Keep Summer Going

We have noticed that some of the leaves are beginning to change already, but we are doing our best to keep summer going as long as possible. Lake George water temperature is still about 75 degrees, which certainly is refreshing. We recently spent the day down in a cove in the Mother Bunch Islands. What a view from underneath Black Mountain.

Dave decided to do a bit of snorkeling and checked out this beaver lodge. He said it looked to be active, so he kept his distance.

This past day Sunday we took our final kayak trip from Hulett's Landing to Agnes Island (the Washington County Park closes after Labor Day). Dave had another great snorkeling adventure and saw lots of fish. In the crystal clear water, I even got to see a huge school of sunfish from above, as they congregated under a fallen pine tree. From Below, Dave said it looked like he was swimming in a Bass Pro Shop's fish tank. The 'Turtle Whisperer' came up with an early birthday present for me. It was fun to watch it swim back down into the depths when Dave let it go on the surface of the water.

On the north end of Agnes Island, we spotted this huge cairn that some of the campers had built.

It even had a message in a bottle taped to the top, most likely a Geocache for others to hunt for and find.

Whether it is in the Chris Craft Speedster ' Moxie' or just out in our kayaks, we are taking advantage of whatever summerlike weather is left. 

Memorable Birthday

I usually don't look forward to my birthday each year because it reminds me that another summer is coming to a close. However, the weather was predicted to be hot and sunny so we couldn't waste the day. It is rarely in the mid-80s at any of the Adirondack High Peaks lakes, so this was probably our last chance this season to go north. The classic boathouses and wooden boats of Lake Placid were calling Dave, but as we approached the town, he had the brilliant idea to continue on to Saranac Lake and launch in Lake Flower and go through the lock to Lower Saranac Lake. I was apprehensive at first, since we didn't have our charts with us. Luckily there were some first timers that had just bought a chart and we all looked at it together. Except for the fact that there are several small bays and ponds that flow off Lake Flower, so you have to know which way to go, thankfully the channels were well marked. Lots of it was idle speed, shallow, and narrow, before and after the lock. 

The lock was in great shape and so tiny compared to what we were used to on the Mohawk River. It filled up from water being pumped in or out from below (like the Erie Canal), depending on which way you are traveling (compared to the Okeechobee Waterway that they just crack open the doors to let water in and out). The lock tender lady was so nice, and we had a chat with her about a bit of the history of how Lake Flower and the locks came to be. Those are all ropes attached to the walls of the lock and all you have to do is hang on to them for the short distance in water level change. 

Lake Flower was made when a dam was put in the Saranac River for a lumbering operation back in 1827. The locks were built later and there is one between Lake Flower and the Lower Saranac Lake and one between the Lower and Middle Saranac Lake, but just a carry from the Middle to Upper Saranac Lake (or launch on the upper side instead). The channel was so skinny in places, and you certainly don't want to venture outside of it due to all the rocks and leftover tree stumps. 

The trip was so pretty with the rocky channels opening to marsh areas and of course all the High Peak Mountains surrounding the area.

We had to guess which side of this big rock to go around because there was no red marker. The lock tender said that periodically the DEC checks all the markers (and there were tons!) to make sure they are in place or need to be moved. Then they are removed for the winter and put back in, in the spring. What a huge job that must be with lots of local knowledge needed as to where they should be placed, especially on submerged rocks.

On the way back to Ticonderoga through all the mountains, the van started driving slower and slower towing the Sea Fox and trailer. We barely made it up to our house in Ticonderoga. In fact, as we backed into the driveway, the van stalled and wouldn't start again. Birthday luck was with us as we coasted backward just enough to get our entourage off the road. We looked at each other with wide eyes and laughed. Whew, we made it. Thank goodness Dave is a mechanic to keep most everything going 😉 and he has already determined that we need a new fuel pump (it IS a 1997 van after all). A big job, but at least all this didn't happen when we were way up north in the boondocks or on our way to Florida. We will remember this birthday for a long time for more ways than one!

😎 

Boats AND Mountains Combined

Last weekend we saw our share of boats and mountains, but this weekend we saw both of them combined in one day. Saturday was the annual Antique & Classic Boat Society (ACBS) Rendezvous held at the docks in Lake George Village. What a fantastic turnout of both boats and spectators! We were glad we went early to see everything before the crowds really arrived.

There were antiques and classics along with newer makes and models, including some Gold Cup Racers that would have looked right at home at the 'Need for Speed' event.

We were so impressed with this year's event that we ended up joining the ACBS so that next year we can bring our 1958 Wagemaker 'Flash' to be put on display. 

Topping Off The Mini Vacation

Since rain was predicted in the 1000 Islands but not at home, we needed a destination to keep cool in the 90-degree heat. Dave had a good idea to take a drive in 'Mustang Sally' and have lunch at Jiminy Peak Ski Resort in Massachusetts. Then afterward, we could drive up the winding road to the top of Mount Greylock. This plan was even better than expected! We arrived early at Jiminy Peak and had lunch out on the deck all by ourselves, while watching kids bungee jump on trampolines and others going down the alpine slides. Thankfully, it wasn't crowded at all. In fact, as we were walking around, we saw that the chair lift to the top of the mountain was running. Dave and I looked at each other and said let's go! We bought tickets and started the ride up the mountain with no one else in sight.

The view was spectacular from the top! We even saw the remains of rose petals from the previous day's wedding ceremony. What a place to get married and memorable for everyone coming up the mountain, especially a bride in her wedding dress.

We tried to find the large windmill but ended up going the wrong way downhill at a fork in the road. It was a hike back up to the downbound chairlift, so we opted to try again another time...which we can because this ended up being a free trip up and back. I asked the attendant helping us on the chair if he wanted our tickets and he said, usually yes, but not on day like today (hardly anyone using the chairlift but one couple we saw at the top, and mountain bikers going up with their bikes on the chairs' special hooks). He told us to use our tickets on any other ride, and when I looked, the ticket is good for anytime this summer season.

Going back down the steep hill was a bit challenging for my fear of heights, but I conquered it by saying everyone does this with very few incidents. 😉 Then it was time to head to Mount Greylock and we only took one wrong turn before quickly turning on Google maps. When we got to the war memorial, there were still very few people around and the view was great, but a bit hazy due to the humidity (how can the tourists get that close to the edge? I had issues just watching them. 😲).

We stopped to check out the cabin for hikers that is only used in emergencies if hikers get caught in inclement weather. This is all part of the Appalachian Trail. 

To really top off our mini vacation, we were going down the Petersburg Pass with the convertible top down and look what I spied in a tree over our heads!

With no vehicles behind us, Dave stopped for the photo opp before the bald eagle majestically took flight. We were in awe...what a grand finale!

Fly-By

The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton held a great event called 'The Need for Speed' on Saturday. This not only included antique and classic boats, but also cars and motorcycles. These motorcycles greeted us when we walked in the front door of the museum. The one in the foreground is a Henderson 4 Full Body and an Indian 4 behind it, both mid-1930s.

These Hendersons were outside on the property, along with a few cars and lots of boats on both land and in the water.

The main event was the fly-by of some of the boats as they rounded a closed course in the bay.

This GarWood with builder Larry Turcotte driving, did a spinney right in front of us!

The last boat was the ABM's 'Pardon Me' that is 48 feet long. This is touted as the world's largest mahogany runabout. It was built in Alexandria Bay by Hutchinson Boat Works in 1948.

This engine is the same as what is in 'Pardon Me'. It is a super charged Packard V-12 surplus aircraft engine. The displacement is 2500 cubic inches and it is rated at 1500 HP. It burns up to 110 gallons of aviation fuel per hour at full throttle.

We were hoping this ship would fly by too but alas, it stayed in the channel. 😉

There was also a memorial fly-by of WW2 planes to honor one of the museum's trustees that had recently died. He also belonged to the 'Tora Tora Tora' plane group that put on the air show. What a fitting tribute!  

Walking around the grounds is always a treat to see what is being displayed on both land and in the water. 

Count all those cylinders!

We also took a tour of the nearby ABM's Doebler Storage Facility, which is packed with donated boats, engines, and parts. Dave checked out all the outboards that lined the length of an entire wall of the warehouse. Meanwhile I was drawn to the bling of all the varnished boats. 

On the left in the background, you can see the chain lift that they use to move the boats around. It needs to be very skinny to maneuver around all the closely placed boats. It must take a bunch of manpower to safely lift and guide everything, especially the longer boats.

Before we said good-bye to the St. Lawrence Seaway, we ate a combination lunch and dinner at our favorite pizza place in Clayton overlooking the river. This final ship passing bid us a fond farewell...until next time!