Alger Island, NY

Kayak getaway in the Central Adirondacks near Inlet, NY.
(Flash stream, 5 mb)

We’ve always been obsessed with the High Peaks area of the Adirondacks and have hiked/climbed/bushwacked our way up 22 of the 46 peaks.  Last summer, we discovered the thrill of kayaking in the many lakes that are found in the Central Daks.  It was as if we had discovered a whole new neighborhood just around the corner from our old hang-out.

This was our second trip to Alger Island.  The first time we camped on the eastern shore of the island, in a wooded spot with a lean-to rising high above the lake on a steep slope.  This time, we kayaked and camped right at the edge of a sandy beach on the western shore, lit by brilliant sun, cooled by a lake-skimming breeze.  Alger is in Fourth Lake, the largest of the Fulton Chain of Lakes (one through eight).  Z (Max) and I paddled the 14 miles from Fourth to Old Forge and back to Alger on Sunday.  The weather was perfect, mid-70s, sunny… swimming in the lake, pink skies at sunset.  I won’t soon forget the calm and silence of watching fog rise off the surface of the water while the skies broke into pink dawn.  What an immersive experience… I think I really needed to unplug.