Blue Mountain, in the central Adirondacks, is awesome from any angle. My husband and I got to see several of those angles from my favorite seat – in a canoe.
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Lake Durant, a 327-acre lake near Blue Mountain, was ablaze with fall color when my husband and I paddled there in October. We stayed at the Lake Durant State Park Campground there, and launched right from our site.
Once on the water, it was hard to know where to begin. To our right was a bridge, to the left, beautiful waters that begged to be explored. Right in front of us, was Blue Mountain, with its 3759-foot summit. We headed left, (west) towards Rock Pond.
The ever-green of pine trees contrasted with the yellow, orange and red colors of the leaves. It was one of those perfect fall days; warm and sunny with blue skies.
We soon came to a low footbridge that connected a hiking trail. After dis-embarking from the canoe, we were able to slide it under the bridge. Then we took a break, admiring the view while we rested.
Rock Pond lived up to its name. The outside was rimmed with large rocks, and more lurked below the surface. Near the end of Rock Pond, we startled a Great Blue Heron, who flew off to a more private place.
Paddling back, we stopped at the bridge for lunch. Several hikers passed through as we sat on the bridge and lunched, enjoying the lovely day.
Paddling back on Lake Durant, we followed the north shore, which hugs Route 30 in places. We explored the shoreline, stopping once to climb the bank and check out a road that led to the dam on the northeast end. Then we paddled up to the bridge, which crossed the dam.
The next day we arrived at Blue Mountain Lake. There were plenty of people milling about, but there weren’t many on the water.
We launched and headed west, turning often to admire the view of Blue Mountain behind us. We met a few kayakers as we crossed the lake, paddling past homes and cottages.
A handmade bridge marked our entrance to Eagle Lake. Built by William West Durant, the bridge combines stone with ornate woodwork, and demanded that we stop and take several photos.
We both enjoyed Eagle Lake. It was quieter, very peaceful, and there was little development.
Soon we entered Utowana, a lake we’d often admired from Route 28. This long body of water reflected the fall colors beautifully and encouraged lingering. We stopped at a hidden waterfall for lunch, eating among moss-covered stones. There were a few camps and one lean-to, otherwise we saw few signs of civilization.
We ended our trip at the end of Utowana. Before we left, though, we walked the carry to the Marion River, checking it out for a future trip.
Any day on the water is a good one - but this one was one to remember.
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