Happy Thursday! Back to school we go!
YES WE KNOW! This week’s WANAKENA WEEKLY (#31) was one-day-late! UNACCEPTABLE! We know! Truly sorry about that. The fact of the matter is we needed a moment to catch out breath. You see, summer had just been SUCKED OUT of Wanakena. WHOOOSH… Just like that. Boom. Gone. Labor Day Weekend has come and gone. That means kids go back to school, which means less time for families to come on up to camp. Otto’s Abode re-opened this past Memorial Day Weekend after a ten-week Covid-Hiatus. Ever since then Wanakena has been rockin’. It was a great summer. Good job everyone. We feel we’re entering a new season (which we are) and are anxious to see if the number of outdoor recreational participants remains in its increased fashion. Again, we apologize for Wanakena Weekly’s tardiness. Back to work.
This past week in a nutshell… Happy Labor Day Weekend!!! Busy weekend in Wanakena. Beautiful Weather in Wanakena! Sun and cool temps were in the forecast. The village experienced some surprise pop-up rain showers over the weekend. Lots of folks out and about in the woods. Trailheads OVERFLOWING. The Ferns turning brown, maples turning red. Geese and turkeys roam the land. Where are the fish? Mid-week the temperature rose and the humidity set-in. Downright HOT! Trails are reported to in tip-top shape. The Cranberry Lake State Campground Closed early this year (it’s closed now). Bargain Hunter says Hillside Diner in Oswegatchie is opening October First. Bill G. and Chris W.'s drag-race showed us Chris's buggy is faster then Bill's.. WHO'S NEXT!
WEATHER FORECAST: After this past week’s rise in the humid 80s this weekend looks to be wet cooler. Feels like fall! HEADS UP!!!! The Adirondack Trail Ride starts Friday! Keep your eyes peeled for some serious mountain bikers passing though the village. They arrive via the Moore Trail (yikes) and depart out Peavine Swamp. Here is a link to track their locations via GPS: http://trackleaders.com/adirondacktr20 This weather forecast is brought to you by Wanakena’s own PATTIJACKNAN weather team – a Wanakener garage pole mounted weather station and crew. THANKS, TEAM! This weather station can be found at: https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/ny/wanakena/KNYWANAK8
Bridgework continues! The big ol’ water pump that has been keeping water out of the giant crater in the middle of the river had been turned off as cement was poured. The middle pier cement was set! And did you know? They re-flooded the crater because as it turns out water helps cement cure. So that middle pier foundation will be EXTRA STONG!!! The water will be re-pumped out next week sometime as more cement is poured. GOING UP!!!Here's a YOUTUBE video animation about the bridge HERE.
HOLY CRAP!!! The CL50 parking lot PACKED!!!! I think we can all agree that that was a lot of cars. Labor Day weekend, good weather, pandemic, awesome trail: a swell combination of ingredients. ALSO the word on the street is that it is wise to START the CL50 in Wanakena and head clockwise. That saves the flooded truck-trail for the last day – yer feet get wet at the end of the hike rather than the beginning – supposedly. We had ten-day honeymoon canoers, a couple separate Cranberry Lake 50 hikers needed a ride back to their car in Cranberry Village, a hiker even purchased some toilet paper from Otto’s to stock-up the public restroom. Trails were jammin'. Happy Hikers. Check this out: Town of Clifton - St. Lawrence County - Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 6 at 9:26 a.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for an injured hiker on the Cranberry Lake 50 trail. The caller stated that her 14-year-old son pulled his Achilles tendon and could not continue the hike. The group was on the east side of Brandy Brook Flow on Cranberry Lake and Forest Ranger Baldwin responded by boat. Ranger Baldwin arrived to the hiking party by 10:06 a.m., and transported the group by boat to shore shortly thereafter. The injured hiker from Plattsburgh declined further medical care at the scene and advised he would seek medical attention on his own. From Adirondack Enterprise
This past Saturday the ZPark was the host to a number of meetings! First thing in the morning was the Wanakena Water Works meeting; soggy content. Shortly after that was a meeting of Five Ponds Partners (the group that oversees the Cranberry Lake 50). After that The Ranger School held their first Dendrology Walk. Dozens of students with clipbopards and bright orange hardhats could be seen wondering around town hugging trees -cool!
RACCOONS! Yep, the raccoons have landed. They’re tearing apart camps on South Shore Road, invading wood duck box in Wanakena Cove, terrorizing the Chetwin’s Clam Bake, hurling romance novels at Otto’s, munching apples on Second Street, and much more! Here’s a shot Bernie C. captured late night Friday.
Cranberry Lake Boat Hub’s VILLAGE POKER RAMBLE fundraiser for the CLIFTON COMMUNITY LIBRARY IS OVER! The Village Poker Ramble. Thirteen participants raised a total of $190 for the Clifton Community Library. The player with the BEST POKER HAND Natalie C. a seasonal resident of Cranberry Village. The Poker Ramble was created to *temporarily* replace the CLBL Poker Paddle for the Library. The aim of the POKER RAMBLE was to give folks a reason to explore the two villages on Cranberry Lake (Wanakena and Cranberry Lake). Well, technically they are “hamlets” but we’re not going down that road. WE’RE NOT! Here's a shot of honorary Poker Paddle Dealer Chris Westbrook tellin' it like it is! This guy gets around!!!!!
Down at The Abode! ON VIEW IN THE GALLERY! We’re covering news about the Potsdam Toilet Toil as it comes in! Hank Hobar’s Toilet Art has presented itself has a VERY important discussion about ART and VALUE. We’ll stay on it. The TWENTYFIVE YEARS Microburst Exhibition remains on-view! Everyone like talking about weather! PHOTOGRAPHY by Wanakena’s own JACK WILLIAMS remains on-view until Sept. 20th. A beautiful selection of 15 color photographs with prints available for sale, a majority of the proceeds will benefit the future Wanakena History Center. Lots more to look at! What’s for dinner? Lunch? Breakfast? Snack? Dessert? Etc…
RANGER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION, BUT THE CAMPUS IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC!!! That means no hunting. Here’s a message from the Ranger School: The Ranger School's James F. Dubuar Memorial Forest will be closed to the public for an indefinite amount of time beginning Saturday, August 15, 2020. The Cranberry Lake 50 trail, which passes in front of the school, will remain open. This action is necessary to protect students and staff as they begin a new academic year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is a critical precaution as we work to ensure the health and success of the Class of 2021. Thank you for your cooperation.
Blackwaters Café and Trading Post in Wanakena is open for pick-up/take-out Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat 11-6:30 pm. Grilled Chicken Parm Sandwich is on the menu. Picnic tables and port-o-john out front! Picnic tables out back by the river, too. Order though their take-out window or better yet do it online at their website www.blackwaterscafe.com Suzie says indoor dining soon!
Cranberry Lake State Campground – closed **early** after Labor Day Weekend. UPDATE: because of construction project, NOT Covid.
Regional Notes: Someone said Packbasket Adventures is renting rooms. 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…). The Clifton-Fine Municipal Golf Course is open seven days a week. 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 is open for curbside ONLY!
Hillside Diner in Oswegatchie (OPENING OCT 1st), Twin Lakes and SOS in Star Lake remain temporarily closed.
Kim’s Lost Dog Report: As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. You should ask Kim about her missing/found lawn chair! ALSO! Kim says Eddy Road isn’t named after a person….. tHiNk AbOuT iT!!!
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
People who live along the shore come to see a kind of pattern to waves, part fact and part superstation. The third wave is often said to be more violent than others, and the ninth one particularly strong. - unknown