Adirondacks Weekend Part One: Thirteenth Lake

Terry takes a picture of me and Gordon taking pictures

1 July 2011

Terry and Gordon and Terry were already at the condo at the top of the hill when Jack and I pulled in around 6:30 p.m.  They helped unload us so that we could get to the tapas bar in town in time for dinner.  We got the upstairs room this time.  On the door were our names, a photo of a biker, and a clip-art Einstein.

It took me about five seconds to notice no wifi router in the condo.  We picked up a signal from somewhere, but whomever had that router didn't have it hooked up to the 'net.  With no cell phone towers in Adirondack State Park, and no wireless signal in our condo, we were cut off from the digital world.  Mary Anne assured us that they had a wifi signal coming from somewhere in their group of condos down the hill. 

The restaurant was crowded, a good sign for the tiny town of North Creek. Fifteen out of the seventeen of us were there. Jack, Terry S, Don, and I wandered next door to the wine shop. While the guys looked at bottles, my eyes were drawn to a Ralph Steadman print.

There were three of them, and, without my asking, the shop owner gave me one.

Friday morning most people went kayaking down the Hudson.  Terry C and Gordon and Jack and I went for a walk ("a walk plus - hike minus," Terry called it) around Thirteenth Lake.

Because Gordon, who is a photographer, was on this trip, I brought my digital SLR camera.  Jack and Terry spent a lot of time waiting for the two of us as we snapped away.

"Dink dink!"

Terry reached for her phone.  "I got a text!"

We all stopped in our tracks and pulled out our iPhones.  For five minutes nobody moved as we checked our email.

Clam and mussel shells in a freshwater lake?  Campers.

Campers keep their food high off the ground to avoid attracting bears:

Checking the exposure, Gordon examined his latest shot:

Checking a map, Terry looked for a beach from which she could swim:

Checking his watch, Jack waited for the walk to be over:

This mighty stump was etched by beavers:

When we found this tree, an apparent work in progress, we couldn't resist goofing around:

Gordon spotted a tree growing in a tree:

More beaver activity:

Since we both have Nikons, Gordon suggested I try using his macro lens.  I played with it for a few minutes:

At the footbridge we turned around.

That red thing center left is Gordon:

Terry was doing stretches on the bridge.

At the start of the trail again, Gordon taught me how not to overexpose my pictures.

From Thirteenth Lake we drove into town to have lunch at Cafe Sarah.  On the second floor was a masseuse who had a time slot open for Terry right away.  We figured we'd eat and Gordon would come back to get her in an hour.  But we took our time as we sat outside and ended up staying until she was finished.

That night we had potluck in Don and Mary Anne's condo.  As is the custom, we stuffed our faces.  And, as is the custom, after we'd pretty much finished eating, Don's voice boomed into the crowd:  "Stuart's?  Anyone want to go to Stuarts?"

"Ugh!"  said Norene.

I said, "I'll walk with you."  From the other side of the room, Cheryl got up.  The three of us walked down the hill in the twilight.  Don, the only one with his wallet, got ice cream. He bought coffee for Cheryl and a pack of gum for me.

I still owe him a buck for the gum.