Reflections on the Hudson
BY JODI SMITS ANDERSON
I am a biker, hiker, wife, mom, kayaker, knitter, reader, walker, and lover of water and changing seasons. I spent my childhood in Southeastern Connecticut on the Long Island Sound and alongside the Thames River (New London) and Mystic River (Mystic). Although I like the flow of freshwater rivers, I grew up thinking rivers were, of course, tied to the ocean and meant to be brackish and change with the tides.
The Hudson River is a tidal estuary up past Albany to Troy, NY, approximately 162 miles from the ocean. Amazing. This means that Albany is, pretty much, on the sea coast. And yet we have put a highway between us and this magnificent force and flow of Nature.
My husband and son and I often put in our kayaks at a launch situated under the highway system that cuts Albany off from the river. It is an uninspiring beginning to some healing time on the water.
We enjoy the reflections of the bridges in the water, the rigidity of the train swing bridge steel structure breaking down into cool and undulating shapes as ripples from swimming birds and other boats disturb the surface. I always find it sad that the train bridge and the I-90 bridge cross this river but don’t have room for bicyclists or walkers.
More access all around will benefit the entire area, and not just by connecting us to the water and the views, but to each other. A wave from a bicyclist as I paddle is a magical moment. Once, unexpectedly, we ended up enjoying some of a concert from the river. The river that evening was alive with boats and happy boaters, some who knew their stuff, and some that only knew the music was good, the beers were flowing, the sky was bright, and work was for another day.
And then there is the splendor of this river. We have been startled by beavers thwacking their strong tails in displeasure at our intrusion and been overshadowed by the flight of hunting eagles. We have seen colors explode in the fall, and we have kayaked early in April when ice still crusted the shoreline. Unfortunately, we have also been able to pick up way too much garbage on our journeys, including finding so many balls over the years that is has become a family joke, and always creates playtime for our dog upon our return home.
I feel in my bones that access to a treasure such as the Hudson River is what keeps me sane in this crazy world, in a burdened yet beautiful city. I look forward to a time when access is less constrained by concrete, steel, and cars speeding past us, as they totally miss connecting with us and our river. •
Jodi Smits Anderson is the Director of Sustainability Programs for DASNY, an architect, and a U.S. Green Building Council committee member. She is also the co-host of the Subject2Change podcast .