Wanika Falls

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently decided that they don't want geocaches inside Wilderness areas in the Adirondacks, so NNYGeo, our local geocaching group, has been picking up the archived caches in the High Peaks Wilderness...I went out yesterday to pick up one out near Wanika Falls...


It was a 14 mile hike in and out on a hot day...I had a fun time, but am feeling like an old man today, eating handfuls of Advil every 4 hours...I was on the trail for about 6 hours, and didn't see another soul the whole time...it was really a hike into the heart of wilderness...once I got a mile or so in, all of the footprints and scat I could see were from forest beasties...


Beavers have worked hard to manipulate the gazillions of rivers, stream, and trickles that the Northville-Placid Trail (NPT) crosses in its 133 miles...there were numerous spots where they were winning the battle with the good people who work to maintain the trails...waterproof boots are your friend on this trail...


It was a coolish early morning when I started, and there was still mist rising off of the beaver-ponds...it got up to 94 degrees by early afternoon, so I was glad of the early start...I burned through 8 liters of water during the round-trip (refilling with the incredibly frosty water at the falls), thank goodness for Camelbak hydration systems...



During the walk out, I saw roughly 8 million red efts, by 10:30, they were all gone...although I did see a couple in the water of various beaver impoundments (which surprised me, as I thought that red efts were terrestrial...go figure)...


The amount of work involved in making and maintaining the walkways and bridges defies the imagination...people must have to bring in all sorts of heavy equipment, and I was dragging by the end of my hike with my loaded pack...


During a snack-break on the way in, I saw these cool mushrooms growing on this beech tree...


If you look at the center of this picture you will see the NPT coming straight out of the beaver pond, despite a firm commitment to minimizing trail-impact by not walking around wet spots in the trail, I did detour around this one...there were a couple of similar spots between LP and Wanika Falls...again, waterproof boots and good ankle support...goooooood!



I got to the river just upstream of the falls, and followed my GPS to the geocache location...through the thickest set of downed trees ever...anywhere...climbing over and under them was not an option, so I found one suspended above the rest, and did my impression of Philippe Petit, got the cache (and an obnoxiously large travel bug ironically created by...me), headed to the falls and took off my boots to give my feet a chance to breathe (pant) a bit...



Wanika Falls is a beautiful spot, sparkling water, clear pool, nice opening in the tree-cover, but unfortunately the water is beyond freezing cold...only an insane person would go swimming in it...


The water felt great, but my skin turned an alarming shade of pink-red after immersion in the ice-water...it went away after awhile...


On the way back, I had a different perspective on some of the beaver work projects...this one shows 3 tiers of ponds, all beaver-made...there were 2 more above me, but the muckosity rating was too high given my level of exhaustion, so I decided to be satisfied with this shot...


After getting back and showering the trail off of me, I picked Ben up from Lori's and we went for a swim at Hoel Pond...no Maggie this time, I was too stiff to deal with 2 puppies...Ben loves his new water-noodle and Spiderman life-preserver, I loved being cool(ish...it was 94 degrees), and getting some hydrotherapy for my wobbly legs...

Summer!!!

I got done with LPMHS for the year yesterday, and am looking forward to a fun summer!

This morning Ben got up before 5am, and immediately started asking if we could go to his 10 o'clock playdate...

This playdate was set up by the mother of one of Ben's future classmates (whose name I've forgotten, a weakness that will likely be overlooked on judgement day as there were about a dozen kneebiters running around this morning, all of them virtually interchangeable). Grown-ups talked about the Lake Clear Elementary School and the likely upcoming attack (recent history has shown the LCES attack schedule to run on an 18 month cycle, so we're getting ready), the newish kindergarten teacher (some good stuff, some not so much), and about toy guns...

The kids had a great time, Ben and I made plans to get together again with some of the kids later in the summer, and when Ben almost grabbed a sandwich from one of the moms who brought her own food I knew it was time to go off in search of lunch...

Ben lobbied hard and effectively for McDonald's, but then changed his mind when I countered with Paula's Airport Cafe...the best/fanciest/quickest/most kid-friendly/only restaurant in the Adirondack Regional Airport (1.3 road-miles from our house to the short-term parking). We had an excellent meal; I had an excellent burrito that could have fed lesser men for a couple of days, and Ben had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich while we watched the clouds and some expensive private jets roll by outside...

Ben is now lying down, nearly unconscious, in front of "Curious George", a movie we acquired in Plattsburgh yesterday while shopping for a bigger life-preserver, assorted summer clothes, new sneakers, and shin-guards (the last 2 items for the Saranac Lake Youth Association Soccer funstravaganza on Monday and Wednesday evenings in July and August)...

I didn't take any pictures of Plattsburgh, the playdate, or Paula's...so here is a picture of my favorite really big rodent, the capybara...



For those with a thirst for knowledge, please follow this link to learn about the capybara, including the details on how the Catholic Church declared this smug-looking beast, largest member of the rodent family, the theological equivalent of fish...for Fridays and Lent...

Hoel Pond Weekend

Gail got back from California on Friday, completely exhausted and missing all of us...so some Maggie/Ben/Mommie snuggling was in order Saturday morning, after some house clean-up...


We then headed over to Hoel Pond for a picnic lunch and some swimming...


Maggie loves fetching and swimming...


Ben loves swimming and playing with Maggie...


Ben and Maggie love each other...Maggie asked to climb into the back, on our way home, but partially reconsidered while on the drive...she slept like she was drugged after we got home...snoring like a chainsaw with all 4 feet in the air...


Sunday, we went back to Hoel Pond, but brought our canoe along for the picnic, and left Maggie, who was still a bit sore...as soon as we landed at our picnic spot a duck (which Ben named Abu) joined us for some begging...


I used to be a hardcore anti-feeding-wild-animals, but Ben likes it, so I've softened my position...I think that some degree of hypocrisy is the sign of a mature and agile mind...


We had a great spot, great picnic, great day, and great swim...


Ben was really swimming, with the help of his life-preserver for floatation, with Gail out way over his head today...he was understanding about paddling his hands and feet to help direct him where he wanted to go...


We then headed over to the tunnel that connects Hoel Pond to Turtle Pond...


Ben and I headed down the tunnel to explore Turtle Pond a bit...he loved the tunnel and the echoes that we made yodelling inside it...


He had me clear out the spider-webs at the entrance, and then went in fearlessly...after me...


Here you can see him emerging from the tunnel, with Gail in the background...


After paddling back to our car, we headed over to Donnelly's for some ice-cream (chocolate/vanilla twist) with a horde of bikers...and little kiddies (who inspired Ben to roll around on the grass after he finished his cone)...


What a super Hoel Pond weekend...we're happy to have Mommy home, lucky to have Maggie living with us, and blessed to be able to live and work in such an awesome place...

A head in water, too small to be seen...almost

I mowed the septic field this morning, balancing the Sun's drying power against the heat and humidity...the mower got clogged with some thick grass at one point, and after flipping the mower to clean it out a bit, it wouldn't start again (the tiny portion of my brain devoted to internal combustion mumbled something about flooded carburetors), so I sweat my way through the last 100 square feet using a scythe...

Janet, skip the next 2 sentences...
I was amazed at the number of tiny snakes I saw while mowing this morning...8 in roughly 1500 square feet. I saw a couple yesterday, but there must be something about the insect life supported by the septic field that is perfect for snakes...go figure...



Ben and I headed over to Hoel Pond around 10:30, and had a great time messing around in the water...here Ben is holding the empty shell/carapace of a dragonfly larvae...the grown-up versions were all over the place eating enough flies that we weren't bothered...


Ben's "Tough Pirate" look comes a little close to looking bored, but he really did have fun keeping a weather eye for Davy Jones while I went for a swim to wash off the mowing (brrrrrr...but also ahhhhhhhhh)...


No, Ben was not having a Bud at quarter to 11, he saw some garbage and picked it up...a pleasant by-product of our geocaching adventures...Cache-In, Trash-Out (CITO) is a great way to take care of the beautiful places that we visit, and we tend to do it even when we're not geocaching...


Ben found a live dragonfly floating on the surface of the pond, it must have flown too close to the surface and gotten its wings wet...we picked it out and put it up on a branch to dry...it was gone before we left...


Ben is getting braver and braver about exploring Hoel Pond, we wandered around looking at the cool stuff on the floor of the pond as well as going out deeper and deeper every time we visit...


We had a great time messing around and cooling off in the water...next time we'll bring his life-preserver, so we can go out over his head in the water...



Ben invented a cool game using a stick and a golf ball that we found on the road into Hoel Pond...he knocked it around underwater according to rules only he understands...


At random intervals, he would fish the ball out of the water, and declare himself the winner...and then drop it back in for another round (which he would win)...


On the way home, we stopped off for a cone at Donnelly's (Chocolate/Vanilla)...we arrived to an empty parking lot, but Ben looked so cute eating his cone, that by the time we left, there were about 15 people eating drippy cones...

Super weekend, now it looks like rain, we're watching "The Mummy", Ben's snuggly, it's cool in the downstairs, both dogs are asleep and gently snoring at my feet, and I can't think of a reason not to be in bed by 9pm tonight...

Summer?

Ben and I faced a morning of rain and haze and yuck, but it got a little nicer around noon, and with an early lunch in our bellies, we headed over to Hoel Pond to break in the month of June.


Maggie went swimming after a bunch of sticks...


Ben went into splash around a bit, and some inadvertent swimming when he tripped in his slightly too big crocs...


Maggie kept swimming out to check on Ben, and Ben loved throwing sticks for Maggie...it was cute watching the 2 of them play together in the water...


We headed out after about an hour of play in the chilly water, and Maggie was asleep before we got out to the main road (she's asleep now, snoring like a roomful of growling bears and idling chainsaws)...


Ben and I went for ice cream at Donnelly's, the flavor of the day was Strawberry-Vanilla twist...it was awesome...once I ate most of the ice cream out of my cone, I gave the rest to Maggie...once she woke up (when I put the cone right under her nose, you could see it twitching for a bit, and then her eyes shot open like I stuck a fork in her) she couldn't believe her luck, and when the cone was gone (1.37 seconds later), she was so grateful/happy that she kept stretching her neck out to give me kisses all the way home...

We're living large with Mom out of town, Ben has asked for McD's for supper, and has announced (with much fanfare) his plans to try the...


Filet-o-Fish...

Life in Lake Clear is pretty much like life everywhere else, except our cool-dial goes to "11"...and it's pegged this weekend...