Giant of the Valley

Heading back into the Adirondacks meant more time in Wadhams with Kevin and Liz! We have been having lots of fun with them and their house is a great jumping-off-point for hiking. As an added bonus, the Wadhams Waddlers have been adding many new songs to our repertoire for our performance on August 4th at Essex Days.

On Tuesday we headed north to Poke-a-Moonshine, an oddly-named mountain with a great view. We found a closed campground and a recommendation to not hike the trail. However, there was another trail further down the road with limited parking. We got the idea that the DEC wanted us to hike the newer trail but the situation is not yet obvious.

It was a muggy day for a hike but we got some great views of the Champlain Valley from the fire tower at the top!

We headed back to Elizabethtown to get sandwiches for a late lunch and then back to Wadhams for pizza-night and music making!

On Wednesday, we headed for the Chapel Pond trail to the summit of Giant Mountain. We packed the rest of our sandwiches and hit the trail, which was steep! This trail gave us great views all the way up the mountain.

Lunch was at the peak and we lounged for a few minutes before deciding to head to Rocky Peak Ridge, which was just a mile further. There we enjoyed looking at the slides on Giant Mountain as well as Lake Champlain and the Champlain Valley.

Giant Mountain from Rocky Peak Ridge:

The beautiful Champlain Valley from Rocky Peak Ridge:

We ate michigans at Gene's in Port Henry for dinner! We're home for a day due to thunderstorms tomorrow, but we'll be back in the 'dacks on Friday.

Tahawus

For our continued exploration of the high peaks region, we loaded our overnight packs and headed for Adirondack Loj, south of Lake Placid. Since we had never been to the area before, we talked to a few of the rangers in the parking lot to make sure that our plans for the next couple days would be reasonable and safe. We strapped the packs and departed southward on the trail towards Marcy Dam.

Upon arrival, we found a great tent site and set up camp which lightened our packs considerably. We repacked and headed south on the Avalanche Pass trail. It took us through some rocky terrain to the northern shore of Avalanche Lake. Both Lisa and I had a deja vu moment as we remembered an etching in Seneca Ray Stoddard's book from the same vantage point.

We decided to carry on to Lake Colden, about a mile further south. However, we weren't prepared for the trail along the western shore of Avalanche Lake. With a sheer cliff on one side and a lake on the other, we found ourselves shimmying over and around gigantic boulders. The trail gave us a great view of Mt. Colden's famous trap dyke:

After reaching Lake Colden, we turned around and headed back to camp with a short picnic on the way. We slept well and despite quite a bit of bear activity at Marcy Dam lately, we had no problems.

The next morning was chilly and we awoke excited to hike Mount Marcy, the tallest of the high peaks. We headed out right after breakfast and made our way up the trail, eventually getting glimpses of the summit along the way.

When we arrived at the top we were happy to have such a clear day where we could see as far as the Green Mountains on the eastern side. We recognized many of the high peaks, including Cascade and Porter which we hiked the other day. We gawked and ate peanut butter sandwiches and after many pictures decided to descend.

Lisa in front of Mt. Haystack:

Algonquin and Colden from Marcy:

The trail seemed longer on the way down, which technically it was since we had to pack our gear and hike back out to Adirondack Loj. We made it with no serious ankle twists and went to Stewarts in Keene for well deserved vanilla malts. According to the GPS, we hiked 24.3 miles in the two days!

For dinner it was pizza night at the Dogwood Bakery in Wadhams. It was busy but well worth the wait for delicious buffalo pizza - yum.

Cascade

After a fun night jamming with the Wadhams Waddlers, Lisa, Kevin and I awoke hungry and ready for a hike in the high peaks. The initial problem was solved with a trip to one of our favorite Adirondack restaurants: Chair 6. Located just south of the village of Lake Placid, it serves some of the finest breakfast food anywhere. We scarfed down french toast, omelets and eggs Benedict.

The second problem was quickly solved with a trip to the Cascade Mountain trail head. We hiked up the steady incline and headed first to the peak of Porter mountain (on a perpendicular ridge). While we were munching on snacks and enjoying the view we met some Canadians who asked us to take their picture while they spelled 2-0-1-2 with their bodies. We have some pretty silly traditions too, so we can't judge.

After satisfying ourselves with the view, we headed to the peak of Cascade for a slightly higher vantage point. We could easily identify the Olympic buildings from Lake Placid village but had a harder time identifying the other peaks. Pitchoff Mountain was prominent across the road.

We hiked down carefully and went directly to the Keene Stewarts for malts (it was Kevin's first!) and then went to the Keene dump for one of the finest views of Keene valley!

It was back to Wadhams for games and more music for the evening. It was a great day climbing our first two Adirondack high peaks!

Paradox

One of the best things about a road trip in the Adirondacks is the short driving time between destinations. We may have quite a record to beat with our four mile trip from Schroon Lake to Paradox Lake! Our destination was the state campground which was located on a peninsula that separates the two larger parts of the lake.

The lake is named Paradox because when water becomes high, the flow of the river actually reverses direction.

On the first day we paddled the shoreline of the lake which included many different geologic curiosities - including this:

We paddled through the narrows and down the Schroon river until we ran into the construction of a new dam. The fish in the river seemed plentiful and a friendly camp owner on the river told us that the dam would include a fish ladder.

Returning to our campsite, we had spaghetti and pesto and went to bed early. When we awoke, it was hot and humid but we decided to hike Peaked Hill anyway.

Tom had fond memories of the view from the top. We huffed and sweated on a fairly easy trail due to the humidity and found that softwoods had grown in since he was last there thirty years ago.

There are thunderstorms in the forecast so we have an excuse to jam in Wadhams - huzzah!

Schroon

After a brief respite at home, we car topped the kayaks and were bound for Schroon Lake with Tom. We would be meeting our friend Bill Killon, a photographer for Adirondack Life. We arrived too early to set up camp so we parked at the Eagle Point beach (where swimming is not permitted) and geared up for a paddle on the northern part of Schroon Lake.

The smell of cheeseburgers caused us to stop at the Schroon Town Beach for lunch. We ate quickly, desiring to get back on the water. The burgers were adequate but the fries were terrible…

Continuing north, we found the mouth of the Schroon River which leads north to Paradox Lake, we followed it until it became too shallow to dip a paddle. We also found a beaver lodge containing a ladder, dock board and set of stairs!

When we returned to the sandbar at the mouth of the river, Bill snapped pictures and we enjoyed a break from sitting. We waded in the warm water, which was pleasant on the sandy shoal.

On the return trip, we found a wedding party stranded in a motor boat. We couldn’t tow them or give up our paddles but we let them use our cell phone. Unfortunately the cell phone generation doesn’t actually know phone numbers, so they were not able to contact anyone who could help. We continued on and eventually saw a party barge towing them to shore.

The next day, we took the kayaks to Goose Pond in the Pharoah Lakes Wilderness. It was a sparkling, secluded lake with a loon swimming. The kayak carry was strenuous, but worth it to get on the water. It was intended to be a morning trip, but we spent the whole day!

On our third day, we paddled the southern part of the lake and into the Schroon River. It didn’t take long, since we had already done so much paddling. We headed for Scaroon Manor, the newest campground in New York for another night of camping. Amy, Mike, Ben and Jean met us and we picnicked. In the afternoon everyone went swimming (including Ben) and Lisa tried to teach me how to roll a kayak. The 180 was easy but I have yet to master the 360 and I swallowed quite a bit of Schroon Lake trying.

In the evening we headed for Pitkin’s Restaurant for a chicken barbeque. It was a kitchy joint with lots of pie! Afterwards, we headed for the town beach for a quick jam.

The next day was a quiet family day at the campground with threatening skies. On our last morning at Schroon we paddled to the Adirondack general store and found a delicious breakfast.

We’re off to Paradox Lake for a night…sounds like something to contemplate.

Nehasane

Our first stop on our route north was the trailhead to Bald (Rondaxe) Mountain, just north of Old Forge. The guidebook told us that it was the easiest hike for the greatest reward. After a mile with teaser views along the way, we found the fire tower with families picnicking around it. We enjoyed the views of the Fulton chain and Little Moose Lake in the distance.

The Tamarack Café was our destination for hot turkey sandwiches in Inlet. We decided that gravy was nature’s most perfect food.

Our real destination for the next few days would be Lake Lila – a lake that we have been hearing about from friends and family for our whole lives. The road to the lake access was marked with “15mph” and we were not able to come close while avoiding the ruts, potholes, boulders and grand canyons along the way.

After a brief carry, we were on one of the most magnificent and pristine lakes in the Adirondack Park. Until 1979, it had one great camp on its shore, “Nehasane,” which belonged to the Webb family. The camp was burned when New York acquired the land and it became the largest lake in the park with an entirely state-owned shoreline.

We followed the northern shore and found a campsite on a promontory with a rocky shore that reminded us of the Maine coastline. After pasta for dinner, we watched the lake while the sun got lower. Eventually we went to bed.

The next morning we were excited to explore the lake. Once our kayaks hit the water, we felt that we were seeing the Adirondacks in its primeval. With campsites set back from the shore, and no buoys necessary due to the motor restrictions, there was little sign on human activity.

To get a higher perspective of the lake, we paddled to the trailhead to Fredrica Mountain. Despite some deer flies chasing us, we sat and enjoyed the view from the rocky summit and snacked on granola bars. Oddly enough, the same deer flies found us on the descent…

For the rest of the day we meandered around the shoreline with a brief paddle down the Beaver River. We snacked and lounged in the sun. When we got back to our campsite, we played cards on our rocks and went to bed early.

The next morning we packed up our gear and after two treks up the trail (one for gear, one for kayaks) we headed to Little Tupper Lake. We got a short paddle in, but thunderstorms seemed to be brewing around us, so we’ll have to come back to experience the rest of the lake.

We’re off to Wadhams for some fiddling and then we’re Schroon Lake bound on Thursday for a much different camping experience.

Atwell

Atwell Martin, nineteenth-century hermit of North Lake was famous for his familiarity with the Black River headwaters and for eating prodigious amounts of food. For the past few days, we have followed suit in both categories.

Our first day at North Lake was a family day with members of both sides of my parents’ family visiting for the Fourth of July. It never rained, but looked like inclement weather for most of the day. Other than a quick paddle to the Nat Foster Lodge and a short sail around the bay, we mainly stayed home and visited.

The next day we packed the car and headed north on Route 28 to Woodgate. Our destination was a series of trails that lead to Gull Lake and Chub Pond – two remote lakes. We took a seven mile loop trail and found ourselves heading to the Gull Lake lean-to. It was a beautiful and remote site where we lounged for most of the afternoon. Looking at the scenery made us appreciate the remoteness of much of the western Adirondacks.

After a stop for Orange Blossom milkshakes, we packed the kayaks with camping gear and went to the northernmost spot on the lake on the North Branch of the Black River for a campsite in a picturesque hemlock grove. We went back to the Nat Foster Lodge for lasagna and then had a tranquil moonlight paddle back to our site where two bullfrogs belched us a lullaby.

The next day, we again stopped at the Nat Foster Lodge for food and games and then packed the kayaks on the car for a trip to South Lake – North Lake’s sister reservoir. We explored the shoreline and Raymond Brook, one of the inlets to the lake. On the return trip we found a stiff wind and got some exercise. It was back to camp for delicious enchiladas for us!

Our last day at North Lake was the laziest. The weather was unsettled so we spent the day playing games, doing crosswords and fiddling. However, we did check off a very important Adirondack experience with a delicious marinated venison dinner, something Atwell Martin would have had daily we think (thanks Pat!).

We’re back on the road and heading towards Lake Lila for some more paddling!

Blue Mountain

After a delicious waffle at the Bouchard-Hall’s, we put the kayaks on the car and headed for Lincoln Pond where we would be meeting Tom for a morning paddle. We started north and enjoyed the shoreline, which was full of downed trees, stumps and beaver dams. In the clear water we could see perch, sunfish, pike and even a turtle!

Turning around at the dam (which was designed and built by Lisa’s great-grandfather), we headed back to the beach for some munchies and a jam with guitar, harmonica and fiddle. We didn’t sound half bad by the third time through each song…

We paddled under the bridge and heard the sweet sound of “sailing, sailing..” and I quickly headed for shore. Hopping out of the kayak as quickly as possible, I ran for the ice cream truck and got three orange creamsicles – yum! We followed the shoreline on the south side of the lake and admired the mountain beach in the distance.

We parted ways with Tom and headed for Ray Brook, home of the famous “Tail o’ the Pup,” an iconic barbeque joint that has been in operation since 1921. Pulled chicken, Texas brisket and fried pickles gave us our fill as we listened to “Blues Noir” on the stage.

Our lodging for the night turned out to be at Lake Eaton, a state campground where we found a secluded site on the water. Despite some rain, we slept well.

In the morning we packed up our wet tent and headed for the town of Blue Mountain Lake, where we would hike Blue Mountain. Arriving at the fire tower on the summit we had a panoramic view of the area including Racquette and Long lakes. We could see the high peaks in the distance with the recognizable slides that we saw from Hurricane Mountain just the other day.

After our hike, we headed for the town beach in the village and had a picnic (mmmm…Hormel chili). We put our kayaks in the water and went to find an island with a good swimming rock. After a short trip, we quickly found a swimming hole within view of the fire tower where we were standing just hours earlier! We explored some islands and headed back to the town beach (with a sign that says no loitering….what are you supposed to do at the beach?).

It’s off to North Lake for a few days, I’m sure that we will have some great adventures there!

Hurricane!

After a week at home, we packed the car and crossed Lake Champlain via the Charlotte-Essex ferry. We were bound for Whallonsburg, in the town of Essex. Our old-timey musical group, the Wadhams Waddlers would be playing for a Lewis County literacy fundraiser at the Grange. If you missed the show, it was by far one of the most entertaining shows that I have ever attended.

We awoke early the next day and found ourselves itching for a hike. Looking at the map, we noticed that the trail to the fire tower on Hurricane mountain was only a few miles away. With oatmeal raisin cookies in our bellies for breakfast [thanks Jean], we headed up a steep ascent. This was followed by a flat and muddy mile and then another steep ascent. 

Arriving at the summit, we were stunned by the panoramic views of the high peaks on one side and the Champlain Valley on the other. It seemed fitting that we could see the hills in Charlotte and the highest mountains in the Adirondacks on our first mountain hike of the trip.

After an afternoon in Elizabethtown and Wadhams with our gracious hosts Kevin and Liz, we attended a performance of "Careless Love" at the Depot Theater in Westport. The stage is built inside the old freight room of the train station. The train did go by once during the performance - traditionally, they will stop the show but they were in the middle of a sentimental musical number. It was a great show with each of the actors playing a variety of instruments.

Tomorrow, the kayaks will hit the water!