The River That Flows Both Ways

In August 2019, Kirk Muir Horton and I paddled 315 miles from source to sea down the Hudson River in record time. A river that starts in the Adirondacks and ends at the Statue of Liberty, our trip was as unpredictable and complex as the river itself. We used a 10 foot inflatable canoe to make it through the whitewater, dams, and tides. When things went wrong we hitched rides on rafts, boats, trains, and cars. In times of need strangers became friends. In a youthful trip, from a trickle to the sea we explored the environmental impacts of one of America’s most influential yet endangered rivers.











Some events/facts from the trip
  • Turns out there isn’t much water for the first 40 miles
  • We popped our raft on Day 3
  • Hitchhiked with an older couple celebrating their 40th anniversary and ended up spending a night with them
  • Paddled through and around dams created by the once booming paper industry
  • Hopped aboard RiverKeeper the leading nonprofit in protecting the Hudson from further environmental impact
  • The Hudson River is the nations largest Super Fund site.
  • Ate a lot of instant mashed potatoes and candy bars
  • The Hudson River is Tidal and its nearly impossible to paddle against the tide
  • Camped along the river bed the whole way
  • Visited my family in my home town
  • Jumped on Metro north for two stops with the boat
  • Paddled under what used to be the Tappan Zee bridge at night
  • Successfully made it through NY Harbor to the Statue of Liberty.
photographer/filmmaker — boulder/brooklyn — brenpdavis@gmail.com