A month or so ago, my wife and I spent the weekend in the Adirondacks in a very small town named Newcomb, NY.  We have loved the Adirondacks for a long time and we head up there as often as we can.  This particular weekend escape was kind of last minute after a long couple of weeks.  It was only the weekend but the time away was a refreshing one!

The reason for this post, though, is to talk-up our hosts!  There are several reasons we enjoyed Cloud-Splitter Cabins:

1. They accomodated us at the last minute!  We called them the very same week we were hoping to head up there!
2. They we very friendly on the phone!  It is run by a friendly couple who did everything they could to make us feel welcomed even before we arrived!
3. The cabin was beautiful and in a good location!  It was only a few years old and the fresh wood smell was a welcomed aroma.  It was about the perfect size with several beds at the below ground level and a nice loft on the third level.  The kitchen was beautiful (I cooked in it once) and the dinning/living area was comfy and relaxing and there was no television to distract us from the peace and quite the cabin on the hill afforded us.  It was located, as I mentioned, on a hill and some trees afforded a good amount of privacy (I imagine once we visit in a season with leaves on the trees it will be even more private).
4. The off-season rate was very affordable (at least in my opinion)!
5. The hosts were very friendly once we arrived and were very accommodating with good information about the area and hikes and trails and restaurants, etc.  They made us feel at home!

Well, I could go on and on about how much I love the Adirondacks (especially once you drive past all the tourist towns) and how nice the cabin and the owners were, and how we are going back soon but I won’t bore you.  I’ll let some photos do the talking!

Outside View From Parking Spot

View of the cabin while approaching

Downstairs where the other beds are

The kitchen with our junk on the counter

The view of the living roon from the loft

View of the dining area from the loft

The loft with a good view (there's a nice view of the stars at night)

a view of the sunrise

I’m not sure why, but the other day I began to think about our good ol’ friend, Yogi Bear!

While pocking around online, I found cartoonscrapbook.com which said this about Yogi:

Yogi’s daily life consisted of searching for food in his government-protected habitat, Jellystone Park. But unlike most bears (or perhaps a little earlier than most bears), Yogi preferred sandwiches and chocolate cake over fish and berries. Yogi, being what he called “smarter than the average bear,” eschewed normal bear-type hunting techniques, such as swatting at fish, in favor of hunting for pre-made food that was found in a “pic-a-nic” basket.

Then the thought occured to me that there really wasn’t much different about Yogi.  Smarter than the average bear?  Unlike most bears?  OK, there aren’t many bears roaming around with a tie and collar but other than that and the miracle of speech, there isn’t much different.  At least when compared to the black bear of the Adirondacks, in my experience.  Like Yogi, the black bears in the Adirondacks search for food in government protected land, have a taste for human food, and are quite intelligent in their pursuit of food.

According to wikitravel.org,  “The Adirondack Park is both the largest and the first government-protected park in the contiguous United States.”  The Adirondack Mountains have long held a special place in my heart.  I love hiking and camping in the wilderness there and I love getting away from the hustle and bustle of life and escape to experience the awesome creative power of God as I take in His creation.

Over the years, the black bear of the Adirondacks has become aware of humans as a source of food.  They know that the camper/hiker has food and can smell it a long way off.  They say that a black bear won’t normally attack a human unless cornered, hurt, or hungry.  The gradual loss of the fear of humans has led to the increased boldness of the black bear to approach looking for food.  Throughout history, campers have employed many different tactics to keep their food safe.  They’ve hung it in trees, hung it between trees, and even hung it over damns, etc.  Well, through all of that, the black bear has actually been able to outsmart the camper!  They’ve figured out how to climb the trees (go figure, a bear can climb trees), knock the food off of lines, and even pull the food up from the dams!  It’s only a matter of time before they figure out the modern bear canister!

My contention is, although I’d have to admit that I don’t know why I care, that Yogi is NOT smarter than the average bear and not all that different either!

You be the judge, is there something special about Yogi Bear?  What other cartoon characters are surprisingly similar to real life?  Leave a comment!