It was a beautiful weekend here in the Central Adirondacks with the leaves peak in most areas. I had a moose hike to Rockdam in the Moose River Area with a couple from Massachusetts on Saturday, and we only saw tracks, but it was a beautiful day. We flushed a couple ruffed grouse along the trail and the day before when I walked in checking the trail I heard one drumming. We saw a small peeper frog jump across the trail and one big American toad looking for a place to hide for winter. The river was high going over the natural dam across the South Branch of the Moose River where it joins the Red River after we got over two inches of rain during the week and the colors along the riverbanks were in full fall beauty. Other birds heard along the trail were a hairy woodpecker, black capped chickadee and both red breasted and white breasted nuthatches.
On Sunday, I was the steward on Stillwater Mountain and the color up there was just about peak with big puffy white clouds all over the skyline. A little wind was blowing from the south when I first went up in the tower and the red squirrels were still dropping cones down from the red spruce to store for the winter. A pileated woodpecker gave us a few calls not far from the tower and a common raven flew by giving us a look-see. The red breasted and white breasted nuthatches, black capped chickadees, golden crowed kinglets, slate colored juncos, and a couple purple finch were around the tower most of the day working for bugs and cone seeds to eat. I had 40 visitors and 10 dogs; one dog came up into the tower and did not want to leave. One visitor was a Navy submarine veteran who was on the USS Wyoming, and he told me a couple interesting sub stories. He was still working in the nuclear program and updating the sub training base in West Milton where he trained before going out on a sub. I told him that was right in my backyard from the 1954 to 1965 years of my life, what a small world. He was doing the fire tower challenge, and this was the third one he had done that day, and he was heading to Rondaxe after leaving this site. He put on some miles that day on the road and in the woods as he had done Spruce in Saratoga County and Kane in Fulton County before heading north to here. While he was up in the tower a wheel airplane made a few passes by the tower taking photos I guess as they came pretty close to the tower a couple times. The hiker was taking photos of his travels, and he got a couple of shots of the airplane going by. I told him of one time I was painting the Wakely Mountain Fire Tower roof with a roller. I was standing out on the end of a plank which was under the map table out the window and the observer on the other end of the plank. The observer said we have company, and I looked down where the trail came up near the cabin and I said I do not see anyone. He said look south in the air and an A-10 fighter jet was approaching fast. It went by and I could read the numbers on the pilot’s helmet. The observer said they go by here all the time. I got in off the plank for a brief time and took a break but got back out and finished painting the roof, moving the plank from window to window. I think it was the only orange roof on a tower in the Adirondacks. No fear of heights that day!
Hurricane Helene, which hit in the panhandle of Florida just south of Tallahassee as a Category 4, moved north from there into Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina and states further north, with over a foot of rain in many places. The loss of life is over 120, most were lost from high water where people just could not get out as the water rose so fast. A dam in North Carolina in danger of failing with all the water falling in the mountains flowing in that direction could cause even more damage and destruction. Some towns were completely wiped off the map by water. Former president Trump in Georgia yesterday claiming that the federal government is not doing anything to help those in the states affected by the flooding, all lies, cannot even tell the truth during such tragedy!
Karen’s roses are blooming for a second time and even out growing the hollyhocks that covered their blooms earlier in the year. My toad lily finally showed its colors with many more to come. Still no frost here at Eight Acre Wood.
The fringed gentians are all in bloom in the field by the dry hydrant between Inlet and Eagle Bay.
Inlet Kids Day will again take place on Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., check with the town hall 315-357-5501 for all attractions for the day but that’s another story. See ya.
Photo at top: Looking east from Stillwater Tower. Photo by Gary Lee.
My grandfather Earl Carman manned the Woodhull Mtn tower circa 1943-45. He painted the roof of the tower basically the same way, although it is my understanding that because he was alone and used a rock as a counter weight (gramps was rather on the small side). Supposedly the person manning the tower west of Thendara could see via his binoculars or scope that gramps was doing something but wasn’t sure what. When he later spoke with gramps he said something like, “only you Earl, only you.”
Gary, I enjoyed your article! Having visited the Stillwater Reservoir well over 60 times in the last 60 years, I’ve made numerous trips to the fire tower and I distinctly (and nostalgically) remember those A-10 Warthogs screaming down the Flow. It was a thrill to watch them and we miss them to this day. My daughter and I were just there a week ago and the colors were just beginning to pop. I can envision those puffy clouds you described- what we call an “Adirondack sky.” Thank you for your vivid descriptions and personal observations.
Located in the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge near Fallon, Nevada, this observation tower offers visitors a chance to observe a diverse array of bird species.