Northeast Wild

  July 15/16, 2000 - Main Branch St. Regis River (see below for directions.) Back for an overnighter; brought the Dagger Reflection 16 for its all-aroundedness - not too heavy (60lbs.), good primary (160lb. son of N. can stand up in the bow) & secondary stability, good combination of tracking & turning ability, durable for some whitewater, reasonably fast boat. Wheeled canoe in to Indian Rocks put-in; spotted cars downstream 4.2 miles west on dirt road. Paddled to campsite & set up tents & tarps. After lunch paddled upstream past put-in & were soon into private land on both shores. Started to rain lightly but didn't really bother us much. Shores varied from grassy marsh to boreal forest (white pine, tamarack, cedar, spruce). After about 2.5 hrs. going at 2.37 mph (thanks to GPS companion), with views of St. Regis Mtn. to the east, river widened & became pond-like; saw 1 loon here, nice hilly tall pine shores. Downstream return only took 1.5 hrs. Some drizzle...

  Aug 26-28, 2024 - CEDAR LAKES backpacking & packrafting. West Canada Lakes Wilderness. Day 1 - The drive into Sled Harbor was good, & to the Pillsbury trailhead was mostly good but 3 bumpy spots needed some care. The first couple of hiking miles were smooth flat sections mixed with rough rocky uphill sections. Things got muckier after that - not helped by the fact that someone had driven an ATV in*. Crossed the Cedar River on a bridge below the old dam. 2 campsites were vacant, 2 people were in lean-to #1. Started to rain before we made it to lean-to #2 (aka Beaver Pond Outlet), our home for 2 nights - has a filtered lake view & a sand/rock beach, & nice wood pegs to hang things on (better than nails). 6 miles, 705' gross el gain, 3.9 hours. Skies cleared. Blew up the packrafts & went out for a paddle to Noisey Inlet which gets shallow quickly. Water level on Cedar Lakes looked about 4' lower than when the dam had been in operation. Lots of loon calls, bal...

  Sep 27, 2017 - RAQUETTE LAKE afternoon paddle from North Point Rd.  Put-in on W side of bridge, downstream side.  Started paddling in summer, finished in fall!  Mix of private & state land.  1.5 miles to 1st lean-to.  2.5 miles to Boucher Point lean-tos - these have been pushed back back from the water & refurbished - not sure if I missed 1 but only saw 2 - houses right next door.  4 jetskis passed, light moboat traffic.  Passed Beecher Island, around Bluff Pt & into Boulder Bay.  Went up Boulder Brook (grassy mouth, lots of pickerelweed, tamarack swamp to the S) a half mile, lifted over a beaver dam but turned around at the next.  Blue Mtn in the distance.  Wish I had started earlier, would have gone further up the brook.  West Mtn to the W.  Paddled a little S toward Tioga Point & took a break on sandy beach.  Not much wildlife - a gull - then near the end on Outlet Bay some black ducks.  No l...

  May 2, 2004 - UTOWANA LAKE & MARION RIVER canoe camping. Showers & thunderstorms in the forecast so changed original plans to an easy-to-get-to leanto camping destination. As it turned out, we arrived in a shower but day was mostly dry with some afternoon sun - temp in high 60s - shorts weather - some rain after bedtime - leanto leaks in 2 spots on R side (when facing the lake). Utowana has a couple of nice camps but most of shore is undeveloped. Roadnoise intrudes somewhat. Pair of loons, beaver, osprey with fish in claws seen from camp. Purple trillium behind the leanto & leatherleaf flowers on the Marion. Paddled to W end of Utowana - then level 5 minute carry to Marion River. Marion gets wider as one paddles the 3.8 miles to Raquette Lake - we spot an otter. A house to the S is the only development til the lake - cliffs on unnamed mountain to the N. River winds gently thru marsh & bog. Stopped for break at a nice campsite high up on rocks at the lake. Returned...

  Aug 5, 2024 - LOWER BROWNS TRACT POND paddling. 2 hours of rain, then it cleared so we decided to go for a short paddle around the perimeter of the pond and the island that looks like a giant snapping turtle to me. Made an unsuccessful stab at getting to the Upper pond. Smartweed & pickerelweed flowers. 2 loons. 1.2 hours. Spent 5 nights camping here at the state campground. Left 1 day early thanks to the remnants of tropical storm Debby. No motors, no showers, no cell service, no internet (can get wifi & cell service at RL library), quieter than the average campground, most of the waterside sites are choice. Biting bugs were rare all week & I did not need to use bug dope. August 5, 2024 -BROWNS TRACT INLET paddling from the Brown Tract Pond Campground launch. Northern part of Moose River Plains Wild Forest. Wanted to go down & back but rain was predicted in the pm so we set up a shuttle for a one-way paddle. Paddled over to the pond's outlet, 0.7 miles. Short car...

  Siamese Ponds Wilderness. Feb 11, 2008 - HOUR POND. Good base with foot of powder - excellent conditions. Started at the N end of 13th Lake, skied 0.8 miles along the lake (some slush under the snow) with winds over 20mph, temp 7 degrees. Onto the Peaked Mountain Pond trail where we gain 400' in less than a mile - I get good grip & acceptable glide with Swix Polar grip wax on glide zone of Fischer Outtabounds skis, Maxiglide on nowax pattern. Crossed Peaked Mtn Brook on good ice bridge. From vly with view of Slide Mtn headed off-trail to the S (described in latest 2005 edition of Discover the South Central Adirondacks) thru open woods climbing gently to a beaver meadow. Crossed above a beaver dam & broke thru the ice, one foot getting very wet. Changed into a dry sock (because boots will still be wet, I recommend that you carry spare wool socks & plastic bags or waterproof socks like Sealskins) & scraped the ice off skis. Height of land ~2,200', dropped down i...