East Pine Pond And The St. Regis River At Santa Clara

This post includes two separate stops. The first was East Pine Pond, a small but scenic body of water along Floodwood Road on our way home from hiking Floodwood Mountain:

I pulled into the parking area and left the dogs waiting in the car:

I walked down to the water's edge and saw several canoes on the lake:

This spectacularly scenic lake was only one of a myriad of Adirondack lakes, scattered like blue jewels throughout the park Often, as along Floodwood Road, they're so numerous that it's easy to forget what rare, unspoiled treasures they really are:

I snapped one more photo and then a canoe pulled up to shore and began unloading. The paddler was a friendly young man whose family was in the other canoes. Apparently they were all coming ashore:

I didn't want my silly dogs to begin a bark-fest, so I headed back to the car and continued on my way home:

I drove home and the next morning left the farm for Albany. But early in the trip I stopped, as I often do, at the St. Regis River in Santa Clara:

The river here was wide and placid:

The clouds reflected in the quiet waters and a few ducks paddled here and there:

I often stop here on my way home just for a moment of quiet reflection and restoration:

But of course we were on our way home and had many miles and many hours yet to drive. So I returned to Route 458 where the Santa Clara Catholic church stands and continued on my way: