Passing Through The Beautiful High Peaks Region

I was on my way north through the Adirondacks with all six dogs in the car. We'd had a rest stop along the Ausable River and now were driving northwest along Route 73 through the high peaks region. The highway had recently been badly damaged and closed due to Tropical Storm Irene. I could see recent repairs everywhere, including in sections such as this with sharp drop-offs at the edge of the road. It must have been terrifying when the road collapsed:

But all was well now and the views were fantastic. To make it even more wonderful, the autumn colors were just beginning to show:

I stopped on the side of the road to photograph the cascading water. I'd expected the water flow to be huge because of the recent rains, but it was not. Nevertheless, the view is wonderful and I never tire of seeing it:

We drove through Keene, New York with its lovely mountain views:

Alongside the road were huge piles of boulders to be used in road repair. They also made a nice framing for mountain pictures:

A few old farms remain in the high peaks region. They were once hardscrabble farms in a difficult place. Now they're expensive, highly desirable real estate:

Adirondack peaks on both sides of the road:

Some mountains are big, some are small:

Once we were past the town of Keene Valley, the road starts uphill toward the highest of the high peaks:

We were on our way to the farm on an exquisitely beautiful day. I was thrilled to stop and snap a few pictures to share with you:

I know from many trips along this route that this high peak directly ahead is the signal for the Cascade Chain of lakes. We'd be there in just a few miles: