I just returned from a short wilderness stay in a rustic cabin on the Upper Ausable Lake. Esty (an NCS trustee) and his wife Nina, hosted Reggie, Patrice, and Hock. (Click on the photographs to enlarge the images.) The sounds of the loons were hauntingly beautiful. The early morning mist rising off the lake with the Great Range as a backdrop was sublime. Finally, the hiking trails were uncrowded and awesome. It was a sad moment when we had to hike and paddle out this morning. (PS ... the rock on the south face of Gothics and Pyramid looked awesome!)