And away we go!
With Bob Seger’s ‘Roll Me Away’ playing on the car stereo and in my head, I departed Ottawa for points south on Monday afternoon, later than expected but in no real rush. Loading up the new-to-me Outback for the first time had me assessing the options for each and every piece of kit or bag that I was taking with me. With different cargo space than the Santa Fe, I know that adjustments will be made over the course of the next several weeks.
Just over an hour from departure, I arrived at the US border prepared to be interrogated and/or strip searched. Back in 2020 when I crossed the BC/WA border, customs did not like my story about planning to be in the US for a ‘couple of months’ with no set itinerary and that led to a lengthy delay while I explained my road trip. This time, after a couple minutes of the standard intent/money/drugs/alcohol/tobacco/arrested questions and a better explanation of my intent, I was free to go.
The drive to my first stop was along the my standard secondary roads was uneventful although in the four hours I encountered all types of weather – sunshine, rain, snow, and ice pellets. Travelling through the Adirondacks was incredibly beautiful and I plan on going back for some long hikes when the weather turns nicer and when I have time. I passed through Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, before my first stop of this journey in Lake George NY. On the recommendation of a good friend who did some Google reconnaissance for me, I had supper at the Adirondack Brewery where I sampled some of the fine beers they have on tap. Both the beer and the food were excellent.
With plenty of time for my next leg on Tuesday, I decided to hike Prospect Mountain just outside of Lake George. Although it was a simple out and back, the 5.6 km hike had nearly 500 meters of elevation gain which was a great way to start the blood flowing in the morning. The view from the top was impressive. There is also a road that takes you to the summit and based on the size of the parking lot and the number of picnic tables, this place must be extremely busy during the summer months. I was grateful to be alone on this morning. On the way down, I met Frances who has been doing trail maintenance in the area for many years. At 71 years old, he said that last year he hiked to the summit 157 times! I had a long and wonderful chat with him as he told me about his family, his travels and his passion for the outdoors.
Given the time spent on the mountain, I had to travel on main highways for the next few hours to meet my next timings. The drive was great although I will be avoiding interstates as much as possible from now on. I arrived in East Brunswick NJ late afternoon to meet my very good high school friend Jim and his wife Tia. Due to circumstances of life, we had not seen each other in 30 years so this was a very special experience for me. We reminisced about the old days, got caught up on our lives over the past three decades, and made plans for the future. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to be able to reconnect with Jim. It was such a wonderful evening and I am looking forward to the next time which will be significantly sooner that the last.
Two days in and I’m finding it difficult to keep up with the blog on a daily basis! If I didn’t have amazing people to visit, this writing thing would be much easier. Stories from Tuesday about my good buddy Dave in PA will wait until tomorrow.
