Conesus and Hemlock

Honeoye Lake – Don & Elaine Cook’s house

28 mile day

 The wetlands at the south end of Conesus

I don’t have much time. It’s getting dark, and my hands and legs are locking up like Sonny Liston in the fifth. But what a wonderful first day.

A total of 16 miles on Conesus … very heavily populated, and I shudder to think what it would be like without that municipal septic system. I want the history I don’t yet know; did the system spawn subsequent development, or did the densely-packed camps right on the shore compel the need for the system?

Ray was a great host – I could not have asked for a better start.

 I arrived at Hemlock Lake around 1 PM and was met by the effervescent Patti Bedard; she runs the Rochester water system (plant) - essentially she’s the mayor of Hemlock Lake. There’s not a camp on its 15 miles of shoreline – no sign of the human habitation that was removed decades ago. My 12 miles on that lake was as close to totally undisturbed nature as I’ve ever come. The quiet interrupted only by the gunshot-like slapping sounds of huge bass coming clear out of the water.

There’s no swimming allowed in Hemlock – so tempting because of the clear water and undisturbed sand and shale banks. Patti told me the #1 issue at Hemlock is, ironically, not the water, but the surrounding forest cover. The lake relies on its land-bound vegetation for its cleanliness and chemistry, and blights abound.  

Patti is a rock star too, managing the filtration plant, rangering the lake, dealing with bureaucracy … and helping a duffer like me get launched. She’d hoped for Freihofer cookies … all I had was the sweetest thank you I could summon. Not enough, I don’t think.

Tonight I’m the guest of Don and Elaine Cook, long active in a wide range of Lake Association projects and leadership. Wonderful folks; I’ll be with them for two nights … and I’ve got to wrap it up now and get settled; more on them, Honeoye, Canadice, and Life on the Boat tomorrow, OK?

The short take so far is wonderful people, beautiful but highly stressed lakes, and Al feeling his age but pretending not to.

Love -