Some roadside routes are more exciting than others. All have unique features. Prelude to Overture, rated 5.8 YDS, is often called one of the most exposed routes of its grade in the Adirondacks. The photos above, one of me leading and 2 of my friend Loren Swears, show why. All three photos are traversing a roof system on Upper Washbowl Cliff...there's nothing but 150' of air underneath this spur of the roof. The views are simply inspiring.

Brandy Brook Flow on Cranberry Lake was my latest destination. This is a nice easy hike, a little over 7 miles round-trip. At one time, this was home to the floating camps of lore. There are several very nice campsites along the way. The trail has several intersections to other locations, and the Cranberry Lake 50 follows it for a ways.

The lake is now open for the rest of the season. This is a very nice paddle, I loosely followed the shoreline, and racked up about 6 miles. The western end has some great bays and channels to explore, one of which is the beginning of the south branch of the Grasse River. Pay attention to the public use dates if you decide to visit- 9/1 thru 7/15.

My dad was once very ambitious and decided to carve an owl out of a stump. Surprisingly, it went very well and we also have a carved mushroom in our lawn!

I wanted to play with depth perception while I had the chance with some hay bales!

I was looking for birds at Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area on Sunday but the birding was rather slow. As I sometimes do when birds aren't cooperating I started looking for insects and noticed a numbers of adult small milkweed bugs on some of the roadside milkweed plants. This is one of a number of insect species that specializes on milkweed, of which the Monarch is most famous.

Ther is a half-mile trail from the gate to the pond. I did a bushwhack around the pond and ended up with a two-mile round trip hike. It is easy up until the bushwhacking, then it gets tough. Just before the pond is a maple tree that had been struck by lightning and burned out from the inside, but left the outer wood living. It was plenty big enough for me to fit inside with my pack.

Burntbridge Pond is a fairly common destination from the Cranberry Lake direction (NW). I approached from the east on the Massawepie road. Most of it is following old logging roads, but the last half mile is a trailless bushwhack that gets more difficult as you get closer to the pond. If you are not comfortable with map and compass work, take the conventional route from the Cranberry Lake side. It is about five and a half miles round trip.

A nice hike to the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River. This long-abandoned trail was once a logging railroad for the first 1.5 miles. Altogether it is around 5-miles round trip.

Can you identify poison ivy?  Here are four pictures to compare of which the first and last are poison ivy and the two in the middle are not. Remember: leaves of three, leave it be!