Whiteface Mountain

This morning, the clouds began to break up and patches of blue sky show overhead. It was our last day in the Adirondacks, so we decided to chance it and head for the summit of Whiteface Mountain at about 4800 feet. It was a nice drive over and clear when we got to the bottom of the road, and still clear about 3/4 of the way up. We even got a look at the summit from below. However, by the time we reached the top, the clouds were moving in. We wandered around for more than an hour hoping for an improvement, but finally packed it in. Again, we did get a good look of Lake Placid from a spot below the summit and the sun was out back at the entrance. I also kept hoping to see or hear a Bicknell's Thrush, since they breed on the mountain, but no luck with that either. Another life bird missed. Oh well! It was still fun.

After a picnic lunch and another eagle, we headed back to Saranac Lake. We stopped at a cottage where Robert Louis Stevenson spent the winter of 1887 recuperating from what he thought was tuberculosis. It probably wasn't, but he felt much better and wrote half of "Master of Ballantrae." The cottage had lots of interesting memorabilia and photographs, including Scribners artwork for his books by N.C. Wyeth. I have a couple of those books at home.


Now it was time to hit the water again. This time we tried the one-person kayaks, and that worked out well for both of us. We probably paddled a couple of miles around Lake Flower. Still no loons there or anywhere else, though, even though a nature sign in Saranac Lake says that it is common to hear them on the lake in the morning. I had to settle for 10 Common Mergansers along the river. It was another nice dinner; this time Italian again with Pina Colada and draught Saranac pale ale. What could be better?

Tomorrow we get part way home, stopping in Bethlehem to see Dave and Ann before arriving in Winston on Monday. David is not doing that great, unfortunately. He had more surgery today, removing part of his foot. We certainly hope we can cheer him up a little with his birthday approaching at the end of the month.