"The Clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
-John Muir
Recently I went to visit a good friend who lives in
the Adirondacks. After seeing her last year, I longed for another peaceful
vacation like that one. This year, the experience left me feeling as if I've
entered into the heart of the world, where water rages endlessly and sound is
only the constant movement of rivers against rocks. It felt almost primal, like
I had entered into a time when people were not the owners of this earth, but
the mountains and the sky and the dark bottomless depths of the ocean were. I
felt completely out of my element. There was no concrete here. No skyscrapers
trying to rip the sky. No taxis or food trucks. There was just nature. And it
was beautiful.
The day started off cool, quiet and a little damp
from the rain the night before. We ate breakfast at a local diner and then set
off to the Ausable Chasm. I was afraid that it would rain on us and ruin the
hike, but luckily that didn’t happen. Instead, we were greeted with a warm,
kind of cloudy day. Before going into the Ausable Chasm you must pay for a
ticket to one of their many attractions. I know it sounds very touristy and perhaps
it is, but once in the actual place, nature made up for the gift shop.
The sound of water rushing is everywhere. That’s because there’s a really lovely and rather powerful waterfall that tumbles into the Ausable river and runs through the Chasm. It’s called Rainbow Falls.
Beautiful right? I know! This is called The Rainbow Falls.
All this water just gush seeming out of oblivion and into oblivion scared me but I couldn't look away. It was pretty mesmerizing.
The Ausable Chasm is America's oldest natural attraction which I found to be pretty cool knowledge about this beautiful area. The Sandstone formations here were so magnificent. As I navigated my way through walls of rock that has been here longer than I could ever imagine, I felt like some pioneer discovering a new land. It definitely brought out the adventurer in me. And my fear of heights. Heh. The rock formations were beautiful to look at! Check out the one below. Can you guess what it looks like?
(Hint: It's an animal.)
That one is called Elephant's Head. For obvious reasons. I couldn't stop staring at this. It really does look like it!
And then there were the many views of the Ausable River. Each vantage point that I viewed this river from made me stop and admire just how wondrous nature really is. We were climbing along the stones with little ledges that became thinner and thinner the more we climbed. The sound of the water crashing along the rocks below was almost hypnotic. I was definitely enamored with this place.
The valley of rocks looked jagged and ancient. The dark river running through it looked foreboding. It was definitely a different kind of experience for me as I made my way higher and higher. This was less a feeling of peace and more a feeling of awe. The way the chasm towered over me stopped me in my tracks many times in the course of this hike. As if by some unnamable impulse I had to look up and see the rocks above me. I had to look at the way they cut sharply against the gray sky.
We reached a point in our hike where we saw rafters. Carrie asked if I wanted to join in and I vehemently said no. I pictured myself falling off the raft and into the dark wet abyss. I can be quite melodramatic when it comes to water, since I can't swim. Lol. But I enjoyed watching people in the raft. They looked like they were having fun. Maybe one day I'll do it. Maybe.
We ended our hike with a walk into the woods. I took pictures and breathed in the morning air and felt really wonderful. This is just what I needed. This is what I had been waiting for. To feel close to nature is to remember oneself, one's origins and essentially, that this is where we go back to; the earth and the dust and the green that will shroud us. I feel alive in a forest. I am aware of just how lucky I am to witness such simple and immeasurable beauty. This beauty is beyond me. And it is within me. I am a part of something living and powerful and complex and that is a moment of clarity that I cherish.
The hike ended up being only the first part of this great day. The second part would be a trip to Burlington, Vermont on the ferry. I've never really been to Vermont (Last year we walked across Lake Champlain to stand on the Vermont side but thats about as far as I got). This was going to be a really cool experience for me. We drove to the dock. The ferry had not arrived yet so Carrie and I walked along the secluded little beach. We picked out seashells threw little stones into the water. We saw a family gathering by the shore. They looked picture perfect. We also saw kayakers braving the frigid waters.
When the ferry finally arrived we went onto the deck to watch the New York shore disappear and the Vermont close in. Vermont's Green Mountains were a pale blue against the cloudy sky. The water of Lake Champlain glistened a steely gray. I saw boats navigate the waters, gliding along the waves. A tiny lighthouse greeted us. Rain drops fell on us as we arrived in Burlington Vermont.
The first thing I noticed about Burlington was how little it resembled what I thought it would look like in my mind. We had entered Church Street. There were trendy shops lining the streets, trendy hipsters shopping and smoking and laughing with their friends or their kids in tow. It felt so laid back. I had expected acres and acres upon meadows and farms. I had expected maple syrup stores to be everywhere (don't judge me!) Instead I realized that Jazz is a very big deal here (which is awesome). Outdoor dining is everywhere (even more awesome). And there was a Ben and Jerry's store close by (AWESOMEST!) I browsed through pretty shops, ate at Breugger's Bagels and giggled at the personal's section of their local newspaper (very bold, these Vermonters). I applauded their incredibly clean streets and admired the work of a local artist in a small art gallery. I listened to people talk and realized that many of them were speaking French. It made me even more aware of just how close I was to Canada, specifically the city of Quebec. I also looked at a variety of statues (some informative, others just...weird), read some funny/witty signs and admired the creativity applied to everyday things.
(seriously, this is a pretty clean street.)
When we finished our fun trip into Burlington, we returned on the ferry. We visited Carrie's old
hometown. She showed me the salmon ladder and waterfall. By this time is was nearing dark and the
already quiet area seemed absolutely deserted. We decided to call it a night and looked for dinner. We devoured an upstate New York treat; a Michigan ( a red skin hotdog with chili and onions), and fries smothered with gravy and cheese. I've eaten a Michigan on my last trip to this part of New York but I have to say this one was the best by far. Maybe the fries did it lol.
That night we watched Robin Williams in the beloved film, "Hook". We spoke about childhood and mortality and how there were so many things in the movie we never noticed before as children but as adults we appreciated. We painted and joked around and enjoyed each other's company. We went to sleep that night worn out from the day and excited about tomorrow. It would be my last morning in the Adirondacks and I felt sad to leave, but I knew that the tomorrow held another nice experience.
Morning came with a chill. I woke up happy and sad at the same time. I didn't want to leave but I had to get back home. Carrie and I went to the local market and bought ourselves breakfast. We then headed to the Essex Ferry going to Charlotte (pronounced Shar-LOT), Vermont. The landscape on the way to the ferry was beautiful. Green grass and wildflowers were everywhere. Idyllic farmhouses dotted the expanse of farmland. Mountains lined the background as if they were painted there. Soon we were by the water. I could see the boats on the water. They looked so peaceful floating there. It made me wish I were on one of them, fishing or just watching the mountains. It seemed like the perfect way to spend the morning.
The weather by the water gave the air a slight chill. Clouds hovered over my friend and I and we were fearful that there'd be a storm. I remembered the blue skies blanketing us on my pervious year's trip to the area and felt a little sad. But then I got on the ferry and looked at the horizon. The clouds gave the landscape depth. It shadowed the world with character. Every now and again there would be a slit in the sky and sunshine would pour through. Pockets of blue sky would emerge vibrantly from within the gray covering. The mountains stretched along the horizon, some parts of it lit a bright green from the sunshine. It was perfect.
When we finally reached Charlotte I saw immediately that this is the Vermont I had imagined. A quaint store called "The Old Brick Store" greeted us as we arrived in the town. On the side was a piece of artwork that I felt I would have seen in Burlington. As Carrie and I entered the store however, we realized the items here were not quaint at all, but rather gourmet and pricey. Organic produce and products lined shelves. Artwork hung on the walls. It was a mixture of historic and modern and I really liked the feel of the place. Plus they had really delicious soap there for sale.
A red barn peeked out from over the green hills. I could see the Green Mountains in the distance, stretching off into forever. The street was empty save for the houses and trees lining it. Everything was quiet. I smiled at a cute cow mailbox and then my friend and I headed off.
There was no way I was going to visit Vermont and NOT go to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory! We went on the tour of the factory where we got to see all the cute little teddy bears and their costumes. It was fun. I loved looking around the shop at some of the bears and their outfits. Here are a few of my favorite ones.
I love that this bear is so comfortable in his boxers lol.
(awwww!)
As a huge fan of The Walking Dead, this made me laugh.
You can't get more romantic than this!
I hope you enjoyed this post. I had a lot of fun hiking at the Ausable Chasm, visiting two very different parts of Vermont and enjoying the cuddly adorableness that is The Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. Until next time!
