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!