CHENEY POND & BOREAS RIVER paddling
Aug 17&18, 2014 - CHENEY POND & BOREAS RIVER. Half mile drive on a very rough dirt road, good clearance needed. Newish lean-to above sandy beach on E shore of CP. Water level high so I was able to run the short channel to BR without getting out of the canoe. Going downstream there is a short easy (if you take the inside of the bend) rapid, river is 30-50' wide. Quarter mile further & I found a nice spacious campsite with picnic table on river R, good view too (North River Range, Marcy & Haystack). Lots of flowers. Paddled down to the old Lester Dam, got out & explored the rapids below, view N to High Peaks. Upstream 2.5 miles to rocky rapids then back down to camp. Very little wildlife in the afternoon but had 2 garter snakes in camp & heard a white-throated sparrow in the evening. In the am heard loons flying, chickadees & a hummingbird flew by. Minimal bad bugs - mostly no-see-ums - not sure what happened to mosquitoes & deer flies this year but I ain't complainin'. Back thru CP & out.
Jul 18/19, 2004 - CHENEY POND & BOREAS RIVER canoe camping & hiking. From the Blue Ridge Rd, drive 0.5 mi. on a rough dirt road (expect low clearance vehicles to bottom out once or twice) to Cheney Pond. 0.5 mi. across the pretty pond. E shore has a large sandy area where there are several choice campsites where sloppy campers have left behind some trash (I carried some of it out). Shinleaf, with its interesting white flowers, grows abundantly in the area. After setting up the tarp & MSR Hubba tent, paddled down nearby outlet to a beaverdam. Slid the canoe on the grass about 30 yds. to the shore of the Boreas River which we then took 2.5 mi. to the site of the old Lester Dam. Paddled over 2 beaverdams which had to be lifted over on the return. The Boreas is about 30' wide & very attractive here - water was on the high side & the current could be felt - many white-throated sparrows called out "sam-pee-bdee-bdee". Looking N from open rocks next to Lester Dam one could see Mounts Marcy, Haystack, Basin, Saddleback & Gothics. Walked the trail toward Irishtown for about 2 miles - much of it thru spruce/fir forest. Not much of interest other than a variety of mushrooms, indian pipe & other flowers. Back to Cheney to camp. Rainy evening sent me to bed early. Up before the crack of dawn to the sounds of 2 loons & w-t sparrows - a light mist hung among the hills - sipped my cowboy coffee while sitting comfortably on the beach & took my time breaking camp. Light mosquito activity in woods & camp, light biting fly activity on the water. Bell Merlin II , a 15' composite (Kevlar) solo canoe - sweet. Have put my old Clip Flashlight tent to retirement & replaced it with the MSR Hubba , a light solo tent - 3lb.7oz., very spacious 42" inside headroom, floorspace is limited but a large vestibule helps - generally, in rainy weather, most of my camp time is spent under the tarp while the tent serves as a dry shelter for sleeping.
Jul 13, 2003 - JOHNSON POND canoeing. E of N. Hudson - some cottages on N shore but a narrow strip of state land allows anyone access to the pond which is less than a mile long N to S. Some boggy shores - rose pogonia (a pink orchid), flowering pitcher plants, sundews. Pink flowers of sheep laurel found in both bogs & drier shore. On steeper shores cedars lined the pond with pines above. A loon slid off its nest to reveal 2 olive eggs. 2 miles, 2.3 hrs. (Was looking to paddle Paradox Creek but water level was low + much well-posted land around it.)
Jul 13, 2003 - CHENEY POND & BOREAS RIVER canoeing. Between N. Hudson & Newcomb. From Blue Ridge Rd trailhead (sign says Cheney Pond is 1 mile, it is actually half that) drove on fair dirt road (no problem if car has good clearance - would leave the Porsche home) down to a campsite at the pond. Beavers have raised the water fairly high on the half mile pond. Nice beach & campsites at E end. At outlet, carry (we dragged, Royalex slides well on grass & thru bushes) 100' around 6' beaverdam & a shallow channel before entering the Boreas. (Boreas is the Greek god of the north wind.) The Boreas is paddleable for about half mile upstream before rocky rapids are reached. Downstream, the 30-50' wide river winds gently, flanked sometimes with sandy banks & large rocks. A great blue heron stood like a siren on the rocks keeping an eye on us as we progressed. One big & one small beaverdam have to be hopped. Some shallow spots but river has a sandy bottom. After 2 miles the site of the old Lester Dam is reached - a rock crib still remains of the 30' high dam that once flooded the area creating Lester Flow - maps still show the flow but are incorrect - the Boreas here is every bit a river & not a flow. A rapid (at least class 3 in spring) is below the area of the dam - water too low to be able to run it. Spent a long time relaxing on the rocks, the sound of the water lulled me to white noise land. Looking N to the High Peaks, could see Mts. Skylight, Marcy, Little Haystack, Haystack, Basin, Saddleback, Gothics, Sawteeth, Wolf Jaws & more. Not much current to work against upstream. Stopped for a swim on Cheney's sand beach. Saw a loon as we set off for the put-in. Some of the big 3 bugs - blackfly, deerfly & mosquito - but not too bad. Looking forward to returning. 7 miles, 5 hrs. Ref: Discover the Central Adirondacks by McMartin. Dagger Legend 15, a 15' tandem made of Royalex (medium weight, highest durability) - turns easily, not very fast, very good primary & secondary stabilty, can also be paddled solo easily, tumblehome (sides curve inward at the gunwales) allows for easier strokes - nice canoe for those who seldom venture on big lakes & prefer the streams & small lakes, also a good whitewater canoe. Stopped by Grims Mill Falls (aka Blue Ridge Falls) on The Branch - this is 2 miles W of the Northway, just at the E edge of Blue Ridge hamlet & a bit further E of the buffalo farm. Water picks its way via many channels & drops over smooth rock - very scenic & worth the short stop - a wide piney path will get you to it (may be private, but certainly not posted).
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