Murderer's Creek

Vixen on a dwindling piece of ice. Note open water - that's Murderer's Creek - flowing into the Hudson.

Murderer's Creek lived up to its name today.... This state boat launch is a great access point to the Hudson River, just north of the village of Athens, NY (Greene County).  The heavy rains and warm temperatures from Friday's storm led to heavy runoff for any tributary into the Hudson. This Creek certainly murdered the ice where Vixen and Boreus had recently set up. The heavy flow ate away at  the solid ice  quickly and in the course of a few hours the ice flow where the 2 yachts were parked was open water.  
Vixen had set up earlier in the week and got in a short sail on Wednesday.  Boreus set up Thursday, planning on riding out the storm and being ready to sail once the upcoming freeze repaired any damage from the storm.   

Port runner and plank were about 2 feet under water as the ice eroded at that spot.
We delicately maneuvered the plank up an onto firmer ice.

Instead, we spent today in extraction mode. The pit crew of the HRIYC worked carefully and quickly to get Vixen out of the creek; we then dismantled, and hauled the boat, piece by piece back onto shore and then onto the transport truck. Boreus followed.  

Boreus, This ice chunk was all but gone 45 m later...

Agonizingly we looked at a beautiful field of ice 50 yards beyond the launch site. Miles of river ice has been smoothed out from the rain. We just need a safe place to get on and off the ice. The upcoming cold nights should lock up the river again. Will need to see where the best launch site will be now.
Boats are still on Tivoli Bay, though reports say that the Bay is a mess - open water from the Sawkill Creek and muddy sediment deposited on the surface from the run off. Waiting to hear how Orange Lake fared...      Good News is that there is a lot of ice on the river and frigid temps ahead!

Murderer's Creek flows freely into a field of ice of the Hudson. That's Middle Ground Flats - an island between Athens and the city of Hudson to the east.

Vixen, Athens, 2009. Robert Near, photographer.  

Hope to see you out on the ice this winter.
Here is a nice audio piece from 2009 when we were last on the ice at Athens. And here is a nice video story short featuring Vixen. 

Boreus, with Capt. Steve, sailing Tivoli Bay , 2007. Chris Kendall, photographer.