Into the Woods

The first few seconds after turning onto the hidden gravel road make you wonder if you have the right place. The ruts which have been cut into the bluff twist and and turn for a mile, taking you deeper into the Adirondacks. Just when you've begun to wonder how you'll get yourself out of the tangle of overgrowth, the parking space suddenly opens in front of you and you've officially arrived at Pyramid Lake.

This hidden gem is a diocesan-run lakeside retreat center, compiled of cabins, lodge, and dining hall nested into the low-range mountains surrounding a lake which has never seen a motorized watercraft. When my childhood friend of 12+ years came for a visit, I knew it was the perfect spot for quality time and catch-up. The three of us piled into the truck and made the hour and a half trip North, bringing enough food for us and the cabin chipmunks. We played cards by the light of campfires, woke up to the sound of loons on the water, watched the early morning mist rise from the lake, hiked the bluffs, swam with the sunnies and the watersnake, read in the sunlight, kayaked and chatted over coffee. It was the perfect way to add a new chapter to this incredible friendship.