Sometimes you find photographic opportunities in the oddest places. We went camping last weekend though our plans were a bit altered we wound up at site 80 of the Moose River Plains. It is a primitive campsite but at least you have access to a fire pit with grill, picnic table and a good old out house in which to hide your booty when nature calls! Yes, the shot to left is looking out an "air way" in the outhouse! The odd shape said shoot me so I did! Almost like peeping leaves through a leaf. Yes, I have been accused of being strange and odd many times in my life! We missed the opportunity to photograph the sunset as we had been in the car most of the day due to rain. It stopped for a short while so we cooked dinner at Arrowhead Park in Inlet while letting the boy run semi-wild with other children. After which we finally thought it would be safe to set up camp and we worked at doing just that while the sun was setting! It rained again over night. I was first up in the morning, loving the serenading chorus of Warblers, Wood Thrushes and other assorted birds. Soon I had to answer the call of my own nature. Droplets of water were everywhere as fog rose its way up between the trees and filled the sky! I snapped a few pictures, then carefully crawled back into the sleeping bag with my husband and sleeping child listening to stray raindrops and the chorus that was growing quieter. It was Cliff bars and Capris juice for everyone in the latter morning. We and headed of down the road to Ice House Pond which is one of the few trails in the Adirondacks that has handicap access. Easy hiking for the two year old in our little group. Ice House Pond was shrouded in fog but still had a beauty all of its own. I played with different angles of composition and color versus black and white! After that we tested our car's "off road" ability and made our way up to Squaw Lake. As soon as a I stepped out of the car I could hear loons in the distance a real treat! Our son was asleep in the car so I put him in our jogging stroller and headed up the trail. He woke up shortly after and seemed quite content until the trail turned and got too rough for the stroller. He got good angry at me for making him leave the stroller behind but once down the trail a ways he forgot. The lake was bigger than I had expected. We never saw the loons but did hear them one more time before we left. I photographed our son playing in the lakes edge tossing rocks and running through the water but I won't post those here.. I played with perspective and soaked up the quiet. There are a few campsites along the edge of Squaw Lake for those who want to pack their way in if they are brave enough to get out of their vehicle once the see the welcome swarm of deer flies. They weren't too bothersome by the lake though. My husband had to work the next day so once we were done there we headed back to camp for lunch and tear down. Our son voiced my sentiments as he saw us take down the tent, "NOOOOOO!" I'm glad he loves camping as much as we do!
After seeing an article on how Moose are now thriving in the Adirondacks and at Hell Diver Pond in particular we decided to camp and launch our kayaks here months ago. The weekend weather kept calling for thunderstorms throughout the spring. We finally made the trip in mid-June sans kayaks due to my husband having injured himself. It turned out to be a lovely weekend anyway. We did not get to see any Moose due to our very loud and boisterous toddler and the neighboring campers setting off fireworks. We did however rejoice in the discovery of tadpoles with our little man. The tadpoles surrounded the small dock that juts out affording you great views of the pond. The campsites are primitive but nicely spaced. Evening left us with a spectacular display of color painted by the setting sun. During the day we did some exploration by foot and or shoulder. One place we explored was Lost Lakes! My child got a lesson on reproduction from a painted turtle along the trail. She was laying eggs (or trying to) in the sand. He was excited to see the turtle and was excellent about the look, don't touch. It made her weary enough to run off in to the woods though. I did some close up nature shots of random findings along the trail. Once we arrived at Lost Lake the sun was high and made for the sky to be blown out in comparison to the land and water. So I focused most of my shots on the beautiful Flag Iris growing near the shore lined up along fallen trees which only seemed to add to their beauty. Our son played by edge smacking the water with sticks while my husband and I shot the scene. When we were done we hiked further up the trail where we startled a family of Ruffed Grouse. Mama decided to charge our son but had second thoughts when I jumped out in front to protect him! I didn't think about trying to get a picture until after my "Mama Bear" instincts had kicked in. At that point the Ruff Grouse was running away too quickly to get a photo. That night we enjoyed a wonderful campfire. Which my son and I enjoyed watching from inside the tent and away from the bugs. We read some books of which I am now a consultant for which you can find at www.g5799.myubam.com. His favorite for the trip was evidently "Muddle & Match Adventure, he kept bouncing on the mattress shouting Muddle Match! The next morning we packed up, took one last look at Hell Diver Pond and set out for Rocky Mountain before going home. Little man hiked 3/4 of the way up the mountain but I had to carry the tuckered out boy all the way back to the car. It was worth the short hike for the view of the Fulton Chain Of Lakes. My cousins bravely climbed the same mountain to photograph fireworks at sunset on the Fourth OF July! Check out the results of her efforts at www.mystoryphoto.com! I hope you enjoyed my photos and adventure. Til next time I wish you well! |
Julie MetottNature Photographer, wife, mother, lover of outdoor adventure! Archives
November 2022
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