Sunday August 11 was our shortest hiking day.  As the elevation profile shows it was a relatively easy hike of 5.65 miles to the lean-to at Sampson Lake.

  elevation profile - 250' scale

  Up so early?

We didn't get up very early, but we were in no hurry.  We made instant oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, made sure the fire was out and broke camp.  At the east end of West Lake we crossed the new boardwalk from last year and passed the Manlius guys again.  They were heading back out today.   They told us the bridge over West Canada Creek had been rebuilt.  I took some photos from the new bridge, but none of it.  The photo below shows some of the pieces of the old bridge in the creek bed below the new bridge.

from the new bridge across the West Canada

the other direction

At Sampson Lake lean-to, we the the lean-to in good condition and clean.  in addition, the canoe was still there.  We decided to spend to evening, unpacked a little and Bob showed me how to put my fishing rod together and what hooks to use, etc.  Then he started fishing and I put the canoe in the water, got my fishing pole and paddled out to find Bob.

He got in the canoe and we paddled to the other end of the lake.  We drifted and Bob caught a 5" chub or baby trout.  I took it off the hook and threw it back.  Then we paddled out to the island, grounded the canoe on rocks, and had a lot of fun.  Then we paddled back towards the shore and there were two people there waving at us - people from Bob's church.

We landed and got introduced.  Then they went in for a swim and Bob and I also swam.  We swam out to the big rock across the lake like we did last year.  It was quite a way for me - I hadn't swam in a long while - maybe since February in Sun Lakes.  After recovering on the big rock, we swam back.

We both cooked our macaroni and cheese suppers and had dinner, feeling very hungry after our swim.  After dinner we fished some more, and Bob caught some more babies.  I took some photos, more to photograph the reflections of the trees and clouds on the lake surface than for the trees and clouds themselves.

  Sampson Lake reflections...

  the mighty fisherman strikes

and he scores!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After dark we built a fire in the fireplace in front of the lean-to and Doug and Kelly joined us.  After a while we all went to sleep, listening to the loons.  The 2 baby loons from last year were still there with their parents.  They were still brown, but much larger than last year.