Whiteface Castle
Perched on one of the highest peaks in the Adirondacks, Whiteface castle looks out over an impressive view of the region which includes the Lake Placid Olympic area and village. It is accessed by a toll road built in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s as part of a depression are public works project. The castle itself is constructed on granite that was excavated during the construction of Veterans Memorial highway, the toll road which reaches from near the base of the mountain to the summit. Open from spring to fall, the highway has an 8% grade which makes the drive down interesting to say the least. The construction cost an impressive 1.2 million dollars to complete, and the groundbreaking was attended by then governor Franklin Roosevelt. He returned in 1935 for the grand opening as president. If you find yourself in the high peaks are during the time the road is open, it is a spectacular drive for those willing to give it a go. If you’d like to bring a bit of this historic place into your home or office, click the photograph above for products which feature a snowy photograph of the castle. Or, you can visit our landscape section in our photography shop for that and other great landscapes here: http://www.cafepress.com/photographz/2633123
Abandoned Adirondac (north country ghost town?)
The above photo was taken in the Adirondacks as well. It is titled “rock wall”, but in reality it is neither. It is really a close up of a small portion of an abandoned stone foundry chimney in the Tawahus reserve. It is left over from the iron ore foundry in the McIntyre mine. Back in 1826 a small community called Adirondac sprung up in the wilderness of the Adirondack mountains to mine iron ore. It was abandoned in 1857, because of an impurity in the iron. It reopened later as the Tawahus Club, and it was here, in a small cottage, that Teddy Roosevelt first heard that President McKinley had been shot. Roosevelt became president on his way from Tawahus to Buffalo when McKinley died from his wounds.
The mine was reopened during WWII by National Lead to mine the impurity that had doomed the earlier attempt. That impurity was Titanium. There were new residences built, and the mine was operated until the early 80’s when it closed, probably for good. New York created the Tawahus reserve in 2003, and it is now a popular hiking spot. The foundry chimney, various pieces of antique equipment and many of the cabins (although not safe to enter) are still there. Of course, there are plenty of stories of hauntings that come with abandoned buildings left open in the wilderness. Tawahus is between Newcomb and the Northway, just follow the signs to the dirt road leading past the chimney and dead ending at a parking area right after the abandoned cabins. Remember, although the cabins are left open and easily accessable, entrance is not recommended-many are in very poor condition and serious injury could easily occur if flooring gave away.
Sunset on Long Lake
The above photo was taken in Long Lake, NY. Long Lake is in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains (The Adirondack State Park, New York). It’s just a small hamlet, but well worth a trip. While you’re there, you can take a ride in a Seaplane. Helm’s Seaplane Service with it’s two well known planes, one blue and one brown, is located right in the middle of the main part of “town”. They’ve been in operation since 1946 and it’s well worth the ride-the view is spectacular. If you can’t imagine taking flight in a small prop plane, at least take a look at the photos they have, there are some pretty famous people that have flown Helms! While you’re there, stop by the Adirondack Inn for lunch or dinner. You can look out over the northern portion of the lake from the dining area, and even see the seaplanes landing. You can pick up any groceries you need across the street at Northern Borne-maybe some trailmix for the short hike to the beautiful Buttermilk Falls which is located about 5 minutes from town. Don’t forget to stop by Hoss’s Country Corner for a souviner or two before you go. There are more great Adirondack photos in my shop and on my website. If you’d like more info on Long Lake, check out thier website at http://www.longlake-ny.com/ it’s a great place for a peaceful mountain vacation. Far enough from Lake Placid to lose the “touristy” attractions, but right in the heart of the mountains! If you’d like to bring home the beauty of the Adirondacks, please click the photograph or one of the links to my shops in the sidebar for items featuring my sunset photograph.
