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| Adirondacks, here we come! |
The season has been gloriously full. Herbal programs and plant walks. The continual tending to the meadows, clearing of trails, and herbs, flowers, and veggies in the garden. Plus, there's that book I've been working on for the last five years. The care we devote to one another on this ranch, human and animal alike, certainly the most important work we do (believe me I'm on the receiving end, too). But now, it's time, high time, to take a break, to take a good, long, woods walk.
Several years ago, Scott and Amos and I did a three-night backpacking trip on the Northville Placid Trail. It was magical. The conical evergreens, the big blue ponds and even bigger lakes, the carnivorous plants and glowing moss and lichen-draped craggy limbs, the quiet, it stuck with me. This year, when I got to thinking about where Amos and I could go, this special place surfaced. The terrain was rolling, the paths not so rocky, mountains were all around but we didn't have to climb them, for the swamps and ponds and lakes were vista enough. Amos has spent the season hiking and running, building his strength and endurance. and has been cleared by the vet for another adventure. Doc's words, "his legs will be stronger than the ones he was born with."
The Adirondack Park is comprised of 6 million acres, making it the largest publicly protected area in the lower 48 states. It's three times the size of Yellowstone. Yep, right here in the densely populated northeast. However, the Adirondacks are a little different from other federally designated lands. It is neither a national park nor a state park. In fact, only about half of those 6 million acres are owned by the state of New York, the rest is owned privately. There are homes and businesses and farms within the Adirondack Park, which I think makes good sense. Nature and humans together, rather than separation.
There are said to be over 2,000 miles of trails within the Adirondack Park, so we'll have plenty to explore. Good thing, we've got about four weeks. This is as much Amos' adventure as it is mine - he's calling the shots. But, some places on our very loose agenda: Moose River Plains, Five Ponds Wilderness, Pigeon Lakes Wilderness, Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness, West Canada Lake, and the Black River. I'm hoping we can have some fun on the Cranberry 50 - a fifty-mile loop around Cranberry Lake. Two long-distance trails travel the Adirondacks - the 140-mile Northville Placid Trail and the 4,000+ mile North Country Trail - surely we'll drop in for a few miles on these. The lean-to's are plentiful, as is water. And the temps look ideal, high sixties during the day and high forties at night. The car is packed with food, water, gear, and a small library. Surrendering to the unknown. Seizing joy. Seeking beauty. Here, we go!
