Northeast Wild

  The inspiration for this article came from a question recently asked on a Facebook paddling group. A family, new to kayaking, wanted ideas for places to paddle in the Adirondack Park that would be an easy drive from the Capital Region. There was a wide range of responses, some of them good, and some of them not so good. Since there was not a lot of background and details offered by the original poster – like ages of the children, type of kayaks being put to use, and how much time they had spent using them locally – it made it more difficult to suggest appropriate paddling locations. I could only assume that they had little experience, so a smaller lake or pond with minimal motorboat use seemed like the best choice, since they would be less likely to have issues with the wind and boat wakes. A stream or river with little current could also fit the bill. Here are some of the responses that folks made and my thoughts on each.   THE GOOD Take a lesson. It’s never a bad idea...

We are lucky to have many scenic lakes, ponds and other waterways in the Adirondacks that are available for us to paddle. However, it is not so easy for the tripper to find a true wilderness route in the Adirondacks of over 50 miles – one that is essentially motorless, does not cross any paved roads, and has minimal sights and sounds of civilization. Paddlers have traveled far and wide to places like Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park and Minnesota's Boundary Waters to get that wilderness tripping experience. The Adirondack Park does not have the quantity of routes that those places offer but it does offer areas of superior scenic quality, especially when it comes to mountain views. The trip from Little Tupper Lake to the Oswegatchie River via Lake Lila and Lows Lake qualifies as the Adirondacks' best paddling route. Paddlers with less time or energy can sample parts of this route. For day-trippers and weekenders, Little Tupper Lake, Lake Lila, Lows Lake and the Osw...

William C. Whitney Wilderness Area. Aug 4-7 (Wed-Sat), 2022 - Hoped to get a campsite down at the W end of the lake, well away from civilization (no sights or sounds except for 1 or 2 planes flying over).  Moderate headwind - waves up to 1'.  After paddling 3.5 miles, found #10 available & it was big enough for our group of 8 - long sand beach made for a good landing & swimming.  Red pines & hemlocks on a small bluff & a good view.  Thunderbox & fire ring.  After setting up camp, paddled around the islands near the S shore.  Loon.  Got out for a look at the Camp Bliss campsite - buggy, not desirable.  Headed up Charley Pond Outlet, under a very low bridge (slipped over a minor beaver dam, no other obstructions), & further upstream, over 1.5 miles from the lake, 40'-60' wide, lots of pickerelweed.  Back to camp.  Merlins.  Lots of loony tunes.  11 miles on the day. Day 2 - Colorful sunrise with loony...