Hitchhiking in New York state is illegal. Or de facto illegal. If you can, avoid hitchhing in the South of this state. Around Albany you probably only get rides from cops. People in the North, especially in the Adirondacks, are very friendly though. You can also do some great wild camping. (If you hear bells, don't worry, just start counting.) When coming down from Quebec, going to New York City it's probably better to stick on the I-9, on which you can easily walk (and legally, if you weren't hitchhiking), instead of the I-87.