New York to Toronto

August 15, 2009

Following about a week at home, I again set out. Herself and I had planned several days in Toronto; the plan was that I would drive and she would fly. I left on August 15, and drove to Crown Point, New York, only 15 miles or so from Ticonderoga, where I was recently.

Besides being on beautiful Lake Champlain, Crown Point is the site of more colonial history. It is the site of two ruined forts: Fort St. Frédéric, constructed by the French in the 1730s, and Fort Crown Point, built by the British in 1759, late in the French and Indian War. Neither fort was ever attacked militarily; both forts were largely destroyed by defenders before withdrawing from them before superior forces, although buildings in Fort Crown Point were destroyed by fire in 1773. The remains of both forts are now part of a New York state historical site, and there is an attached campground, where I spent the night. The area's first European explorer was Samuel de Champlain, who modestly named the lake for himself. On the tercentenary of his exploration, a lighthouse was erected at Crown Point to mark the occasion. It features a sculpture depicting Champlain and his native (probably Huron) guide, as well as a small bronze by Auguste Rodin, representing France.

The following day was spent in a somewhat leisurely drive across the center of the Adirondack Mountains to Watertown, and then north to Cape Vincent, where Horne's ferry took me to the Canadian Wolfe Island, and another took me to Kingston, Ontario. A drive along the Loyalist Highway (so named because the area was settled during and after the Revolution by colonists Loyal to the Crown) brought me to Carrying Place, Ontario, where I pitched my tent in a commercial campground otherwise full of RVs semi-permanently ensconced in their lots.

On the morning of August 17, I drove to the Toronto airport and picked Herself up, after which we made our way to the hotel in the city.

Vermont: High peaks of the Green Mountains

August 8, 2009

The next morning, after visiting Mount Defiance on the New York side, I crossed over Lake Champlain into Vermont at the Ticonderoga ferry (which has recently been overwhelmed by traffic due to the closure of the Lake Champlain Bridge at Crown Point). From there I drove to the Mount Independence State Historic Site, where I went for a lovely hike through the woods, reading the occasional interpretive sign about the military uses and history of the archaeology of the area. I then drove on to the Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site, continuing the theme of Revolutionary War history.

From there, after pausing in Middlebury, Vermont for lunch and a stroll through the farmer's market, I made my way back into the Green Mountains and Lincoln Gap, where I left the car and took to my feet for an overnight backpack.

The portion of the Long Trail I embarked on is known as the Monroe Skyline, after one of the prime movers behind the establishment of the Long Trail. There are two peaks over 4,000 feet on this section, and Mount Abraham was about 3 miles from the gap. Even though it is just over 4,000 feet, it has a bare summit with 360-degree views, including spectacular views of Lake Champlain to the west. After stopping at the summit for a rest, I hiked about 10 minutes further along the trail, and located a suitable spot off the trail to pitch my tent. After an early dinner I climbed back to the summit to observe the sunset.

August 9, 2009

Leaving most of my gear near my campsite, I got an early start, and hiked further along the ridge until I reached the summit of Mount Ellen. There are a number of intervening peaks that are only modest bumps above the ridgeline, and the upper ends of ski lifts punctuate the ridge and provide opportunities for views. Shortly after heading on my way back from Mount Ellen, the sky began to cloud over; by the time I recovered my gear and got back to the top of Mount Abraham, the view had noticeably disappeared...

I returned to my car by early afternoon, and headed off for Waterbury, Vermont, where I made myself comfortable at the campground of the Little River State Park.

August 10, 2009

My plan for this day was to enjoy a climb of Vermont's second-highest peak, Camel's Hump. While I succeeded in climbing it, the weather was difficult, and the higher reaches were entirely socked in with clouds and subjected to period rain. This put a definite damper in Bear's desire to take pictures, and made the mountain's supposedly great views less than stellar.

The weather was somewhat better down in the valley. I took a leisurely drive south until I reached Killington, where I set up camp at Gifford Woods State Park, and dried out my gear.

August 11, 2009

While I had originally contemplated attacking Mount Killington, the day hike seemed a bit long to me, and it was necessary for me to return home, so I abandoned that idea and made tracks for home.