The Adirondacks this Summer
Got to spend another long weekend with my parents and some friends at our family lake house in the Adirondacks and thought it would be nice to share some of the views. We had torrential rains on Saturday, causing the lake to rise 24 inches over the next day, but by Sunday it was clear and sunny for the rest of the extended weekend. Every time I go there, it gets a little harder to leave:
As the water came up, the stern of the boat was tied down on port and starboard, and it lift the doc off it's stations. We had to dig a trench across the top of the lower driveway as the water running out of the mountain behind us was destroying the driveway (eroding it). We cut an angle ditch across and channeled it to a drainage ditch on the property's edge.
Never seen nature quite like that. This was the same storm that had cars floating around on the Arterial Highway in Utica.
Between your shots of the Adirondacks and Mac's pics of around PA, I am missing summer in Michigan more and more. I had forgotten how beautiful the North looks in the summer. Then again I have not forgotten what it's like to be sitting in the bottom of a snow filled ditch waiting for a tow truck either. Maybe I'll have to try to talk my wife into becoming snowbirds?
Some other pics on the way out, overlooking the Mohawk Valley. I don't think it would be too hard to wake up to this view on a regular basis.
I guessing the view of the Mohawk Valley is from the north (Aderondacks)? I've seen it many times heading down (northward) to the valley on rte 28, heading to Herkimer/Mohawk/Ilion. Good memories of living "Upstate". Thanks for sharing it.
Great series of photo Spike.
The lake rose 2 ft in one day, OMG that is a lot.
Truly is, went to bed Saturday night, woke up to 'flood' conditions on Sunday. There are mountains on 3 sides of the lake, so the normal tributaries were overflowing and other tributaries established themselves.
Glad you enjoyed the pix!
OK, now for the serious stuff...The lake looks like a haven for smallmouth...
Kavika packing up his gear.
I assume the lake is not very large to have risen 2 feet from a rainstorm. The photos invoked memories of my home on a lake in the Haliburton lake district of Ontario due to the similar scenery, and for that I thank you.
The lake is not terribly large, not sure the actual acreage but 2-3 boats with skiers can operate, carefully at the same time. The only outlet to the lake is under Highways 10/29A into Canada Lake, then down through a river/stream through Lilly Pond, then to a dam. The dam was opened as much as they could, but too much all at once floods downstream.
Spike you didn't answer me, what about the fishing especially largemouth and smallmouth bass....
Sorry, I've been out of town again......For the most part there are sunnies and some catfish. Not sure about any other game fish. That chain of lakes was used a century or so ago as a logging operation and a sawmill, story is they dumped the sawdust back into the water and it backed up through the lakes, choked off the vegetation, killing the food supply for fish. Took a long time for the lakes to recover from man.
Kavika,
Was out on Morrison Lake near our home in South Central Michigan yesterday. Took my grandson (Greyson, the 7 year old) out fishing. Only got a Bullhead and a too small Largemouth, but the scenery was great.
Part of the Shoreline (the more civilized part)
These two were taken near the island shown in the pictures I put up in the Thur/Fri article a couple of weeks ago, just before light rain started (and the fish started biting). During the night, the rain and wind got a lot heavier and didn't quit until about 2:30 this afternoon. I have a couple more that I'm going to post tomorrow in the Thur/Fri article.
Great photos TTGA...Looking forward to seeing more on the Thurs/Friday shoot em up.
I agree, great shots! I am from Southwestern lower Michigan and living here in the desert I miss all of the small lakes that are everywhere there! I read somewhere that no matter where you are in Michigan you are never more the 5 miles away from a body of water, if you include rivers and streams. The whole state floats. Keep them coming and make an old man homesick!
Oh and at least Bullhead put up a good fight.
no matter where you are in Michigan you are never more than 5 miles away from a body of water, if you include rivers and streams.
Or my back yard, at least in the Spring.
By the way, this picture was taken in 2004. Just at the right third of the shot, you can see a small Pine tree. At the time, it was 2 years old. My daughter brought a seedling home from school on Arbor Day in 2001 and I planted it for her. It is now 25 feet tall.
By the way, the Bullhead didn't put up much of a fight but, for only being 8" long, the Bass fought like hell.
Were the kids able to catch tadpoles in that pond? Doesn't every kid try to catch tadpoles?
Were the kids able to catch tadpoles in that pond?
At the time that picture was taken (March), the kids wouldn't have gone into that water if it had money in it. Tadpoles were all sitting around a fire behind the garage trying to avoid becoming frozen seafood.
March? Looks like late April or May in that photo. I guess I'm just used to Ontario winters that lasted from mid-November till mid-April, when there could be snow on the ground the whole time, and no leaves on the trees yet.
I had a house in the country with a side yard like that, but I didn't know it at first. It was 1 acre and on a curve, so it was shaped like a pie slice. So the first spring after the snow melt here goes Randy on his brand new Gilson riding mower (they don't make them anymore). I mow most of the yard and head over to west side which looks like a perfectly good part of an average lawn to mow and about 3 feet in I am sunk and the blades jam and shut down. Spilled my beer and everything! I had a hell of a time getting it back out. That whole side of the yard was soft like that until about the middle of June every year. Of course the previous owner never told me that!
Mine was like the one above except mine was green.
We need photos when your finished with the update on the mower...LOL, I'm looking forward to the color that you paint it.
Beautiful pictures, dear Spike! I would never want to leave...
Thanks for the picture and the video-- that's some gully washer, for sure!
Thanks Dear Dowser. I'm trying to line things up, so when it's time to retire, I can end up there.
I hope that you can! What a lovely place!
Don't know how I missed this first time around, but, glad Im seeing it now!
Well, you know how it is, unimportant stuff doesn't stay on the Home Page very long, but the last week or so, it seems better than the normal 'stuff' there. Glad you were able to stop by.
jwc … it appears you are trying to post some photos but they are not appearing.
All right! The photos are posted!
Wonderful pictures! Thanks for posting them! I just love when you're busy watching the interesting things in the background and suddenly notice a giant spider in your face...
Beautiful photos Gary. Amac lives in it and you visit it.
Every time I go there, it gets a little harder to leave:
Something tells me you will live in it as well.
Thanks for the wonderful photos!
Beautiful photos, Spikegary. Have never been to the Adirondacks but have lived in another part of Upstate NY, closer to Buffalo. Have heard a lot about their beauty, though. It is nice to see a series of photos from there.
Thank you-I live in Western New York, myself. Where abouts did you live?
Sorry, Spike, it took me a while to get back. I live in PA, kind of in the same region as Mac. 60 miles nw of Philadelphia.
Oh, I meant, where in Western New York did you live? I live in the town of Royalton, Village fo Gasport.
Oh sorry, Spike, I must have been half asleep when I posted my comment. I lived in Jamestown, NY, between Lake Erie and Allegheny National Forest. In Chautauqua county. The birthplace of Lucille Ball.
Yup, I snowmobile down there during the winter.....done some racing on Chautauqua Lake. I just sold my camp in Cattaraugus County (no time for it anymore).
Well, then you know exactly where I lived, Spike! You probably know Bemus Point also. I used to live just four miles from there.
Yup, I snowmobile down there during the winter.....done some racing on Chautauqua Lake. I just sold my camp in Cattaraugus County (no time for it anymore).
I haven't read thru all the comments but just want to say how great your photos are !!!
Thank you. The Family lakehouse is part of my soul. It's where I go to get my head back on straight.
Dear Friend Spikegary: As you well know, Lake Ontario joined the Adirondacks a while back with flooding.
It is projected to rain every day this week.
I will be in touch about Mrs. E. and I getting out to dine with you in August.
This Wednesday I undergo the second and hopefully final eye surgery.
By August I should be good to go on driving the Enochobile out Route 31 West Way.
Chat soon.
Great photo essay.
The "Dacks" are a natural treasure.
Enoch.
Thanks, my friend! My prayers for the 'final' eye surgery.
Do keep us updated on your surgery, please.
Good luck on the surgery, dear Enoch! Or did you have it already? I am always late.....
Just posted a photo essay from Minden Lakes, Ontario, taken this weekend.....
Here are some pictures from the lake last weekend that show the lake at it's normal levels.....huge difference....
Wow! That water is clear!!! Beautiful pictures!
It really is. My friend was surprised to see how clear it is. Unexpected, for sure. No heavy industry up there, just mountains. I need to go in and remove some of the old dock supports, though they are pretty waterlogged. The rocks you see are the base of the original dock that the original owners used. One way to fight the ice when the lake refills in spring and pops an enormous ice cube up that gets blown around by the wind, destroying man made stuff in it's path.
Quite a difference Spike...