[Journal Entry for October 11, 2012] In the late afternoon, I walked with Estel, my daughter Hannah's Australian Cattle Dig, from State Line Lookour, down the Forest View Trail, to the Hudson River. The day was sunny and clear, a perfect fall day. Most trees were still green, but a few, including maple and staghorn sumac, are bright red, as are somevines (and especially Poison Ivy). We parked near the Refreshment Stand and first visited the Lookout. It is a flat area, enclosed with a stinework retaining wall, that is built on two rock columns that are partially detached from the main body of the Hudson Palisades Cliffs, and which therefore command an especially good view of the Hudson River. Westchester County, on the east bank of the Hudson, was well illuminated. I could see a sliver of Long Island Sound along the horizon. We walked south from the Lookout, following the cliff edge, joining the Long Path (blazed in blue) at a point where it descends into a gulley that cuts through the cliff and that leads to river level. The trail descends via a series of stone staircases, and perhaps a third of the way down, crosses a stream via a footbridge. At this point, the Long Path climbs back up the south side of the gulley, while the Forest View Trail (blazed in blue and white), continues downhill via another series of staircases and several switch-backs. I was pleased to see that the stine retaining walls along the trai have been repaired, for they were failing the last time I was here and the trail was in danger of being washed away. Towards the bottom, the trail passes several old rockfalls, full of large angular stones that were once part of the cliffs above. We soon reached the Shore Trail (blazed in white), which runs along the west bank of the Hudson River, all the way from Peanut Leap Falls in Palisades New York to Fort Lee Historic Park in Fort Lee New Jersey. The trail was in shadow, owing to the lateness of the day. We first walked north along the trail, through several meadows, to a point where the trail crosses an old rock fall. We surprised two deer that were browsing in one of the meadows, waist deep in bushes. The vegetation had blocked their view of us, and we were but a few yards from one another when we spotted each other. The deer slowly retreated and we continued along the trail. We climbed up onto the rockfall until we could catch a little sunlight, and then turned to the south, retracing our steps and then continuing soutward. We could see the city of Yonkers New York across the river. Two big buildings were particularly prominent: the now derelict Glendale Power Station, a brick building with two tall chimneys, and the old BICC Cable Factory, a massive blue cube that is now a movie studio. We stopped at a little beach, mostly pebbles and Spartina grass, and Estel waded in the shallows. We turned around when we were about half the way to the Apline Boat Basin. The climb back up the Forest View Trail took up about fifteen minues; we were both panting when we reached the top. About an hour and a half.

[Journal Entry for October 12, 2012] In the morning, I walked with Estel from the alpine Boat Basin, at river level in Palisades Interstate Park, north along the Shore Trail (blazed in white), as far as the Forest View Trail intersection. Although the eastern sky was crystal clear, a front was moving in, and the nortwestern ski was dark with clouds. The Shore Trail climbs well above river level, starting by the Kearney House at the Basin, and continuing in that position for about a half-mile, in order to avoid a section of the river bank that has a low cliff. It then drops back down to river level, or rather does so in two places, for there is a section where both a high and low trail parallel one another. We took the low section on the outwards leg, and the high on our return, in order to see both. The trail along the river is covered with angular cobbles, each about the size of a tennis ball, and is rather hard to traverse. We passed a small peninsula that extended out into the river, and walked out onto it for the view. While the Hudson Palisades Cliffs tower above all of the Shore Trail, they are rather hard to see from it, owing to all the vegetation. I was pleased to see some of them from the peninsula; the cliffs to the north are particularly spectacular; those to the south are pretty dramatic, too. Looking soutward, I could also see Alpine Boat Basin, the George Washington Bridge and the Manhattan Skyline. We continues along the trail, finding another place where the trees were sparse enough to see the cliffs towering right above us. We turned around at the Forest View Trail intersection. We retraced our steps most of the way, but took the higher trail when the two spurs diverged. This section passes several streams, descendding over steep rocky course, that pass beneath the trail via stonework tunnels. I was pleased to see that one was undergoing repair. The stonework in the park, much of it built by the Civilian Conservation Corp back in the 1930's, is a local treasure that could use some maintainace. The front caught up with us just as we reached the Alpine Boat Basin and light rain began to call. About two hours.

[Journal Entry for October 13, 2012] Around lunch time, I walked with Estel north from State Line Overlook. At first, we followed an unblazed trail that followed the cliff edge, which is edged by an green fense, made from stout cables. The views of the Hudson River and the edge of the cliff are exceptionally good here. Several rock pillars or spires extend up from the cliff, making the cliff-edge particularly picturesque. We eventually connected with the Long Path (blazed in blue), and followed it nortward along the cliff edge, as far as a broad rock ledge that commands a great view of the river. The Tappan Zee Bridge is visible in the northeast. We turned around at this point and took the Long Path back south, connecting to one of the cross-country ski trails that led to Old 9W, a section of highway that is now a pedestrian walk. We took this road back to State Line Lookout, passing some nice fall folliage on the way. About an hour.