FALL STREAM canoeing and camping.

JESSUP RIVER WILD FOREST, Adirondack Park, NY. Fall Stream flows into the east end of Piseco Lake.

May 8-9, 2016 - Fall Stream canoe camping. Day 1 - Camped just before Vly Lake after paddling 4.4 miles, the only obstruction being a big beaver dam. Side-trip to boggy Mud Lake (In the Adirondack Park, there are 43 Mud Ponds, 21 Long Ponds, 16 Clear Ponds, 16 Round Ponds, 14 Lost Ponds, 14 Rock Ponds, 14 Deer Ponds, 13 Grass Ponds, 12 Buck Ponds, 10 Lily Pad Ponds & 10 Bear Ponds) from Vly Lake, one small beaver dam to pull over. 7.5 miles for the day. Day 2 - Fall Stream upstream of Vly Lake - paddled 2 miles from Vly Lake, several obstructions (at 0.6 miles carry around 100-yard rapids, soon after 4 trees down across stream; passed Willis Vly outlet at 1 mile; big beaver dam offered deeper water for a while, then at a shallow rocky area beached the canoe & walked 0.2 miles to the bridge on snowmobile trail. Saw 3 otters on the paddle out; harrier, osprey, swallows, yellow warbler, gb herons, rw blackbirds, kingfishers, ducks; heard loon in early morning. 11.3 miles for the day. A few blackflies but not really an issue - it was windy & cool.

Sep 26, 2011 - FALL STREAM. Had to get out for a shallow rocky spot, beaver dams exist but all were small or breached & no need to get out of the canoe. Varied shoreline from grass to trees, 2 tall pines stand up way above everything else. Mallards; loon on Vly Lake as we lunched at a campsite. More biting flies today, another unusually warm sunny day. Tandem paddled the Reflection 15. 5.5 hours.

Sep 5 & 6, 2010 - FALL STREAM upstream from Piseco. Had 2 beaver dams to get out for (other dams breached, I suspect motorboaters have been taking them apart, water level 1'-2' lower than I've seen before) in the 4.5 miles to Vly Lake. Motorboat at campsite a bit before Vly Lake. The channel into Mud Lake was initially shallow but got better as we hopped over some beaver dams. Mud is a pretty boggy-shored pond, we found the only route to some dry upland for a lunchbreak. Back to Vly & campsite at the N end which has a nice view to the W (hills rise over 1,000' above the lake) across the water, 2 motorboats at the other campsite. After a relatively quiet night & a misty morning we paddled further upstream on Fall Stream, now much narrower than the section below Vly Lake. Soon go over a big beaver dam & water levels became better. We passed the site of a hunter's campsite which had stacks of firewood. More dams & obstructions, the forest closed in & we reached a rapid. Carried the 100' past it & we had more flat water. Passed junction with Willis Vly Outlet. 2 hours after leaving Vly Lake we turned around. Altho the sandy-bottomed stream was getting shallower we could have continued further upstream. Took 1.5 hours to get back to Vly, delayed somewhat by a capsize & recovery (Nehasane to the rescue) after going over a large downed tree. Broke camp & paddled out. Goldenrod & cardinal flower colored the shores; a hint of fall color in the trees.

Jul 12, 2009 - FALL STREAM, Piseco. Water level on the high side & we were able to paddle up & over the half dozen beaver dams between Fall & Vly Lakes - can not say that for everyone in our group as a couple of solo canoeists had "incidents". Some private land early on then wild state land rest of trip. Joe-pye-weed blooming. Lunched at a campsite on the only high & dry ground on Vly (nice view) then explored Mud Lake & its boggy shores; pitcher plants, bog rosemary, pink orchids (rose pogonia?). Gb herons, osprey, cedar waxwings, kingbirds; sounds of white-throated sparrow, chicadee, thrush. 11.7 miles, 6.25 hours. Bell Chestnut Prospector, 16' canoe, just loves this stuff!

Jul 23, 2006 - FALL STREAM, near Piseco. Upstream from Old Piseco Rd, Fall Stream is a scenic & varied flatwater stream. ~6 beaver dams to go over (all runnable downstream) & one log. One johnboat with motor got thru, otherwise wilderness level is very good. After lunch on Vly Lake we found the channel to Mud Lake which deserves a much nicer name - boggy shores include "fields" of flowering pitcher plants. Deer seen on Vly Lake. Moderate mosquito activity on shore & some deer flies on water as we got more sun & air heated up. 11 miles, 6.2 hours. Bell Northwind, a 17'6" composite tandem canoe. After the main trip switched to a Dagger Reflection 16 (made of Royalex) & ran the rapids (class 2+/easy class 3) under the road bridge.....twice!! Stayed to river right - water high due to rains, had to watch head going under old wood bridge before going under road bridge.

Oct 13, 2003 - FALL STREAM canoeing in Piseco. Put-in is on private land (do not block any driveways); state land starts about a mile upstream. A beaverdam is hopped almost immediately. The stream is wide (up to 50') & the shoreline varies from evergreen woods to overhanging alders & marshgrass. The leaves are off the trees higher up on the small mountains but there is still some good color at lower elevations. Pass thru FALL LAKE which has some boggy shoreline; tamaracks are turning yellow. Only one more beaverdam to hop before we get to VLY LAKE after 4.5 miles on the winding stream. Passed a hunters' camp & see another above Vly Lake - 2 hunters in a small motorboat pass us (1st time I have ever seen a motor in here). Turned around about half mile past Vly Lake (some beaverdams, could have gone further). Relaxed on a grassy bank in the warm sun before heading back. Moffitt Beach Campground practically deserted when we return (evening of Columbus Day). 11 miles, 6.5 hrs.

July 4/5, 2001 - Fall Stream canoe camping. Where can you find peace & quiet on July 4? Put-in a bit upstream of road bridge over Fall Stream (downstream rapids lead to Piseco Lake) in Piseco - this is private land, do not block any driveways. Going upstream, stream widens to 50'-100' thru private land til state land is reached at Fall Lake (1.5 mi.) There is a campsite where snowmobile trail enters from the north. Upstream of Fall Lake stream is mostly 10'-30' wide. Slide over a couple of small beaver dams without getting out of the canoe. A variety of butterflies & iridescent teal-colored damselflies are everpresent & the song of the white-throated sparrow puts me in the right mood. No bad bug activity while on the water. Stream narrows thru spruce forest for a while before opening up again. Enter Vly Lake at over 5 mi. Mostly boggy shoreline; deer comes to the water to take a sip but doesn't like the looks of me. Set up camp at the bottom of Vly Lake Mt. - steepness doesn't allow for many flatspots on which to pitch a tent. Nice view west across the lake from campsite. Another site nearby has empty beer (Genny Light! - must be kids) cans & bottles left in fire-ring. Despite threat of storms & distant thunder, I decide to explore & paddle to boggy Mud Lake. Had to go over 4 beaverdams on its oulet. Admired the pitcher plants, blue flag, sheep laurel & rose pogonia. Back at Vly Lake decided to go further upstream on Fall Stream. Couple of beaverdams. Soon going thru narrow stream in a tunnel of alders but things open up again. See a fawn dancing on a sandbank & stop to watch & take pictures. Thunder getting closer, turn around, rains for 20 min. when I am safely under my tarp. Some mosquitoes on shore in the evening & an occasional blackfly. Some oatmeal stout really hits the spot. Freeze-dried Cheese Enchilado Ranchero was ok for dinner. Only saw 1 kid fishing & 1 tandem canoe all day. As I sat at the shoreline looking at my wide-screen "show about nothing", 3 whitetail deer appeared on the opposite shoreline & spent about an hour wading, eating, drinking. Morning looked great with some blue sky & morning mist but soon turned showery. One visiting loon on Vly Lake as I crossed. Had to get to work by noon & the return trip took 1.5 hrs. in showery conditions. Bell Merlin II was wonderful. Added a Cooke Custom Sewing seat pad which I like (forgot my deluxe knee pad, tho.)

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