Time to Leave

The Celebration ended right after breakfast. A lot of people did one more thing in the area if they weren't pressed for time. Some people hiked a few more NCT miles either in Vermont or New York. I know of 6 people who made a point of hiking in the mile from the road to the eastern terminus at Maine Junction. (Vermont)

Marie and I walked up to Lookout Point on the camp property. This is a great view to the south, but the NCT is north of here, so I can't show you where that fits. This isn't from the highest point, but it includes a lake, so I liked it better.

Then we went to North Creek, which has just become an official Trail Town. The link below is the day I walked through there last year. Today, I studied the mosaic more carefully. It's a whole block long with many panels. I'll just show you the sun which I particularly like. There are a couple more pictures in the linked post. The artist said she might try to incorporate a blue blaze on a tree in it since they are now a Trail Town.

Then we walked across the Husdon River. The light was much nicer than the gray and rainy day I was there last year. This is where the trail crosses the river.

We sure enjoyed how the colors were turning. The reds were especially beautiful this year.

Before I completely leave the Celebration behind, I'll mention that last night's keynote speaker was Jennifer Pharr Davis, renowned hiker and all-around cool person. She came a day earlier so she could go on one of the hikes today on OUR trail. That is a quality "celebrity."

The Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the NCTA had 9 people at the Celebration! I think that's a record for us.

But, eventually, Marie and I had to say goodbye for now. She is already home and I am back at Dick and Darla's. I made one rest stop on the drive, at a crossing of West Canada Creek. The Adirondacks just keep giving their beauty.

Don't be surprised if I end up in the Daks again next summer on some volunteer project for the trail. I just feel like I have a tiger by the tail.

See Across the Hudson

Fort Ticonderoga

Today I chose to do a tour of Fort Ticonderoga. I hadn't been there since I was a child, and I really wanted to see it. The location was important in Colonial and Revolutionary times. Whoever controlled Lake Champlain and the waterway that basically connects the St. Lawrence River with the Hudson River controlled that whol part of the country. You can see the cannon mounted to face Lake Champlain.

Some of the fort is original, and some is reconstructed. This is the inner courtyard.

We watched a musket firing demonstration, with explanation of how the soldiers were organized so that they didn't shoot each other.

This man was demonstrating how the guns were cleaned after firing.

This is a morter. They were highly decorated, and the designs mean something, but I didn't have time to read all of what that was about. Apparently most of the artillery used was made in the Caribbean.

This is believed to be the oldest American military uniform in existence. It was made in 1772.

Finally for today, here are two horsemen who were patroling the grounds.s

Gotta scoot to dinner. We did another fun thing too, but I'll have to share another time.

See Meade and Beckham

Meade and Beckham

We chose a short hike today because I needed to be back at the lodge in time for the workshops. We went up a trail that goes to Meade and Beckham Mountains. These are small, and they are east of the NCT route. I don't think I could identify where the trail fits into the view at all. But this is the vista from Meade.

From Beckham the view is to the south, and the body of water is Lake George, one of the larger lakes of the area.

One amazing thing about this hike is that these two mountains are privately owned. Yes, you read that right. The owner keeps this trail open, and he is out there checking on it almost every day. We actually ran into him.

I attended two excellent workshops, one on the NCT mapping program, and one on some of the history of the Adirondack region. Then I led a workshop on tips for hiking the trail in the Adirondacks.

Now it's time to get ready for dinner. Nonstop fun!

See Moxham Mountain

Moxham Mountain

Marie and I signed up for the Moxham Mountain hike. The primary reason was because I wanted to see something that was new to me. It turned out to be a wonderful choice.

In the bus, on the way (picture taken through window), we had this view of the entire mountain. We were getting ready to hike from right to left up to the little hump, down into the saddle and then to to top of the hump with the sheer face.

Even part way up, we began to have nice views.

Part way up the little saddle, we could see the cliffs of the south side of Moxham. Yes, we are hiking to the top.

The trail got rockier, with a lot of our walking on ridges and rock outcrops.

Finally, we were at the top and were rewarded with this spectacular view! The existing North Country Trail is on the front ridge on the opposite side, with the Hudson River in the bottom of the valley.

Here is the lodge at the camp where the Celebration is being held. We have tents or bunkhouses for sleeping.

Last night we heard a talk by the Deputy Director of the Adirondack Mountain Club. It was very informative, and they are welcoming the NCT to the Adirondacks. Believe me, our trail would not be here without that acceptance.

See On the Way

On the Way to the Celebration

We spent last night and this morning with long time friends Paul and Shirley.

This is a scenic lookout not far from where Paul lives. You know I love to place things in the landscape. I've marked Kenjamuk mountain in this range. The NCT follows the Kenjamuk trail on the far side of that peak, down in the valley where I've tried to tuck an arrow.

We have arrived and I'm blogging early because I have power in the dining hall and Wi-Fi. I'll try to keep it up while here, but we are at a camp and things are more primitive than some conferences. It's all good, but will make blogging a challenge.

See The Mystery of the Blue Dot Solved