This past week’s weather in a nutshell: Hot Hot Hot…. We finally got the rain we needed… Saturday evening RAIN! Humidity stuck around, though. Overcast and drizzly sprinkles here and there. Lots of warm and sun, too! SUMMERTIME. A Cranberry Lake 50er said a grouse approached with some hostility. Jeanie said a fawn had been on Nevil Island and proceeded to swim down river – no sign of it since. Carol says bank beaver by Foxes Den. Cedar waxwings, wild columbine and fox glove. Milkweed flowering. Lots of people reporting mice in the camp, still! Marsha brought in a found-on-the-road squirrel tail. Didn’t look like any red or grey squirrel. Perhaps a flying squirrel! Customer reports Deer Fly Tape Head Strips to work very well while playing tennis! Water lilies open by day closed by night.
There was a rather large tree standing alone on the corner of Second Street and Ranger School road. It’s now a fresh stump. The tree may not have been healthy. Ranger School Property. These Ranger School people know what they are doing. There’s been a report that a monument and/or placard of some sort will be on display here where the marker wrapped in cloth scrap is currently located. We can think of a really handy sign with arrows that could be built there, too.
The most recent issue of Adirondack Explorer is heavy with articles written in conjunction with the Covid 19 experience in the Adirondacks. The cover states: “The Summer of Covid”. Certainly, a subject worth exploring. The centerfold story is about about the Cranberry Lake 50! It has a brief history of the trail tucked within but is mostly about the experience itself. Because the author and her fellow companions hiked the 50 in the height of Covid-19 in NYS (this past spring) the article talks a lot about wearing masks, not sharing maps, and thoughts about distance and isolation in a distanced and isolated area. It might be interesting to read about peoples’ first experiences hiking with masks and social distancing in 50 or 150 years when we dig up a time capsule, but not something we really wanted to read about now. Sort-of old news. Certainly interesting to someone who does not live in the forest now probably, though. The article does a fine job discussing the walk around the lake. It’s too bad though, that the article does not mention the experience of passing through the two villages on the trail (Cranberry Lake and Wanakena). Part of what makes The Fifty (in our opinion) so extra-special is the combination of deep, deep wilderness and small-town entanglement. Granted, the author came to the woods during a global pandemic for an escape to “nature” not to engaging with “community”. This garsh-darn virus is really stealing the spotlight! Bad timing, we suppose. Anyhoo... see ya on the trail.
Down at the Abode… This past week Bill from Irish Hill hunted down some outstanding strawberries and brought that down for us to sell on the porch. The BEST from Bangor, NY. Stay tuned to more produce in the future courtesy of Biff from Irish Hill. The old Caton Thunderbird by the fire pit has been repainted and a fresh-lookin Croquet Rack has been built and mounted just below. On view in the shop we’re exploring the 1995 Microburst through maps and photographs and discussion in an exhibition called “TWENTY FIVE YEARS”. C’mon down and check it out, maybe you’ll go home with a MICROBURST SURVIVOR T-Shirt. Hot off the presses! Although NYS North Country is in Phase Four we’re still pretty much operating the same way we have been for weeks. Masks, social distancing, no rocking chairs in the shop. A few stools to plop yer butt on, though. Enough room to remove your mask to sip some coffee if you wish.
The Cranberry Lake State Campground is OPEN but only for those with previous reservations.
Stone Manor Diner and Motel in Cranberry Lake, Lakeside General Store in Cranberry Lake, UB’s Mercantile & Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie, Coffee Fever, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy and Circle K in Star Lake, Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines, and Sevey Point remain open for business in one way or another (open, take out, pick up, drop off, etc…). Post Offices are open too (Thanks, Mary!) Duck Decoy and MORE showroom open for pop-ins. “Showroom FILLED” 481 Tooly Pond Rd, Cranberry Lake – 315-848-4223. Always beautiful photography at the Wanakena Tracks facebook page.
The Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake hosts via Facebook Live bedtime stories most nights read aloud by Ms. Kate the Librarian! Also from the CCL Facebook page: “You may have heard: today starts the community wide scavenger hunt!!! From Windfall to Oswegatchie, from Fine to Cranberry Lake--put your peepers on and prove you have 2020 Vision! As promised, here is a copy of the color photos--black and white photos will be published in this week's Bargain Hunter. I'll be putting paper forms in the CL post office shortly, and then hitting the road to drop off paper copies in Wanakena, Star Lake, Newton Falls, and wherever else we can! I hope you have a great time--first prize is $50 to either Todd's, UB's, or Stone Manor. #2020vision Have a GREAT time and remember that you have to enter via the Google Form listed at the top of this sheet.” https://www.facebook.com/cliftoncommunitylibrary/
Hillside Diner in Oswegatchie, Twin Lakes in Star Lake remain temporarily closed.
Kim’s Lost Dog Report: There are currently NO lost dogs in Wanakena. This past week there were reports that a Wanakener out for a morning walk came across one of the new temporary assistant forest rangers with a large leashed dog. It is reported that the dogs owners were most likely in the woods and the very friendly dog ran out to the car.
All for now!
Any questions, comments, concerns, trail condition inquiries, legends, jokes, animal sightings, etc… feel free to email otto@ottosabode.org or call 3158483008 or pop-in the shop! Wanakena Weekly archive here: http://www.ottosabode.org/p/wanakena-weekly.html
