At Camp

We drove to camp last Monday, to visit for a while before a planned New Years Eve party.  While we were on the road we got a call that the party had been cancelled due to Covid.  It was the right call, but we were still disappointed.  The weather has been very mild and gray.  Last evening we went to see the lights at the Wild Center - the lighted twig sculpture

and the lights and music in another part of the campus.

We will drive back to New Jersey tomorrow in time for the Zoom call that is replacing the in-person party.

Quilt 73

 Rainbow of Jewels

A Paddling Adventure in New Jersey

Today's high was 67 degrees with 10-15 mph winds.  We wanted to paddle but didn't want a super long drive and needed to stay out of the wind.  We decided to try the Barnegat division of the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.  It is farther north than the Brigantine division we have paddled in the past, putting in at Scott's Landing.  Google maps showed what might be a good place to put in at the end of Stafford Avenue in Manahawkin.  But when we got there the road was closed and possibly will be in the future.  Then we tried Beach Ave but a large gate stopped us well before the marsh.  We finally put in at the Barnegat Township Municipal Dock and headed south into the marsh.  We paddled about 6 1/3 miles.

After the paddle we had a nice dinner on the patio of Sun Harbor Seafood and Grill right near the dock.

Back in New Jersey

We have been back in New Jersey three weeks now and have spent many hours in doctors appointments and house repair.  Today was our first New Jersey Symphony concert, which was marvelous.  And our seats in Box K in the first tier at NJPAC are about as far removed from everyone else as one could be so we felt very safe Covid-wise.  Then we got to watch this marvelous sunset on the way home.

Hiking in Cheesequake Park

We took a somewhat abbreviated hike in Cheesequake Park today.  We had planned to hike the 3-mile green trail and started off on it.

But by the time we got to the intersection of what is called Museum Road, I decided that 3 miles would be a bit much.  I am out of shape for all the hills involved and it got warmer than expected - 75 degrees.  So we turned onto the road instead of continuing on the trail and it was still a nice place to walk.  And I could put away my hiking poles since there weren't any roots to trip on.

We walked a total of 2.4 miles.

2021 Paddle Summary

We did 27 paddles this year.

• Blue Mountain Lake
• Bog River to Hitchins Pond
• Cedar River
• Cranberry Lake from State Campground
• Cranberry Lake from Wanakena
•  Floodwood to Polliwog
• Follensby Clear to Fish Creek
• Forked Lake and Brandreth Lake Outlet
• Indian Lake
• Lake Clear from the beach
• Lake Clear from the Outlet
• Long Pond
• Race Day Paddle near Lake Flower
• Rainbow Lake
• Raquette Lake to Blue Mountain Lake
• Raquette Lake west shore
• Raquette River from Axton to Crusher
• Round Lake
• Rollins/Floodwood Loop
• Saranac River
• Saranac River cleanup
• Second Pond to Lake Flower
• South Creek to Second Pond
• South Pond
• Stony Creek Ponds to Axton
• Summer Solstice on Second Pond
• Upper Osgood

Final Paddle of the Season

We paddled 8 miles today.  We put into Floodwood Pond off Floodwood Road and paddled down Fish Creek, through Fish Creek Ponds, down Spider Creek, paddled the length of Follensby Clear, carried into Polliwog and paddled back to the cars we had shuttled there.  The weather was great with temperature in the upper 60's and very little wind.   But it was quite cloudy so I didn't take any photos.  There were two things of note.  We had been told there were beaver dams in Spider Creek, but the real thing was quite impressive.  There were two dams and each one had a large lodge at each end, without much space in between.  I should have taken a photo but getting the eight of us over the dams was time consuming enough that I didn't really get a chance.  In each case we managed to skooch or be pulled over spots that had water flowing over them around the side.  I imagine the beavers will have those spots filled in short order.  We will have to remember not to paddle there so late in the season.  The other item of note was the large number of juvenile loons gathered together in Follensby Clear.  We counted 17.  The parents have already left and I guess the younger ones are getting ready to follow.

We head back to New Jersey on Saturday.

Paddling Bog River to Hitchins Pond

We had a great turnout of 19 people at our annual paddle and picnic today.  A great time was had by all and the weather was spectacular - sunny with temps in the upper 60's.

Paddling South Pond

We did another paddle today that we had never done before.  We parked at a pullout along Route 30 south of Long Lake and slid our boats down a steep grassy bank then walked them through the woods to the shore of South Pond.  It is fairly small - we paddled the circumference and stopped at a campsite on one of the islands for lunch and only paddled just under 5 miles.  But the water was glassy and the autumn colors spectacular so it was a great paddle.

 

The Loons Have Left

We paddled Lake Clear again today, hoping to see rafts of loons getting ready to migrate.  But we were too late.  The water was calm so we had good views of the entire lake as we paddled about 4 1/4 miles around it.  But we never saw a loon.

We were also leaf-peeping since the color is at its height.  And we were not disappointed.