Webster NY

We left Limekiln Lake in the ADK on Sunday morning and headed east for Webster, NY near Rochester. It was a beautiful day and the weather has been cool crisp since we got here. We're staying with our friend and former neighbor Nancy and having a great visit.

I have been diligent with the biking, going out every day. The riding here is just the best. Great roads with good shoulders, low traffic and cool - low humidity days. Riding along the shore of Lake Ontario is some of the best biking anywhere and I see lots of riders out there. The receding glacier that created the Finger Lakes also scoured out a number of hill like features known as Drumlins along the south shore of the lake. These rolling hills (depicted in the drawing from Wikipedia) provide great training for the type of riding I'll be doing in October when I participate in Cycle North Carolina's fall ride across the state. I did 52 miles yesterday riding from Webster to Sodus Point and back. I stopped in at our former yacht club on the way out and found some friends, Tony and Jean, headed out to Fairhaven by boat. They wanted me to come along with them, but I had to pass on what looked like some great sailing to stay with the program.

We are headed to Sodus Bay this weekend to stay on Nancy's boat there. It will be one last opportunity to dunk the Bay River Skiff in the water for a couple of days sailing.

Inlet, New York

We are camped in Limekiln Lake State Park, still in the ADK region. I was up at my usual time, 5:00 O'dark a clock. The campsite was awake when I opened the bear box to make my coffee.We said good-by to Bob White this morning and he made his way "home" to Saranac Lake this morning to visit some childhood friends.

We went exploring Inlet after Bob left and found a great grocery with a few gourmet items. Also we rediscovered a great public park on Fourth Lake and a friendly soul in a turn of the century (1900's) fisherman's dory from built in Mass. He had it powered by an electric outboard. Very nice!

Today I fell asleep while reading at the beach and apparently got bitten by a couple of deer flies. Today my right hand and left eye lid are swollen beyond recognition. I took a couple of Benedrill tabs and believe I am on the mend.

We just finished a pesto pizza with three cheeses and me a couple of Summer Ale's (Boston Brewery). Maybe not the best idea on top of the Bene tabs. Check out the canoe over the bar at Screamen Eagle.

Maybe after dinner we will visit the theater in Old Forge for some entertainment. The temperatures here are warm (mid 80's) during the day but cool off for sleeping at night.

Lots hotter just a few miles and thousands feet to the south in the towns along the Thruway.

Sunday it is up bright and early to head for our old neighborhood in Webster, NY

Raquette Lake

We left Camp Kiwassa Saturday morning, another beautiful day. I woke up to a great full moon view over the lake off the porch. Then Carol and I went for an early morning paddle on the lake and packed up. We swapped out Diane's kayak for our canoe and were a little concerned about the fit with the Bay River Skiff. But after a few adjustments everything worked out ok.

A few hours later we were set up at our water site at Golden Beach St Park. Nice site but we had to park about 150 yards away from the tent. Every night I have to carry the battery from the car down to the tent to power up my CPAP and get a good night's sleep. Sunday our friend Bob White arrived from Rochester to experience a few days of camping with us. Monday we woke up to heavy rain storms which lasted pretty much all day. This morning was beautiful and sunny with no wind. So Bob and I decided to take a morning canoe ride and headed off for the town of Raquette Lake. We passed a boy scout camp on what looked like an island. So I called off to the scout master and asked if he was on an island. He said yes and then something else I couldn't hear. Anyhow we had been to the town by car, and a circumnavigation of a small island looked more interesting. We had no charts, gps, cell phone, or drinking water. Just two over the hill sailors out for a trip unprepared. Anyhow the island turned out to be larger than expected and we started to worry about getting lost. As you can see from the plot of our route, we followed the only route back to the campsite. But how easy it would have been to head a little further north and be completely lost!!!!!!!!

We were back in the campground after our adventure of only 5.28 miles according to Google Earth. It was time to tap into the Growler of UBU Ale from Lake Placid Brewery. The rest of the day will be a relaxing one at the beach.

Camp Kiwassa, NY

Thursday was another beautiful day following a cool night with great sleeping. We began the day with a family tee shirt tie dye. Most of us escaped dying ourselves in the process. It was a lot of fun and we will have the shirts as souvenirs of the vacation.

Again lots of water activities. Carol and I got in some Bay River Skiff sailing even though the winds were pretty light and fluky all day. We also got out on the canoe for a while and took pictures of Diane, Roy, Sam and Joshua on their way for a transit of the lock by kayak. They reported that a great time was had by all. Sam came back with a few water lily flowers and a big smile!

Roy and Diane treated us to a great Porter House Steak dinner. The steaks were terrific and at $6 per pound, one of the great bargains of the week. Too bad we can’t find a great bargain on diesel fuel.

It is now early Friday morning, the sunrise is gorgeous, and all the boats except our canoe are packed for travel, either to home or in our case on to our Raquette Lake waterfront campsite. It’s a bit sad as the kids leave for home later today and Carol and I will spend the rest of the last full day at Camp Kiwassa decompressing and enjoying a meal at the Paul Smiths college restaurant. Tomorrow morning we leave for Raquette Lake for the start of about 10 days of camping. Then we head off to Rochester for visiting friends, planning this winter’s skiing, and some more sailing and power boating.

Camp Kiwassa, NY

Wednesday and our week is half over L. It was another action packed day. After breakfast, Carol and I went for a canoe ride on a still and quiet lake. Very nice. Next a group left for a climb of Mt. Baker. The trailhead starts near the center of the town of Saranac Lake. It was an easy climb for most and we were especially impressed that 3 year old Sam made it most of the way. Grandpa had a rough time getting down even though he was using two climbing sticks. His climbing days are definitely numbered unless he can find a way down on either skies or a chairlift.

In the afternoon Steve, Nate and I took a boat trip over to a lock which leads to a series of lakes about 5 ½ feet higher than Lake Kiwassa. The lock was fun and a first for Steve and Nate. On the way back we got drenched by a sudden rain squall. No pictures of the squall.

Supper was a real treat with Quesada’s wiped up by Steve and Diane featuring left-overs from earlier in the week.

Camp Kiwassa, NY

Our second full day at Camp Kiwassa was packed with activity on both land and sea. I started my day with a bike ride to Lake Placid – well I almost made it there. A 16 mile trip seemed like 60 with the hills, rough roads, and heavy traffic. Today I’ll select a less traveled road and continue my hill training.

When I got back to Camp, Deb was busy making her famous Oat Fudge Bars. Yumm!

The motor boat was once again the big hit on the water. Lots of fun tubeing and riding fast. We had great winds all day and had several trips on the Bay River Skiff. Joshua got to steer for a while.

We finished the day with a campfire by the lake with S’mores!

Camp Kiwassa, NY

Carol, Joshua, and I left Clinton NJ a little after 9:00 on a bright sunny Saturday morning for the drive to Camp Kiwassa. It was a bit of a white knuckle trip for me with frequent stops to check our load, but my reinforcement seemed to hold up for the entire trip. When we arrived at Kiwassa Lake, it was a little like coming home, being our second year here. We quickly settled into “our” rooms and got the water front set up with our fleet of six boats. After one full day, the aluminum boat with our dinghy motor has become the favorite.

We celebrated three birthday’s yesterday morning with the opening of some presents. I got a load of bike riding stuff, a reminder that I brought my road bike and had better get riding.

The weather? So for after one day, it has been perfect. Cool nights for blanket sleeping and sunny and high 70’s for daytime swimming. The afternoon wind came up for some brisk but fluky sailing – pretty tricky. It will take me some time to learn the Bay River Skiff, but so far I’d say she likes a lot of wind. I did ship a little water over the side yesterday. Perhaps today I can get someone out on the power boat to take pictures of our two sail boats under canvas.

Clinton New Jersey

We left the beach bright and early Friday morning for what should have been a short drive to our Daughter's house in Clinton NJ. But instead of short, the trip was plagued with more troubles with the boat and trailer. First the crutch I built to hold the masts up, came apart and we had to stop on the very busy I 295 in NJ to create a lash-up so we wouldn't loose the spars over the side. The next series of mishaps occurred when the frame of the trailer began to distort under the stress of the "new torsion bar" suspension system I installed before leaving home. What a mess, tires rubbing on the fenders and wearing through the license plate holder. Our plate is now floating around somewhere on NJ 31. Oh dear!

So what was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon playing with the grand kids, turned into a trip to Lowes and an afternoon under the trailer trying to beef up the frame. I think it will make it to Saranac. When the boat is off the trailer for a week, I'll find a shop which can do some welding and make a better job of it.

Assateague Island

We finally got away on Wednesday 6 July and drove to Assateague Island on the Ocean side of Maryland's piece of the Delmarva Peninsula.

Carol has never been in favor of me taking the borrowed Bay River Skiff on my now homemade trailer - too much hassle for a vacation trip. Today we got a little preview of just what a hassle we would be in for. Somewhere just north of Williamston, the old sunbrella cover started to shred. Since rain was threatened, and a lot of our camping gear is stored in the boat, quick action was called for. Fortunately we found a Walmart right off 17 in Elizabeth City and purchased a heavy duty plastic tarp and some shock cords. A little work in the parking lot and we had a nice new boat cover.

Our campground at Assateaque was just fine for a beach site - no shade trees. Lots of nice surf noises and a cool ocean breeze most of the time. There is lots to do at this National Seashore Park. Lots of bike trails and kayaking. They have a terrific new visitors center which does a good job of teaching about the herd of wild horses and the steps they take to cap the size of the heard. Think medication administered with a shot gun! On Thursday evening a band of these wild horses visited the campground. The mostly just ate grass in our campsite, although they were a little too close for comfort. Our neighbors were eating dinner at the time, and the horses joined them enjoying the human fare. It was a most unpleasant experience for these folks as you might imagine.

Summer Road Trip

We're nearly packed for our summer road trip northward to New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Michigan. Wednesday we will head up via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge / Tunnel and to our first campsite at Assateague National Seashore on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Then it is on to our Daughter's in New Jersey and then a week in a turn of the century house in the Adirondacks with both daughters, their husbands and 4 grandsons.

We've packed a few toys for the trip including my road bike, a kayak and a borrowed Bay River Skiff sailboat. It will be interesting to see how our mileage turns out, but I'm not looking for the usual high 40's on this trip.

If the picture looks a little smokey, it is. This year in addition to our usual oppressive heat and humidity, we have heavy smoke from a nearby forest fire! We can't wait to escape!