For almost two years I drove up the turnpike to get to work in Secaucus, New Jersey. Every day I would get to see the sun rise over Manhattan. Right before the exit there was a cliff. This cliff seemed to be the highest point for miles. I always thought it would be great to be able to watch the sunrise from the top. Over the last year there has been a lot of construction around the base of this giant rock. They are putting in condos (700-900 sq. ft. = ~$2,000 a month) mostly for people who work in Manhattan and take the train in. Because of this construction, the fact that the top is 150ft above the ground, and the no trespassing signs, I thought it best not to bother. This morning I woke up at 5:20 so I could try to make it to the top. It took me about half an hour but I made it just in time to watch the sun peak up behind the buildings around central park. I had a narrow but unobstructed view . Below cars whizzed by, trains approached Secaucus junction, overhead airplanes approached Newark, and the sun climbed above New York City.
“Snake Hill (known officially as Laurel Hill) is an igneous rock intrusion jutting up from the floor of the Meadowlands in southern Secaucus, New Jersey, USA, at a bend in the Hackensack River. It was largely obliterated in the 1960s by quarrying that reduced the height of some sections by one-quarter and the area of its base by four fifths.[1] The diabase rock was used as building material in growing areas like Jersey City. The remnant of the hill is the defining feature of Laurel Hill County Park. The high point, a 203-foot (62 m) graffiti-covered inselberg rock formation, is a familiar landmark to travelers on the New Jersey Turnpike’s Eastern Spur, which skirts the hill’s southern edge. The crest of the hill’s unusual, sloping ridge is about 150 feet (46 m) high.” – Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Hill
Taken with a6000. September 4, 2017.