January 4 2019, the day is somewhat overcast, but not cloudy, somewhere in between hazy and sunny. It’s 11:00 and the question is “What do you wanna do today?” The answer of course is “Let’s do a road trip”.
I take Samuel for a short walk, while Patty makes meatloaf sandwiches for the trip. Previously, charting out the trip and writing down the directions on a piece of loose leaf paper, let the adventure begin!
In the blog: Back Brook Road trippin, we decided on our next trip we would bring the dog with us, as the guilt of leaving home weighed on us from time to time. So Samuel would ride on Patty’s lap and I would drive.
A stop at the local gas station to fill up and get some potato chips to compliment our picnic, we then headed up route 6, past Lake Wallenpaupak dike, past the town of Hawley, up through White Mills to hang a right on Beach Lake road which would take us to Narrowsburg NY, about 11 miles.
Anticipation presents itself as the road climbs up, winds and turns and dips downward towards the river. Patty asks, “Where are we headed?” I tell her we are headed to Cannonsburg Reservoir up past Hancock, NY. I explain that we will take route 97 north to Hancock and follow some other roads to our destination.
Route 97 basically hugs the New York side of the Delaware River for about 70 miles from Port Jervis to Hancock. I love this road as it not only rides fast with a speed limit of 50 mph but also allows various pull offs to view the river from many beautiful vantage points. Prior to this trip, we have traveled as far south to Lackawaxen and north to Callicoon, but today we travel northward to the end.
This time of the year the road is somewhat less traveled, the locals are working and the tourists are also working in their own areas. Perhaps one car following about a mile behind, perhaps 1 vehicle a mile or two ahead.
Looking right, looking left, as I write this 5 hours later, my neck is killing me, but who can help it. On the left views of the river; straight forward, windy and curvy, at level or from high up. Thinking about Native Americans as they camped, fished and or hunted along the river paths. On the right in most places the land rises through young sapling forests dotted with fir trees and framed with the grayish green boulders of rockwall outcrops here and there. At 60, I feel like a kid again, so much wanting to jump out of the car, run up into the forest and start building a fort, partially of tree branches and partially of rocks. “KEEP YOUR EYES on the road” is voiced into my right ear as the car begins to sway across the white line in the road.
Milanville, Cochecton, Callicoon. I just can’t wait to get back and google the names of these towns, the history, the industry the future?? We pass along the way many structures some inhabited, many vacant, what happened?
Above Callicoon, we pass the town of Hankins, then Long Eddy( and I wonder is there a Short Eddy?) No time to stop and explore these places, but perhaps another day, another blog or should it be called a “trog”> travel blog.
Riding into Hancock across the bridge, we turn left then right where we make for Sands Creek Road, rt 67, which of course follows Sands creek up to it’s source in Russell Lake. Route 67 then continues northward between 2 hillsides up a climbing valley towards the Big Lake, the Reservoir.
I feel a sense of impatience as I glance over at Patty and I reassure her that we are close, even though I wasn’t sure, ha ha. We breach the hill and travel down into view of Cannonsburg! Wow! A lake surrounded by mountains and hillsides dotted with majestic fir trees of old.
We pull into the first roadside pull-off. The car door opens, Samuel, our West Highland Terrier springs forth and gallops towards the first elevation of anything in order to lift his leg and relieve himself. Now he is so busy sniffing this new environment. Sniffs the gravel, the dirt, the grass, the twigs, every tree… Camera swung over my shoulder wanting so much to capture these amazing views, I tie him up and venture towards the shore.
White Willow trees and stark wineberry vines lead the way down a very steep and sudden desent, of which I choose to stay above and let the telephoto lens tell the story.
Pictures taken, dog and I head back to the car. Patty opens up our picnic lunch and we munch on down. Discussion ranges from just how beautiful this is to this location would be a perfect spot to write about in a murder mystery or scary story. We take in the view, eat our lunch and proceed again northward on route 10.
and then, along a straighter part of the road, as we were just talking about how void the area seemed of any wildlife, EPIC! Bald Eagle flies right above the car, Holy Sh_t! Camera in hand, clicking away, all the while trying to navigate the excitement while traveling at 55 mph. Patty says, turn around, I follow the road down a few to a straightaway and make the uturn and head back as we approach the eagle flies from it’s perch to the other side of the road, another ubie, then back again to the lake side, hopefully this will be the last uturn. We pull up with hazard lights on at about 15 mph, all the time I am hoping an 18 wheeler doesn’t come along and flatten us. There he is! So majestic, so beautiful. Epic! Patty takes control of the camera and clicks away.
Sure, the Bald Eagle has bounced back from almost extinction. Sightings of them are made almost daily now, even in the suburbs and cities. Yet Epic is the sighting made of this great bird in nature, in the wilderness, at Cannonsburg Reservoir.
Road Trippin 