The Wild Center

Sitting on a 31-acre site on Tupper Lake, this Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks opened in 2006 with a mission to "ignite an enduring passion for the Adirondacks where people and nature can thrive together and set an example for the world". It was designed to open new ways to look into the latest discoveries made by natural scientists. As a testament to its vision, it has been recognized for its green building design and construction and is the first LEED certified museum, in the state of New York.

The walkway to the museum entrance is itself a trail of exhibits called the Mother of Invention. It gives insights into secrets held by nature which are inspiring new inventions. Can the loon's ability to desalinate water make water available to everyone in the planet? Can one frog's ability to freeze itself influence healthcare, especially with regards to preserving transplants?

The New Path is another outdoor trail which shows the center's green building practices, with the BioBuilding's solar and living roof, composting toilets and grassy parking lots. There is the Pond Loop behind the building and the Meadow Bird and Oxbow Overlook trail which leads to special overlooks on the Raquette River. We followed a naturalist on this trail who described interesting facts about the area. I would have liked to see more wildflowers and wildlife but it was not the right time for it . It was comforting to learn that unlike the hemlock that was given Socrates, the trees that abound on our camp on Kayuta do not contain any poison. The needles in fact could be used for tea.


Indoors, there were live exhibits of Adirondack wildlife which included trout and other fishes, snakes and more. I finally confirmed that the turtles on Kayuta Lake were indeed painted turtles and that the adult red eft is not as colorful as its younger stage. It was just as amusing to watch the frustrated photographers as the lively, acrobatic otter circling around its pond.

At the Find Out Forest, we watched a few short film clips of our choosing and stayed for one show at the Flammer Panoramas Theater. We were not able to stay for the newest film in their collection, A Matter of Degrees, narrated by Sigourney Weaver.

For anybody interested in learning about the Adirondacks, the Wild Center is the place to go. At less than 100 miles from Kayuta Lake, this is a day trip worthwhile taking. For more information, check out www.wildcenter.org.

Ausable Chasm

While staying at Saranac Lake, we ventured to the northeast corner of Adirondack Park to visit Ausable Chasm, sometimes called "The Little Grand Canyon of the East".

Ausable Chasm began formation 500 million years ago within a fault in the Potsdam sandstone strata, once the bottom of a prehistoric ocean. Geologic fault lines splitting the sandstone, receding glaciers and later the erosive force of the Ausable River created this 2 mile long gorge bordered by cliffs towering 100-200 feet high.

The self-guided walking tour started with a view of the elephant's head, a unique rock formation created by the closely spaced vertical joints. We then proceeded on the newly completed Rim Walk where guests could now walk the entire length of the chasm.

The Rim Trail provided a bird's eyeview of the gorge. But for a closer look, we descended 150ft down into the Inner Sanctum trail. Here, we could see the rocks more closely, and feel the power of the Ausable River below us. At Table Rock, we saw some hardy souls getting on a rubber raft to experience the last mile of the chasm even closer. In warmer weather, there would have been some others tubing down the river.

The oldest natural attraction in the USA, Ausable Chasm has been attracting visitors since 1870, 22 years before the Adirondack Park was established. And now, winter tours of the park are available with advanced reservation. At more than 168 miles from Kayuta Lake, a day trip to Ausable Chasm may be just too ambitious. But not impossible.

Turtles on Kayuta Lake

I just love watching the turtles on our lake. On a sunny afternoon, one can invariably find a number of turtles sunning themselves on partially submerged logs on one of bays on Kayuta Lake. Today, I spotted at least 8 turtles. Previously, they just seemed too quick to dive into the water as soon as I approached. More recently, they have been more tolerant of my presence.



These are probably painted turtles which are the most common of the New York state turtles.

As common as they are, it is probably still illegal to collect this wildlife specimen without the proper NY Department of Environmental Conservation permit. So, if anybody else enjoys herping, please just watch and enjoy.

A Loon at Kayuta Lake

We went out on the canoe and kayaks with my cousin Meny and her husband Rudy this afternoon. Paddling through the mid portion of the lake, we saw the black head of a large bird just over the top of the water. It was sitting low in the water and had a long pointed bill unlike the common ducks we usually see. Then, it dove and disappeared only to appear again further out on the lake. It was a loon!!! Common in the Adirondacks, this was the first time we have ever seen a loon on our lake.

We crossed under the railroad trestle and proceeded to a cove on the right. After a considerable distance, we spotted a turtle on a tree stump. Going further, I spotted something swimming in the water that was definitely not a duck. A kayaker told us it was either a beaver or muskrat. He raced the animal down and shouted out "beaver"! On the way back we visited the turtle up close but of course it jumped off the stump just as I was about to take its picture.



The sky started to appear threatening just as we got back on the main body of the lake. We were padding full throttle when we heard a train whistle. We paddled as fast as would could towards the train bridge. About 5 minutes later a 6-car train crossed the bridge. As we approached the bridge, a bi-plane flew over the bridge from the other side. Passing under the bridge I saw the Loon again - it popped up out of the water just in front of my kayak. Appearing just as surprised as I was, it dove again and fortunately reappeared close enough for me to take its picture.



We made it back to the house with nearly an hour to spare before the heavens let loose. We all agreed that this was the best wildlife viewing paddling expedition we have ever had on this lake.

Ski Show at Kayuta Lake

This year's ski show held on Aug. 15 was really blessed with beautiful weather. The Central Mohawk Valley X-Squad Water Ski Club put on on an entertaining show, complete with a pirate ship.

Island Fun at Kayuta Lake

July 26 wasn't exactly the greatest day to spend on the island. The forecast for Aug. 9 wasn't so hot either. So, the Island Fun Day sponsored by the Kayuta Lake Association was held today. After 4 beautiful days of sunshine, it would have been too much to expect the rains to hold off another day. After all, this is Kayuta Lake.


We found some work to do around the camp and were unable to get in on the fun. From a distance, we could see how well attended the event was. Listening to the music, calls for dancing and games, everybody seemed to be having a great time.


Maybe next time, we can join them.

The Five Combines on the Black River Canal

We have visited portions of the Black River Canal towpath before. This time, after a brief visit to Pixley Falls, we decided to look for the 5 combines.


The Black River Canal was designed to connect the Erie Canal to the Black River. From Rome to Boonville, a distance of 25 miles, 70 locks were built to lift the boats and water 693 feet. From Boonville to Lyons Falls, where the canals met, 39 locks were built over a distance of slightly over 10 miles lifting their cargo 386 feet.


From the park, we drove south on Rt. 46, to the parking lot to the end of the towpath. We could have walked the 1.6 mile trail to get there were it not for the mosquitoes. After walking a short distance from the parking lot. the Five Combines can be seen.



This portion of the canal required 5 consecutive locks to handle the sharp incline of the land, as seen in the illustration.

July 4th at Kayuta Lake

Well, it wasn't exactly the biggest fireworks display around, but it beats the hustle and bustle at other bigger events.







We had our first guests at the camp this weekend. After the mandatory visit to Pixley Falls, it was just lake, lake, lake...

2009 Season Starts

Finally got to open the camp for the season. Two weeks ago, it was 42degrees F. This weekend was a little better, and Saturday was quite sunny for a spring day on the lake. We got to attend the Kayuta Lake Improvement Association's meeting for the first time and were able to find out about future lake activities. We're looking forward to the annual ski show and hopefully get a chance to see the boat parade this year.




Our beautiful hummingbird feeder is finally up and waiting for its first visitors. And so are we.