×

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows

I’m a hard-core Simpsons fan, and as such, my brain instinctively relates most things to a Simpsons episode. The weather lately has had me thinking about an episode where Homer and Police Chief Wiggum are in a car chase, and their theme music for the high-speed escapade is the Lesley Gore song “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows.”

I have the first few lines memorized, and any time it’s sunny and warm (or I’m in a high speed chase), I can’t help but have them run through my head. It’s funny to me, and when I was out hiking this past weekend, the loop of “Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. Everything that’s wonderful is what I feel when we’re together,” kept me smiling. As if the sunshine and lack of bugs weren’t enough.

Last Friday afternoon was too nice to stay inside, so I ran home from work and grabbed my dog Pico to go for a short hike. Pico is more than a decade old, and even though he’s climbed more than a dozen High Peaks with me, he tops out at around 4 miles now.

With this in mind and an annoying 1960s song running through my head, Pico and I parked on the side of state Route 3 outside of town and we made our way toward Moose Pond.

The Moose Pond trailhead parking area is located between Saranac Lake and Bloomingdale, across from 1187 state Route 3. Heading toward Bloomingdale, there is a pull off on the right and a dirt road that leads down to the Saranac River and another small parking area.

From there, cross the metal foot bridge to the trail register, and be sure to sign in. Especially on short trails, users tend not to sign in, but this is a mistake. The registers not only help in case you get lost, but the numbers they provide also help justify the cost of maintaining the trail.

From the register, head right up a mild grade. The whole length of the trail is relatively flat, with some minor ups and downs. As the trail made its way through mostly open hardwood forest, Pico and I trotted along, looking forward to reaching the pond at just under a mile-and-a-half.

At mile 1.3, the trail splits, and going right takes you to a rock outcrop on the shore of the pond with a fantastic view of Whiteface Mountain in the distance.

Pico and I sat there on the rocks, soaking up the sun and basking in the scene. The gentle breeze made small waves lap at the rocks while a canoe with two people in it glided through the water at the far end of the pond. I made a mental note to come back to go swimming when the water warmed up. Pico had no problem jumping in the pond, and I imagine the cold water felt good on his old joints.

Two days later, Pico was again at my side as I laid in the hammock in my yard in Vermontville. I had debated even bringing my phone outside with me, but just as I was nodding off, I heard the phone vibrate with an invitation to hike out to McKenzie Pond.

I decided to leave Pico at home since he was sore from a long walk we took on Saturday, and headed over to my friend Amy’s house a few miles away.

We hopped in the car and headed to town, turning onto McKenzie Pond Road. The trail out to the pond follows the Jackrabbit Trail and leaves from the parking area that Barkeater Trails Alliance maintains about a mile-and-a-half from Saranac Lake. The parking area is on the left.

Again, the relatively flat trail winds through a mix of hardwood and softwood forest on its way to the pond, nearly 2 miles from the road.

The parking area and first half-mile of trail are on private land, so you will come to the trail register seemingly in the middle of nowhere. There is also a small stretch where the trail follows the power lines. Just stay on the foot trail to the left of the lines and head straight into the woods on the singletrack.

The trail crosses a few streams and can be wet in spots, but even though Amy was only wearing sneakers, we both managed to keep our feet dry.

Just like Moose Pond, once you are almost to the pond the trail splits. Take the left fork to the pond, otherwise you may end up in Lake Placid.

The trail brings you right to the dam of the pond, and offers great views of the water. Again, I will be returning to take a dip when the water temperatures come up a little bit. Both trails are far from strenuous, and would be good for kids and dogs. They also make nice skis in the winter (provided there’s snow) and would be good for trail runners as well.

As we sat on the shore of McKenzie Pond, I tried to clear my thoughts and take in the beauty that was surrounding me. My body was relaxed and my psyche was at ease. In fact, there was just one thing running through my mind: Sunshine and lollipops. Everything that’s wonderful.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today