On Tuesday morning, August 14, 13 intrepid adventurers with canoes on top and paddles in the trunk headed west for a few days on the beautiful waters of upstate New York. 
After a long drive and a short wait at the launch, we were off! Our first night was spent on a large island in Floodwood Pond. We set up camp and enjoyed a dinner of steak and potatoes cooked over the campfire. Then we paddled around the island in the quiet late evening dusk, watching the birds, and enjoying the quiet beauty of the place.
Day two was a longish one: about eight miles of paddling and two portages (or as they say in the Adirondaks, “carries”.) The weather forecast on departure called for rain all day interspersed with thunderstorms. We were ready for the worst. We did get some rain, off and on in the morning. By our second carry, the sun was out and the morning’s grey burned off.
We camped again on an island in Follensbee Clear Pond. And we enjoyed a fantastic sunset and a small vespers service around the campfire before trundling off to bed — weary from a long day.
As it turns out, I was more weary than I thought and ended up having an Addisonian Crisis in the middle of the night. Thanks to prompt action by my tent mate, Ben Smith, I was ok — though we all decided it best to get me to a hospital. I can’t thank everyone enough for their care and the way everything unfolded that night.
It was disappointing to have to end the trip early. That said, we had a really good time and look forward to a potluck supper at the home of Dennis and Laurel Scannell’s to look at pictures and relive the adventure.
- Evening on Follensbee Clear Pond
