Guest book entries – June – August 09

June 2009–Guests from Herdon, Virginia We all enjoyed staying in your home this past week; the kids used the game tables—kept them busy while it rained. You have a lovely home here in a wonderful spot. We took advantage of the kayaks and explored the river. Thank you for a great time!

7/14/09–Family from Plattsburg, NY The cabin is beautiful! It rained quite a bit during our three day stay but the wi-fi and Direct TV helped entertain us! The view is awesome, we will come back next year!

7/25/09–6 guests from Niagara Falls, NY What a fantastic little paradise you have here! We have stayed in Wilmington several times – and it gets better every time. This is a perfect location – we loved the canoe and quick trips to Lake Everest. Of course, shopping in Lake Placid is always a favorite experience of mine! Thanks for a great time!

8/14/09–2 guests from Sherman, NY & 2 guests from Panama, NY What a great place and a great time we had. Especially enjoyed the canoe and kayaks. We actually had awesome weather, which is great considering this summer. The house is great, had everything we needed for cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Thanks for putting in the fire pit, we enjoyed that too. All-in-all wonderful place. Thanks for everything.

8/22/09–7 guests from Albany, NY What a beautiful house in such a great location! Close enough to plenty of fun things to do but beautiful enough to never want to leave! We loved your selection of movies on a rainy afternoon! Thanks for everything this place was great.

Waterfront ready for Swimming and Boating

Wow what a busy spring! Excited about our first summer at Trout Landing, we’ve been fixing up the property so we can enjoy the great outdoors. As of the end of May we now have waterfront access! (Being perched on the river bank gives us great views, but means we had to build a walkway down to the waterfront.)

As this picture shows, you can now get to the water to swim, boat and fish! We thought about putting in a dock, but since we’ve found we can boat and swim from the waterfront we’ve decided not to for now. You can also see that we just bought a canoe for our guests (plus lifejackets from toddler to adult sizes).

We recommend water shoes to swim from our waterfront (it’s a bit mucky at the shoreline). This section of Lake Everest/Ausable River-West Branch, is shallow (4-6 ft) and has a gentle current. (I love it – I can get out for a good swim and take a break whenever I want!) If you’re looking for a lazy day on a sandy beach, the town beach is a short 10 minute walk from the cottage.

If want to put in a boat bigger than a canoe or kayak, simply drive over to the town beach (5 minutes away) where there is a public boat launch, then head upstream to the cottage. You can tie up your boat on our shoreline. (Note: only small motors on boats are permitted on Lake Everest – contact our property manager for more details.)

Good news for fishing folks – one of the best trout pools is just down from our waterfront, and another is near the Wildlife Refuge … I often sit down at the water’s edge in the evening and watch fish jump continuously not 10 ft away!

PLUS, since no trip to the Adirondacks is authentic without Adirondack chairs, we’ve outfitted the fire area with a new set. (They’re perfect on the deck too for an awesome view of the water towards the Wildlife Refuge – my favorite spot for morning coffee.)

Trout Landing Cottage is officially ready for summer!

Birds, Birds, Birds

An avid photographer, John is having a great time taking photos of the birds on our property and on the water. This first one is of our resident merlin – a small falcon that you may hear calling from its favorite perch in a dead tree on the right-hand side of the property, towards the waterfront. Yes, that is a small bird in its talons!

This second is a pileated woodpecker. We were surprised to find this magnificant bird pecking away at a large dead pine tree at the front of the

property.

And finally is a family of common merganser ducks. John snapped this picture while kayaking upstream from our cottage. (I love this photo so much it’s on my wall at

work!)

If you paddle past the Wildlife Refuge dock, upstream from the cottage, you may

also catch a glimpse of the osprey family in their nest high atop a massive pine that is leaning out from the shoreline. John

hasn’t captured these amazing birds on his camera yet, but he’s had one dive for fish in front of his kayak and we’ve watched them fly around the water and marshes with fish in their clutches – an awesome site!

Now to get pictures of the beavers and their lodges … :)

Guest book entries - Feb - Apr 2009

February brought Trout Landing 3 groups of guests, but during that time the guest book was misplaced so no entries were logged. HOWEVER, one obviously happy group left us this very cool message on the basement floor. They used old paint stir sticks and some wire they found!

No March guests, so took advantage of the opening in the calendar to enjoy the AMAZING spring hiking ourselves.

04/13/09 - Guests from Nova Scotia and Ottawa, Ontario.
Our Easter guests in April obviously enjoyed their stay and made these two entries in the guest book:

• Crazy Pretty! Cottage felt just like home, and the area is simply amazing! We will surely be back, maybe when the skiing conditions are better. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.
• Everything was wonderful from the sunset driving in to the warm sun driving out. Your cottage was perfect and the location was great as well. I will for sure need to plan a longer trip out here to see everything we didn't have time to see! Thank you this was much appreciated!!!.

New at Trout Landing: Ping pong, gazebo, bbq and more

Spring is here and with it comes great new stuff for Trout Landing!

Since March, we've added a professional grade ping pong table and Foosball table, plus a new screened-in gazebo on the deck, a propane bbq/grill, new fire 'pit'/bowl, and a new patio table for the deck!

More to come ... we're working on the waterfront pathway and staircase.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Guest book entries - Dec 08 -Jan 09

Our first renters!

12/29/08 - 9 guests from, Farmingdale, Massapequa Park and Brooklyn, New York
We had a great time staying at Trout Landing. The house is beautifully furnished and had everything we needed. The board games and movies came in handy after a day on the slopes (in the pouring rain). The basement is huge – you should consider putting a pool table down there! All-in-all we had an awesome time and would definitely use Trout Landing on our next Whiteface Trip.
Trout Landing says: Thanks for the basement idea – we’ll put in a ping pong table soon! And sorry to hear about the rain - we've had plenty of snow since.

1/2/08 - 9 guests
Thank you so much for letting us stay at your beautiful Trout Landing cottage. We had a wonderful time and could not have found a better place to bring in the New Year!

1/10/09 – 4 guests from Costa Rica, Los Angeles and Montreal
Thank you so much for offering a wonderful house – we had everything we needed! The location is great and the view from the living room is beautiful.

Trip report: Giant’s Nubble snowshoeing, Jan. 3, 2009

Group: J & J on snowshoes with hiking poles
Conditions: 23F (-5C), sunny and windy – fresh new snow
Distance: 2.0 mi (3.1 km) to summit from Rte 73 via Roaring Brook Trail
Duration: approx 3 hours (that’s mostly a guess -- we forgot to time the hike!)

What a way to start the New Year! A beautiful day, great hike and a stunning High Peaks view!

Not a mountain, Giant’s Nubble is instead a rocky outcrop on Giant Mt.’s southwest ridge. It offers great views of the mountains surrounding St. Hubert’s and the slides on Giant’s west face.

This hike started off with a detour close to the trailhead to check out the ice climbers on the ice sheet covering Roaring Brook Falls. There we met a nice bloke from New York City who originally hailed from the UK. He was nervously eying the ice above him while his very experienced hired guide picked out their route above. We were happy to stay on the ground!

Back on the main trail, we detoured at the top of the falls for the view and to look for the ice climbers. We couldn’t spot any from our vantage, but did find some rope marks in the fresh snow. Snapped a few pics, and back on the trail.

As on our first hike, we notice how the snow depth increases as we ascend. The winds are blustery and only the most protected tree limbs hold their snow. Trail markers on trees are usually placed high above our heads, but with the deepening snow they are at eye level or lower!

On the Nubble, we take in the view of the west face of Giant and watch the high winds blow a steady plume of snow off the summit. We are happy to watch this frozen vision from a distance! We move over to another cliff for the St. Hubert’s view where we take in the beautiful vista filled with peaks we’ve hiked over the summers. Gusts of wind whisk snow off those distant peaks too.

Out comes the tripod again and a series or pics results in this stunning picture. Exposed on the ridge, gusts of wind and blowing snow are hitting us too so we don’t linger long.


Once again our descent is fast. Sliding on the new snow is a hoot!

Clothing wise, this time we were better prepared. We were both dressed properly in layers, had plenty of water and some emergency gear, including ‘space’ blankets. Next time we’ll pack thick mitts/gloves for the summit and descent – our hands became quite chilled and took some time to warm up. And, looking at the fierceness of the wind at the top of Giant, we’ll also bring along our ski goggles when we hit those higher peaks.

So, another great snowshoe hike! I’m absolutely loving this sport and am looking forward to the next.

- J.

Trip report - Roostercomb Mt. snowshoeing, Dec 13, 2008

Trip Report - Snowshoe Hike

Conditions: 8 inches of new snow the day before, warm

Today was our first official alpine snowshoe hike. Long-time summer and fall hikers, we thought we’d take up snowshoeing when we decided to build our four-season Trout Landing Cottage. Comfortable in winter sports and familiar with the trails, it just made sense to see if we’d enjoy the Adirondack Mountain peaks laden with snow.

Joining me and J were bro-in-law and sis-in-law, P & L. Also new to snowshoeing, this would be their first winter alpine hike too. L picked the hike* and P took the lead. (*Full disclosure – L forgot this was a mountain trail and thought she’d picked a flat trail for our first foray!)

We hit the Roostercomb Mountain trailhead in the early afternoon. As this was our first winter attempt at any peak, we had no idea how far up the mountain we would make it. We’ve hiked it at least twice in the summer, so knew it to be a reasonable first attempt trail.

Snowshoes were needed from the get-go. There was at least a good foot of snow at the base, and we soon discovered that it would get deeper and deeper as we ascended. We also soon discovered that John was the only one properly attired for the outing. John dressed in good, breathable and wicking cross-country ski wear while the rest of us overdressed in ski jackets and parkas. It wasn’t long before the sweat was pouring off us! This was a big newbie mistake, and we should have known better. Had it been a cold day or had we run into any trouble, this could have badly affected our outing.

So now we were on the trail. Wow, what a wonderful difference a winter hike is! The usually root and rock strewn trail was now covered in a snow and we no longer had to pick our footing over those roots and rocks. The impact on our aging joints was lessened by the cushioning of the snow – we especially noticed this later on the descent. The trees were also still covered in snow from the snowstorm of the day before. And, as we rose higher and higher on the mountain, the snow cover became thicker on the trees. By the time we reached the summit it was a true winter wonderland, with evergreen boughs yielding to the weight of the snow.

But the ascent was not as rosy as that picture might paint. Also soon into the hike we found that L’s snowshoes were not up to the challenges of the hike. At the first spot of ice on the trail, we realized that her crampons were not designed for this type of terrain. While the rest of ours resembled blades, up to the task of cutting through ice, hers more closely resembled the tips of ski poles – round, thick and dull. Now, every uphill icy patch required a team effort to move her forward on the trail.

Later we met a fellow on his way down who explained the snowshoe designs better to us. Unlike L’s, the rest of us were wearing snowshoes that tapered at the end. Hers were shaped like ovals. According to this fine fellow, hers were designed for light touring where ours were designed for backwoods trails. Ah, that explained everything!

After about an hour and a half we were close to the summit. J and P sprinted ahead, as their athletic legs and boundless energy demanded. L and I trailed behind, but determined nonetheless. However, L’s poorly designed snowshoes and overheating from her parka finally took their toll; she asked me to push on without her while she turned back. We would not normally have separated, but given our knowledge of this trail and the exemplary conditions of the day, we felt this was a safe prospect.

Now alone, I wondered if there were any winter obstacles ahead that would impede my making the summit. I followed the freshly broken trail and ascended into the winter wonderland. Two or three times I came upon ice covered rocks that I skirted, but nothing to stop my progression.

Close to the top, P passed me on his way down. Knowing that L had been struggling, he spent a scant few minutes taking in the summit views before heading back down the mountain. Within minutes I joined J on the exposed peak. Wow, what a view! The hazy views of summer were crystallized in the cool, dry winter air. The mountains encircled us in a never-ending march towards the horizons.

J had his camera equipment and mini-tripod out and, in our short time on the peak, took photos that included the Giant Mountain range and a couple with the range towards Marcy behind the two of us.

Pictures snapped, we readied ourselves for the descent. Wait – a problem – my heel risers are frozen open! I raised these small wire pieces on my snowshoes to level out my feet on the ascent to take the pressure off my calves. Great for the ascent, if I can’t lower them for the descent, it will feel like hiking down in high heels! Shoot, we meant to try spraying our snowshoes with WD-40 before heading out to avoid problems like this. After 5 minutes J finally solved the problem by jumping on them. Phew! WD-40 for sure next time!

So now to see if we could catch up with P and L. A work-out on the way up, the way down is a hoot! We quickly find that leaning back on the snowshoes lets us slide down some sections. Other areas we can practically run down, with that gentle cushioning of the snow. Two hours to climb, it only took us 50 minutes to return to the parking lot, yet we didn’t catch P and L. A note awaited us on the truck; rather than freeze while awaiting us they chose to take the short walk into Keene Valley in search of hot coffee. Smart move! We quickly joined them, raving about the adventure and views and looking forward to our next hike.

Summary: 2 hours up with 10-15 minutes on the summit, 50 minutes down. Snowshoes required, poles optional but helpful. Next time, dress in layers with good wicking properties to keep dry.

Rating: Rating = A++ … I’m hooked!

Welcome to Trout Landing

The Trout Landing Cottage blog will be the spot to find

• Guest book entries -- find out what our guests have to say about Trout Landing
• Trip reports -- notes on our adventures in the Adirondacks
• Updates on Trout Landing -- we'll post notes when we do things to the cottage
• Other stuff we think of!

Check back often!

- J & J