Ironville

On our sixth anniversary, Lisa and I packed bikes in the car and headed to historic Ironville, New York. We know that it's historic because it says so on the sign which also claims that the tiny hamlet was the birthplace of the electric age. The place was buzzing with excitement as the Penfield Museum was preparing for their apple festival - we were lucky to find a parking spot right in the center of town!

We packed food into our saddlebags, strapped on our helmets and headed south on Route 2 until we found the turn onto Stony Lonesome Road. It was there that we began to climb amid old farmhouses and more modern camps. The road started as pavement and quickly became dirt. As we pressed on, the road narrowed and we started to wobble on the cobbles. No one fell as we made it to Flemings Pond for spectacular views of Knob Mountain.

After turning onto Letsonville Road, we were happy to find pavement again and we soon heard the rush of water to our right. The waterfall made a perfect spot to sit and enjoy our sandwiches.

The rest of the ride led us onto Old Furnace Road with a big climb followed by a fast descent back into Ironville. It was an enjoyable loop on barely trodden back roads with stunning scenery. Who could ask for more on a late September day?

Buck

On a perfect late summer day in September we went for a hike on Buck Mountain, situated on the eastern shore of Lake George. There are many approaches to this mountain with a spider-web of trails on the map in this area but we hiked from the Hogtown trailhead. We met the Cornells for this particular adventure which helped us find the trailhead!

The trail was easy-going with a few steeper sections. We made our way up slowly with a few breaks to chat and catch our breath. When we crested the summit, we were treated to the best view that I have yet seen of Lake George. It also happened to be the only part of the lake that I have yet kayaked. Our view stretched from Bolton Landing, Northwest Bay, the Tongue Mountain Range and north through the Narrows.

We stayed on the summit for about an hour snacking and taking pictures. With such a fantastic view, we really couldn't help ourselves. We eventually made our way down the trail, with plans to return for hikes up nearby mountains.