"There’s a whisper on the night-wind,
there’s a star agleam to guide us,
And the Wild is calling, calling. . .let us go." -from "The Call of the Wild" by Robert Service
Andy I went to explore a little of the Pepperbox Wilderness for a few days. I met him at his house and he drove us to the Moshier Reservoir on the Beaver River downstream from Stillwater.
We were the only cars in the lot. As we signed the trail register we noticed a trail leaving the other side of the parking area. A short hop down the road and over the bridge to find our access point. We passed a few signs for the canoe carry around the reservoir dam. Initially we missed our turn-off but quickly realized our area and backtracked.
Once on our trail we saw the hydro plant across the river. We then crossed a small bridge and turned left under the powerlines. The trail soon led into the open woods. It was easy walking. A discreet junction and we crossed the outlet of a beaver swamp. We followed this path around and headed north. For the most part this path followed an un-named stream. We knew of a campsite used by hunters in the area so we poked around some of the clear areas trying to locate it.
Along the way a makeshift bridge crossed the stream. But we knew we had to stay on this side. Hiked through some marshy areas and eventually what looked to be a signpost on the ledge across from the latest marsh. Following the mushy path through we came to the campsite. This was obviously a well loved spot. Plenty of cut, split and stacked firewood.
We made camp and started a fire. Ate some lunch and decided what to do for the afternoon. We poked around the hills to the west. As we did old fuel cans and a stove were discovered. We headed in the direction of the old road which would cross the stream to what we believe was the site of the care-takers cabin for the fire-tower which has since been removed. We found the spot where the road crossed the stream and the now grown in clearing which housed the cabin. The water was a bit high for us to cross, so we saved the continuation of exploring farther for a future trip.
Back at camp we relaxed by the fire. The temps were only in the 40s and the air was damp with the off/on light drizzle. The fire helped a lot.
After dinner I knew I would not be up late. I did stay up later than expected only b/c I was not able to fall asleep quickly.
It was cold overnight. I needed to adjust my underquilt a few times to correct the cold spot created as it shifted during the night. When I finally emerged getting a warming fire was the first priority. I had neglected to set aside dry wood for the morning. Fortunately it rained very little over night (if at all). There was still a few coals in the firepit which I coaxed back to life with the addition of some dry spruce twigs.
Soon the fire was blazing and we both warmed our feet. I made some coffee and Andy had tea. The weather was to be drier today and with the full day ahead we had a relaxing morning.
The relaxing morning extended later than expected. Soon we were visited by one of the hunters who uses this site. We had a great conversation with him. He told us of the history of his camp and how they had moved it a few times over the years until the current location in the late 90s. Super nice guy. He welcomed us to enjoy the beer stashed away in the cold well behind the camp. He had hiked in today with a pack basket to remove some of his gear left behind the woodpile.
We asked about a trail cam, as we expected to see one. He said there wasn't but it was odd he arrived on the very day we were there. Perhaps just a coincidence?
The longer relaxing morning became the afternoon which continued into the evening. This was helped by us taking advantage of the hospitality of the hunter's stash.
We stayed up quite late. Must have been close to 11pm before we finally went to bed.
Much colder last night. Some ice in my water bottle. We expected low 30s, it was mid 20s when we awoke. Andy had a cold night and he grabbed the dry wood I stashed to re-light the fire. Said he had a miserable night. The temp had to be close to 20 at the low during the night.
The forecast was for rain tonight and continuing into tomorrow. Not wanting to walk out in the rain the next day, we would enjoy our walk today and head to his cabin for the night.
The hunter from yesterday had asked which trail we took on the way in. He informed us that the old roadway on the other side of the stream was all cleared. The bridge we saw the other day would lead us to it.
The day was beautiful and warming up quickly. It was already mid 30s by time we packed everything up. We planned on returning in the fall to contribute back to the cold well. Until then we added two unopened beverages to the well.
The hike out was very pleasant. The trail to the bridge passed by the best parts of the stream and then up and over a small rise to the old roadway. We left the trail to check out the Beaver River. We could hear and see some falls way upstream. There must be a campsite up there. We noted this for our return trip. Also planned on following the old road farther north. Back on the trail old paint blazes could be seen intermittently. The hike went quickly as we were soon upon the powerline and the short jog back to the car.
Since it was so nice out, and we had the time we hiked the trail behind the parking area along Sunday Creek to where it entered State Land. Kind of fascinating the trail was marked through the private land but ends at the state land boundary. I suppose the trail is to serve as an access.
We hit a small grocery with an awesome meat market to get foid supplies for our next few meals. We had backpacking food, but opted for burgers and steaks instead.
In my quest to camp overnight in every publicly available lean-to in New York, I found myself in the Tug Hill State Forest. I had been here a few years ago with Emily x-country skiing, but never hiked or camped. There are two lean-tos in this parcel for my 3-day adventure.
I stopped in Adams Center to pickup a sandwich for my first days lunch. I will need to remember this spot for future trips. Once at the forest I realized the seasonal road was still impassable so I headed to the plowed parking used by skiers. I signed in and made my way up the road with still some snow. The warm temps made the snow mushy and tiring to trudge through. I wound through the trails being careful to stay on my route to the first lean-to on the "electric loop".
There was still considerable snow at this northern facing lean-to. Enough to completely bury the firepit and almost obscure the lean-to. A broken shovel allowed me to carve steps in the snow for safer entry/exit into the structure. There was a fair bit of trash inside and a makeshift firepit had been cut into the snow in front.
I settled into my home for the night. Had my lunch and gathered a bit of wood. Relaxed for the rest of the afternoon by the fire and fell asleep as the sun set.
As I was departing I noticed what appears to be a hobo symbol drawn in charcoal on the lean-to. I had recently watched a video about these signs and how they communicated relevant info to other hobos.
The next day I followed the electric loop to the powerline trail used by snowmobilers to access the seasonal road. Then followed the road to the Inman Gulf trail. The temperature was cold enough in the morning to keep the snow firm under foot. Much easier. The next lean-to on Inman Gulf was quite nice. I set up my gear and collected my first round of wood.
Spent the day relaxing and poking around the immediate area. Every time I returned to the shelter I would bring back another log or branch. A few hikers stopped by during the day. Must be more popular area than I thought. The gulf trail is pretty overlooking the steep valley carved by the stream below.
Nearby the lean-to a feeder stream provided water which was preferably than melting snow like the previous day. The site faced east over the valley which would hopefully provide a nice sunrise.
I slept well again and was up early. The sun was up so I began to pack up as well. I retraced my steps back to the road. From here I only needed to cross it to be back on trail. I followed this trail back to my awaiting car.
A few weekends of very cold weather so we opted for a cabin. Near the Hammond Pond Wild Forest we stayed at Eddie's cabin. The second weekend (Feb 1-2) was for Justins birthday.
A fun time hanging out and enjoying a few beverages. Listened to some good tunes as well.
There were four lean-tos in the Lake George WF which I had yet to spend the night. All are relatively close together so this should be an easy trip mileage-wise to spend the night in all of them. Made plans with some friends who might join me on Friday; the second night of my trip. I was not sure of the snow depth and conditions before I left home so I packed to include my pulk sled if I decided to use it. otherwide everything could still fit in the backpack.
I stopped at a very nice country store on the way to get a sandwich for my lunch. I ate half of it at the trail head while I loaded up the pulk with the extra supplies I would not have carried in such as an extra fuel canister, chair, weather radio and some extra food. I signed in at the register and was moving around 11am. The trail was uphill as it headed to Black Mtn which was the destination for almost eveyone who uses this trailhead this time of year. I approached the inholding and consulted my map to ensure I did not miss the turn-off to my trail. I did not as it was still another quarter mile past the inholding. At the junction I could see I would be breaking trail. Using my ski pole, I wrote my intitials in the snow for my friends with an arrow.
So far the trail has been a consistent uphill, not steep just a long 1.2 miles. About another mile to the first lean-to which my plans are to spend the final night. While the teraain is not steep here it did take a while to get to my next junction. I was trying to go slow and not work up too much of a sweat. The temps were in the low 20s with a few clouds. I wore my sunglasses, but could have gone without. At the junction I reminisced about another winter trip with Dan years ago where we stopped here for an early lunch after coming down from Black Mtn Ponds.
After a short rest and some water I continued on. The trail was more undulating for the next mile and some blowdown to contend with. Dealt with worse in the past, but still annoying. The final bit to Millman Pond lean-to was a decnt little climb. Even though it was still rather early, I opted to spend my first night here. The adopters had moved the picnic table inside the lean-to probably for winter "storage". I remembered that this lean-to was on the list for re-adoption so they must have decided to no longer continue as adopters. A decent sized spruce tree had fallen close to the lean-to so I spent the time cutting it up for my fire.
I started a small fire just to get snow melted and would let it smolder until I needed to build it up for the evening. I set up my pad & quilt in the lean-to and prepped for what was to be the coldest night of the trip. Forecast was single digits and we are nearing the new moon so it should get quite dark at night. After setting up I went back to cut some more wood. I ate the second half of my sandwich and realized I brought too much food again. I tried out the weather radio to test out the reception. It worked great, even the FM stations came in well. Looking forward to trying it out on future canoe trips farther away from the radio towers.
As the sun started to get low I stoked up the fire and made some soup as I was not hungry enough for a full meal. I did not set up my string lights in the lean-to as I knew I would be going to sleep early, plus it would be an extra chore in the cold morning to wind them up. The spruce logs made a nice fire for the evening; very bright and put out some decent heat. With the lean-to facing west, I had the benefit of the final light from the sun before the woods went dark.
(Day 2 Friday) I slept well. I was warm and did not want to get up as I could tell the air was cold. I am sure it was close to zero. My water bottle had begun to freeze even in its insulated sleeve.. Eventually I had to get up. I went back and forth whether to make breakfast or just have a cup of coffee. Hot food would feel good in the cold, but so would getting moving especially for my toes in the cold boots. I opted for just coffee. I had less than 2 miles to get to either lean-to as Fishbrook, so I did not spend time packing carefully, a lot of stuff just tossed into the pulk.
Started off from the lean-to and headed down to the water's edge. The trail here was not the most conducive for the pulk but it was manageable. With the pond behind me, the trail began to climb, Much of this would be a stream bed in the spring. Quite a few rocks and wet sections. Was tiring going up the hill but the movement helped the blood circulate better and warmed me up quickly. A stopped a few times on the way up since I was not in a hurry. Also needed to go slow just for navigation since there was no foot tread to follow. So far I had no issues seeing trail markers at my pace to keep me on target.
A few places it was obvious they rerouted the trail off an old roadway which was quite wet in places. Might have been easier using the old trail with the pulk but I was not 100% that it did not veer off so I kept to the markers. As I approached Fishbrook I started up a small climb and saw a marker off to my right. A quick glance at the map and I saw the trail had split. Usually the arkers change color, but since it was a snowmobile trail, those markers are all yellow and my trail was also the yellow trail. Glad I did not go farther before I realized my error. I did not even need to backtrack the other trail was just a bit to my right, so I cut straight to it and was soon at the junction for the trails around Fishbrook Pond.
With two lean-tos here, I opted for the one on the rock prominence since Tony and Justin were planning on coming today. This lean-to would be facing South so would also get more sun. The trail markers were red for this section and the trail was a little rough on the sled in a few places. It was only about half a mile to the lean-to from here. I arrived in the late morning with a bright sun shining on the lean-to. I could see no wood in the immediate vicinity which was to be expected. I had a quick bite and then checked out the immeditae area for the privy and firewood. There was a makeshift privy and what appeared to be remnants from an old one. Not as nice as the one at Millman Pond; probably the nicest outhouse in the entirety of the Adirondacks.
Slightly uphill and not that far away I found the best are to gather wood. I grabbed a handful and went back to the lean-to to get the pulk and saw. I spent time between filling the sled with wood and setting up camp in the lean-to. I expected Tony earlier than Justin. I had another smoldering fire to allow for a quick blaze as needed. After my lunch of bratwust cooked over the fire I relaxed a bit. Was a little surprised Tony had not arrived yet. Listened to the weather radio a bit to hear the forecast. Possible rains in the morning. The weather might have been off-putting for the others. Rain on a winter trip is miserable. The sun was bright across the lake. Needed sunfglasses at the lean-to. Was warm too especially compared to the shaded woods. Quite noticeable on my ventures to the wood gathering area. I tried to spot the lean-to on the far shore but could not see it. Sometime later in the afternoon, I heard a voice and Tony arrived.
The last time Tony and I had camped together I think was another winter trip when het met me for my final night in the Pharaoh Lakes region. Was great to see him again . Had a fun evening talking, sharing some beers. He told me that Justin would not be joining us. Too bad as they had not yet met in person.
As the sun lowered, Tony spotted the lean-to on the far shore. We lit candles for hanukkah. The wind did not allow them to stay lit. I joked that god allowed a days worth of oil to last 8 days, but he would not allow our candles to last 8 minutes. We made it past hiker midnight before climbing into bed. The forecast was that the incoming front would warm up before the sunrise.
(Day 3 Saturday) It definitely was warmer than the previous night and the morning was much more pleasant. Since Tony would be heading out early I did not re-start the fire. I just had some coffee like usual. I still needed to decide my location for the night. I had the lean-to across the way. or I could go back to Millman, or all the way to Lapland which was the plan for my final night. Not sure why I decided to skip the other lean-to at Fishbrook and head back towards Millman. I am sure the impending weather had something to do with it.
Was a bit easier following my own tracks back to Millman. And after the small climb it would generally be downhill back to the pond's edge. The sled was a lot lighter now with only a few beers left. I pause briefly at Millman to decide whether to stay there or continue to Lapland. I chose the latter since I could spend the one night there, and if the weather got too bad I could leave a day early.
Not long after my break at Millman a familar voice rand out from up ahead. It was Justin. He had come in today and was trying to find me. He had texted Emily to get my itinerary so he expected me to be at Millman. He had stopped at Lapland earlier and since he did not run into Tony, he must have passed by during that time. I told Justin I was heading to Lapland. He went to Millman to check it out and would meet me back at Lapland. A few more minutes later I ran into Tony heading back this way. he had lost his phone. Hoping it was still at Millman when he took a break. I mentioned he would see Justin there.
I was not at Lapland too long before Justin arrived. He reported that Tony found his phone on the floor of the outhouse. J and I both began to gather some wood. We needed to be careful at the lean-to due to its low roof. He had already banged his head on it at least once. I found a decent spot to gather wood so I brought my sled and saw back to the spot. Justin went back to the main trail to gather. While moving wood to the lean-to, I whacked my head on the corner of the roof. It would leave a mark. Glad the steel edging was not exposed right there, that would have been really bad. I hung one of my red bungees at the corner to help with the visibility.
Justin took my sled back to the main trail to get wood. He did at least three big loads. The last one was heavy and he had a heck of a time getting it up the hill from the lake. With a fire going and some beer we enjoyed the campsite and each others company. I had expected to have friends on only one night, but was fortunate to get two. Listened to the weather radio for more updates. Based on what was to come I would likely be hiking out with J in the morning. We lit Hanukkah candles with better results than the previous night. Justin put on some music and we fell asleep listening to Dylan's Blood on the Tracks album.
(Day 4 Sunday) With the expected rain all day and tomorrow I had no desire to just sit in the lean-to. Was out of beer anyway. With only a 2 miles hike out mostly downhill we did not rush to pack up. Was probably close to 10am by the time we left. With a lot less snow, I walked slowly with the pulk to not bang it on some many rocks. A few sprinkles started at the bridge, but soon subsided. From the junction along the roadway to the cars went very quickly. Within minutes of getting to the cars it began to rain. What timing.
Even though I left a day early, I was happy to have spent some time with good friends on two of the nights. The remaining lean-to at Fishbrook will be a good exceuse to come during trout season. Justin reminded me to come mid-week to avoid the crowds. Perhaps I will do a multi-day trip and carry in the Hornbeck. Will need to write up a possible itinerary for this. While I did not take many photos, Tony made a video and uploaded it to youtube:
