Hard to think of this marshy island as mostly man-made but so goes the history I've read. I was working on a story about a beautiful schooner that calls both Hudson and Athens home. Got to spend a lonely but beautiful night aboard with her by myself as she lay moored off the Flats. As the sun set and the wind blew I got to watch the light shift and reflect beautifully off the marsh grass of the flats that fringe the darker green interior hardwoods. Next morning I inflated my paddle board and departed from the stern and explored the barge graveyard north of Athens then crossed to the Flats, stepped off and looked at the campsite at the southern tip of the island---the place I had originally planned to camp---then south to circumnavigate the lighthouse on a dying ebb and against the wind before pulling into the Hudson kayak launch and landing. Even that was a cultural site as some type of large muslim prayer session was going on in the park as I deflated and packed my board and gear and then headed to the train station.