Flashback (Closing Arguments)

     Sharon and I have visited the Adirondack region on numerous occasions, and each subsequent trip was better than the previous trip.  We discovered kayaking in the Adirondacks, which led to our mothership kayaking adventure in Alaska.  Kayaking will be part of our full-time cruising plans on board M/V Big Run.

     The Adirondack  Park exists because of the efforts by early conservationists when this country was still in the industrial revolution.  Commercialization of the land within the park should be halted. Private lands within the park boundaries should be purchased when they become available to ensure the park's survival.  Accessibility (motor vehicles) directly to lakes and remote areas should be kept at a minimum, reduced or stopped, as this type of development would increase pressure for additional services by those individuals that only care about their personal comfort . The park must be "protected" from exploitation by those who have no respect for what we have inherited.  Wilderness and remote areas need to be protected to maintain the ecological balance. The vision of those early pioneers must never be lost.
 
     If you have the opportunity to visit the Adirondacks, do your research and enjoy one of the Northeast's great outdoor experiences. Take nothing but pictures and  leave nothing but footprints.
       

Flashback (Let Your Imagination Run Wild!)

     We have mentioned numerous times about the designated campsites on the lakes of the Adirondacks.  Here is a photo of just one campsite that we visited on Little Tupper Lake.  The stone fireplace was placed here long before that area was developed into a designated campsite for paddlers.  Was the fireplace for cooking and heating of a trapper's cabin?  Did it serve as a centerpiece for a private hunting and fishing lodge?  Or did it witness the trials and tribulations of Lumberjacks?  We did find a few more ruins on other lakes that are also earmarked by just a stone fireplace, but those sites have been consumed by the forest.  So much history and nobody to tell the stories. 

Flashback (More Than Just Lakes)

When kayaking in the Adirondacks, it's very easy to get into a routine of paddling just on the lakes.  However, there are many opportunities to paddle on rivers.  The photo above is of the Oswegatchie River.  I know what some of you may be thinking, but by New York standards, this is a river.  Anyway, the Oswegatchie Rivers meanders around, covering a lot of territory.  Distance covered by kayak versus distance as the crow flies varies greatly.  The river averages about 16 feet in width with vegetation on the banks that rise up 6 - 8 feet in height to create a walled-in effect.  After 2 weeks of paddling mainly on lakes and one or two " open rivers" that were of  a more conventional appearance, this paddle on the Oswegatchie was quite a departure from the norm. Very unique experience and highly recommended!

Flashback ( That's not Bullwinkle! )

     (Unfortunately, we do not have photographs to document this encounter, but nonetheless, it is quite a memory that we both can still visualize to this day).
     Sharon and I were kayaking on Osgood Pond in the Adirondacks.  It was a great day for a paddle and a great location. Our day trip took us north on Osgood Pond and  the Upper Osgood River.   About 2 miles upstream from the pond there is a designated campsite, where we stopped for a late lunch.  The campsite was on top of a small hill that provided an overlook of the river and the wetlands on the opposite side of the river.  After lunch, Sharon and I decided to head back to Osgood Lake, as we had a 1 hour drive back to our campsite on Floodwood Road.  Don't ask me why, but when we kayak on rivers and creeks I will take the lead and Sharon will bring up the rear.  On this particular occasion, Sharon took the lead.  As we proceeded downstream we came to a series of bends in the river.  I could see Sharon just ahead of me, but I could not see around the bend.  Then with very low and calm voice I heard Sharon exclaim "Bob, your not going to believe this".  I could see Sharon was back paddling very quietly but I could not see why.  Then as I rounded the bend, I saw it, a cow moose standing  in the middle of the stream , 25 feet from Sharon, obstructing our travel.  As I started to backpaddle, I quickly scanned all around us looking for a calf, and was relieved not to see one.  We managed to quietly backpaddle to hold our position without scaring the moose. However, the moose did get nervous, turned, walked away from us, then it went up onto the river bank and disappeared into the forest.  Wow, our first encounter with a moose, up close and personal!

     We did not get to share this experience with anyone until a few days later when we were heading home to Pennsylvania.  We stopped at the kayak shop where we had purchased our kayaks the previous year and were swapping stories with the clerk.  When we told her of the moose encounter, she said she was envious as she had been living and paddling  in the Adirondacks for 20 years and never saw a moose.  We left the Adirondacks that year feeling that the day trip with the moose encounter was something very special.

        

Flashback (Taking It All In)

     Although some lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks allow power boats, we did not kayak on those bodies of water. Because we kayaked on "remote" waters, we did not find trash, graffiti or other signs of the masses. I guess most of the lakes we visited required some work on our part to get there before we got the kayaks wet. That eliminated the hooligans who might destroy such places with their carelessness and disrespect for what mother nature has provided us. I believe on this particular day (see photo), we saw one other group of kayakers, who respected our privacy with a distant wave hello and paddled on.

     Here, in this photo, Sharon can be seen enjoying the peace and tranquility of Slang Pond. The rock outcropping Sharon is sitting on is part of a designated campsite, one of only 2 sites on Slang Pond. Most of the lakes we visited had designated campsites, and each one of those campsites was carefully placed to take advantage of something unique to that particular lake and its surroundings.

Flashback (Boot Camp)

     If you are familiar with our blog you are probably saying to yourself "I saw that picture before".  And your are right.  This photo has been published in the right hand column of random photos as "Our favorite spot in the Adirondacks".  We've been there twice, and we have never been disappointed.   Before I tell where this special place is let me tell how to get there.  From Paul Smiths, take NY Rt  30 north, turn left onto NY Rt 458 , go a very short distance and turn left onto a dirt road, drive  for about 8 miles to a small parking lot.  As you travel the dirt road, rub your good luck idol that no one is traveling in the other direction for there  are very few places to pull over and let another vehicle pass.  From the parking lot, you have about a 1 mile hike with your kayak. Note - we strongly recommend the use of kayak dollies to access this body of water.  Once you have launched your kayak, the paddle to Boot Camp Island is about 2 hours up the flow as the channel snakes through the aquatic vegetation.   Although there are other locations that are more remote, this  was by far the most remote location that we paddled in the Adirondacks.  This waterway is far off the beaten path of publicized places to kayak for the average Joe.  The place is Quebec Brook flowing into Madawaska Pond, also referred to as the Madawaska Flow. If you have a Adirondack Paddler's Map, you will find Madawaska Pond NNW of Paul Smiths.   If you have the time, this is a very good remote paddle.  Be prepared for an all day adventure, starting with the off road excursion by vehicle, a short hike, a great paddle to the cabin, and the return trip.   We do not know of any approved camping sites on this body of water.

     The second photo sums it up very well as to how we named the spot Boot Camp.  Yes, in the center of the photo is a boot that has been hung on the wall.  Having built and lived in a log home for 18 years, I was fascinated with the design and construction of this old log cabin, vertical logs instead of horizontal logs.  The vertical logs would shed water quickly and also dry faster.  We never did go inside because the floor was ready to collapse, and the cabin was probably a haven for snakes.  Rumors from the locals was that a crazy ol' trapper lived here many years ago.  I don't know about the being crazy part.  Was he deemed crazy for where he chose to live - remote location, beautiful scenery and no people!

Flashback (Can you say "Free"?)

    The Adirondacks is a great place to kayak, but you need a place to stay or camp. Sharon and I accidentally discovered that, within the park boundaries, there are free campsites on park lands. In this photo, our RV is at site number 11 on Floodwood Road in the St. Regis Canoe Area. This particular campsite is well isolated from other campsites (there are only 11) and within walking distance of a group of lakes connected by streams. So, with the use of our kayak dollies, we can be paddling within minutes of leaving the campsite. You are permitted to stay for 3 days without a camping permit. However, with a camping permit you may stay up to 2 weeks. We did not have a permit when we parked the RV here one Sunday in July. On returning to the RV on Monday after a day of kayaking, we discovered a note on our windshield from the local park ranger informing us of the length-of-stay policy. On the note was the ranger's name, phone number and address in Keese Mill, a small town about an hour away. As it was early Monday evening we decided to call the ranger's office on Tuesday during business hours to make arrangements to stay longer than 3 days. The next morning, we got up early to kayak on Long Pond, a local pond on Floodwood Road, and planned a early return to the RV by mid-afternoon. We would then take the Jeep to find cell phone coverage so that we could call the ranger as there was no cell phone coverage at the campsite. Also, we thought we may need to travel to the town of Keese Mill to secure a permit. While we were on the lake, we stopped for a early lunch at one of the designated campsites. On our departure, as we were back-paddling the kayaks away from shore, we noticed a canoe approaching us. In the canoe was a single paddler. As we exchanged greetings with the gentleman, he asked us if we were enjoying our visit. We replied that we enjoy kayaking and camping in the Adirondacks. Somehow it came up in our conversation that we were camping on Floodwood Road. Without hesitation the gentleman said "Site No. 11?" to which I replied yes. The only way he could know this was if he was the park ranger who had left the note on our windshield. So I asked him if he was the Ranger Smith (fictitious name) and he replied yes! We informed him of our plans to call him later that day to learn how to get a extended stay permit, to which he replied "I can issue you a permit right now". So there we are, in the middle of the St. Regis Canoe Area, getting our 2-week camping permit. Then to our further surprise, we were informed the permit is issued without fees. The site was free and the permit was free - Thank you state of New York. Note - Park policies (camp sites/permits) may have changed since our last trip in 2006.

The above photo is a view of campsite No. 11 from Floodwood Raod. Also shown is the Jeep with the kayaks loaded ready to go on our next Adirondack kayak adventure.

Flashback(Which way is up?)

     The Adirondacks, a kayaker's paradise, are filled with vistas such as the one in the above photo taken at Low's Lower Dam. But, which way is up? Hint - one of the 2 photos in this particular blog entry is correct.

     New York state has managed to get one thing right - The Adirondacks - especially for kayakers and canoeists. The Adirondacks are filled with remote lakes that are accessible by water only. Most of these lakes have designated camping areas available to anyone on a first come first serve basis. It is very possible to be out and about and never see another person, see any kind of civilization or even hear a jet passing overhead. Believe it or not, canoes are the main mode of transportation in the Adirondacks as families pack up their canoes for a couple nights of camping on their favorite lake. For the locals, the Adirondacks is a way life. I remember one gentleman, who was done paddling for the day, got out of his Kevlar canoe, threw the canoe up on his shoulders to portage the canoe to the car, looked at Sharon and me and said "Not bad for an 80 year old man, eh!". On another occasion, we spotted what was obviously an elderly grey haired woman paddling solo in her canoe. As we progress through fall and winter in Pennsylvania, we will provide more flashbacks to our adventures in the Adirondacks.
     The photo below was taken on the Oswegatchie River as we were returning to the river access point. Have you decided which photo is oriented correctly?