Memorial Day Weekend in the Adirondacks

(a tad delayed)

I've been slow to get around to putting up a few photos from our weekend in the Adirondacks... it's been a tad crazy around here since then. But, I thought I'd throw them up now, even if the trip is rather old news.

As you may recall, I'm a northern Minnesota gal. I was raised on trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, spent several formative summers working at a camp there, and return whenever I can. The first big thing I saved up for and bought myself was a backpack for camping. Being big enough to portage my family's old, heavy Grumman canoe was a major step in growing-up. My parents gave us a canoe for our wedding. You get the point.

Because it is not the wilderness area of my childhood, I don't imagine that I'll ever find myself trekking across the country to spend a week in the Adirondacks (a thing I can absolutely imagine doing for the North Shore ...because, er, I will be doing that in a few months). Upstate New York doesn't pull at my heart strings with the same emotional force as does Minnesota's North Shore. I'm not sure it could.

All that said, however, I was entranced by the beauty of the Adirondacks and would happily go back again and again. Even in the midst of black fly swarms, the lakes and mountains were spectacular. I'm imagining that early September would be an amazing time to visit and hope we get the chance to see.


A cloudy first-night sunset seen from our campsite.


One of the salamanders we met on our Sunday hike.


Ceisaf requests that we rent a softer canoe next time, or bring along a duffer to provide a lap.


The pair of mallards that tormented Ceisaf Sunday night.


Monday morning breakfast at Buttermilk Falls


Buttermilk Falls