September’s dawn unfolding in the Adirondacks

Awakened by the "laughing" loons

6:10 AM on September 11 - looking to the west over Fish Creek Pond from our camp

The first light peeked out at around 6 AM on September 11 over Fish Creek Pond in the St Regis Wilderness Area. A hawk’s sharp cry jolted me awake in my small tent. That first night felt long - my mind and ears tuned to every unusual sound. The only ongoing sounds through the cold night were the intermittent laughing of loons. Stiff in my sleeping bag, I wrestled with the thought of unzipping the tent and letting in the chill of morning. It was only supposed to be around 42 degrees.

The tremolo sounds of loons in the night

The loon’s tremolo is also known as their “crazy laugh.” This call is usually a response to perceived threats including other intruding loons, humans or predators such as eagles. Tremolos are frequently given during territorial interactions with other loons, during night chorusing and as a duet between a pair. Loons may also tremolo while flying over a a lake occupied by other loons. Information from loon.org

Unrepeatable dawn: especially in the Adirondacks

When I reluctantly roll out of the tent (literally), a thick fog had settled in. I could barely see the pond - a cover of lofty white had enveloped our waterfront camp. I grabbed my little notebook and started scribbling some words, phrases or random ramblings of the morning - the cold, the fog, the loons, the hawk, what am I doing here. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking - I need a cup of coffee. My mind needs to wake up.

Watching and waiting for the sunrise show

If there’s one thing we can count on each day, it’s the rising of the sun - though the hour depends on where one is standing. The sunrise is constant, yet never the same show. No two people see it quite alike. That unpredictability is what makes a sunrise so special: every dawn is a new show, and you never know what you’ll see.

No sunrise repeats.
Each dawn paints a different sky.
Time’s brush never rests.

A few of my favorite shots of this morning…..

Where do you like to watch the sunrise?

The lure of the St Regis Canoe Wilderness

The Adirondack Park spans over six million acres - larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Glacier and the Smokies combined. Each fall, its forests flare in russet, gold and orange. In the St. Regis Canoe Wilderness, more than fifty ponds (or small lakes) are linked by interconnected trails and quiet waterways. For over a century, paddlers have navigated these established canoe routes, first mapped by Adirondack guides in the late 1800s.

One of the most notable figures was Paul “Apollos” Smith - a legendary mountain guide and entrepreneur who established the renowned Paul Smith’s Hotel on Lower St. Regis Lake in 1859. His hotel became a hub for wilderness travelers. Many of the canoe routes in the St Regis area were first developed around his camps and lodgings. - via history of Paul Smith’s College

Our “planned” adventure for this trip

My husband and I are on a three night, four-day canoe adventure - planned months ago. We hoped to explore several waterways - depending on the weather, the water levels and our endurance (of course). The lack of rain and the summer heat had made some narrow waterways possibly not accessible via canoe. We had done a lot of pre-trip research but until you get here, you do not know what to expect.

When it comes to adventure, I like to say I have a back-up plan and sometimes even a back-up plan to the original back-up plan. I consider this essential when planning a trip like this. The real secret is learning to flow with whatever the day brings.

Our campsite location in Fish Creek Ponds

Our plan today is to paddle from Fish Creek Pond through the twisting and wild Fish Creek channel and find the opening to Copperas Pond. Then we paddle to the end of Copperas Pond and take our canoes out of the water and search for the trail to Whey Pond. We will then portage our canoes (about 3/10 of a mile) to Whey Pond. Next, we have a longer paddle across Whey Pond where another portage (shorter) awaits us to get to Rollins Pond.

Portage (Carry): From the French porter, “to carry.” The act of transporting a canoe or kayak and gear overland between two bodies of water or around an obstacle such as rapids, a dam, or falls. In the Adirondacks, portages are often called carries and can range from a few steps to more than a mile, linking chains of lakes and ponds into classic canoe routes. - via Etymology

Come back to hear about what happened: In my next post, discover what unfolded on our paddling journey through the St. Regis Canoe Wilderness - what happened and what we learned along the way.

Ready to go. Our launch site at our camp.

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