The Timeless Beauty of Pyramid Lake

No, this is not the same photo of Pyramid Lake I posted last Friday.  That one was taken on October 11, 2010, while this one was taken two days ago on Saturday, October 12, 2013.  Such unchanging beauty is one of the treasured gifts to be found in the protected forever-wild areas of the Adirondacks.  Pyramid Lake lies in the heart of the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness in Essex County, and the only auto access to this crystal-clear lake is through the Pyramid Life Center, a spiritual retreat center located on the north shore of the lake.  The center's main lodge and a dozen rustic cabins are clustered here along the north shore, most of them hidden high on the wooded banks.  The remainder of the lakeshore and all of the islands are carefully stewarded as pristine wilderness, where no roads may penetrate, structures be built, nor motorized vehicles intrude, whether by land or by water.  Thus, we can hope with great confidence that all this natural beauty will remain unchanged forever.  By human hands, that is.  There is evidence that climate change will alter the Adirondack forests and waterways over time, but at least for the rest of my lifetime, I hope to return again and again to immerse myself in this splendid and timeless landscape.


Spending this past weekend at Pyramid Lake, helping to close up most of the center's lodgings for the winter, I was rather disconcerted by the unseasonable warmth we enjoyed.  Sure, it was grand to conduct our tasks in shorts and T-shirts instead of our woolies and longjohns, but this is the time of year we expect a crisp edge to the air, when the smell of woodsmoke is the signal of welcoming warmth indoors.  But who could complain about blue-sky days like these, with misty mornings and sun-bright afternoons and mild starry nights with the moon casting silvery light across the still water?  Not I!  I joyfully immersed myself in these gorgeous days and nights, delighting in the sun-dappled woods ablaze with autumn's colors, paddling at dawn and again in the evening after my work was done, then sitting quietly out on the dock to watch Venus's bright reflection dance on the dark surface of the lake.  Of course, I carried my camera with me everywhere to record the surrounding wonders.  And share them with my readers.  Here is a gallery of some of my shots.