Icy Saranac

Icy Saranac
Originally uploaded by woodsrun

Here's my standard view looking up the Saranac River, just before I get to my coffee stop in Redford. I look at this view more often on my way home than on my way to work; there's another place I look at more on my way to work than on my way home. This morning I was marking the places where I pay special attention to the view. It reminded me of Molly, and her favorite spots--the pier, Henry Park, the beach. We like to record different versions of these spots, and we notice even subtle changes in the views.

Mine are--
The first bridge crossing the Saranac: there's often river smoke and rime ice on the trees in the winter, and there are beautiful colors in the fall.
The end of the Clayburg Road, where the two branches of the Saranac come together--there's a really pretty view looking down the river. Word is they dump the stocked trout there. There are usually fly fishermen there from April through October/November.
This shot--there's an island, barely visible in the picture. I really like seeing it in different clothes throughout the year. Sometimes it's incredibly green.
There's one spot along the Saranac where it's really, really shallow and the bottom is all river rocks, like a cobblestone street. This is where I gauge whether the river is high or low. When the river is high the water is bookin', there's whitewater and you can't see the rocks. When it's low the river is barely trickling through the rocks and it looks as if you could pretty much walk across it.
The "opening view" where you're coming into the Champlain Valley, just west of Plattsburgh. You get a fantastic view of the Green Mtns, from Camel's Hump to Mt. Mansfield. Today you could see way, way north, crystal clear. The two big mountains had their heads in the clouds. I've always loved being able to tell what the weather's like from the way the mountains look. The vista from this vantage point is really, really pretty. Sometimes in winter, before Lake Champlain freezes but the water is warmer than the air here's a huge length of steam and it looks as if the lake is all a-boil.