We started out by climbing Panther Mountain, a shortish climb between our house and Tupper Lake...it was Ben's first mountain without riding on my shoulders (he made it all the way up and down on his own)...we stopped a couple of times for snacks and stretching on the way up, and did the same on the way down...
Ben picked some great spots for our breaks (he shares his Dad's fondness for glacial erratics), and was great at keeping himself hydrated on the way up and down...we walked up through varying forest types and levels of tree cover, and Ben noted that some of the leaves were already turning near the summit (we're expected to have a frost tonight)...
The summit was beautiful, and my runaround shot worked out better than expected at showing off the kind of day it had turned into...
After exploring the top of the mountain for awhile, we gave Mom a call (yes, she could hear us "now") before heading back down to the car and continuing with our day...
Our next stop was at Ben's favorite eatery, "Woods" (aka "The Long Lake Diner")...we were recognized on coming in, and our waitress knew Ben's "usual" drink order...pink lemonade mixed with Sprite...he also had a grilled ham & cheese...I enjoyed a perfect burger and, of course, sweet potato fries...yummmmmmmmmmmmm...in the picture above, you can see Ben choreographing the dance of the salt and pepper shakers...
Our next stop was the splend-tacular playground hidden behind the war memorial and near the school (a huge WPA building that graduates 5-7 seniors every year)...there are slides and ladders and bars and a climbing wall (which Ben originally feared, but now loves)...he scampered up it today like nobody's business...
Something about the slide and the weather today and Ben's outfit generated ginormous (which made the cut for the Merriam-Webster Dictionary this year) amounts of static electricity, which Ben found hilarious...he would slide down and wait for me to come over and touch him, which, unless he had grounded himself (by touching the...ground) resulted in a loud crackling shock/spark...I would shock him/me, and he would giggle like crazy, then turn around and climb back up again...
After playing in the playground for awhile, we headed out to find some (3) geocaches...the first was an earthcache, which brings you to a physical location using the GPS...once there, you are required to research/find a specific geological feature, in this case a xenolith, and take a photo of the feature with your GPS in the frame...I did the assigned tasks with Ben watching, which prompted him to ask for the camera to take some pics (4, out of about 25, of which you will see below)...
He took this professional-grade pic of the back of Daddy driving while on our way past a beautiful pond/marsh/impoundment that was home to the biggest Great Blue Heron (perhaps crossed with a pterosaur or some such)...whenever we drive by this beautiful stretch of land and water, I always think that it would be a great spot for a moose...well, it would...
This is an excellent picture of one of the esoteric thingees that makes the rear seats in my element bend/fold/hang so well...
Ben enjoyed a Sierra Mist throughout the day between our water breaks...please note the caffeine-free nature of this beverage, along with the excellent photographic composition and color-sense...
I love this self-portrait...intense, brooding, sweaty, thoughtful...Ben captured in 600X450 pixels...
Our next cache was in Newcomb, at a spectacular picnicking park with...a really big rock...Ben and I could both pick out the cache-hiding spot as soon as we got within 500 feet of it, and he found the cache before I did...
At the other end of the picnic park is a great monument/sign with information about all of the peaks that can be seen behind Ben...another instance of geocaching leading us to great place that we might not otherwise find, we'll be back for a picnic someday in this sweet spot...right near this spot you can see the tiny beginnings of the Hudson river, as it begins its journey out of the high peaks and down towards Mahattan and the Atlantic Ocean...
Our 3rd and final cache of the day was a surprise...the coordinates took us to a spot with unique historical significance...it marks the place where Teddy Roosevelt became President of the United States...I explained a bit about the circumstances to Ben, and then we signed into the log and traded...in the pic above, you can see Ben holding my GPS and the ammo-can container...
Cool geocache (Ben got a glowy ball and a neat coin), cool historical spot and lesson, and a cool drive through beautiful country...
The stream/creek you can see out the passenger-side window of my Element is the, eventually, mighty Hudson River...
Within a mile of crossing the source of the Hudson, I peeked in the rearview and saw that Ben had shut down like Lake Clear's business district after hours...
As an aside, I noticed when I was getting this post set up that it was the 100th entry in my blog...I've had a great time doing it, and hope to post hundreds more times in the coming years...today was a fitting entry, but I would have been as happy with any of the others for #100...stay tuned, there are many more to come...
4 comments:
Looks like a good day! we have to get together some weekend before winter.
Maybe his first mountain in the ADK, but his first climb unassisted was Bradbury Mt. in Maine. :-D LaLa
what a wonderful day together! I was wondering thru the blog when he was going to "crash"...did ya see his arm in that pic? little kids are a wonder!
I absolutely enjoy your blog. I find it not only interesting, but very inspirational!
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