[Journal entry for February 4, 2011, State Line Lookout, Palisades Interstate Park, Alpine NJ].

The freezing rain that fell two nights ago has left the surface of the snow very crusty, though the crust is not quite thick enough for me to stand on. Many of the tree branches still have a rind of clear ice that sparkles in the sun, and the surface of the snow beneath the trees is littered with ice shards that have fallen off. The morning sun lights both up spectacularly.

Dallas and I park at State Line Lookout, in Alpine NJ off of the Palisades Parkway. The morning is mostly clear, except for a band of clouds in the south, and the sun is shining brightly. The temperature is 15 degrees F. We first visit the main overlook, a rocky promontory of the Hudson Palisades that juts out past the rest of the cliff edge and that affords a great view of the Hudson River, 532 feet below. The bushes and trees along the cliff edge all have a thick coating of ice, which, when back-lit by the sun, really glows.

We walk southwards, on a path besides the access road, and find several more spots with nice views. I’m wearing crampons and Dallas Yak-Traks, but even so the going is rather slow. We are mostly breaking through the crust, so walking is quite exerting. The Hudson River has some ice floating on it. Several barges are moored, waiting for the tide to change. We go as far as an overlook on the Forest View trail, just north of the point where it descends via a stone staircase. From this vantage we can view the southern section of the cliffs. It is particularly well-adorned with ice.

We then walked along Ski Trail A, which is set back from the cliff edge and runs through low woods. The trail has had quite a bit of recent foot traffic, and as a result is well-packed and easier to traverse. We pass a small stream that is icy but not completely frozen. We wind up back in the parking lot near the refreshment stand.

About an hour.