Indian Lake Island Campground

Gentle waves directly beneath me.
I try to remember to breathe.
With even the slightest movement
a great panic rises within me.
I take a deep breath.
Breathing in the lake, the trees, the mountains, the sky, the clouds, the sunshine.
I Exhale.
Letting go of my apprehension, my uncertainty, my lethargy.

Indian Lake in the Adirondack Mountains, NY.

the beginning of any camping trip makes me a little hesitant.
the unknown.
i get uncomfortable.
beginning with canoeing...
uneasy at first
i felt more calm
the farther i traveled
and with each forward paddle.

Our campsite was on the northeast side of Indian Lake, boat access only. So we loaded our gear into our canoes and started paddling. Six miles.

Our canoes loaded up with our gear.

I had canoed before, but always on a river. Lake paddling I found to be a little more challenging. The wind, currents, and motorized boats were unpredictable and at times made it difficult to stay on course.

Nathan, Michelle, and Jim canoeing to our campsite.

Jim and Michelle canoeing on Indian Lake, Adirondacks, NY.

We stopped a couple times to stretch and take in the scenery.

A view from a place we took a quick break while canoeing to our campsite.

Campsite 3

The campsite's kitchen!

I loved our campsite! A small peninsula all to ourselves. Nathan and I were finally able to set up our hammocks that we made a couple years ago (2013). We originally made them to help with weight during backpacking trips. We had tried to use them once before in Yellowstone, but that was short lived due to rain. This time, we were better prepared to not make the same mistakes as before... At Indian Lake we were able to sleep all three nights in our hammocks through moody weather, with very little adjusting.

Nathan and mine's hammock set up.

09/18/2015- We watched the sun set... and then we watched the moon set. It was certainly a sign that the days were getting shorter, and we were more north than we were used to. We decided the sky was clear and that we would take our chances with rain and not set up the tarp over our hammocks the first night. And it didn't rain.

Nathan watching the sun set.

This was our regular view from our campsite at Indian Lake, Adirondacks, NY.
First night, and you can see the moon in the sky while the sun was still setting.
Looking this direction was always breathtaking. 

startled
awoken by a leaf falling
in the dead of night.
sleep was still hanging on to my reality
and it took me some time to realize it wasn't raining
leaves falling.
i listened to them puddle all around me
until
i heard the water of the lake
lapping against the shore.
gently.
almost like a whisper on the wind.
i fell back to sleep.

09/19/2015- Norman's Cove
Indian Lake Surface Elevation - 1640 ft.
Never being there before we made a classic mistake and roped our canoes up when we first entered the cove, probably the farthest away from the trailhead that we could.

Our boats roped up at Norman's Cove before our hike. Baldface Mountain is in the distance.

Right in the center is Norman's Cove, a view from the top of Baldface Mountain, Indian Lake, Adirondacks, NY.

Hind sight. It was good to get a little warm up walking around the cove before we ascended the mountain. The trailhead sign said the summit was .8 miles. So we began going up. I actually expected it to be more difficult. I probably remember it as an easier hike, not because of the elevation gain, but because of the shortness of the hike.

Baldface Mountain
Summit Elevation - 2230 ft.
Elevation gain in .8 miles was 590 ft.

The Camping Crew: (from left to right) Michelle, Jim, Alicen (me), and Nathan.

View of Indian Lake in the Adirondack Mountains near the Baldface Mountain summit.

Nathan enjoying the summit of Baldface Mountain, Indian Lake, Adirondacks, NY.

View of Indian Lake in the Adirondack Mountains near the Baldface Mountain summit.

After we got back to camp Michelle and I went on a short exploration without the men. We walked out to the strip of land near the little island that we had been admiring the view of since we had arrived.

A little island right off the peninsula of our campsite.

The weather, the second night while we were camping is something I'll never forget.

how in the world can i describe the darkness?
the rain
the thunder
the lightning. the WIND!
the autumn winds. the autumn winds!
wind on my face
cool yet soothing.
so easy to breathe in.
like it was my life's breath.
i had to breathe it in! 

09/20/2015- The next day... Michelle and I went back with Jim and Nathan. We hiked along the lake's shore until we stumbled across the next campsite.

Jim, Nathan, and Michelle at the beginning of our campsite exploration.

Jim, Nathan, and Michelle Indian Lake, Adirondacks, NY.

It was decided at some point during our exploration that we were going to canoe over to Norman's Cove again, this time by the picnic area, and go swimming. I didn't swim. I had a beer, and just enjoyed the autumn wind and the last warmth of the fading summer sun.

A view from the Picnic Area of Norman's Cove with Baldface Mountain in the background.

09/21/2015- The morning had a heavy blanket of fog, rising from the lake, that didn't want to leave the sleepy mountains. It was an amazing sight to see. We had an amazing breakfast as we waited for the fog to burn off... and then we packed up our canoes, and paddled six miles back to the car.

Same vantage point at our campsite of the sunset photos shown earlier in this post.

Camping at Indian Lake was a wonderful experience that I feel awakened my natural instinct to go out and explore! I would certainly camp there again. A different site though, so I could see more of the area... and perhaps hike up another mountain.

For more information on Indian Lake Island Campground... Click Here!
All photos were taken by me or Nathan.