Connery Pond and Whiteface Mountain in New York state

© Henk Meijer/Alam

Upstate autumn

Paddle out onto Connery Pond in the Adirondacks of upstate New York and you may be treated to this mist-shrouded peekaboo tease from Whiteface Mountain. We're near the town of Lake Placid, known to many as the two-time home of the Winter Olympic Games, in 1932 and again in 1980. The Alpine skiing events in 1980 were held right on the slopes of Whiteface Mountain.

But let's not get ahead of the season. In autumn, when this photo was taken, the forests of the Adirondacks burst with kaleidoscopic color. It does look a bit brisk out there though, so make sure to pack a cozy sweater.