Snappers!

We took our annual vacation in the Adirondack Mountains the first week of September. This year we took a detour from our usual spot at Chimney Mountain and rented a lovely cottage on Lake Algonquin in Wells, New York. The lake is circled by Route 5 which makes for a nice 3.6-mile walk–something we did almost every day despite the rare nearly 90-degree temperatures.

On one such day we encountered something neither of us has ever seen before: a turtle hatch–specifically a clutch of common snapping turtles. As we approached, a line of turtles was ascending from their cozy nest hole (if you look very closely you can see one trying–and failing–to climb out at the very beginning of the video). There were at least a couple dozen scattered around the nest hole, all headed to the lake where they would burrow into the mud.

“Common snapping turtles sometimes bask-though rarely observed-by floating on the surface with only their carapaces exposed, though in the northern parts of their range, they also readily bask on fallen logs in early spring. In shallow waters, Common snapping turtles may lie beneath a muddy bottom with only their heads exposed, stretching their long necks to the surface for an occasional breath (their nostrils are positioned on the very tip of the snout, effectively functioning as snorkels).  LIFE SPAN: 30-40 years WEIGHT: 9.9-35.2 lbs LENGTH: 9.8-18.5 ins.”

Unfortunately the nest was across the road from the lake and sadly some turtles did not survive the journey. Charlie picked up the survivors and gently deposited them on the lake side of the road where they hopefully made it to the lake.

Besides the daily lake walk, we played at the nearby beach, Charlie fished and kayaked. We took a hike in search of Murray Lake, aborted when we discovered it was much further than the 3 miles we thought. We drove down to Northville, a nearby town large enough to have a TOPS grocery store and a Stewart’s Shop so we could buy our traditional half-gallon of ice cream (they also sell cones and pints). Stewart’s is local to the Saratoga Springs area and has shops as far south as Syracuse. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend them. If you aren’t into ice cream, they make some awesome pumpkin donuts and apple cider donuts. A trip to the Adirondacks is not complete without a stop at Stewart’s. We picked up a few groceries at TOPS and some home made fudge at the Northville 5 and 10 cent store. M-mm M-mm!

As always, it was a great week. We were happy to be there and equally happy to return home to the pets who were all thrilled to see us. JB was queen of the house for a few hours before the dogs got home. Magenta was a little hoarse for all the barking she did at the kennel, and of course upon arrival she and Georgie raced into the back yard to check for squirrels. It was only after they’d completed their recon that they came inside for licks and kisses.