Thanks for the explanation. One thing I did not notice but someone pointed out was the very long white pipe going down to the lake. Is it an insulated water intake?? ========================== Great shot, Bill. In the first photo, in addition to those crazy driveways, I noticed one large pipe extending from a villa into the lake. It's too large to be a water intake pipe, so I can only guess what it is. You probably guessed this too. Maybe you need a watchdog organization like our "Save the River" up at the Thousand Islands. Often those issuing permits are eager to have new development contribute to the local tax base. They may not be inclined to discourage easy "improvement" of undeveloped land. ================== Hi, Folks, Bill, these are great pictures. Thank you. Okay. First of all, the trees aren't burnt. The pictures were taken in April (note fine print at the bottom). They are hardwoods. They lose their leaves in winter and thus appear quite barren until they begin their new spring growth. By now, the hillsides are covered in myriad shades of green. Yes, several someones built roads to or near the lakeside or have long walkways down to it. What you perhaps cannot discern from the picture and wouldn't know if you've never been there is that those are sheer rock walls close to or exceeding 100 feet vertical height, with precious little shoreline at the bottom. The deep crevaces (deep vertical shadows) are what we call "gulleys". Very steep, very deep, usually covered in loose shale rock which makes them extremely dangerous to try to climb or hike around. My cousin died in such an accident. Please note the stairways leading to the shoreline are very, very long. They are tight to the face of the rock wall. Does that give you some idea of the distance? The roadway is FAR above all this. The inexperienced eye can probably not tell from this photograph the steep angle of the "driveways" down to the houses clinging to the side of the hill. Look closely and you will see that most of the paths zig-zag back and forth. That should give you some idea of the steepness they are traversing. It would be impossible to drive a vehicle straight up through there. It's rather like those idiots in California who insist on building their homes hanging off the hillsides ... and then bemoaning when they periodically fall into the sea. (Forgive me if I offend any Californins here.) At least in NY they're built on solid rock base. Why anyone would want to go to the expense, effort and danger of building the way they do is, personally, beyond me. Think of the effort just to go for a swim!!! I agree with Bill, "What were they thinking!!!" But then, the engineering feat itself is worthy of note. Lyn So many ancestors ----- so little time.