Very long time readers could have observed that I’m an adventure-in-your-backyard type of a man. I wholeheartedly imagine that you simply don’t should journey far to search out thrilling, difficult and even simply nice issues to do in nature, even in the event you dwell within the huge metropolis or, like me, within the suburbs.
The draw back of sticking near house is that I discover myself operating out of issues to put in writing about. Earlier this summer time once I paddled Rondout Creek and hiked Plattekill Mountain, I had an ideal day however we’ve written about these locations so many instances earlier than, it didn’t make sense to do it once more. I might say the identical about Harriman Park and the Hudson River.
So I used to be type of stunned when, driving house from one other quick paddle the opposite day, I noticed I’d by no means written about that individual nook of my house zone. I truly acquired just a little excited and once I acquired house I emailed Harvey, asking if I ought to write one thing. I’m glad he mentioned sure as a result of Annsville Creek is a lovely spot, tucked in between northern Peekskill and Routes 9 and 6, simply south of the Bear Mountain bridge.
Making an attempt to recollect the primary time I paddled right here is critical wayback machine stuff for me. It was someday within the earlier century, earlier than the state constructed the superb Annsville Creek Paddlesports Heart with its floating docks and easy-to-use kayak launch. It was earlier than I knew about paddling.com with its map stuffed with launch factors.
I discovered this spot by driving round with my 12-foot fiberglass kayak tied to the highest of my automobile till I might odor water. Again then I might park subsequent to a bait store up the highway just a little bit and put in there outlaw model.
On a latest Saturday, I made a decision to return. I crossed Bear Mountain Bridge and drove down Route 6/202 (locals name this part the “goat path”) and located the Annsville Creek site visitors circle was within the midst of an enormous development challenge. There have been giant sections of it closed off by site visitors cones and heavy gear, together with the doorway to the paddlesports heart, which appeared to be out of enterprise in the meanwhile.
I went across the circle an additional time to verify there wasn’t any strategy to bypass the development and get in there however there wasn’t. I took a have a look at the bait store the place I used to place my canoe in. It had chains throughout the doorway now.
I pulled right into a fuel station car parking zone to get re-oriented. I knew there was a park on the opposite facet of the creek — known as the Annsville Protect or one thing like that. I remembered it was listed as a launch spot on paddling.com. I discovered the Annsville Creek Protect in Apple Maps and adopted the turn-by-turn into Peekskill, all the way down to the waterfront and alongside a sketchy single lane gravel highway between the Metro North/Amtrak line on one facet and an overgrown rocky cliff on the opposite.
In only a couple minutes, I used to be parked. Annsville Creek Protect was not spectacular. It was run down. The fishing dock appeared sturdy sufficient however hadn’t been painted in a very long time and there have been little bits of trash right here and there. Many of the shore had thick brush between it and the park. There have been two previous guys in camp chairs fishing, not off the dock however on the one apparent clear spot for launching a kayak into the creek.
Aside from that, there was one man in a gazebo above the park who appeared to be solo dancing to some hip hop popping out of a blue tooth speaker. As I did a fast lap on foot to scope the place out, one other automobile pulled up and the motive force simply opened the door and turned up the quantity on his nation music, to drown out the tunes from the gazebo. The world generally is a unusual place some instances — Peekskill much more so.
It didn’t take lengthy to find a slender herd path by way of the creekside brush that might get me all the way down to the water. I decided that I used to be unlikely to get into any poison ivy there and the tide was low sufficient for it to work. Then it was only a matter of getting my gear out of my automobile and pulling my gloriously light-weight kayak off the roof. I acquired the whole lot organized and pushed out into the creek.
It was a great spot for what I wished to do. There’s a form of remoted pond, a wider spot on the mouth of Annsville Creek, separated from the Hudson by practice tracks. It was a windy day so there have been some good little waves blowing throughout the water’s floor, simply sufficiently big for me to allow them to hit my kayak sideways and follow balancing it with my hips and thighs. I paddled across the perimeter, pausing to take a look at the at present abandoned paddle sport heart. I made a psychological word to perform a little research to see if or when it might reopen, then paddled previous it upstream.
Different then a few anglers with traces within the water below the bridge that connects the site visitors circle to Route 9, I had the place to myself. If not for the sound of site visitors within the distance, there have been spots the place I might idiot myself into considering I used to be actually out within the wild. In different spots, I used to be paddling by way of peoples’ backyards. I noticed birds and turtles alongside the way in which and one thing huge, most likely a carp, splashed in entrance of me early on. It was as enjoyable as I remembered it from all these years in the past.
The creek narrows a half mile from the Hudson after which forks off in three instructions. I took the rightmost stream and adopted its twist and turns inland. I had by no means differentiated the completely different streams previously however I observed later that my telephone tagged photos of this fork as Peekskill Hole Creek.
I used to be in a position to go a good distance up this fork, far sufficient that I might hear solely the birds and bugs and the splashing of water as I paddled. The stream narrows and the bushes, tall grass and thick underbrush create a form of inexperienced tunnel of fecundity as you progress. Magical stuff.
Quickly sufficient, I encountered a down tree blocking my manner. Once I initially found this place as a a lot youthful man, I used to paddle it in a thirty pound solo canoe. Again then I most likely would have jumped within the water, pulled my boat over the log and stored exploring however on today I used to be in an 18 foot kayak and didn’t really feel like getting too moist so I paused right here, made a gradual lazy U-turn and loved the solitude for a minute or three. Then I headed again within the route I had come.
Once I reached the fork within the creek, I explored the opposite streams however one changed into a swamp briefly order and the opposite was blocked by one other downed tree. My iPhone additional educated me that considered one of this branches was named Sprout Brook. Then it was just a few less difficult paddling again alongside the broader sections of Annsville Creek and throughout the little bay to Annsville Creek Protect.
The tide had risen fairly a bit by then and the spot the place I’d launched was drowned, so I paddled round to the place the previous guys have been fishing in the course of the one correct seashore. I landed subsequent to them, doing my finest to remain out of their manner and never thrash round within the water an excessive amount of.
The park was just a little extra busy now, together with a DEC officer checking peoples’ fishing licenses and a younger couple picnicking on the garden. I loaded up, happy with my little exercise and headed house. One other enjoyable native journey in good previous Peekskill, NY.
