Our photographer Tony Jancek has been wandering the ancient woods of the south-central Adirondack Mountains, and has come home with dozens of beautiful pictures. Let’s take a peek of a few from his trip, beginning with these shots of the base of a strange old pine on the hike into Auger Falls:

 

 
Bedrock just about as old as the planet itself is rounded, smoothed, and weathered by thousands of years of glaciation followed by rain, snow, ice, and -40 degree temperatures. Clinging to these rocks is an ancient pine, its roots and trunk like something out of a Tolkien novel or Wagnerian production. Persistent rain pelts the woods, hissing through needles and leaves, but the beauty of the place draws Tony and his wife ever further into the woods.

 

 
Mist and fog thicken as they push further down the trail…

 

 
Lush ferns give way to a small cave, formed by a pair of glacial erratics that melted out of a mile-deep river of ice.

 

 
What’s inside the little hollow? A bright orange mushroom:

 

 
But the roar of the falls beckons and can’t be ignored any longer. At last, there it is!

 

 
Let’s get closer…

 

 
The roar is unbelievably loud, and you can hardly hear yourself think. No one could live in such a place. Could they?

 

 
Never underestimate Mother Nature. The clouds are breaking but bruised and look as if they’ll bring a downpour. Time to head back. Camp along the river awaits with all its comforts, including a cooling swim on a hot day.

 

 
Then, later, the storm arrives but doesn’t last. Soon the skies clear once more, and there’s enough time for a bike ride around the campsite before turning in.

 

 
Want to visit a bit longer? Then go see more photos of the region at our “Trail to Auger Falls Gallery” at Zenfolio.

 
Send a Comment