. They offer a nice view of the cliffs to the north and of the fall foliage beneath them as well as of the Hudson River. But they are covered with green algae and are very slippery. I tread very carefully but still had two close calls. In a few minutes, I was back at the Boat Basin. I spend a few minutes gazing up at the rock spires above me on the cliff.

About one hour.