[Bill Menke’s Journal Entry for January 30, 2006] Dallas
and I walked from Lamont to State Line Lookout, via the section of Old Highway that
was once part of Route 9W. The lowlands
of Rockland County had dense fog, but as we drove up
to the Oceanography building we began to rise above it, so that the fog became
very bright, and with the face of the sun visible through it. We walked first to Lamont’s main gate, and
then up the Old Highway. We had descended into fog again, so the road
was pretty somber and dim, with the overhanging trees dripping moisture. The small stream that parallels the roadway
was flowing briskly. As we ascended toward the cliff face of the Hudson
Palisades, the fog again brightened, until, finally, we poked above it. The interface was not distinct, but rather
the fog became patchy on the last, upper stretch of roadway. State Line Lookout itself was mostly above
the fog. Lookout Inn, the old stonework
refreshment stand, was completely clear of it.
The view outward from the cliff was very strange, indeed. Fog completely filled the Hudson Valley,
and partially covered the low hills of Westchester County,
to the east. The tops of a few buildings
and water towers protruded in places, as did the tops of the highest
ridges. They made long islands in the
fog that I found reminiscent of those along the Maine Coast. The sky above us was completely clear and
very bright blue. We stood at the
lookout for a few minutes, trying to find particular places. It was hard to do, for the completely
transformed landscape was very disorienting.
I could not find the Tappan
Zee Bridge,
for instance (though from that vantage point I probably could only have seen
its eastern end, which has low elevation). We again reentered the fog on the
way back, but it was thinner now. About an hour, round trip.