Scenes from an Adirondack Autumn Afternoon

Cloudy, windy, and cold this morning.  Not a good day for the paddle I had planned.  And because my knee was paining me bad, not a good day for a hike, either.  How about a nice drive up the shore of Lake George, then?  Ah, now, that sounds good!  So my husband and I drove up past Lake George Village to Hague, enjoying the views of probably the most beautiful lake in the world, as well as surrounding forests just beginning to turn their gorgeous autumn colors.  When we reached the parking area for the Tongue Mountain trails, a scenic spot where a water-filled quarry perfectly reflects the surrounding rocks and trees, we parked and got out  to explore the surrounding woods.

Just across the road from the parking area, we could hear the roar of a waterfall tumbling down the mountain and coursing through the woods. A short walk brought us out on the rocky banks of a rushing stream.

So lovely!  So peaceful! So quintessentially Adirondacks!

I could have stayed here all afternoon.

I can't quite picture what forces caused this tree trunk to curve so dramatically.

After enjoying both the drama and the tranquility of the coursing stream, we crossed the road again to walk a ways on a forested trail that passed beneath towering White Pines.

Our footsteps quieted by millennia of fallen pine needles, we soon arrived at a bridge that crossed a stream.

Well, it used to be a stream!  Beavers have built a dam directly below the bridge, and the water upstream has spread out to form a pond.  A lovely, quiet scene, with streamside maples turning a beautiful red and gold.