Sat Sep 25. 2021 - Half-hour drive on the bumpy 5.6-mile dirt road. ~20 vehicles in the parking area. 0.3-mile carry to the lake is mostly downhill, lots of roots so not cart friendly, nice sandy beach at the end of the carry. All my favorite campsites were taken so we settled into #7, the E-facing lean-to, has a thunderbox. A vehicle drove by - landowners in the Partlow area have access but not the general public. Hiked 1.7 miles to the lookout on Mt Frederica - half the time on dirt road, half on trail. Views were lovely - maples were close to peak color. Clouded over for sunset, then cleared revealing the starry sky. Sun Sep 26 - took a walk & found the spring across the road from campsite #9. Packed up then paddled around the W side of the lake over to Shingle Shanty Brook, wind picking up. First beaver dam came quickly. Shores of grasses & alders, very twisty. Beyond, red maples contrasted with green white pines & black spruce. Not far to 2nd beaver dam. Smartweed flowering in many spots streamside, a little asters too. 3rd beaver dam - all beaver dams were in the 1st mile, not too high since the water level was high from recent rain. The current became more noticeable but no real obstructions to private land & carry trail, 2.6 miles fro the lake. Back downstream, wind was blowing on the lake making waves over 1 foot. Stopped at nearby beach for late lunch. Grassy areas in the shallow water kept the waves down a bit & we made it around the point. Tailwind w/waves back the put-in. Quick swim in the lukewarm water - not bad for this time of year. 10+ miles of paddling for the day. Did not see any loons, heard one in the early morning. 10 cars in the parking area.
June 19 & 20, 2016 - LAKE LILA canoe camping. William C Whitney Wilderness. Last 2 days of spring. 5.6 mile drive in on decent dirt road, just have to keep an eye out for some raised rocks. Doubled the 0.3 mile carry to a nice sand beach (great spot for a swim). Paddled 2 miles & got a nice campsite with a sandy beach & rocks out front. After setting up camp, paddled up Shingle Shanty Brook for 2.7 miles until we reached the carry to Lilypad Pond - had to get out for 1 beaver dam, slid over at least 3 others + a log; upstream of this spot the stream passes thru private land. Lots of dragonflies, damselflies & butterflies flitting about; a snake swam across in front of me. Short evening paddle to view the rising of the full moon & the setting of the sun. In the morning, paddled across the lake to campsite #5, hiked a path behind the campsite, soon crossed a dirt road then bushwhacked NE up unnamed hill gaining over 400' in ~0.6 miles - there are great views from open rock (at least as good as the views from Mt Frederica & a shorter hike). Wind was really picking up with gusts to 30mph. Paddled clockwise around shore of the lake stopping to take a look at the old lodge site. Saw a doe & 2 small fawns frolicking along a beach. Went downstream on the tree-lined Beaver River (much wider than Shingle Shanty) for about a mile to rocky rapids & private land. Where there was a good fetch over the lake the waves rose to close to 2'. Broke camp & paddled out in the waves. Bad bugs not too prevalent - mostly deer flies & mosquitoes. Osprey, bitterns, bald eagle, hawks, loon (not very loony overall). ~23 miles paddling/hiking over the 2 days.
May 12 & 13, 2013 - LAKE LILA canoe camping. Winds gusting to 30mph both days, waves up to 2', snow coating the ground in the morning, ice pellet showers by day (had some sun too). Managed to get to Canada Island then hiked up unnamed nubble to the NE with a great view. Toured the W end of the lake (pair of loons) then went up Shingle Shanty Brook (whitetail deer) & Mud Pond Outlet to the foot of rapids (4.5 miles from the lake). We saw no-one else for the 2 days. High temp in 50s Sunday (3 miles paddling), 40s on Monday (14 miles). Hobblebush, dogwood & painted trillium flowering. No bugs. A memorable trip & what a difference from a week ago! Swift Keewaydin 15 solo canoe.
Nov 15&16, 2009 - LAKE LILA canoe camping. No cars in parking lot when we arrived Sunday morning - we had Lila to ourselves for both days (did see/hear couple of vehicles on private road N of lake). 0.3 mile carry to the lake. Paddled to lean-to & set up camp then across lake & up Shingle Shanty Brook (fun - lots of turns) to the carry at edge of private land. Several beaver dams. Temp stayed above freezing overnight; mice in lean-to. Paddled over to campsite #5 & hiked up (no trail) unnamed rocky peak - gain 350' in 22 mins. Great views across Lila (more expansive than views from Mt Frederica); could also make out Cat Mtn (near Cranberry Lake) to the NW. Paddled down the Beaver River ~1 mile to rapids & private land; no obstructions, shallow in spots. Very mellow; no gunshots. Bell Northstar, a 16.5' tandem canoe.
Sep 26/27, 2004 - LAKE LILA canoe camping. 5.6 mile drive on a 1.5 lane dirt road. About a dozen cars in parking lot around noon on Sunday - maybe no-one else camping Sunday night. Signs warn of bears & list many items which should be hung in a tree (goes a bit too far, IMO). Doubled the 0.3 mile carry - only because I brought the "comfy chair" & a jug of one of my favorite beverages. Warm & not a cloud in the sky. Hills ablaze with color - close to peak. Cruised around trying decide which campsite to inhabit. Paddled down the Beaver River (outlet) for about a mile - someone has finally sawed out a way thru some downed trees. Reach posted land & dam then turn back. Gunshots from near Site 12 - it is early bear season. Read some Sigurd Olsen, a philosophical & poetic writer of things canoeing & northwoods. Slept on a flat sloping rock under the stars & almost full moon. Algonquin Park style box privies can now be found at some campsites - lids should be larger than the box, tho. Carried along old railroad after a short bushwhack from near Canada Island. Put in on Rainer Brook & headed downstream over one beaverdam & soon into HARRINGTON BROOK . Able to paddle downstream over half a mile before stream gets rocky. Shores are mostly boggy. An owl flies from tree to tree. Back upstream & into HARRINGTON POND whose surface is covered with lily-pads. Can't find a good inlet on which to continue further upstream. Back to RAINER BROOK , under the tracks into a scenic valley. Able to go less than a mile (3 beaverdams) before rocks intrude. Capsize getting out - dam beavers! Garmin Geko 201 GPS & Celestron waterproof binos ok; 35mm camera & my pride - to be determined; had my SealLine Boundary Day Pack open & got my spare socks wet! Unusual clearings both N & S of stream (notice the white areas on USGS map) - mostly ferns, some grasses, some black cherry trees. Walked to height of land & saw more open ferny areas - could be a clearcut or burn. Another warm mostly cloudless day helped me dry off. Carried further NE on railroad. Route I would have liked to take to Clear Pond has about 6 new posted signs - intimidated (ranger at Lows Lake told me that the Robinwood Club is being tolerant of paddlers coming into Bog Lake from Lows; land is now owned by the Nature Conservancy but still leased to the club), I turn back & carry the 1.5 miles back to Lila. R'n'R on Lila. Swim at the take-out - water still fairly warm. No loons - Lila has never been the best of lakes for loons. New house on the hill to the E sticks out like a sore thumb - this & a private dirt road along N side of the lake which leads to private land are the only detractions from a great wilderness feel - all shoreline is state land. Saw a group with mostly plastic kayaks who doubled the carry on a day trip - I have never met anyone who ever regretted buying a Kevlar canoe or kayak. Bell Merlin II , a 15' Kevlar canoe - cruises nicely without too much effort in the 3.5 mph range (this is the only thing the GPS is good for; batteries run down too fast when it is on all the time).
Aug 3&4, 2003 - LAKE LILA canoe camping, hiking. Only about 10 cars in parking lot Sunday am (new restrooms, too) - usually expect 30 in mid-summer. 0.3 mi. carry down to the lake - trail has some roots which will make it hard for those who choose to use wheels. Excellent beach put-in. Lila is about 3 miles long but can easily spend all day exploring the shoreline, inlet & outlet. Grabbed campsite #24 to S of put-in so as to make easy early morning getaway - beaches, rocks, pines, view W, blueberries - decent site. Paddled to N of Canada Island & beached the canoe. Bushwhacked short distance (3 min.) thru woods to the currently abandoned (snowmobile trail in winter) Adirondack Railroad then walked along it to the NNE to explore possible route to Lows Lake. Crossed Rainer Brook which should be paddleable upstream for a mile or two - could not see Harrington Pond or Brook from the tracks. Blueberries often found - favorite food of the black bear we saw. Pass a sign which says H89 then another saying H90 - these denote the mileage to Herkimer, the original terminus of the line. The land around nearby Clear Pond & Bog Lake has been purchased by The Nature Conservancy but I'm not sure if we are allowed access yet (the Robinwood Club, a hunting/fishing club, may still lease the land - "Twenty-four existing hunting and fishing cabins of the Robinwood Club would be removed from the 1,100 acre lot and given the option to relocate to the retained lands." ) - people are paddling into Bog Lake from Lows Lake already. Most of the afternoon was sunny but we did get hit by a hard 10 min. shower. Head back past the spot we entered the tracks to Nehasane Station where a couple of buildings stand in disrepair. Walked dirt road back to canoe (total hike ~5 miles). Lake was fairly calm & biting flies followed us out. Evening clouded up denying us a sunset - storms were heard to the S & N but we only got a few sprinkles (the tarp is always the first thing set up & the last thing taken down). Some loony tunes but Lila has never been one of the better lakes for loons, don't know why, it's certainly big enough to accommodate a few breeding pairs. Single carried everything on the way out (gentle uphill) - Wg took the canoe & Sealline Daypack, I got the rest: big Sealline Propack, paddles & PFDs strapped to top, a daypack on front of chest & my favorite beach chair in hand (we didn't go lite). Only 4 cars left in parking lot - also stopped by Little Tupper Lake access & almost no-one there, either, Monday morning. Bell Northwind, a 17'6" tandem composite canoe - is everything I ask of a canoe - very good to excellent in all phases of performance, looks & practicality.
Aug 18/19, 2002 - Lake Lila canoe camping. Shakedown trip for next week's big trip. The Baboosic's maneuverability was perfect for Shingle Shanty Brook - played with a wide variety of strokes - such fun! Cardinal flower seen often. Paddled upstream for couple of hours & gave some advice to newbie canoeists (the "giggle gals")- bow paddler got idea of draw strokes pretty well but stern paddler was in j-stroke denial & I have never before seen a canoe capsize on both sides of a beaver dam - have to be patient when learning canoe strokes, there is so much to learn & much is dependent on "feel". Camped on Spruce Island in middle of lake - nice large rocky area on W to view sunset & the stars. Landing is on SE side of island with view of beaches on either side of Shingle Shanty. Very quiet Sunday night - no loons. Not too buggy - mosquitoes after dark (bats, too). Monday - bushwhack up unnamed peak (Nehasane Mtn.?) near campsite #5. 5' rock cairn was evidence someone had been here before (I hear it might have be work of a ranger; similar one can be seen at site #4). View at least as good as from Mt. Frederica & actually a shorter hike. Parking lot almost full Sunday morning but a lot of people left that day - lots of room Monday. Sign warns not to leave food in cars due to bear raids.
May 12/13, 2002 - Lake Lila canoeing. Parking area is reached after 5.6 mi. drive on fair dirt road. Double the 0.3 mi. carry down to the lake - takes about half hour - nice beach here. A few other canoe campers leave early. Starts raining a short time after we start paddling - decide to abandon our expedition to find the source of Shingle Shanty Brook, the main inlet, & head 2.5 mi. across the lake to the leanto aided by a nice tailwind. Off & on showers & drizzle. Stare out the front of the leanto & take in the "show about nothing". Wind also blowing into the leanto, so after a period of inactivity we are getting chilly. At the last minute I had decided to bring my AquaShell sweater & pants & I'm sure glad I did - cuts wind, keeps you warm & comfy, too. Decided to walk the dirt road (used by private landowners to get to their properties but not open to the public except for foot travel) E for about a mile & bushwhack N along the W side of Harrington Brook to explore a potential thru route from Lows Lake. Go about a third of a mile as the crow flies (we probably walked twice that distance) to top of rocky rapids (not enough water to paddle) where stillwater is found. Decide that the route close to brook is best for a carry - blowdown gets very bad the further you get from the stream. Spring is here - trees are starting to leaf out & we see flowering hobblebush, painted trillium, sweet white violet, leatherleaf, wild oats & trout lilies. See only 1 loon - pretty quiet. Plenty of dry wood under the leanto & we get well-smoked. Wake up to the sounds of white-throated sparrows. Decide to head out but take our time exploring the N shore along the way - we pass beaches & areas of blowdown from storm of '95. Starts raining again. Since we paddle into the wind I put the large Sealline ProPack, a huge heavy duty dry bag with shoulder straps & hip belt, in the bow & the smaller Sealline Day Pack in the stern - this makes it easy steering into the wind or at an angle to it. Waves up to 1' rock me gently. Merrimack Baboosic, 14' 40lb. solo Kevlar canoe with cherry ribs - a classy boat! Basically a solo Prospector (Bill Mason's favorite canoe). This lightly used canoe is for sale - check out "deals" page. Was originally hoping to use its manouverability on the winding Shingle Shanty but it was a fine open water boat this day. Mitchell paddle was smooth during recovery phase of Canadian stroke (basically a j-stroke with a partial in-water recovery). Not best of weather but still better than looking at 4 walls. Too cold for bugs. Chance of snow in the Adirondacks Tuesday.
Lake Lila article.
Comments
Post a Comment