[Journal entry for October 25, 2006] We arrive at Nyack Beach State Park at about 8AM. The sun is poking through clouds on the eastern horizon. I'm glad that it's not obscured, for the Fall Colors are most beautiful in direct sunlight. The air temperature is about 55 degres Fahrenheight. A breeze has whipped up chop on the Hudson River, making me wish I was surfing the waves in my kayak. Few boats are about, but one motorboat is anchored mid-river.

Dallas and I walk northward on the Bike Path, past the now-disused beach and the old red standstone bathhouse (which fortunately still has functioning bathrooms). The leaves of the trees are well into their fall colors. Most are bright yellow, but here and there a splash of red from maples. The vines, and especially the Virginia Creeper and the Poison Ivy are very brilliant red. They make intyeresting patterns on the rocks and on the lower parts of the Palisades Cliff.

We have to walk about a half mile to see the upper parts of the cliff, on account of all the trees. The low sun is lighting up the cliff face, making it glow. Several scars from recent rockfalls, identifiable because of their beige color, are evident. At one place along the path we pass boulders that have fallen into the path during last week's storm. They have been marked off by traffic cones, to warn unwary bicyclists. We pass several other people who are out for a morning walk, both on foot and on bicycles, and some with dogs. We walk as far as the north quary, past some ruined part buildings that must have been build by the CCC during the 1930's, judjing from their style and excellent stonework. We then head back.

The view south, with the Tappan Zee Bridge and Hudson Palisades is very nice, but quite a bit more somber, owing to heavier cloud cover in that direction. Back at the parking lot, we meet a group of biology graduate students operating a large fishing net. I guess that they are from the boat that had been anchored offshore, but which is now pulled up on the beach. We watch them sort through their catch of a few dozen finger length fish. Trip time about 1:15.