Ticonderoga

Thursday was far too good to waste, given the promise of more wet weather ahead.

But where should we go? I tossed out a couple of suggestions and we stared at the map of Vermont but it did not seem to take Grant’s fancy that day and well, he is the driver.

Finally: “Let’s just go to Ticonderoga!” he said.

So we did.

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*Fort Ticonderoga itself is not open until next month, but we’d often talked about going.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ticonderoga

When we came to live here first, back in 2018, I considered the round trip journey too long, but with the help of a skilled pain management specialist, I recovered enough stamina to travel further afield.

We decided to check out Ticonderoga itself and get the lay of the land.

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We opted to take route 22 which is more interesting than the throughway and I spent much of the journey gazing at trees.

Trying in vain to capture images as we flew by,

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Despite bright sunlight, it was a cold day with a stiff wind.

In places along the road ice still clung to rocky embankments.

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It is very noticeable that many pine trees have turned brown like the one here. It happens sometimes in autumn when old needles shed, but this seems to be much more drastic and probably more likely a result of last year’s severe drought, followed by a harsh winter.

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In the right light they look pretty, but it is sad to see so many suffering such stress.

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Lake Champlain was a very different colour than the last time we were here, when it was frozen over, or on previous visits when it was bright blue. AI advises:

In early spring, lake water often appears exceptionally clear, turquoise, or light green due to a “clear-water phase” caused by zooplankton grazing on algae, or it may appear brownish from spring runoff containing organic matter. As temperatures rise, lakes often experience a “spring greening” as sunlight and nutrients trigger early algal blooms.

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Driving into Ticonderoga, we were surprised to see a small waterfall.

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We easily found a place to leave the car and walked down to the falls in Bicentennial Park and along the La Chute River which ultimately feeds into the lake

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The river was important historically in the production of paper and also graphite.

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Which explains this.

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Also the name of a local restaurant: The Paper and Pencil.

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On a cold blustery Thursday, there wasn’t much happening, although a handful of local people appeared unaware of the chill that had us bundled up, as they displayed naked flesh.

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We crossed the river using a short covered bridge: The “Kissing” Bridge.

So called, as you might guess, because couples reportedly stopped there for a discreet kiss.

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View from across the river.

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We walked toward another bridge where people were bending over the railing, keenly watching a young lad who was fishing. I am not ashamed to say I routed for the fish.

As we walked back to the car, we passed a woman and young child walking a small dog. Grant turns to mush over dogs, but perhaps he was wary of a woman with wild purple hair, as he continued on while I befriended the friendly little beast. I inquired if it would like to come home with me to play with Little Man and I am sure I could have convinced it, but “mother” would not allow.

Shame. It was sweet and I feel certain it is what our kitty cat needs.

An energetic playmate!

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On foot, I had a better chance of capturing those pretty trees, except that the branches were swaying about madly in the wind and I could barely stand still myself.

As they come into bloom, red maples are lovely.

There were just a few more photographs…that I’ll save for tomorrow.

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