A cocoon of ethereal fog enveloped me as I walked to the end of the dock on Piseco Lake. The hush of dawn was interrupted by the gentle splish-splash of a solitary man walking languidly through calf-high water, far out into the lake. In the distance a white wolf-dog stood motionless in water up to his belly, staring intently at something on the shore. Beyond man and dog, all was swallowed up by the white curtain, beyond which echoed the lonely whoop and chuckle of an invisible loon, on the hunt for a mate.
Can’t view the above YouTube video about Piseco Lake and Irondequoit Inn? Click here.
I turned toward shore and let my gaze wander up the hillside, where even the Irondequoit Inn was obscured by the fog. Though my arrival at this rustic old inn had been unplanned, it had been no mistake. My press trip in Adirondack Park had drawn to a close the previous week but my inner voice told me I wasn’t yet done with the Adirondacks. Several years earlier I had visited Lake George during a leaf-peeping tour of the northeast and had written about the area with glowing words that rivaled the color of the fall foliage.
Relaxing on the porch at Irondequoit Inn
Irondequoit Inn in Adirondack Park near Speculator, NY
Dock on Piseco Lake at Irondequoit Inn
After reading my article, friends wrote to tell me about the Irondequoit Inn, their favorite place in upstate New York. Their coffee shop in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Front Porch Cafe, had been named in honor of the many happy hours they had spent in rocking chairs on the porch of the Inn, gazing out over lovely Piseco Lake. I dug through my old emails and found their three-year old recommendation. Remarkably, Irondequoit Inn was smack in the middle of the only part of Adirondack Park I had not yet investigated. A phone call later, I had wrapped up the only remaining room and spent the next two days hiking to area waterfalls, attending craft fairs, digging for semi-precious gems, and rocking on the front porch.
Can’t view the above slide show of the southern Adirondack Park in upstate New York? Click here.
The sun burned white-hot, slowly dissipating the mist. As the old Inn emerged atop its grassy hill, I realized that life is a lot like fog. I can’t see where the path leads; it meanders just beyond the edge of visibility. But I know if I trust the process and listen to my inner voice, it will always take me where I am supposed to go. In this case, it led me to the Irondequoit Inn, an oasis of serenity in this complicated, over-stressed world. There are no coincidences.
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Thanks Barb for your story. It was a pleasure to host you and we look forward to welcoming your readers to Piseco Paradise. Fondly, Loren Brown, Innkeeper, The Irondequoit Inn, Piseco New York
“a cocoon of ethereal fog” – what a beautiful word picture that paints of the mood of the lake and area.
Barbara–I loved this story, and the photo of the dock is so spectacular I stumbled it so everyone can see. I’d love to get there one day. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy
Nancy – thank you so much! The Adirondacks were so ssurprising for me. As mountains go, they’re hardly the Rockies, yet the environment is even more harsh in the winter, which makes the people even more enduring. Have another article coming up soon that tells individual stories about how people manage to survive in the Adirondacks. If you get the chance, so go. It’s a pretty unique place.
Amazing. Barbara, I absolutely love your posts about the Adirondacks. I went there this summer for the first time and completely fell in love. I wasn’t ready to leave, and I can’t wait to go back……I stumbled across your blog in a facebook link a few weeks ago and have thoroughly enjoyed reading your adventures there! Thank you for sharing.
William – so glad you got the chance to explore the Adirondacks and thanks for your kind words about my blog. I’m off tomorrow for a few months in South America, beginning with the Galapagos, so stay tuned for more adventures. And thanks for letting me know how much you enjoy my blog – very much appreciated.
I will definitely stay tuned. And I apologize – that was my first time commenting on a blog, so I wasn’t sure how the “signature” worked – my name is actually Anna.
Looking forward to more posts – and the pictures are great!
Looks like great hiking country – like the sound of those waterfalls