Darren's Kayak Chronicles

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From "Lake George Reflections: Island History and Lore" by Frank Leonbruno

"Dome Island, located midway between the east and west shores and about nine miles north of the southern tip of the lake, is the centerpiece of Lake George's scenic setting. It is the highest island on the lake, rising 76 feet above the lake's surface. The origin of its name is clear. Seneca Ray Stoddard once described it as having `the appearance of a huge emerald dome, somewhat flattened, but bearing enough of the appearance to justify its name.' Dome Island is a glacial morraine--an accumulation of earth and stones deposited by a glacier. With its unspoiled beauty, the island probably looks the same today as it did a thousand years ago. Its heavily wooded landscape, composed primarily of hemlock, beech, and red oak, provides a habitat to a wide variety of animal life. Like so many of the Lake George Islands, Dome played a roll in the military campaigns of the French and Indian Wars. The elevation of the island made it an ideal place for English scouts to spy on the Indians encamped among the islands to the north. It is reported that Colonel Israel Putnam left some of his troops on the island while he went to inform General Webb of the presence of Indians on the islands near Northwest Bay and the Narrows. . ."

On one of the first days of our arrival to the town of Bolton Landing on Lake George, we took a walk down Main Street and found our way to a small park on the waterfront called Rogers Park. After stopping in the Chamber of Commerce and getting some info and brochures we took a short walk down the path leading to the waterfront. Next to a small bathing beach, we made our way onto a pier and admired the beautiful view of the lake. In the distance, out in the middle of the lake was an island. A small plaque on the pier described how the island was formed and indicated it's name as "Dome Island". Interestingly, with all the islands in Lake George, Dome island seemed to be calling our attention each day, as it was clearly observable in the distance from the southern end of our island campsite in the Narrows.

On Sunday, our second day of camping on the island, the weather was a bit hot and hazy and it looked like some storms were brewing. As a result, we spent most of the day loafing around the campsite. It began to clear around 2 pm and when the sun peeked out it got hotter so a few of us took a dip in the lake. Later in the day, I felt the need to get in my kayak and paddle a few miles. Other than Tom, none of the others in our group were ready to paddle so Tom and I got some gear together, launched our kayaks into the lake and decided to paddle southward towards Dome Island to get a closer look. It was about 3:30 when we launched and we had a slight breeze in our face to keep us cool on this third day of Summer. There was some mild chop on the lake to keep things bouncy and fun and with each paddle stroke, the island appeared closer.

We arrived at the island at about 4:30 after 2.7 miles of paddling. We paddled along the west side of the island up along the shoreline. The island was very dense with trees and the shoreline was very rocky with steep hills. As a result of this topography, there appeared to be no convenient place to land. Small signs on the shoreline indicated the Dome Island was a nature sanctuary.

We continued our exploratory paddle, circumnavigating the rest of the island at a very relaxing pace and simply enjoyed the view and the forest fresh smell of the dense tree cover on the island. We could hear some birds singing on the island as we paddled alongside its shore. As we rounded the southern end and began paddling northward along the western shore of the island, the wind was behind us and as a result, we were a bit warmer. Other than the Mohican steamboat, a few stray powerboats and one towing a parasailor, there was very little boat traffic which made for a rather peaceful paddle back to our campsite.

We arrived back at our island campsite at about 6:30 pm after 7 miles of paddling. The rest of our group was in the middle of happy hour so we quickly got our glasses filled with wine and joined the party. The smell of the campfire permeated the air. We ate dinner at about 8 pm and continued our fireside camp chat and festivities well past midnight. One by one, we retired to our tents for a good night sleep. The plan for the following day was paddle to the trailhead to hike Black Mountain.

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MORE LAKE GEORGE 2008 TRIP REPORTS
Paddling to the Island	Hiking Black Mountain	Starry Night Paddle