The Adirondacks - Snell Island, Lake Lila

Last weekend Sebastian and I grabbed Poppy and our buddy Mark and took a trip up to the Adirondacks. Our goal was to camp in a remote location near some water, and Sebastian did his research the week before and found us Lake Lila. The Adirondacks are a checkerboard of public and private lands, but Lila is the largest wilderness lake (which means none of the surrounding property is privately owned). As an added bonus, no motorized boats are permitted on Lila, so we knew the scene would be peaceful. We rented a two man canoe and drove 7 miles (at about 7mph) down a very rough dirt road to the canoe carry. The carry was .3 miles, and at the end was one of the most stunningly gorgeous lakes we have seen. The Department of Environmental Conservation has dotted Lila with primitive campsites, and in addition to a number of sites around the shoreline of the lake,  visitors can also camp on each of the four islands. When we arrived on Friday night we were racing the sun and snagged the first site we found. But on Saturday morning we paddled over to Snell Island, and were delighted to find it unoccupied. We quickly packed our camp, relocated, and spent the rest of the weekend eating the island's wild blueberries and enjoying spectacular 360° views.
..........

 

A Nelson Pond Fourth

4th of July in Vermont is one in a million. Our yearly trip to Nelson Pond has to be my favorite adventure of the year. Lots of water time, boats, family meals, spectacular blue skies, and of course, the adorable little Montpelier 4th of July parade. It's all just wonderful.
..........