Northeast Wild

Jul 13, 2008 - OTTER CREEK, S of Middlebury, VT. Put-in next to confluence with Halnon Brook on E side of OC. 80' wide, light current. Mostly undeveloped & away from roads. Silver maples line the muddy banks. Had to lift over one logjam. Pass Cornwall Swamp but cannot get good look from the river. Cedar Swamp Covered Bridge being rebuilt - road closed. Glimpses of Green Mountains. Mosquitoes on land; bug-free on water. 12 miles, 4.6 hrs.

Aug 22, 2010 - CHITTENDEN RESERVOIR, NE of Rutland, VT.  From boat launch near end of Dam Rd.  5mph speed limit, water-skiing & jetskis not allowed.  W shore has some light development, rest undeveloped.  Nice views of  Green Mountains - light rain, clouds & mist draped the mountains.  Several campsites on the lake - only one was occupied (a very large group with kayaks & inflatable motorboats).  4 otters in a group, loon.  3.2 hours.

Finally! DEC has completed construction of a new paddlers' take-out site along the West Branch Sacandaga River on the Shaker Place Conservation Easement along State Route 10 (our usual downstream take-out spot after a one-way trip from the 1st or 2nd bridges). The new access provides a safer and more user-friendly experience. https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/114862.html   June 6, 2016 - WEST BRANCH SACANDAGA RIVER from 1st bridge on Rt.10 to just before Shaker Place. One of the Adirondacks' most scenic streams. Soon had to duck under a tree then carry around another; the only obstruction after that was a beaver dam going into Chub Lake. Brief visits to Good Luck & Trout Lakes. Recent rains had brought water level up - the current was going from the river into Good Luck Lake - usually in summer it is flowing out of the lake toward the river. Beaver, merganser, wood ducklings. Gusty wind - blackflies not an issue during the paddle but got a few bites at th...

Water levels above 2 feet at Burtonsville gauge recommended for skilled whitewater paddlers - flatwater paddlers may want to try Middleburgh downstream when Burtonsville gauge reads 1.5-2 feet. Watch this video if you are new to moving water. May 3, 2020 - From Schoharie County Fire Wire: This is not a press release of the 2 rescues which did took place on Sunday May 3rd. But a PSA to help try and prevent someone from getting killed out on the Schoharie Creek south of the Middleburgh bridge/park. This post is to help point out a current problem. For those that dont know Schoharie Creek runs north. We have posted 3 pictures to point out the current location of this water hazard. Due to current water levels being high at this time. The current hazard is located at 42.5783211, -74.3544897 on the creek. In the photos the blue line represents the main channel, red line the hazard area and the green lines where the creek is flowing due to the high water levels. As illustrated in photo #...

Boreas Ponds Tract info . Seasonal access issues .  June 20-22, 2023 (Tue-Thu) - BOREAS & WHITE LILY PONDS paddling, hiking, & camping. High Peaks Wilderness. Highs in the 70s, lows in the upper 40s. Light mosquito activity at times, a moderate amount of young deer flies (not biting), and black flies are over with (they are hanging out on cooler mountain tops).  Day 1 - Drove 6 miles on Gulf Brook Rd (dirt/gravel) to the 4 Corners parking area (5 of the 15 spots were taken). Wheeled the boats ~1 mile on dirt/gravel road to the lean-to, white-throated sparrows sang along the way, & set up camp. Saw a ruffed grouse in the lean-to clearing. Wild strawberries too. There is a well-hidden thunderbox privy - it took a while to find it - it is in another clearing NW of the lean-to. The Ranger stopped by as we had lunch. Paddled the irregular perimeter of BP. Spotted a loon on a nest. Great blue heron. 5.7 miles. Saw a few other paddlers, mostly day trippers. Went for an ...