Monday, June 15, 2009

Back from the wilderness

We're ba-ack! It was a week of lots of hiking, some dampness, great campfires, and ice cream three times. I beat Patrick at mini golf. Raccoons raided our cooler for veggie burgers and soy sausage. We made the best of rainy days, ate some fabulous meals, and donated a lot of blood to the Adirondack Mosquito League. It was great to be gone, and it's good to be back.

I missed you all! And that empowering sound of my fingers clicking out their sentences, on my computer keyboard. Ahh, yeah.

But anyway, right, our trip.

We were on our way Friday afternoon:

Canoe, bikes, and approximately five tons of gear crammed into the demure (though effervescent) Jetta. Five hours later:

Ahhhh. This is what we came for: mirror-still lakes, balsam air, campfires and wildness.

So, here's our week in a nutshell. Are you ready?

There were, as we'd hoped, some great campfires. Is there anything sweeter than watching the one you love build a fire to warm the night?


There were ambling hikes through ferny forests:

And some daring bog-crossing adventures.

There was some rain:



And some inventive drying out activities:

There were long paddles (on handmade canoe cushions):


The Bog River, just south of Tupper Lake, New York.

And sweet rewards at the end of the day:

Puff pastry tart with morels, chives, and local goat cheese, at the Eat-n-Meet, Saranac Lake, NY.

Patrick's Ultimate Veggie Burgers.

Homemade creamsicle ice cream, the Windfall Bar & Grill, Cranberry Lake NY. Our anniversary dinner.

There were encounters with wildlife:


Campground ducks.

A loon on her nest.

But mostly, there was just beauty, beauty, beauty.




12 comments:

Huhnybee said...

It looks like you both had a wonderful time. I just want to breathe in your photographs. So beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to catching up!

rachellake said...

An ex bf of mine lived up in Saranac Lake and I was always just a bit jealous of how beautiful it all is. Sounds like a perfect weekend, lovely photos.

Amanda Nicole said...

Wow, so amazing! I find there's nothing so rejuvenating than a jaunt in the woods.

Stephanie said...

That looks so peaceful. I was just talking to my boyfriend about going canoeing or kayaking... was it hard? I've never gone.

Kristina Strain said...

Rachel-- I'm with you-- insanely jealous of anyone who lives in that area. Too gorgeous.

Stephanie-- Pick a calm, quiet lake and a clunky aluminum canoe to start with. Canoeing is great fun and pretty easy, but it's good to start out with something as untippable as possible. Have fun!

Kami said...

Beautiful, beautiful pics, Kristina! I especially love the close encounter with the turtle. Looks like you guys had a fantastic time! Glad you got one or two chances to check in so that we could all plan our trip to see PHISH!! Missed you two on our trip to Ithaca to see John and Pat's college buddies band...they were great! Glad you're back!

Color Me Green said...

i'd love to know what campground you stayed at! i'm always on the lookout for new great campgrounds upstate to try.

Becky said...

Absolutely beautiful! Your photos are magic.

Thanks for sharing with us. Looks as you two had a great time.

Jabba said...

Wow, looks like you guys had a great time. I haven't been camping forever and boy do I miss it. I also love watching my husband build a campfire, and nothing beats toast and coffee in the morning outside!

Kristina Strain said...

Kami-- That turtle was a born model, I tell ya. :)

Julia-- We stayed four nights at Cranberry Lake State Park, and five nights at Rollins Pond State Park. Both are great!

Jabba-- Our breakfast routine was hot chocolate and granola, and it was great. How do you toast your bread, over the campfire?

katherine mary said...

a-mazing. for real.

Just Charming said...

Just beautiful! What a great get-away. I'm just getting around to catching up on your posts. It's always a fun read!

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