Old Forge To Forked Lake

I thought last weekend was gonna be a 'stay at home weekend' to get garden beds weeded and edged, windows washed, and maybe even some recording in. I was taking a break watching Barefoot Contessa layering salmon with dill and salt when Billiam stuck his head in the door and said, "Hey the sun is shining, lets pack up the kayaks and head up north." Of course, he didn't have to twist my arm. I jumped up and we were packed and on the road in about 20 minutes. I really don't know why we just don't sell this house and move there. After a to go dinner from Slickers and walking the sidewalk past my favorite movie theater to be joined by a pair of scruffy deer for a light breakfast the next morning in Old Forge's own, Walt's diner which I learned was once called, The Ferns. And after pouring over a map of northern Raquette and the Long Lake area, we discovered route 3 which turned out to be a lovely paved forest road that winds past Buttermilk Falls to Forked Lake. Once there we found we could drive the kayaks right down to the boat launch to put in. The sky was that deep indigo blue you'd think you'd only see in Tahoe with a lonely jet steam etched into the ozone. After loading up our gear and getting Lou settled on his towel in the bow of my kayak. I pushed off and wouldn't you know it! The minute I got into the middle of the first bay, a wind came up out of nowhere making the paddle extremely hard! White caps and water spraying in my boat and Lou shakily looking at me thinking..why are you doing this to me? I made it to the yonder shore and kayaked close trading white caps for small clouds of black flies which weren't at all bad compared to other spring kayaks. Once on the Stillwater Hotel deck after battling clouds of black flies on a kayak to the Kettle Hote, an elderly man at a different table stared at me as I was trance like brushing my hair repeatedly. He finally asked me why I was brushing my hair for so long and I retorted back, I'm not brushing my hair I'm scratching my bug bites!" Looking over at Bill in his new 16 foot Current Design with a rudder easily cutting through the water I knew a shopping trip to Mountain Man was in my near future. My beloved twelve footer that I've had now for 6 years, and has carried me to many memorable woodland and swampland experiences, I knew I had to retire before one of these dark glacial lakes swallowed us both alive. A longer boat with a rudder is simply a must to safely kayak these larger and unpredictable lakes. So after about an hour of exploring Forked Lake paddling in between bouts of sunshine and wind, we decided to zig zag back to the boat launch and find another place to put in on a northern Raquette shore. Well! That didn't happen, as the last leg of my paddle was just a little scary, fighting yet another freight train of Adirondack wind to get across. I beat it. I'm buffing up by jesus! No bat wings on this girl! Arriving at the boat launch I looked over at Bill as he was scrunching up to shore in his boat. I must of had some kind of warrior look on my face because he quickly put out a peace offering of a shopping trip to Mountain Man in which I quickly accepted. After trying out three different kayaks the Delta Seventeen won hands down. She's fire engine red and tracks like a dream! I'm not a 46'er because of my fear of heights but I've kayaked hundreds of times on many lakes, reservoirs, streams and ponds. I've hiked miles of trails and camped in many a remote campsite and lean to that makes me feel truly validated and worthy of being called a woman of the Adirondacks.