Happy Thursday!
This past week in a nutshell… Ranger School campus IS STILL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC! WEAR ORANGE IN THE WOODS… Regular hunting season began this past Oct the 24th!! Had our first snow of the season this past Tuesday night – nothing really to write home about, enough to stick but gone by Wednesday afternoon. Nearly all of the leaves off the treet. Tamarack gently sprinkle their needles to the wind. Some “late-season” Cranberry Lake 50 hikers, one of which reported a mouse hanging out in her food bag hanging in a tree! Also maybe a bear at campsite 41 leanto. A handful of few-day-ers and a handful of ultra-ers through the weekend. Down in the twenties this past Saturday night. MUEL TEAM spotted in town, Cat Mt. trailhead was more full than the other lot. Overall a quiet cool and rainy week with a SPLASH of OUTSTANGING this past Friday – it got up into the mid 70s and sunny! Thumbs-up! The Oswegatchie is flowing good, now! Water's up!! MOOSE out and about – keep dem eyes peeled! AND WATCH OUT FOR THE MICE (they’ll get ya)!!!!!!!
Upcoming… A full moon Halloween this Saturday! Star Lake and Newton Falls fire department are hosting Trunk-or-Treat events that day. ROUST III ON THE 1ST, 2PM – Otto’s Abode! Weather forecast says… a cold weekend ahead of us! Daytime temps around 40 and 20s at night! Chance for some snow again Sunday night into Monday – a couple inches maybe. Warming back up near 50 around the middle of next week. 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 - Also, always beautiful photography at the Wanakena Tracks facebook page.
Bridgework continues! Last Friday was a BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT day... 70s and sunny and oh-so-fine. A wonderful day for the bridge crew to pour cement down on the footbridge. The sun was shining, the wind was flowing through an American flag displayed on the paving device – a spectacular sight! One and done the cement was poured in one day. The bridge is draped with plastic sheeting as the cement cures for a couple weeks. Working being done on the guardrails. Over the past few days the roadways leading up to the bridge construction have been dug right-up out of the ground leaving a rough and rumble roadway – gotta make a mess to clean it up! As they say around Wanakena: WE’LL BE DRIVING OVER THAT NEW BRIDGE IN NO TIME!!!!!!
Speaking of bridges, Wanakena’s third bridge received a major facelift this past Friday. Let just say the guy that the balls rollin’ is the same guy you'll see walkin’round town with dogs and a garbage bag in hand, snagging trash off the roadside. Also many thanks to the Town of Fine Highway Dept. for the work, Wanakena Historical Association for the funds, and all others involved.
Two Adirondack publications featured brief mentions of local attraction. Adirondack Life magazine (who has written about Otto's Abode) ran an article about different wilderness areas around the Adirondacks. They mention The Five Ponds Wilderness and detail the High Falls Look as a possible multi-night trip- nice! Adirondack Explorer (who also wrote about Otto's Abode) featured an article on non-state land recreation areas and wrote briefly about the Dubar Forest (Ranger School Property) – too bad they didn’t mention that the campus is closed to the public due to Covid restrictions. Happy trails!
ROUST III : One year and one day later… ROUST returns for its third installment. The first ROUST was held within Otto’s Abode and was smash! Musicians and spectators mingling about the low-lit sonicized atmosphere. ROUST II was held this past summer out on the lawn due to Covid safety measures. So, before it gets too cold and snowy ROUST will take one more stab at playing out on the ZPARK lawn. Next Sunday October, 1st around 2pm – wear a mask and keep your distance and take a stroll through the sound garden!
Down at the Abode… The BEAUTIFUL Wildflower Drawings by Wanakena’s own Kathie was not on the walls this Wednesday when Otto’s Abode re-opened after our MON+TUES siesta. FIN. LAST WEEKEND WAS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO SEE THE EXHIBITION. The other big news is that we have rearranged the furniture to safely experiment with a coffee bar. Previous to this – during Covid – it was easy to sit outside and drink coffee with friends and neighbors. Well, it’s pretty cold now and we wanted to give it a shot. There is a small section of the interior space set aside to allow a coffee drinker (or two) to remove their facemask and sip the good stuff. While you’re here take a peek around the shop. There’s LOTS MORE to look at; art, maps, historical displays, and MORE! Perhaps you’ll go home with something you did not realize you needed. Perhaps you’d find a perfect gift for someone. Perhaps you’ll go home with ingredients for a DELICIOUS dinner. Or, perhaps desert! You’re purchases down here at Otto’s Abode help keep us open and going all year long.
WANAKENA’S BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST FALL/WINTER hours/menu/etc. announced! Breakfast at B-Dubs returns! Dinner on Fri and Sat night. Hours are: Tues+Wed+Thus: 8am-3pm and Fri+Sat 8am-7pm. Call to make DINE-IN RESERVATIONS! 3153094040!!!! Open for pick-up/take-out too. Gifts and groceries via The Trading Post.
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. Here’s a story about it all: https://www.nny360.com/news/stlawrencecounty/property-sales/article_eeec3094-901a-531a-8a18-ab1b991b3a79.html
WESTERN ADIRONDACK PRESBATYRIAN CHUCH zoom-zooms every Sunday at 10:45 using meeting #6663654813 and every morning at 9am for a Morning Prayer. WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION announced that Cremation Remains burial has gone up from $150 to $250. Also, there is no longer a backhoe charge for cremation burial because they don’t use a backhoe for cremation burials any longer.
Important information from the other end of CRANBERRY LAKE: Stone Manor Diner and Motel (for sale!) is open, Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake are open (NCPR Story)! The Clifton Community Library is open FIVE DAYS PER WEEK plus Wednesday evenings by appointment. Call 3158483256 or clklib@ncls.org for an appointment. Curbside pick us is also still available. At the Clifton Community Center, Cranberry Lake, NY 12927. ALSO, a message via their Facebook Page: Our grant from the Foundation for Rural Service has ended, and so we have shut down our wireless hotspot in Newton Falls. We hope the community made good use of it and enjoyed it there. If you have any feedback, please don't hesitate to let us know. Thank you to the fire department for partnering with us to provide this resource for the past 18 months! LAKESIDE GENERAL STORE IN CRANBERRY LAKE IS CLOSED FOR THE LONG WINTER SEASON. DEC State Campground, too. Check out the Cranberry Lake Boat Club and The North Shore Hub online, too! The community dock is out of the water for the season!
OUT WEST: Coffee Fever, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy and Circle K in Star Lake are open! Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open! The Clifton-Fine Municipal Golf Course is open seven days a week - getting cold, though. Hillside Diner (back open!), UB’s Mercantile, Green Pinky Farm and Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie are open! Both Twin Lakes and SOS in Star Lake got a fresh paint job but remain temporarily closed since March 2020. Word on the street is Twin Lakes (the only bar around!) is re-opening SOON!
Kim’s Lost Dog Report: As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena.
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
A habit is more easily broken when the moon is full. To ensure never being hungry, lick a piece off bacon when the moon is full. -unknown