Saranac

Our most recent venture into the Adirondacks took us to the Saranac Lake region. We snagged a campsite at Meadowbrook State Campground in Ray Brook which may be the world's most perfect place to spend the night. With an ice cream stand across the street and Tail o'the Pup barbecue right next door, who could ask for anything more?

We set up our tent quickly and headed to Ampersand Mountain for a morning hike. It was humid and we were huffing on the ascent, but we seemed to be in good company on the popular trail. There were some scrambles toward the top of the mountain but the panoramic view on the rocky summit made it all worth it. We enjoyed the view of the Saranac Lakes while we ate shrimp scampi and French dip leftover from the previous night's supper.

After descending from Ampersand, we drove to the boat access to Lower Saranac and launched kayaks. Seeing signs indicating that the lower locks were out of commission, we followed the river in that direction figuring that we would see few motorboats. We saw deer and heron and found a perfect lean-to site with a sand beach that appears to not be part of the state campground. Turning around at the lower locks in a refreshing light rain, we made our way back to the car and to our campsite for the night.

The next day, we awoke early and headed to Baker Mountain on the eastern side of Saranac Lake for a quick morning hike. It was a steep and steady climb but over in less than a mile. The views overlooked the village and Lower Saranac Lake. It was a fine climb that seemed to be a popular "pre-work" hike for the locals.

We then brought the boats back to the Lower Saranac launch and followed the river into Lower Saranac Lake. We skirted the islands until we found ourselves looking down Crescent Bay. We then tried to paddle up Fish Creek but were turned around by weeds. With predicted storms but curiously clear skies, we made our way back to the launch before any thunderstorms were supposed to hit.

They never did. We went to the village and played music in the park before going for a stroll and getting supper at Tail o'the Pup. A good day!

On our last morning in the region, we hiked Scarface Mountain; the trailhead essentially left from our campsite. It was a two-mile woods walk followed by a steep climb to limited views. I would guess that the false summit had views when the DEC cut the trail. It looked like fairly new growth up there!

We got some desperately needed showers at the campground before packing the car and getting out of town. It was just in time: with the Lake Placid Ironman scheduled for the following day the area would be congested and roads would be closed. It was a great trip to Saranac Lake and with plenty more left to hike and paddle, we will be back.