From the WCC lean-to, we hiked the BMM39 trail, 1.2 miles to the clearing where the former West Canada Lakes Ranger Headquarters had been until it was removed to "conform" with the new Adirondack Park Agency plan.  I had forgotten about this segment when I laid out the distances with Bob in the morning, and it took me a little while to read the trail guide and figure out what was wrong.  I arrived at the conclusion that we had 10.25, not 9, miles to hike today.  While I was stumbling along reading the trail guide, etc., Bob had streaked ahead of me and was nowhere to be seen.  I started cranking trying to catch up.

When I got past the South Lake lean-to side trail, I met the couple from the night before at their tent-site.  The fellow stopped me and asked if I was the one who ran by the night before.  He had talked with the fellow at the lean-to, and this guy was also a trail runner.  He wanted to talk, and we got started on what various ultras we had run, etc.  As you can imagine, this took on a life of its own.  I tried politely a few times to get going.  Pretty soon here comes Bob back down the trail to find out what happened to me.  Nuthin', just talkin'.

After Bob rehabilitated me, we got going again, then took a short side trip to the West Lake lean-to, where we had stayed on out through-hike.  There was a single lady there packing up to get back on the trail.  Back on the trail, we crossed a recently replaced long bridge over the outlet stream of West Lake, with views in either direction (below).  

After the bridge, we arrived at the end of the BMM39 trail in the clearing.  Someone has erected the memorial marked below at the edge of the foundation, all that remains of the former Ranger Headquarters.  Click on the thumbnail and read the inscription.  On the right is French Louie's fireplace.  He was going to build a hotel here, but only got the fireplace done.

Bob signed us in at the register, and the lady from the lean-to caught us up.  Then we took off while she signed in.

  The BMM40 trail is 6.65 miles from the clearing to the Cedar Lakes Dam, with some climb as it passes along the lakes on the way.  Bob waited for me at the side trail to the southern Cedar Lakes lean-to (LTCL3).  We decided to skip the visit to this lean-to, since it lies 1/2 mile off the trail, and I was getting tired, with still some ways to go, and I didn't feel like an extra mile hike.  When we left the clearing, I started taking a bite of balance bar every 20 minutes, a tactic I sometimes use on long runs, to keep my blood sugar up.  This seemed to work pretty well.

I stopped to visit with some fellows at the middle Cedar Lakes lean-to (LTCL2) who were packing up to leave.  They had had good luck fishing, and were heading back out to Sled Harbor.  Then on across the bridge to LTCL1, which was occupied by some guys from NYC with rifles.  Bob had been there about 4 weeks waiting for me to straggle in, and he had found a very nice campsite a little closer to the dam, since we didn't feel like being too close to the rifles.

After setting up camp, Bob prepared to fish and I filtered water.  Then I donned photo equipment and set out to stalk the intrepid fisherman plying his trade.  In the photo on the left below, he can be spotted through the foliage.  I was on the dam, and he had found a fishing hole just downstream of the dam.  On the right, a close-up of the old dam.

Now, I'm not an expert, but it is 3:01 a.m. in the morning and there isn't an expert around to ask, so I'll have to speculate a little here.  It appears, from observing the photos below, that fly fishing is pretty difficult work.  Notice closely that in the photo on the right, it becomes clear that the difficulty of this task sometimes requires one to take the left hand out of the pocket.  Of course I could be wrong.

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