Yesterday we drove from Whitby, Ontario to Hemlock
Hall near (on) Blue Mountain Lake, just east of the town
of the same name. Ann and Jim Owens had just
returned from a day of kayaking. We brought in our
stuff and sat around and talked until dinner.
Hemlock Hall is located in the heart of the Adirondack
mountains. It's a beautiful spot set in the woods,
but also close to the lake.
Dinner was a sumptious affair with too much food,
seating was family style and seats are assigned with
eight people to a table. We sat with Jim and Ann
and 2 couples from Albany. The setting is informal
and the conversation quite lively.
This morning we got a late start. Breakfast is
served between 8:30 and 9. Again we
found our selves seated with interesting
people. I can understand why Jim and
Ann return year after year.
After breakfast we walked to Castle Rock.
It is a 2 1/2 mile walk, but there is a good
deal of rock scrambling at the end of the
trail to get up to the top of the rock. It was more
than I had bargained for. There were several places
where you had to climb steeply (almost straight
up) through the rocks. Unlike the west where you
climb up canyons and over rocks, these rocks were
covered with interwoven roots of trees. The dirt had
been worn away by many feet. To me the roots
made it much more difficult although there were
times when they made good hand holds. I imagine
if the rocks were wet what is left of the dirt on them
would make them very slippery and you would be
happy for the roots as foot holds.
Ann and Jim Owens with Robert on Castle Rock
(43:52.302 74:26.941 1863) Location of
Castle Rock .
The top, or Castle, a knob, was worth the climb.
The view of the lake and surrounding mountains
was spectacular. We should have carried our
lunch, as it turned out. It took us much longer
than anticipated to make it to the top and
lunch would have been a welcome treat. I had
thrown 4 apples into my pack so we ate those
and we all had water.
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