New-York tribune., 1885-02-01
THE ADIRONDACKS.
CHARLES F. WINGATE.
PICNIC IN THE SNOW.

| Nv.
PICNIC IN THE SNOW.
IrRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSEI
SARANAC LAKE, N. Y, Jan 22.-The best time
for seiph-rdo after all is in the thick of hard
| snow storm The flakes falling fast the otheI
| afternoon from q low leaden sky, the hills were
quite hidden only few rods of the road could be
seem and the tracks were nearly covered, when we
wrapped ourselves in our buffalo furs for drive
! across the country to Paul Smiths. There was a
| touch of uncertainty and adventure In such
| an excursion into the storm, for hardly
q feature of the way seemed familiar,
| and when section of cloud occasionally hoated
off revealing glimpse of wood or the depth of a
valley beside us, the aspect was always that OF
| strange and savage land. so completely was the
character of everything transformed by the great
| dense white veil. Few stirred abroad in such
weather, and we kept rapid pace without fear of
meeting the cumbrous woodseds which SO often
confront us in tho narrow passes. Even the horse
felt the poetry of the OCCASION and stepped with
moro than his customary sprit, shaking his bells as
if he loved them. and tossing his head so like a
high flyer at fashion that yOu would hardly believe
he was only wa,l-eyed leader lately taken from
the stage.
There are long stretches of solitude between
Saranac Lake and Paul Smiths, and windy ex-
panses of marsh where the snow always lies deeper
than anywhere else, and we had TO break through
a frozen crust over which there had been little
travel for some days. At the top of the descent
which leads into the St. Regis basin there is in
mer beautiful view of Osgood Pond and the
woods and mountains which adorn ITS shores; but
I now we saw nothing but the driving snow.
and ghostly shapes of pines looming through the
blue-gray mist. dash down the slope brought us
into the thick bit of forest which has been saved
at the back of Paul Smiths hotel-a fragment of
the prirneval growth Of pine which dignIted all
this region before the wo0d-cutter and the fire hend
laid the Adirondacks waste. There is not so much
of this precious remnant but the trees so
noble there is such darkness and depth under the
high branches there is such an air OF age and
majesty in the old timber. by contrast with the
! upstart second growth, that l always think of
| this patch of wood as forest although j know
| that it is hardly more than a grove. Certainly it
| seemed grand as we followed the white aisle under
| the dark green vault until we came ont upon the
| clearing where the hotel looks over the lower st.
| Regis Lake. go "
family spend the winter in cottage close behind
| IT, and there found cordial welcome. a roaring
fire quick hands to relieve us of our burdened
"Now, then" said Paul, as we drew
Re 1GS must Ss Sd
that the village of Saranac Lake was in the wilder
| ness, but here was family still deeper in tho
| woods and began to feel that " Snack" " that is
| tho popular local pronunciationl was centre of
life and news. Yet Paul had more to tell me than
| had to tell him. He was making Improvements
| In the hotel and talking abOnt more. lie had put
| up a saw-mill, and it was running wei. Next
| summer the camps can have all the lum-
Der they need without sending into the
office, and the mail must be brought in three
| times a week. and then the fan iners lumbernen.
aPa p,eet 70 pe4bS b.r rG snd
| gossip Life on st. Regis Lake, with the thermom-
| etcr an immeasurabe distance below zero and the
whole country buried IN snow. Is neither dull nor
What a picture the lake was in tho cold, sunny
| morning which followed the snowy night IL has
been frozen hard EN- ough for heavy teams this oz
| while, and now the snow lies on II thick
aud pure, like huge covering Of rabbit fur,
with hardly wrinkle % or fold visible in noG IL Is we we
hind the hotel the rabbits seemed TO have been
making night of il. for their queer little triple
tracks were everywhere. If you only ;; had dog &
| could carry this morning." But at tins time of
| year the guides who own sporting dogs are oil
| sleigh than our own and double team to visit
| our old camp Osgood Pond, and with
out any, serious difficulty we got INTO the the
| over Jims improvIsed road. The plank kitchen
| and dining ROOM carefully barrcaded, stood safe
as we left them and certain thick sheets OF zee ice
showed where lay. doubtless still undIsurbed, the
| floors of our struck tents. We built fire, spread
sleigh-robes on the snow and, living with our feet
| TO the blaze ate quas. and lOnged for next
| summer. ! had brought gun. and for q few min
utes there was faint pretence Of looking
| for game; but / confess that ] was not very
| sorry to find no traces of bird or beast
| 10 was so much pleasanter TO stretch ones self
| by the fire and wonder Mt the miracle which
little frozen yapor had wrought In the landscape.
thought that every detail OF the picture of Osgo0d
Pond, from the spot | now occupied, was fixed in
my memory last summer; bu { now hardly recOg-
| nized any of il. The substitution of this great
shee of some dazzling white solid substance for
the play OF the blue and restless water made such
tyeness OF the scene that the effort to pick out the
| old landmarks was bewilderng.
| 1t Is this change of motive in the pictures
| far more than the change of tone
| which gives so fresh and even
startling an interest to winter landscapes In the
| sparkling lake. the hly-burdened pond the wan.
dering trout brook, which fixes the spirit of the
summer scene. There Is pretty leland IN the pond
| opposite our camp where thicket grew close 10
tho shore and herons often alghted after 10
| watch for frogs In place Of the thicket now ap-
peared wonderful structure OF frost-work. aIched
| with ITS own weight. But while we looked the
wind and the sky grew angry, and we brought ouI
picnic to n sudden end.
When We set out from Panps after dinner the
snow was driving before O sharp blast, and the aiI
was thick with what seemed like ha!ffroZen fog
II was darker than tho day before; the cold was
severe; the roads were getting heavy But 10 me
| all snow storms. fcrce or gentle, are delightful
Cold hos terror tor tho wearer OF buffai0.coat;
and when VIC drove into "t,nack.p with half inch
coating of Toe on my beard and 6lIgree fringe on
Dianas eyelashes, was sorry the road was not
| lonRor. - !" VI "'