I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to display these at two different galleries.
Loon Piggy Back
The photo on top was displayed in metal print at a gallery about 2 hours north of the city for a month. Only one piece or artwork could be submitted. The same image was also displayed in print form at another gallery.
Loon Door Dash
The image from on top and the image under were both on display in a small gallery in Manhattan for a short period of time this month. I submitted the prints for the show and someone else framed them. Not a big deal, but a big deal for me.
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Winston Churchill
The colour of the water appears to change in minutes when out kayaking on a lake. A lot of things come into play such as cloud cover, sunlight, time of day, what is nearby on land will all affect how the colour of the water appears. If you wait around you just may get to see the water appear to be different hue.
This is a loon from Upper St. Regis in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In other pictures that day, the water appeared green and different shades of blue etc. Change sometimes is good.
from the song Stuck in the Middle With You written by Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty and performed by Stealer’s Wheel
These Adirondack loons were pausing for passing planes and eagles as well as motor boat and jet ski action on the lake. I am sure the mom was teaching the baby about safely crossing the lake. The baby should be well prepared for life. Other things I saw the mom do this trip were attempt some fish hand offs in the water instead of above water, and having the baby attempt to fish in the buoyed area of the lake that boaters avoid due to boulders near the water’s surface.
We have had a cooler than normal wet summer. It has rained a little to a good amount most days. Get out and dodge those storms. Enjoy what you can.
Stuck in the Middle With You performed by the Steeler’s Wheel
What is one place where you can paddle more than one body of water while not getting out of your boat, and it is close to the towns of Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake? Middle Saranac Lake is one of the options.
South Creek Boat Launch
One trip from Middle Saranac you can make is paddling to the Weller Ponds. Both of these are accessed by boat through passageways between the bodies of water. One way to get into Middle Saranac Lake is through the South Creek Boat Launch. It is right off Highway 3 going from Saranac Lake to Tupper.
There is a parking lot that can handle several cars. There is a privy/ outhouse closer to Highway 3 in the parking area. They have several barriers up. It is hard to walk a kayak through on wheels. It is easier if someone is there and you can ask them to be a second set of hands to carry it over the big rocks. Once you get it in the water it is a gradual descent into the water which is great for kayaks. People canoeing prefer the dock. I wish they would get rid of one of the big rocks, so people could easily get their kayak or canoe through.
South Creek Passage to Middle Saranac
Middle Saranac Lake
Hungry Bay
Hungry Bay is the northern end of Middle Saranac Lake directly north across the lake from the South Creek entrance to the lake.
Because of the wind and predicted threat of thunderstorms around the time I would try to get back to the parking lot, I skirted the edge of Hungry Bay to be safe.
Passage from Hungry Bay to the Weller Ponds
Weller Pond
The above is looking towards the entrance of Weller Pond. I did not take too many pictures on this pond because it looked like the campsites along it and on or near Tick and Tok Islands were occupied. There were also kids out on the lake in boats.
The above picture is looking towards the northern part of Weller Pond from the east side.
Little Weller Pond
If you are heading from Middle Saranac to Weller the passageway to Little Weller Pond is on the right before you get to Weller. This is the passageway leading into Little Weller Pond.
It is a smaller body of water, hence its name. There are no campsites along this body of water.
Passageway Back To Middle Saranac Lake
This is the passageway looking south and heading back towards Hungry Bay of Middle Saranac Lake.
Camping
There are camp sites along Middle Saranac Lake and Weller Pond. These sites have to be reserved through http://www.reserveamerica.com or through the reservation number at 1-800-456-CAMP. I have never seen all the sites on this lake occupied on my visits. Campsite 81, pictured above, has a lean-to. Only two other sites, one on the east side of the lake and one on the northwest side of Weller Pond have one. Most of them involve pitching your own tent. They come with a picnic table, a fire pit, and a privy/outhouse.
This was a group of boys and men who were heading for a campsite on the lake for the night. They took all their gear on their canoes with them. They traveled with several canoes. This canoe gave me permission to take their picture.
Wildlife
Every time I visit this lake I either see loons or hear them. I saw two together near the South Creek entrance to the lake. I also heard two and saw one in Hungry Bay. An eagle nest is on a nearby body of water, so you may see one circle looking for fish.
Middle Saranac Lake
This lake is a motor boat lake, although the times I have been here I have mostly seen people in canoes and kayaks either fishing or heading towards campsites along the lake. There are a few private houses as you get closer to the west side. I’m not sure if some of them are water access only or they are ones accessed through the private road, Bartlett Carry.
This visit it was a treat to watch a sailboat take advantage of the winds and circle around the lake.
As you can see from the above photos, one of the positives about paddling this lake are the Adirondack Mountain views.
Entrance to South Creek
I highly recommend paddling this lake and route. You get nice mountain views. I would recommend as always bring food and water. You never know when you might need to pull off for a passing thunderstorm or because you need a rest. The unoccupied campsites have great views and make great picnic spots.
I find it fun watching loons. This parent had babysitting duty while the other parent was at another section of the lake in the Adirondack Mountains.
The loon below is power napping. It ate a few fish in the middle of the lake and then it then swam to the side of the lake with the parent. The parent kept watch while the baby napped.
The parent needs to keep watch. After I started kayaking away, the parent started giving a distressed call. I looked up and the eagle circled and landed in a tree nearby. Then it decided to fly off to a tree on the opposite side of the lake. On my few trips to the lake I have now seen the eagle multiple times either chase an adult loon flying or circle and get close to the baby and parent causing the parent to go into alert mode. I hope these loons make it through their time at the lake without the eagles getting one of them.
I made almost a week long trip to the Adirondack Mountains in New York. I am not kayaking as far as I did last year. Luckily I do not have to go far to see loons on the lakes I visited. All the pictures below are from one lake. These were over two days. Some were in the evening and others during the morning.
Parent cut off a piece to give the baby.Spitting out waterPatiently waiting for someone to bring it a fish.Riding the waves.
Slow down and enjoy nature. Sometimes you do not have to go as far as you think.
Sometimes you lucky out with sunlight, and sometimes you don’t. One this morning after the fog lifted you could witness some great colours on the water. These are just two of many I got that morning.
What is on or near the shore affects what colours you see reflected on the water’s surface. It could be boats, boat covers, kayaks, SUPs, etc. Also if the sun happens to be behind your back or at an angle can affect how you see the colours.
Articles on our near shore can add to the photo in ways you may not have originally expected. Get out and enjoy the summer between the rain. If your weather is like New York, we have downpours almost everyday.
Not all bad light days make for bad shots. The morning I took these this past clouds were covering the sun and the lighting conditions were not optimal. I got some good feeding shots regardless and shots of the parents with fish.
Will the baby take it or not? Many times I see the baby not accept it and swim in another direction with the parent following.
These pictures were all taken at a distance with zoom lens.
The hand offTrying to fit it in.Going down the hatch.
A cloudy day does not always ruin your chance at getting good photos. Go out and enjoy nature even when it is not sunny.
Normally I don’t say where I find most of the wildlife I do. Loons are on most ponds and lakes in the Adirondacks that are long enough to host them and with enough fish. These loons are on Loon Lake, of all places, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
The baby’s legs are straddled out. It seemed to have a hard time balancing itself on the parent’s back at times.
This was the first time I was lucky enough to see a baby riding on its parent’s back. I have been up looking for this in June and July in previous years, but missed out in the past. I went up to stay for two nights, and made three kayak trips on Loon Lake. I saw them each time.
This parent had babysitting duty. The other parent was out and about feeding itself and came back periodically to try to feed the baby.
The other parent returning with the fish.
I was told by someone who lived along the lake that there were two eggs, but one never hatched. Most of the land around the lake is private residences or residences as investment property/ rental.
The baby was all tuckered out or knackered.
I probably took one hundred pictures on the first two of the three kayaking trips I made this short vacation. Get out and experience new things! Nature is a beauty to behold.
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