Canoeing and Swimming - Sand Lake

Sand Lake is a mile-long lake in the southern Adirondacks that's completely surrounded by state-owned wilderness. No buildings, no motorized boats. It's about a 0.5-mile carry from the car, but we go there at least a couple of times every summer. Last time we were there, a few months back, we saw a loon sitting on its nest, so we wanted to check back today and see if there were any babies. In the past, we've also contributed to the annual Adirondack Loon Census on this lake, so we have that additional interest in what's going on.

It was a warm humid day, with an occasional breeze. We only saw one adult loon this trip, but also startled a beaver that slapped its tail on the water, and saw a great blue heron passing overhead. After about an hour of paddling, we stopped at our favorite big rock for a swim. Nobody else was on the lake, and we had it completely to ourselves. Leaves were just starting to change, and it was a very pretty day.