BROWNS TRACT PONDS & INLET paddling & camping
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.
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 carry over Uncas Rd. Twisty & narrow at first. Soon reached a downed tree - very muddy 15' carry on the R. Then a low bridge at 1.3 miles - 15" of space above the water - short carry on the L (the R was ok too). Passed the dock at the end of the carry from 8th Lake (used by the 90-miler race in Sept.) The stream gets wider & winds 2.5 miles to Raquette Lake with 3 one-foot beaver dams to scoot over. Grassy shores, floating sphagnum mats. Lots of fragrant white water lily; also pickerelweed, water shield, bullhead lily. Cliffs on Fox Mtn to the N. Osprey nest at the bridge. L on Raquette Lake 0.2 miles to the beach at the hamlet of RL. ~4 miles, 2.5 hours. The general store & tavern are conveniently nearby for refreshments.
Aug 23&24, 2009 - BROWNS TRACT. Stayed at Brown Tract Pond State Campground. Paddled Lower & Upper Ponds which are connected by a shallow twisty stream, a short carry/drag to get around a trail bridge. Osprey, ducks. Heard thunder so returned quickly. Next day: pine-topped rocky island in Lower Pond, stopped & climbed a ladder for the view from rock. Down the outlet & short carry across road into Brown's Tract Inlet which snakes its way to Raquette Lake hamlet. Very narrow at first but things open up as one travels downstream. Soon had to get past downed tree & barely make it under an old railroad bridge. Some beaver dams the rest of the way but we were able to paddle thru in both directions. Nice cliffs on Fox Mt to the N. Stopped for lunch at beach in RL hamlet - lots of motorboats on the lake - ice cream from the general store. Back the way we came. 5 hours. Mosquitoes: light; deerflies: moderate. Bell Northstar, a light 16.5' canoe.
May 3, 2004 - BROWNS TRACT INLET & PONDS canoeing. Put-in at a small beach next to the general store in Raquette Lake hamlet. 40F as we started out - wore Aquashell wet suit for thermal protection - by afternoon, warmed to the 50s with some sun. Go S a short distance past a couple of loons then turn W into Browns Tract Inlet. Cliffs of Fox Mt. seen to the N. Shores are bog & marsh with tamarack trees - see a northern harrier (marsh hawk). Expect a couple of beaver dams. 2.5 miles to Eighth Lake carry. Continued on past carry for about a mile to Lower Browns Tract Pond - stream narrows significantly & turns are tight - lots of 15" fish in this section. Carry across snowmobile bridge - Enjnir, in a Bell Bucktail, was able to go underneath. Carry across dirt Uncas Rd bridge then into the Lower Pond whose attractive piney shores are part of state campground. A large piney island with some large rocks at W end looks like a giant turtle when seen from N or S. Paddled the perimeter past some mallards, mergansers & a lone loon. A narrow stream connects to the Upper Pond - some beaver dams & a footbridge to go over. Upper Pond has a few camps on S shore. Return the way we came now with the current & a bit of a tailwind. Bell Merlin II , a 15' composite (Kevlar) solo canoe.
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