The Cornell University Maple Research Center

My sister and I had just visited the John Brown farm in Lake Placid, NY (see yesterday's post) and began driving back to the main road. But we had to stop for photo of the Adirondack high peaks behind the John Brown farm. You can just see the peak of the John Brown farm house above the little shed. As for the mountains, I can't identify them although I probably hiked a good number of them when I was younger:

We could also see the Lake Placid Olympic ski jumps from the John Brown farm:

So before getting back on the main road, we pulled in for a closer look. The picture doesn't convey the immense size of these things. They were impressive!

Before leaving Lake Placid, we stopped at the Cornell University Maple Research Station:

It was very much open, even though they weren't currently boiling sap:

We went inside the sugar house to see the huge, modern evaporator:

Signs explained the operation:

And maple syrup was available for folks to buy if they arrived when the building wasn't open:

And then we went into the main building:

That was a busy place, with a number of people unpacking boxes of empty jugs and then filling them with syrup:

There was, of course, maple syrup for sale - and lots of it:

One man began explaining the operation to us:

They also make birch syrup, so he gave us a taste. The funny thing was that everyone described the taste differently. The man said it was savory, not sweet. My sister said it was fruity. I thought it tasted like molasses. Some people say it has a mineral taste. One thing I can say is that it is much more expensive than maple syrup, largely because it takes more sap per gallon of syrup, but also (I suspect) because there are fewer big birch trees in the forest and a smaller market for it. My sister purchased both types of syrup to take back with her to Ohio. This was the end of our Adirondack excursion, so we headed back to the farm to let the dogs out. They were sure happy to see us:

The John Brown Farm

From Saranac Lake (see the previous two posts), my sister and I drove the short distance south to Lake Placid. Just as we got this good view of Whiteface Mountain, we turned onto John Brown Road:

The John Brown home was not open (we'd known that before we went), but the grounds were open so we stopped and walked around:

Signs explained the site, John Brown's story and history of this former farm, now a monument:

I got the impression that John Brown was a severe, cold man, perhaps a religious fanatic, and not someone I might like, however much I agree with him about the evil of slavery. I took note of how seldom he came home to visit his wife and children:

John Brown was hanged after his trial for the raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and his body was returned to his wife at the farm in Lake Placid (actually North Elba), New York. The sign explains that 12 men are thought to be buried in the three graves here, including two of John Brown's sons:

The graves were encircled by a locked, wrought iron fence:

John Browns gravestone, which was originally his grandfather's, is protected by glass:


The tombstone was originally for John Brown's grandfather, but his name and the names of the two sons who died in the raid at Harper's Ferry were added:


The story of how the old Brown farm became a memorial, owned and operated by the state of New York:

The farm house was closed, so we didn't get to see inside that:

This huge stone memorial was outside the fence and behind the gravestones, but I couldn't read the inscription and couldn't find it online to tell me what it said. I could, however, see enough to tell me that it was a memorial to John Brown:

When the museum is open, the barn is also open and has displays inside. Knowing it was closed, we didn't walk down to it. Instead, we headed back toward Saranac Lake with another stop in mind (see tomorrow's post):

Whiteface Mountain - Part 2

My sister and I were climbing toward the summit of Whiteface Mountain via the "fifth of a mile nature walk" they'd told us about when we paid our toll. It was scenic, all right, but rugged and steep. That lake below us is actually considered three lakes, all in the village of Lake Placid. Also, you can see hikers rather far below, on their way up to where the other people are standing:

At this point, the "nature walk" was merely a narrow rocky ridge with railings. I saw several people slip and fall, so I held on to the railings as tightly as I could:

I looked back, towards our starting point:

And out again over Lake Placid:

It was at this point that I decided my age and lameness necessitated that I abandon the effort. So my sister continued on upward alone, though she brought my camera with her:

My sister made it to the summit and headed for the buildings there:

Inside were more informative signs such as this one. The average January windchill factor at the summit was minus 62. The coldest summit temperature was minus 43:

And the summit, of course, offered its own spectacular views:

She looked out over the surrounding landscape and down at the Memorial Highway below. Hey, tht little red car parked there might well have been ours!:

Magnificent views in every direction:

Rugged scenery:

And again, far below lay the village of Lake Placid. My sister rejoined me and we traveled back down the highway, taking small county roads through the Adirondacks towards home:

The John Brown Farm, Revisited

I arrived in the town of Lake Placid and went immediately to the John Brown farm, a State Historical Site. My walking tour began with the statue of Mr. Brown and a young, freed slave. It gave Mr. Brown's lifespan as 1800 to 1859:

John Brown's house and barn are set in a beautiful, Adirondack location:

The state has placed signs which explain the life and deeds of John Brown. I'm sure I learned about him in high school, but the only thing I remembered was the song, "John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave." Basically, he was a champion of abolishing slavery and establishing equality for everybody. Frustrated that peaceful means were not accomplishing the goal, he led an assault on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia:

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was unsuccessful and he was captured, tried, convicted and hanged:

I walked over to the little cemetery:

There were two plaques on a large stone, commemorating John Brown:

His grave is protected by a glass enclosure:

Beside John Brown's grave are two others. The first is the final resting place of his son, Oliver, who died during the raid, and many or all of the remains of nine other men who participated:

His other son, Watson, also died during the raid:

I entered and toured John Brown's farm house but no one is allowed to take pictures anymore. But I did take photos five years ago when they were allowed, and you can see them here. I walked down to the pond, crossed the dam and went to have a look at the barn:

I walked around the barn, enjoying the peaceful scenery, and then crossed back over the dam toward the house:

One last look at the house and I left to return home:

Golden Tamaracks And The St. Regis River

I was on my to visit the John Brown farm in Lake Placid, New York (tomorrow's post), but decided to take a scenic detour along the way. I turned onto Shanley Road when I saw the brilliant, golden yellow of the tamaracks:

The trees along Shanley Road often display brilliant autumn colors, but the hardwoods' glory days were in the past at this point. The tamaracks, however, were putting a wonderful show:

This road was so rural that it had a speed limit sign for ATVs. There were few houses, just lovely Adirondack scenery:

Everywhere I looked, I saw beauty:

It is at times such as this that I am grateful to be living in a place of such natural splendor:

At the end of Shanley Road, I turned onto South River Road to continue on to my destination. It too was a rural road, running alongside the St. Regis River. Small boats rested on the riverbank:

Floating docks had been pulled ashore for the winter and mountains formed a backdrop for this scenery:

There was only one classic, family farm, set far off the road, but it too was a scenic gem:

There were marshes along the road and, of course, more golden tamaracks:

South River Road had quite a few summer cottages and they, too were interesting:

By the end of the road, the St. Regis River had dropped down below me and lay shimmering in the autumn light:

I got back on the highway, but stopped one more time in order to get another good view of the St. Regis River. It was at the state boat launch site in the town of Santa Clara, a frequent stop on our way to and from the farm before my retirement. From there, I traveled directly to Lake Placid to see the John Brown farm, but I'll post about that tomorrow: