Wikipedia informs us that the famed Hudson River School was "a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by romanticism. The paintings for which the movement is named depict the Hudson River Valley..." One of the better known artists of the Hudson River School was Sanford Robinson Gifford (July 10, 1823 – August 29, 1880). Gifford (who served in the Union Army as a corporal in the 7th Regiment of the New York Militia during the Civil War) was one of the leading lights during the early years of the Hudson River School movement. It is claimed that Gifford painted more actual views of the Hudson River than any of his colleagues. Among his favorite spots to sketch/paint were the east and west banks of Haverstraw Bay, with Hook Mountain often in the background. This cache involves one of Gifford's splendid Hudson landscapes. Pictured below is his 1866 painting entitled Hook Mountain Near Nyack which now resides in the Yale University Art Gallery. Click on the image for a larger picture of the painting.
To find this cache, you must first find the spot where Gifford likely set his easel down when he created this painting nearly 150 years ago. Since there is a subjective quality in art and because time and tide have changed the landscape, look for the short concrete piling pictured below (the one with the GPS on top):
The view from the concrete piling approximates Gifford's perspective. From this spot, project a waypoint 428 feet away at a bearing of 34 degrees true north. You are looking for a small, camouflaged cache. The cache container is novel. The top does not "pop" open, you'll need to unscrew it. And you may want to invert the cache when you do so.
The cache rating reflects, in part, the difficult bushwack required to find the starting point/Gifford's perspective. The bushwack may be easier in winter. There are some social and deer trails through the tangled thicket as well. The trick is finding them. You will also want to check the tide tables. If you come for this cache at high tide, you will likely get your feet wet. You are encouraged to take a snap approximating Gifford's perspective so we can see the scene in different seasons. In your explorations, you may encounter bricks on the Hudson shore. These bricks will often have the initials "W.A.U." identifying them as the product of the William A. Underhill Brickyard that once operated on this peninsula. William's brother, Dr. Richard Underhill, was a leading agriculturalist and was responsible for the creation of the wine cellars found on Croton Point.
Note: during peak times when the booth at the park's entrance is manned, it may cost $8 to park ($4 with a Westchester Park pass). Dogs are allowed but must be leashed.
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