Essex on Lake Champlain
\"Essex
  • About
    • Essex, New York (Town)
      • Essex Maps
      • Essex, New York Weather
      • Town of Essex Government
      • Close
    • Essex on Lake Champlain (Blog)
      • Contributors
      • Sponsors
      • Testimonials
      • Get Involved
      • Close
    • Close
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Calendar
    • Add an Event
    • Upcoming Events
    • Close
  • Essex on Lake Champlain
  • Connect
    • Social Media
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Google +
      • Pinterest
      • YouTube
      • Flickr
    • Newsletters
    • GET INVOLVED
    • CONTACT
        • Your Name (required)

          Your Email (required)

          Subject (required)

          Your Message

      • Close
    • Shop
    • Search
        • Search
          • Close
        • Categories
            • Agriculture (513)
            • Architecture (74)
            • Arts (319)
            • Business (120)
            • Daily Doodle (62)
            • Dining (151)
            • Doodle Quotes (5)
            • Doodlebomb (3)
            • Education (288)
            • Entertainment (337)
            • Environment (27)
            • Essex Doodles (62)
            • Events (1532)
            • Exercise (54)
            • Government (245)
            • Health & Wellness (132)
            • Heritage (384)
            • History (174)
            • Hyperlocal (26)
            • Landscape (35)
            • Lifestyle (195)
            • Lodging (16)
            • Music (255)
            • Nature (247)
            • News (1084)
            • Nightlife (18)
            • Obituary (9)
            • Opinion (44)
            • Outdoors (176)
            • People (112)
            • Philanthropy (68)
            • Real Estate (3)
            • Recreation (204)
            • Resources (7)
            • Services (7)
            • Shopping (89)
            • Sports (21)
            • Transportation (70)
            • Worship (17)
          • Close
        • Archives
            • June 2018 (21)
            • May 2018 (30)
            • April 2018 (28)
            • March 2018 (30)
            • February 2018 (31)
            • January 2018 (26)
            • December 2017 (23)
            • November 2017 (25)
            • October 2017 (22)
            • September 2017 (32)
            • August 2017 (35)
            • July 2017 (30)
            • June 2017 (30)
            • May 2017 (35)
            • April 2017 (31)
            • March 2017 (33)
            • February 2017 (30)
            • January 2017 (35)
            • December 2016 (30)
            • November 2016 (37)
            • October 2016 (43)
            • September 2016 (53)
            • August 2016 (49)
            • July 2016 (59)
            • June 2016 (70)
            • May 2016 (57)
            • April 2016 (64)
            • March 2016 (69)
            • February 2016 (56)
            • January 2016 (46)
            • December 2015 (39)
            • November 2015 (43)
            • October 2015 (61)
            • September 2015 (57)
            • August 2015 (61)
            • July 2015 (54)
            • June 2015 (41)
            • May 2015 (67)
            • April 2015 (66)
            • March 2015 (72)
          • Load More
          • Close
        • Contact us
          • CONTACT US

              Your Name (required)

              Your Email (required)

              Subject (required)

              Your Message

            • Close
        • Close
      • Log In
        • Log Into Calendar
        • Log Into Blog
        • Close
      • Skip to primary navigation
      • Skip to main content
      • Skip to primary sidebar
      • Skip to footer

      Essex on Lake Champlain

      Essex, New York Community Blog Since 2011

      • Lifestyle
        • Agriculture
          • CSAs in Essex, NY
            • Essex Farm
            • Full and By Farm
          • Farmstead Catering
          • The Hub on the Hill
          • Reber Rock Farm
        • Outdoors
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
          • Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center
        • Entertainment
          • Champlain Valley Film Series
          • Whallonsburg Grange Hall
        • Arts
          • Adirondack Art Association
          • Essex Community Concerts
          • Champlain Valley Film Series
          • Essex Poetry Open Mic
        • Music
          • Essex Community Concerts
        • Shopping
        • Recreation
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • Health & Wellness
          • Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness
          • NEW Health
        • Nature
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • Education
          • CFES Brilliant Pathways
          • Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center
        • Nightlife
        • Worship
      • Events
        • Christmas in Essex
        • Downtown Essex Day
        • Fourth of July in Essex, NY
      • Dining
        • Chez Lin & Rays
        • Essex Ice Cream Cafe
        • Essex Inn on the Adirondack Coast
        • Farmstead Catering
        • Old Dock Restaurant
        • The Pink Pig Cafe
      • Lodging
        • Essex Inn on the Adirondack Coast
        • The Cupola House and Cottage
      • Transportation
        • Essex-Charlotte Ferry
      • Heritage
        • Architecture
          • Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler’s Field Guide
        • Historic Essex
        • History
        • People
        • Government
          • Essex Post Office
          • Town of Essex Government
        • Vintage Essex Trivia
        • Vintage Essex Artifacts
      • Directory
        • Adirondack Art Association
        • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • CFES Brilliant Pathways
        • The Cupola House and Cottage
        • Essex-Charlotte Ferry
        • Essex Farm
        • Essex Ice Cream Cafe
        • Essex Initiatives
        • Essex Post Office
        • Farmstead Catering
        • Full and By Farm
        • Historic Essex
        • Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness
        • NEW Health
        • Pedal Power
        • Reber Rock Farm
        • The Hub on the Hill
        • Town of Essex Government
        • Whallonsburg Grange Hall
      • Show Search
      Hide Search
      You are here: Home / Landscape / Looking Home | Champlain Area Trails

      Looking Home | Champlain Area Trails

      February 4, 2012 By Katie Shepard Leave a Comment

      Stites McDaniel is the director of Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center and his experience in the outdoors prompted him to

      "Looking Home" hiking group
      “Looking Home” hiking group (image courtesy Stites McDaniel)

      enter the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing contest. One of the contest’s finalists, McDaniel’s entry “Looking Home” compels an almost nostalgic tinge to our peaceful pastoral Essex landscape. Here is an except from his essay:

      “While North Bouquet has a gradual ridge rising to its peak, its sister to the south had two sections: the mellower pitch through the lower forest and the severe grades of the evergreen forest near the peak. We had made it through the first portion and now began to really climb. It was slow going as Marynell was blazing a trail on a hill that was slightly less than straight up and down. We followed in each other’s steps, using our hands, calves and quadriceps to pull ourselves upwards. Then we walked on a side slope, trying to lean into the mountain on our left to avoid sliding down though a small open glade to our right. Near the top, the mountain gave us mercy and the pitch became nearly flat once again. The clouds were high enough to give us wonderful views of the valley towards the east. All of the farmlands west of the village of Essex were distinct, the white snow and brown hedgerows signifying each changing farm; the buildings, the brick and wooden farmhouses, standing out against this cold winter’s background. The woods at the top were thick enough to offer consistent shelter, but thin enough to offer us views all the way to the lake.

      We talked and surveyed the land that we know, the land that we drive through several times a day, but land that we rarely saw from this vantage point and thought of how connected it all feels from above. Whallonsburg, Whadams, and Essex are just names. Clearly, the land does not recognize these boundaries. It just rolls on…” [Read in full at Looking Home | Champlain Area Trails.]

      Related articles
      • Lake Champlain Region Heritage (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
      • It’s Voting Time in the Travel Writing Contest (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
      • A Great Resolution
      • Wildlife, Connected in and out of Town 
      • CATS Travel Writing Contest Winners

      Share this:

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Pinterest
      • Email
      • More
      • Print
      • LinkedIn
      • Pocket
      • Reddit
      • Tumblr

      Filed Under: Landscape, Outdoors, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondack Mountains, Bouquet Mountains, CATS (Champlain Area Trails), CATS Travel Writing Contest, Champlain Area Trails (CATS), Champlain Valley, CSA, Essex, Full and By Farm, Hiking, James Graves, Lake Champlain, Pok-O-MacCready, Sara Kurak, Stites McDaniel, Whadams, Whallonsburg

      About Katie Shepard

      Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.

      Reader Interactions

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      Primary Sidebar

      Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler’s Field Guide 

      Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide

      View all Essex Editions books...

      Follow Essex, NY on FacebookFollow Essex, NY on TwitterFollow Essex, NY on PinterestFollow Essex, NY on YouTubeFollow Essex, NY on FlickrFollow Essex, NY on RSS

      Search

      Top 10 Contributors

      • Katie Shepard (585)
      • Geo Davis (394)
      • Whallonsburg Grange Hall (231)
      • Essex Farm (205)
      • Champlain Area Trails (CATS) (198)
      • Olive Alexander (190)
      • Sara Kurak (165)
      • Tom Mangano (142)
      • Fort Ticonderoga (142)
      • Lakeside School (116)

      Upcoming Events

      Click to enlarge.

      Essex Community Church Sunday Service

      January 24 @ 11:00 am At Essex Community Church

      In the spirit of fellowship and community that defines us, we welcome everyone who wants to celebrat… [Continue Reading]

      Click to enlarge.

      Essex Community Suppers

      January 24 @ 4:00 pm

      Join us for Community Supper — All are Welcome! Sundays, 4-5:30PM Free farm-to-table suppers — t… [Continue Reading]

      Click to enlarge.

      Essex Yoga Club

      January 25 @ 5:30 pm At St. John's Church

      The Essex Yoga Club meets every Monday at 5:30 pm at St. John’s Church. Free, open to all. N… [Continue Reading]

      Click to enlarge.

      Essex Community Potluck

      January 26 @ 6:00 pm At St. John's Church

      Essex Community Potluck Tuesdays 6pm Join us for food and friendly conversation. Please bring a potl… [Continue Reading]

      Footer

      Resources & Policies

      • About Essex on Lake Champlain
      • About Essex, New York
      • Essex, NY Weather
      • Disclosure Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Submit a Story
      • Contact Us

      Popular Essex, NY Searches

      • Essex, NY
      • Essex, New York
      • Essex on Lake Champlain
      • Essex Charlotte ferry
      • Essex ferry schedule
      • Essex Charlotte ferry schedule
      • Full and By Farm
      • Essex Farm
      • timber rattlesnake
      • Essex NY fireworks
      • Christmas in Essex, NY
      • Champlain Area Trails

      Local Links

      • Adirondack Art Association
      • Champlain Area Trails
      • Champlain Valley Film Society
      • Essex Community Concerts
      • Essex Theatre Company
      • Historic Essex
      • Rosslyn Redux
      • The Crater Club
      • Town of Essex Information
      • Whallonsburg Grange Hall

      Copyright © 2021 Essex Editions

      loading Cancel
      Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
      Email check failed, please try again
      Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.