Ausable Chasm

Bridge over Ausable Chasm

The Ausable Chasm is a 2 mile long sandstone gorge that is cut by the Ausable River. I had driven over it before but this time I decided to pay the admission to actually get down into it. I got the premium package which includes admission, the adventure trail and a float tour. I wanted to do the adventure trail first because I figured it would be really busy on the 4th of July.

Elephants Head

However, thanks to poor maps and staff direction I couldn't find the start of the damn trail.
After hiking up and down the first portion of the Rim Walk trail twice I finally decided to just continue down the gorge.

Rim Trail

I had the trail to myself for the most part and it was a gorgeous walk in the chasm. Halfway down you have the option to hop into a raft and get a guided tour the rest of the way down. There was no wait so I hopped right on. Our guide was great and it was nice to see the chasm from a different perspective.

I then hiked back up the other side of the rim and finally figured out where the adventure trail starts. Then I had to wait a half hour because they didn't have enough gear for everyone. I could see groups making their way across the start of the trail so I didn't much mind the wait because I figured it would clear them out. After harnessing myself in I elbowed my way to the front of the line and was the first up the cargo net.

Start of trail

The net leads up to rock lodge and then you proceed down the gorge via cable bridges, zip lines, and edge walks. Last fall I had done Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures with my brothers and it was absolutely amazing. Plus the carabiner system they used did not allow you to have both carabiners off a safety line. Not the case at the Ausable Chasm. You could just ignore your carabiners if you wanted to. They do make you practice to drill in the fact that you must always be clipped but there is definitely room for error in the system that did not make me totally comfortable.

Adventure Trail

I cruised along the first couple obstacles and was loving the unique vantage point and adrenaline rush when I rounded a curve and encountered the worst obstacle of all-a line of people! There was 15 people in line for 1 bridge across! It was taking people at least 5 minutes to get across. After 2 people crossed I had had enough and asked the 3 groups of people if they wouldn't mind me jumping in line because I was by myself. Otherwise I would have been there til closing time. They were nice enough to let me go and I sprinted across that bridge in about a minute flat. After that it was clear sailing to the end. I really enjoyed the elements of the adventure trail but the logistics of it were its downfall.

Lakes to Locks Passage: Part 2

Lake Champlain Bridge

Due to how busy Rogers Rock campground was on the holiday weekend it was inevitable that there would be miscreants. At 3am four drunk kids were stumbling through the loop and talking loudly and waving an American flag. They woke me up and I had to go to the bathroom so I ended up following them and telling them to pipe down because they were being rude. I think they thought I was some ranger because they ran. The nerve of some people!

Crown Point

My first stop of the morning was at Crown Point State Historic Site which has 18th century ruins. The fort is along the edge of Lake Champlain and overlooks the bridge to Vermont and it was a quiet misty morning and I was the only one there. It was a beautiful spot and you can even walk through the ruins. I also stopped at the lighthouse across the street which you can walk up and get a view of the lake.

Crown Point Light

My main destination of the day was Ausable Chasm but that was such an experience that I will save it for a separate post. Across from the Ausable Chasm parking lot is the North Country Underground Railroad museum. Its small but very well laid out and informative. I definitely learned alot and highly recommend it for a quick stop. I continued up the Lakes to Locks passage through Plattsburg and went to the Heart's Delight Farm in Chazy. There is a wayside walk that talks about the farm and its history. The place is absolutely massive. In its heyday it employed 800 workers and has 300 buildings on 15,000 acres. Much of it is still working today. I was blown away by the size of it and it was maintained so beautifully.

Rouse's Point

The Lakes to Locks byway ends in Rouse's Point, NY right at the Canadian border. I stopped to grab a slice of pizza and turned around to make my way back to Rogers Rock. I stopped at the Poke-O-Moonshine trail to hike but its located at an abandoned campground which had a super creepy vibe to it, the trail was pure mud and the only people I saw were hauling climbing gear so I got out of there. My last stop was at the 1812 Homestead and Farm Museum in Willsboro. It seemed to me like a poor mans Genesee Country Museum but I'm a sucker for living history museums. I was the only one there so I wandered around checking out the various buildings and animals. 

Runaway goat

A goat was outside the fence but as soon as he saw me he ran back into his pen through the fence so I wasn't too concerned about his welfare. I walked over to see the chickens and something furry dashed across my foot. I assumed it was a cat but I turned around and saw it was a raccoon!

Lakes to Locks Passage: Part 1

Thompson Lake

This past July 4th I was ambivalent about my destination. I had originally thought to drive the Lake to Locks passage but then the prison break happened and that would have put me right in the path of the search area. Luckily a few days before the long weekend they had taken care of the escapees so the coast was clear and I forged my plan. I left after work on Thursday to get a head start. I camped at Thompson Lake Campground outside of Albany and it was a relaxing spot.

Capital

WWII Memorial

The Egg

The next morning I headed into the heart of the capital. Being born and raised in NY I was a bit ashamed that I had never been to the capital, especially when I make it a point to visit state capitals in my travels. I had always bypassed Albany on the Thruway without a thought.
I walked around the Empire State Plaza and got to see the beautiful state capital and the various government buildings and memorials. I also got a peek at the executive mansion. With my guilt assuaged, I bounced around to a couple of historic mansions (Schuyler Mansion, Pruyn House, Van Schaick Mansion) before arriving at Cohoe's Falls.

Cohoe's Falls

There's a great park with interesting wayside exhibits explaining the history of the falls. I had never heard of the falls but they are regarded as second only to Niagara in NY and are pretty impressive. I continued down into the beautiful little town of Waterford where the Erie Canal intersects with the Hudson and the Mohawk rivers. I got to see a boat going through the locks and it was so cool. It makes me realize just how lucky I am to have the great Erie Canal flow through where I live because its a darn cool canal.

Waterford Lock

Saratoga

Schuyler House

My next stop was Saratoga National Park which I had last been to 6 years ago with my mom. It was over Thanksgiving so it was nice to now see the summer side of the park. I did the driving tour but after awhile it gets pretty boring to see the same old colored posts out in the fields.
I had never been to the Schuyler House or the Saratoga monument though and both of those were neat to visit. I made it to Schuyler's house in time for a tour and it was a cool house because the occupants over the years preserved much of the historical nature.

Saratoga monument

 The Saratoga monument was open to walk up and get a birds eye view of the area. As the day wound down I made one last stop at the Skene Manor which is a gorgeous old home that overlooks Whitehall, NY. I made my way to my campsite at Rogers Rock on the northern end of Lake George. The campground was massive and filled to capacity and I'm thankful I was able to grab the last spot 3 days before the holiday weekend.

Skene Manor