Canoeing in St. Regis

 Day 1 (Wednesday June 28th) I arrived at the launch on Little Clear Pond a few minutes early. This would allow me to change my clothes and get my gear all situated before the predicted rainstorm. The parking area was empty, it likely will not be so when we return Sat AM. Dan arrived a few minutes after I finished getting my gear to the water's edge. All I had left was to change into my water shoes. As Dan readied his gear I gave him the deer shed I found in my woods. I fgigured he would be able to make it into a few nice knife handles. He returned my cooler from last summer. Inside he and Carla had gifted me some freeze-dried goodies they put together. As we finished up a woman and her dogs came by just hiking. The dogs to play in the water. She was fascinated that we were heading into the woods to camp for a few days. So far the expected rains have not appeared.

Asd we set out across the pond (note: Little Clear is a DEC fish Hatchery and thus no fishing or camping is allowed) a few sprinkles of rain made their appearance. Not enough to put on raingear in this warm humid weather. It was about a mile paddle to get to the portage trail. The take-out was a nice sandy area and the trail wide and smooth. We double carried it, leaving our packs about halfway before going back for the canoes. The mosquitoes were fierce in the woods when we stopped for even a second. The put-in was at the end of a long boardwalk which became like a dock jutting out into the creek. As we loaded the canoes, Dan stepped into the muck and went almost waist deep. The paddle from here into the pond was calm. 

As we entered the pond there was a decent headwind.Once on St. regis I made a few casts and trolled a bit as we headed to our campsite.  Our goal was the lean-to site on the western peninsula. With the impending rain, the lean-to would provide a gathering place for us to hang out instead of sitting under our own tarps or laying in our hammocks. I needed to spend the night in this lean-to anyway for my "challenge". This would be #143. So far we have not seen any other people. It would appear we had this entire pond to ourselves. We were also quite ahead of the game in regards to weather. We expected to be paddling in significant rain already. With the weather cooperating, except for the wind, we set out to paddle a bit. I fished as the wind pushed me along a small island though the deep water and eventually to the lee side of the next larger island. No hits, but it was nice and relaxing. The water was quite warm, so any fish would be in the deeper cold areas. Maybe tomorrow I will be able to get a little deeper. We paddled into the stiff wind to get back to the lean-to. But not before we stopped at an old beaver lodge to gather some firewood.

Back at camp, we had a few beverages  (Dan carried in a case) dinner and conversation. Before long it was evening and some fish were popping up to the surface. Dan dropped a fly into the area and landed a whopper; an entire 1.5 inch sunfish! 

While air had been on & off misty all afternoon and evening we so far had avoided significant rain. The wind also kept the nugs away. Great first day!

Day 2 (Thursday) Not surprising I was up before the sun. I tried to fall back asleep and may have stolen a few extra minutes of sleep. I did not feel like I slept that great. I will set up the hammock today and hopefully get a better nights sleep. Dan was also up relatively early. We made coffee and lazed around before having breakfast. We had the entire day to fish and explore since we were not moving camp. We eventaully put the canoes in the water and paddled towards the outlet. From our site it was like a small bay on the western side of the pond. I fished along the way. No luck, bit it was very pretty and a gentle paddle. As we approached the outlet the pond shallowed. There was a bidge over the fish barrier dam; built to maintain the fishery by keeping out unwanted species. We apddled back to camp following the far shore. We paused at the campsite across from us with prominent rock ledge. From here it would be a perfect spot to watch both sunrise and sunset. Nice campsite too.

Back at camp we had lunch and st our chairs near the shore. I fell asleep for a bit and apparently Dan did as well. We set out again to explore. This time the inlets to the North and the campsites along that shore. We also stopped at the de-commisioned site on the island. It was really nice but rather close to ours.The other campsites were inferior to the lean-to and the rock ledge campsite. The inlets did not provide any paddling access nor any cooler water to entice fish. While the fishing was a let down, it was a very nice paddle around the islands. Also a couple of canoes have made their way to the pond, we expect a lot more as we get close to the holiday weekend. 

A couple more beverages at camp and dinner, then some sitting in the chairs near the shore. This lasted until the bugs arrived. A small smudge fire extended our evening only slightly as we made our way to the hammocks with the mosquito netting. Hoping for a better nights sleep.

Day 3 (Friday)

Slept like a champ! That was great. This morning the fog on the lake was thick. Could not see the other shore a quarter mile away. The island was also not visible. It reminded me of the one morning on Lake Superior when we had to navigate by compass across the channel from battle island. As the fog lifted, we could see the water was like glass. 

After coffee we packed a day pack with lunch for our day's exploring. There were still quite a few features on this pond we needed to explore. First was thw small tributary which would empty into a small unnamed pond. The paddle across the pond was quiet with only the sounds of our paddles dripping into the water. As we entered the small connector, it was beautiful the way the sun illuminated the flora growing on the logs. Dan was ahead of me, so the I captured a photo of him backlit by the morning sun. The pond itself was serene. So peaceful with the remnant fog still hovering over the water in the shaded areas not yet awakened by the rising sun. We quietly paddled around the outside edge of the pond. Sadly the camera could not capture the full effect of the fog and sunlight. A boat beer would have to suffice. The campsite tucked away in the far corner looked ok, and would have a fantastic view the downside would be the bugs. There was little air movement in here.

We left the small pond and continued around St Regis to the short carry into Green Pond. The pond was aptly named as the water's green tint was remarkable. We would see the quick drop off into the deep. With no obvious inlet, this was likely spring fed. A tried my best to find any fish in the depths to no avail. There were three portage trails eminating from this small pond; the one we used, one from  Little Clear Pond and the last to Little Long Pond. The campsute on the southern shore was nice. Though being set into the woods would be buggy. This would prove true as the skeeters did eventually find us as we explored. Back into the boats and continuing to paddle around the pond. We would save the portage to Little Long and the rest of the area for another trip. 

We carried back to St Regis and chose a lunch spot on the peninsula under the white pine. This was another closed campsite. The landing was sandy with remnants of turtle shells. The ground ws soft under the pine and prided some shade. A few fisherman were trolling the deep area of the pond between us and the island. After lunch we paddled back across to our campsite where we spent the remainder of our day. We saw a few more paddlers today, but not as many as we expected heading into the holiday weekend. After dinner we paddled out again into the calm waters to watch the red sun set created by the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. We were hoping for some more nice colors in the clouds. It was pretty nonetheless and relaxing to sit in the boat on the water. 

Sitting by the campfire, the lightening bugs made their appearance and soon we headed to our hammocks. Rain is expected tomorrow as we head out.

Day 4 (Saturday) Another fantastic nights sleep in the hammock. No rain overnight so I packed up the dry tarp and the rest of my hammock as soon as I arose. The morning sunrise was searing through the overcast skies and the wildfire smoke filled air. I made an extra large cup of coffee and packed up most of my gear. With the impending storm approaching we wanted to get an early start. The water was again peaceful as we set out in the morning. We paddled slowly to enjoy the last few minutes on the pond. Close to the poratge we ran into Mike (Assistant Forest Ranger). He was very nice and professional inquiring if we needed anything or had any questions.

We double carried again from the boardwalk landing to Little Clear. I used the yoke this time which added a few minutes to my carry. The bugs were terrible at the put in so Dan waited for me out in his boat. The wind was beginning to pick up and not long after we pushed off we were paddling directly into a stiff headwind. Dan had the garbage bag on the back on his canoe, so I stayed a bit behind him in case it blew off. Passed a few boats heading the direction from which we came. Hope their trip is as fun and relaxing as ours. We were certainly fortunate with the weather. 

At the take-out a water steward was their to inspect boats and educate paddlers about invasive species. He gave us each a DEC emblazoned micro-fiber towel to "clean & dry" our boats between waters to mitigate any spread of invasives. We loaded up our boats, had a final beverage before heading home.

Great trip. Looking forward to our next one together.

Clearing Trail -NPT to Cedar Lake

 I had originally planned on leading a beginner overnight for those interested in hiking the NPT. A few people were interested, but all eventually had to cancel for different reasons. After speaking with my contact at the DPW, I was infomed that the road to Wakely was open to the ranger station. So plan B was initiated. 

I got a nice early start from home and was at the parking area a little before 10am. I had a little more than a mile of dirt road to walk to my usual starting point on the NPT. There was a nice breeze so it kept the black flys at bay. I signed in to the register and was soon on familiar trail. It was rather dry with only a few wet spots. I stopped at the spring and re-filled my water bottle. I always wonder about the "clearings" in the area from the logging and hunting camp days but since I am always just passing thru, I never stop to poke around. I made it to the Carry lean-to well before my anticipated lunch time. I tossed a line into the pool in front where I have had good luck in the past, but nothing was there. Soon the occupants of the lean-to paddled upstream and we chatted a bit. They had fished all morning with no luck. 

I continued down the trail to the Sucker Brook junction where my section to mainitain began. I had 4.3 miles to Cedar Lake to clear. Some rather decent sized blowdowns since my last time through less than a year ago. I also opened up a number of drainages to help dry out some of the mud holes. I stopped for a later lunch at the woodstove campsite. Still planning on crossing here to check out the old trail at some point, just not this weekend. I had about two more miles to go, and was already getting tired. The constant stopping, taking off the pack and cutting blowdown really saps one's energy. I stopped clearing the last mile and just hiked. I would clear it on my way back through the next day.

At the Cedar Lake lean-to early, but tired. Plenty of firewood around so I would take a break first. I set up my chair and read a little. Between chapters I would gather an armful of wood. There was a nice pile of cut and split wood in the lean-to, but I would leave it for others. I started a small small and tossed on a wet punky log for smudge. The flys were not bothersome, but I did not want them to feel welcome if the breeze settled. I had a later dinner and a few beverages. I was in bed early, but could not immediately sleep so I read a little more. 

The next morning came quickly. I was again up early. I made some coffee and instead of eating, I just started my hike out. I cleared the few blowdowns that I had left and spent the rest putting up new trail markers. I also dug out at least one nice spring. I will need to return to do some sidecutting of the trail. Not my favorite of chores. Since the leaves were not out yet, i tried to watch for signs of the old trail on the other side of the river. There were a few spots which looked like campsites.

I cruised along and was back at the Carry lean-to by 9:30am. The guys from yesterday had already left. I ate a couple of granola bars before pressing on. Stopping again to fill up at the spring. This section of trail is always fast this direction. Then the last bit of road walk to the car. While changing out of my hiking clothes, I decided I would take a different route home to stop at a diner I enjoy.

There were quite a few cars at Chef Darnell's. I needed to stop, my muscles were already beginning to tighten from the drive. The stretch would do me good. Chef had a mother's day buffet going on, which was quite tasty. I ate my money's worth. Part way through the meal, my emotions got the best of me as it was the first mother's day since my mom's passing. I was told that all these "firsts" would be difficult. and this one was. I had escaped to the woods to help, but it just delayed the inevitable.

After the big meal, I headed home. Total hiking 18 miles. Cleared 11 blowdowns, opened 7 drainages and replaced ten trail markers. not bad for the beginning of the season.

Five Days in The Pharaohs

 The past few years I have been been doing my post xmas trip with Dan. I wanted to go back to the Paharaohs to check out a few more of the lean-tos but Dan has recently done a lot of exploring in the Pharaohs. He wanted to wait until spring to go nack for lake trout fishing. So my plan was to be a solo trip. Seems like quite a few of those this year. I let some friends know of my plans and as it turns out a couple joined me for part of my trip.

Day 1. 12/26 Campground to Clear Pond Lean-to. I parked next to Justin's truck leaving my snowshoes in the car. The trail would be somewhat familiar as it was the egress from last year's trip. I signed in oat the register and made my way to the first junction. I was taking it slow not only because of my pack laden with 5 days of food and winter gear but so as to not get to sweaty. The latter proved futile. The just under 2.5 miles was rather easy going, made even easier following Justin's tracks in the 3 inches of crusty snow. I arrived at the lean-to a little later than Justin expected. He had already gathered quite a bit of firewood. I took a break and added to the pile. Had a lunch break then gathered more wood. We had ourt usual great time together in the woods with a nice hot fire and cold beverages. The temp was forecasted to be in the low teens overnight; also was expected to be the coldest of the four nights. I slept soundly, toasty warm under my quilt in the lean-to. Justin had his tent pitched nearby.

Day 2. 12/27 Usually Justin is awake before me. I was glad I was up first as it meant he slept well. I restarted the fire with the remaining coals and made coffee. We took our time in the morning with packing up and breakfast. It was close to 10:30 before we set out. Justin would hike with me for a short ways before he headed back to his car. Due to his generosity, I still had my full complement of cold beverages for the remainder of my trip.At the junction Justin mentioned the hill would be my big climb for the day. I only had a bit over 4 miles to do for the day. My destination would be Tubmill Marsh Lean-to. Justin's intel about it getting little use bode well for easy firewood procurement. We said our farewells I headed North up the hill and Justin turned South back around the far side of the pond. I continued my slow hiking pace as I was in no rush. At the far side of the hill I would again be on familiar trail for the next couple of miles. I would pass by the waterfall which dan and I had paused at last year. Between Rock and Lilypad Ponds some blowdown obscured the path for a moment and since I was creating the only footprints int he snow besides the deer, squirrel, coyote, etc... it took a moment to get around it an re-aquire the path. Was neat to see all the different animal tracks and other signs. Once at Lilypad, I took a break and had a snack for lunch. I was already way ahead on food, having not eaten my dinner the first night. A weak cell signal here so I texted Emily to let her know I was ok. A c ouple of hikers came by from my direction of travel. Perhaps I would have some footprints to follow for a bit. At the next junction I headed towards Honey Pond the rocky downhill which Justin had described. The Rock Pond brook required some creative rock hopping to stay out of the water. After the crossing I expected the lean-to to be just downstream. The trail headed up the hill and around. I wondered if the lean-to was off a side trail and the sign had been removed. I was tempted to bushwhack down the hill and follow the shore line. I didn't, and gave myself a little more time. I figured I could always turn around. A minute or so later I could see the shape of the lean-to in the distance. The trail was still headed a few degrees away from it. Staying on the path, the sign and access trail was soon visible. As expected, firewood was plentiful. I gathered enough for my own use and enough to leave for the next visitor. I made an early dinner and read the shelter log book. Had a few of my cold beverages, saving a few fot the next night. I made it past 8pm before I was in bed. Another sound sleep. I could get used to this.

Day3. 12/28 The woods were visible in the early morning light while the back of the lean-to remained dark. The light eventually pulled me out of my warm sleeping quarters. Was a chilly morning. I restarted the fire and made coffee. Another short day; just over 3 miles so I was in no hurry. After breakfast I headed back the way I came towards Lilypad. Uphill of course. Nice way to warm up. At rhe junction I sent another text to Emily and also to Tony to let him know I was still on schedule. The next portiomn of trail brought back the memory of when Dan and I dropped our packs and did a quick hike up tto the top of Pine Hill. Both HorseShoe and Crab Ponds were familiar though I had forgotten about the steep section between them and the waterfall. I paused at the waterfall for a snack just as Dan and I had done last year. I had been following the footprints from the hikers but they went off in a weird direction SE of Crab Pond. I speculated they had climbed Treadway Mtn and then bushwhacked down the far side. I passed by the campsite and nodded to the bench. I planned on stopping here for my break but the waterfall was only a few minutes ago.  After Crab Pond it was an easy downhill draw to Oxshow Pond. As the day warmed, the snow became sticky; clumping up on my micro-spikes. AMde the last bit slightly annoying. I expected collecting firewood here would not be as easy, so it was good it was bearly noon when I arrived. My initial plan for this trip was lower miles between campsites to give myself time to do day trips w/o a full pack. Later morning starts, slow walking and wood gathering limited the time to explore too far away from camp. At Oxshoe, I think I walked an extra 2 miles gathering firewood as it was. The shelter log book was brand new, so only the adopter's initial entry to read. I added my own. Had a later lunch and went to gather more firewood. Found a sping while collecting wood, so no need to melt more snow. The winds were a bit more here. Possibly a result of just being closer to the water's edge. I do not think I made it to 8pm before I was in bed. 

Day 4. 12/29 Another great night of sleep. I have slightly more than 4 miles to Rock Pond with a schedule to arrive before noon to meet Tony O. Based on my pace I wanted to be on trail close to 8am to give myself plenty of time without rushing. I used my stove to boiil water for coffee and an easy breakfast to save time. I filled up my water bottle at the spring and was on trail not long after 8. Back up the gentle hill to the junction re-tracing my steps to Lilypad where I did another text check-in with Emily and also let Tony know I was still on schedule. It was colder than i thought, I had to put on a layer during my break. I was just about halfway to Rock Pond lean-to. I figured I would get there around 11am with the easy pace. The last quarter mile or so would be the only time not following my old tracks. Upon my arrival, IU swept out the lean-to and set up my gear in one corner. I was only here about 10 or 15 minutes before Tony arrived. He re-supplied me with some cold beverages; much appreciated. Even better would be the chance to hang out with Two-Ton again. I wonderied if we had even seen each other since the trip when Rob &I met him and Sdam on the NPT. Tony reminded me we were both at Paul's winter camp; which was still quite a few years ago. Was great talking and hanging out. Had to travelk even farther for wood gathering, so this took up some of our time. Among all the great coversations we decided we needed to plan a trip instead of just waiting for time and schedule to allow it like this one. We also want to try to plan something with Justin and hopefully the 3 of us will entice Rob to come along too. Tony strung up some christmas lights in the lean-to. We stayed up quite a bit longer than I had the last few nights, but it was not too late. 

Day 5. 12/30  I think it warmed up over the night. It was definitely the warmest of all. Not too much in the last morning. Just coffee, and breakfast. Tony had planned to be home by a certain time and I had a 5+ hr drive. We had no need to rush, but we didn't dawdle too much either. I have a lot of food left; it will be interesting to see exactly what is in my food bag when I get home. We started down the trail with micro-spikes but it became clear we would be taking them off soon which we did at the first junction. The ice was melting from the trees which made it feel like raindrops. Only a few miles back to the car. A few hills to climb which really warmed me up. We passed by a few hiker groups along the way. Glad I had a change of clothes in  the car. Would be nice to get out of these. Before I chnaged, Tony and I took a selfie video and we promised to plan another excursion for next year. 

I had expected at least one day of wintry mix weather which never materialized. So 10/10 on weather for the trip. First night with Justin and final night with Tony; fantastic!  

Three days in the HaDeRondah

 A week or so before our trip someone had posted about their car window being smashed at the trailhead. Of course this was disconcerting to hear but we planned on parking at different spot, off the main road. Also a recent report of a trail runner getting charged by a bear on the same trail we would be taking. So with these two items of note, Jim headed in the day before me. He was actually supposed to meet our former boss earlier in the day and then spend the night in the woods while I was to arrive the next day. His meeting was cancelled but I still was not to arrive until Friday. 

At 8:15a I pulled into the parking area noting only Jim's car. I changed into my hiking clothes and began down a familiar trail. It was about 6 miles on an old 4x4 road to the Middle Branch lean-to where Jim camped. The day was cooler than we have had which was nice. The trail had been recently maintained; drainage troughs have been cut into the trail and the new bridges installed. I noticed the campsite just before the "sand hill" has seen much more use. The trail signs are also fresh. A few stops to get water but the rest of the time was just hiking. Early on a pair of trees was blocking the trail. After climbing over them I picked up a camera lens cap. Knowing Jim was a photographer I wondered if it was his. Another dead log across the trail has some coral fungus growing on it. I carefully took some of the youngest and put it into a bag. I arrived at the lean-to in just over 2 hours. Jim was waiting for me.  I asked him if he was missing anything and showed him the lens cap. It was his., he was surprised I found it. We chatted a bit and soon another hiker arrived. He asked if we were staying which we were not so we told him it was all his. Shortly a small group arrived just to take in the view. 

After an early lunch we headed out towards Pine Lake, about 4 or 5 miles down the old road. I remembered the waterfall on South Inlet so we took a side trip to see it. Did not see empty cans on the far shore this time. I still need to explore the other side of the stream as well as re-visit the site of the old camps Justin and I started to explore a few years ago. Anyway, we continued on the trail which was very easy going. A bright orange mass in the woods caught both of our eyes at the same time. It was what I though, chicken of the woods. I harvested a few pieces of the youngest fruiting bodies. Turning south at the the trail junction also had us crossing into the Independence River Wild Forest. The trail here is the boundary between the two zones. A bit more blowdown on this section. Also quite a bit of evidence of illegal atv traffic. As East Pine pond came into view also did a woman sitting at the shore with her tablet. We weren't sure if she was writing, reading or drawing. So as to not startle her we announced our presence as we approached. She turned and asked of we had lost a walkie-talkie. We hadn't. She said it had a phone number on it so she would call the owner when she got home. 

We were only a half mile from our planned campsite and we kind of expected to see the woman's gear all set up at the lean-to. There was another campsite nearby if we needed it. To our surprise we found the lean-to empty. Also quite clean. With camp set up and a small amount of firewood gathered we took a long break. I skimmed through the shelter log and added an entry. Noting earlier in the summer a hiker had come from Middle Settlement to here and had to traverse a flooded section. We would be seeing this tomorrow. Evening is starting to come earlier now. We both slept in the lean-to. This would be #97 for me. 

Day 2: A storm came through during the night. Heavy rain and some thunder. By morning it was only slightly raining. I had tried to sleep in but a little after 6a is all I could muster. Jim retrieved our food bags. Made some coffee and my breakfast which I wrapped up to eat later. The rain had subsided and the sun began to lift the fog from the lake. Our options for today were a short, medium or long loop back to here and then continue to Middle Settlement. We opted for the medium route. The trail system continued on a snowmobile path also with signs of atv use. At the trail register we saw the lady had left the walkie-talkie. The next few miles would be on the dirt rd. Shortly we passed a private inholding which had a few atvs parked in front. The road had signs prohibiting atvs specifically. The deep mud pits formed by them are why they are not allowed; yet they continue unabated. We stopped at the bridge over Big Otter Lake outlet. It is neat how they built the bridge into the large rocks. Taking a longer break here I ate my sandwich. The sky could not decide whether to be sunny or over cast.  

From here we would intersect the trail we hiked yesterday.  We would continue on it for a little over a mile to the junction with the lean-to. The trail would become a foot path now starting off on pine needle carpeted floor. It would pass through fern laden undergrowth all the while with little ups and downs common on adirondack trails. What was uncommon was the lack of good water. There were some ponds and streams flowing from them, but no nice spring fed drainages.. At one of them a beaver had plugged it up as they usually do. We traversed the beaver dam to make it across without issue. Wondering if this was the flooded section, actually hoping as it wasn't bad. After a short rise we crossed a draining marsh on a rock which the water flowed over. The land became a series of steeper climbs and drops, up and over what seemed to be glacial moraines. When we arrived at the true beaver flooded section it was obvious this was the one the hiker from this summer was referring. There was a deep channel, just a bit to far to jump. Then about 40 feet of grass and weeds then a wider channel with a log spanning it. We gathered some downed branches to act as a makeshift bridge. I unbuckled my hip belt and cautiously made my way across. As I stepped onto the grassy edge, it wavered. This was not solid ground at least right at the edge. I poked and prodded my way across with some steps sinking into the bog. I could not stand in one place too long as it would sink. A few branches along the way helped. As I made it to the far side where the log span was, I could see the channel here was even deeper and much wider than the other. The log was also much thinner than it appeared from afar. There was no way I could balance on this for the entire span. This became obvious when I stepped onto it and it rolled and sank. Jim had since crossed the initial "bridge" and tossed me one of the longer branches to use. It landed right in front of me splashing. The bog was now flooding. Even with the branch I could not get across. I told Jim I was coming back, He crossed back over the bridge. I made way through the bog which was now breaking apart. Apparently this was a floating mat. I sank in quite deep on a few steps. Back on dry land we looked to see if there was another way. Not without a significant bushwhack and still no real guarantee. We were 1.5 miles from our planned camp which included figuring out how to get around this obstacle, or we could go back 2.5 miles to our previous camp. We opted for the latter but not after we sat down for a lunch break.

Backtracking, we felt defeated but it was the right move. Had we not done that 7 mile loop earlier in the day we might have had more energy and desire to get around the flooded section. We got back to our previous campsite. Set up and cleaned up. As a pre-dinner I cooked up the can of potato soup which someone had left in the lean-to.  I then cooked my real dinner including the wild mushrooms I had collected the previous day. A tough day, sleep would be welcome. Not long after dark I crept into my hammock and was soon asleep.

Day 3: We knew the trail out would be easy so we did not rush our morning. Even still we were on the trail around 8a. The hike out was mostly a gentle uphill for quite a while, then a steep descent before leveling off just as we got to our cars. We did stop for a late breakfast at the Big Otter campsite. It has grown in a lot since my last visit. We also stopped for me to collect some more coral tooth fungus. At the junction to the Simon Pond trail, a day hiker asked how far it was to the Moose River Mtn trail. We gave his the info and chatted a bit. At the car it was nice to change out of the sweaty clothes and damp feet. Bummer we didn't finish the loop. I will send in a report to the DEC about the flooded section so it is at least recorded as current trail conditions.

Cold River Lean2 Maintenance and quick hike to Streeter

 With 3 days to play with and having already been to the Cold River twice this year I made sure I also visited a new spot. Saturday was an easy hike in to Streeter Lake in the Aldrich Wild Forest. This would be my first time in this area making me one more step closer to backpacking and spending the night in all 48 different Wilderness and Wild Forest Areas in the Adirondacks. The hike in was quite easy following the CP-3 route. I noted a side trail soon after the initial rise going towards towards the lake as the main trail veered away. I would find out later this was a shortcut through the old potato patch. As I continued on the CP-3 route other signage for snowmobile trails intersected the trail. Quite a few different camping options in the immediate vicinity of Streeter Lake including the lean-to. The mowed field and lean-to area had a tent and an occupant, Chuck. He was awaiting the rest of his family who would be arriving on Sunday. They have been coming here for years. He gave me a lot of info on the area and allowed me to camp nearby. Due to Covid we stayed our distance but had a good time talking all afternoon and evening. Two family members arrived just before dark; they were expected around midnight. Soon after I retired to my hammock. I was up at dawn and hiked out taking the shortcut path through the potato patch. Will come back for sure to spend some time exploring.

An hours drive later to the Corey's Rd trailhead to find it already overflowing at 8am on a Sunday. Most were probably leaving today. I did find a spot in the main lot as someone must have just left. Signing in at the register I noted pages of people had signed in today. Mostly day hikers for sure. I had about 15 miles to do and gave myself plenty of time to get to Millers Falls and check on the lean-tos along the way. I stepped aside for a small group coming the other way. Then a few miles later a scout troop looking a little weary also came by. I chatted with the SM briefly. There were doing the circumnavigation loop. Good for them.  I stopped at Calkins Brook for an early lunch and checked it out for G&T. For me solo it is a quick hike to here even though it is 6 miles. I then climbed the hill and kept a lookout for the spring to fill up my water bottle. It is always a bit farther than I remember. On the way out I will need to remember to time it. 

There is beginning to be a significant amount of blowdown clearing and side cutting needed for some sections approaching Latham Pond. Took a short break for thew view of the Sewards as I passed Boulder Brook. This is often a rest spot for me in this area. The small path off the trail for a good view is getting a fair bit of use now. I recalled having morning coffee here at one time. The flooded section just before CR#3 had a herd path through the brush to avoid walking the through the muck. CR#3 was nice and clean. I had carried in a log book, but it seems G&T had brought one the last time they were here. I figured I could cross of the name on the one I carried and put it into one of the other lean-tos. After a short break and reading the entries I was off to CR#4 a quarter mile away. A little bit more trash here and the old CR#3 book somehow had made it here. I figured some folks might have been confused as to which lean-to was #3 since they do not go in order on the river. I am sure they thought they were being helpful. Anyway, I changed the name on the cover and wrote a quick note. It was only 3 miles to the Seward lean-to and it was barely 1pm. Even with taking two long breaks I was making great time without trying. As I approached Millers Falls I spotted a tent and hammock set-up in the camping area. The lean-to was oddly vacant. I went out to the river to get some water and the two folks who were set up nearby were sunning themselves up above the falls. I did not see them at first until I was headed back to the lean-to. 

A short while later Susan and John came in from their swim &sun. We talked a while and I set up my hammock nearby. John stopped back at the lean-to while I was having a beverage. I offered him one which he obliged. We talked and he told me about the family's plan to section hike the NPT. They had done some of it a few years ago on the recommendation of another lean2rescue volunteer who happens to be the adopter for the other 2 Cold River lean-tos. I made myself a huge dinner and went to bed not long after it got dark.

Even with "sleeping in" and a slow start I was moving by 8:30am. Said farewell to Susan & John and made my way back. Saw a couple thru-hikers along the way. Offered them early congratulations and recommended Wanika Falls for their final night. A long break at CR#3 to watch the sun light up the river. The morning sun reflecting on the river and rocks sparkles like gemstones. As George wrote in the log book, this is probably the best view from a lean-to in all the Adirondacks.

As I was readying to leave Susan & John arrived. They asked if the could take a photo of the Seward Steward. Susan jokingly asked if that is why I adopted it; for the name. I chuckled and said no, but that is a clever name. I retraced my route in stopping again at the spring and Calkins lean-tos for lunch. Back at the car by 3pm.

Trails, bushwhacks, caves and rain. Had it all. Six days in the West Canada Lakes.

Day one: Met Shannon at the trailhead parking on Haskell Rd. As we were getting ready another vehicle pulled in with six other hikers. The weather for the next few days was not favorable, after that the forecast is too far to predict. All geared up, we set out along the NPT towards Spruce Lake. Today would be about ten miles. The trail here is quite familiar to me yet I always seem to rediscover its less obvious features which were lost in my memory. Small drainages, large rocks, obscure side paths, etc... A lot of past memories come back vividly, of meeting people on the trail and other experiences from past adventures. So far the weather was perfect. Not too hot, nor rainy. We played leap frog with the other group a couple times. Seemed like more, but it was really one group and a solo thru- hiker. Some of them were going all the way to Placid for their 30th anniversary, the others were hiking with them to Wakely. I offered some hints as to nice places along the way and mentioned the flooded section just north of the Carry lean-to.We made decent time and arrived at Spruce Lake #2 by early afternoon. There were two guys who had hiked in for the day and were just leaving. The lean-to was mostly clean. Some plastic spice jars on the floor had been chewed on, and a few cans of chef boyardee on the shelf. I ate my first late lunch, set up camp and gathered firewood. Our packs were a tad heavy carrying six days worth of food. Since we were coming back this way in two days, we would secure a bear caninister with our food off trail for the second half of our trip. Made a small fire to dispel the bugs. On it we poured the oregano and garlic powder from the containers to get rid of them.Amde a nice smelling campfire. We were both in bed before the sun went down.

Day two: Since we had been expecting rain, and didn't get any I figured we were ahead of the curve already for the trip. No complaints here. Sicne we had gone to bed early, arising with the sun still allowed for a lot of sleep. We didn't need to rush either as today was only another ten miles or so. Nearby we hid our bear canister and continued North on the NPT. At Sampson Bog we passe by the hikers from the previous day. We chatted a bit and crossed the waterfall without the bridge with ease. Not long later we stopped for a snack and they caught up with us. One of the older women mentioned she was worried about the flooded section and had considered turning back. We hiked with them a short while as I re-assured her it was not as bad as she thought. Just not fun. I said I would have felt extremely guilty had she turned around. A few others had mentioned to Shannon the concern from this woman as well. Again we found ourselves ahead of the group. Took a long lunch break at South Lake. A southbound hiker was swimming near the bridge just up the trail. The bridge here is beginning to show some wear. Still structurally sound, but will need some maintenance in the near future. This would not be a fun crossing without a bridge.

As we passed by the side trail to West Lake Shannon marvelled at the sign. I had forgotten about it. We signed in at the register near the old ranger station and french louies fireplace. The reroute trail from many years ago had been quite a mess. Due to all the dry weather it was quite easy. Passing by Mud Lake I remembered last year's shorelinme search for the old campsite to no avail. A few blowdowns in the area are tough to duck under. Found an almost brand new hat on one of them. I picked it up figuring it was part of the groups ahead of us. We caught up with them at the bridge over Mud Creek. They said the hat was not their's but maybe the southbound hiker. We said we were heading to Cedar #3 lean-to, they said they were considering either #1 or #2. I told them #2 (Beaver Pond) was the nicer option. When we arrived at the fisherman's lean-to we found it surprisingly empty. It was early still though. We set up camp and I read the log book. A few entries mentioned how nice the privy was; Shannon disagreed vehemently. As it was early we put togther day packs and hiked back up the trail to the NPT and then took a bearing to French Louie's cave. It had been a few years and I have never come at it from this angle. A few herd paths going in the approximnate direction made travel a wee bit easier. As we began the up hill portion something didn't feel right even though I was now looking at my compass more diligently. We paused and I realized we were on the wrong upslop of the rise. I must have gone right past it and was now going up the wrong side of the hill. Fortunately we weren't lost, just not where we wanted to be. This side of the hill had quite a few large boulders which makes following the cvontour around difficult. A few steep sections to drop through. Both fun and annoying at the same time. As we came around the correct side, the sky changed and a few drops of rain began. We cozied up near a gaint rock which provided enough shelter for Shannon to put on her pack cover. Not wanted to fuss around in the rain looking for the cave, I took a bearing back to our starting point. The rain was just a few drops and the terrain was looking more familiar. I said, let's just bend around a little farther to look. We did this twice and sure enough there was the cave. I pinned a waypoint on my phone to share with Andy as I never had the exact coordinates. Shannon took some photos. A shot a bearing back and followed it more closely this time ignoring the herd paths. Hit the NPT six feet from where we started. Trust the compass.

Back at camp I took a swim as I was a bit dirty after two days of hiking including the short bushwhack. The water felt great. Made a nice dinner of tortelinni with pesto sauce. I put in some of my lunch pepperoni. Will have to have this one again. Aside from the small sprinkle atop cobble hill (the real one) we have had perfect weather. Shannon climbed into bed early. I ribbed her a bit for it, and 5 minutes later also climbed into my bag.

Day 3. Was a little cooler last night. No complaints. After breakfast we decided to finish the french Louie loop instead of back tracking. This would make today significantly longer by almost 60%. With very light packs we figured it was not a problem. We set out and had a couple miles of nice hiking. Soon the rains came. Not just a little rain, but buckets. Last time I saw rain like this was when Andy and I had camped near Wakely. I had to hike without my glasses as the water was too much. The rain stopped abrubtly and the sun came out. A little bird chirped moments before hinting at he possibility. I was not looking forward to crossinbg the funhouse bridge with the rain like that. The middle section is at a 45 degree angle and with rain probably not very safe. With the sun, it had dried mostly when we got to it. We got to hike almost dry to the Pillsbury lean-to where we had lunch. The sun was out drying off our packs. Noisey Ridge across the lake started to live up to its name. Clouds were low over the ridge and the sound of rain pouring over the forest could be heard rumbling. We were finished with lunch so we headed back to the trail hoping the westerly winds would push the system past us. It didn't and minutes after getting back on the trail the thunderous rains we heard over Noisey Ridge were soon upon us. Shannon's pace quickened. She later joked she was "trying to outrun it". Again my glasses were off. Due to Shannon's pace we arrived at Sampson Lake in about an hour. The rains subsided for the most part which meant I could now wear my glasses again. With two miles left to the next junction and half our daily miles behind us we were making decent time. As we hiked towards the NPT my mind wandered to whether Dan would be waiting for us, or we would arrive before him. He was hiking with Kristi the last few days in the Pharaoh Lakes region and planned to meet us at Spruce #1. A short break at the junction, then back on the trail we hiked the previous day. Momemts later two thru hikers came by. For the rains we just experienced they were in good spirits. We chatted a bit about their next few miles and inquired as to their planned destination. They said the tent site at Mud Lake. I told them I did not think that site exists having looked for it many times. Not to mention with these storms searching for a not so obvious tent site would certainly sour their trip. I gave them information about the lean-tos and sites a mile before it and recommended a couple. They had spent the night at Fall Stream and I suppose were looking to avoid lean-to areas, I hope they heeded my advice.

Over the years the trail maintainers for this section of the NPT have put in a lot of time construction bog bridges over the wettest sections. The logs wwere slippery due to the rain, the rocks were not much better. Shannon had already slipped on the logs and I on the rocks rolling my ankle. Hoping to not have it too sore in the morning. Just after Spruce #3 we gathered up our bear canister and carried it to Spruce #2 to pack them for the last eight tenths of a mile. Shannon also took a couple of the chef boyardees to have for dinner. As we approached Spruce #1 I saw a man heading towards the lean-to with an armful of wood. I called out, "hey Dan-O". He had arrived at the lean-to about an hour before. He was surprised we weren't there yet, but figured I said I would be there. Since Shannon and I were crashing in the lean-to, Dan set up his tent nearby. Not long after the rains came again. Another torrential downpour. All the wood in the area had been soaked so Dan was waiting for me to do the fire. I was not feeling like it, so he used the torch to get it all going. Took a bit of time but soon he had enough to cook his dinner. Using the fire, he dried out some wood and stashed it under the lean-to. Not being very hungry I had a small cup of soup. 3 days in and I had already skipped two dinner entrees. We stayed up later than usual, might have even made it to 9pm. It rained all night long.

Day 4. Up with the sun, well daylight. Sun was not shining. Everything was wet even the air. Dan had stashed a bit of dry wood but I wanted to test myself. I gathered wood from the soaking wet forest. I found a dead birch tree which I stripped off some bark, and a downed spruce from which I gathered some fine twigs. I made a base with some dry punky wood froma stump and built the fire. With enough small stuff to dry the bigger stuff I got the fire going using a single match. Is always good to practice for when I really need it. With the fire now going strong I heated some water for coffee. Dan and Shannon were now up. It wasn't raining but the air was still wet. Then it started raining again. Then it stopped. Then more rain. Basically this was the entire day on and off rain. Dan went fishing while Shannon and I rested after yesterday's long day. During one of the breaks in the rain I hiked back to Spruce #2 to check out a side trail and pick up the last can of chef boyardee. Dan returned with a single fish which did not survive being hooked otherwise he would have releaased it. He had the fish as a snack, I made myself some stroganoff and we went to bed.

Day 5. Dan wanted to check out a trout pond a copuple miles away and I wanted to check out a section of the outlet river from a failed bushwhack attempt years ago. I found a 1903 map which showed a trail to my desired location. I had no delusions this trail would still exist at all. Looking at the map we determined there was not way for us to bushwhack together and then break off, so we split up. Dan went to the trout pond and Shanon joined me on my off trail adventure. We paddled the glassy surface of the lake to the far corner where the old map showed the trail. Shannon tried taking photos of the newts in the water. With the canoe stowed on the far shore, we donned our day packs. Even though it was not raining we put on rain pants due to the wet underbrush. The old trail followed a generally straight bearing up to the shoulder of Spruce Lake Mtn. I was slightly concerned about our path as the map showed it running right through a marshy area. With the compass calibrated to the correct bearing we headed off into the brush. I was careful to follow the bearing after the ordeal the other day. A lot of false drainages heading in almost the right direction could easily get me off track here. First up and over a small rise and then the marshy area. I was expecting it to be alot larger. A large step over the creek running through it and we were back in a mossy spruce forest. Another climb ot the shoulder and shot another bearing which would eventually bring us to the river. The side of the mtn was quite rocky and travel was not that easy on the downslope. We did cross a very nice drainage with good water. As we continued down the river would be joining us. I could hear some rapids just off our bearing. Evetually I broke off the bearing and headed striaght to the water. We were well east of our desired spot on the river but the sound of the rapids was like s siren call to me. We had some lunch on the rocks and then headed downstream. A stillwater section came into view but the edge of the river was brushy. We ducked back into the woods to go around the obstacle and were soon on the other side of the stillwater. It was too small to be our target. I said I wanted to head downstream for another 20 minutes. Back in the woods and through some dense spruce for a short while and then back into hardwoods and witchopple. Then the true stillwater target appeared. Looked just as I though from scouting the aerial photos. We spotted an old coffee pot in the woods but no discernible place to camp. The large marshy section between the forest and the river's edge was not to bad to walk through so we opted for that. There were peninsulas of forest poking into the marsh. I kept setting my target to each of these. None proved to have a good view. I saw an eagle fly from one of the trees. Eventually on the last one, I could see the edge of the river as it made a northerly bend. It had only taken 5 minutes to cross the last marshy section so I told Shannon I just needed to get to that spot. So we trudged off through the marsh to the river's edge. Finally, I had made ot to the spot I had seen on the map and in the aerial photos. There was a great view looking down river with one of the Twin Mountains in the background. We took some photos and then with the time check we needed to start heading back. I had wanted to explore more here but it will have to wait for another time.

We headed back through the marsh. Following our tracks wasn't so bad but when we went around the peninsulas the grasses were tall and moving through them just sapped our energy. we could hardly wait to get back into the forest without the drag of the grasses and bushes. I reversed my bearing knwoing we would be taking a slightly different route back due me turning off the bearing to the sound of the river earlier. While following this bearing travel was easy. At times it felt like a trail but likely just wishful thinking. Regardless, the direction of travel had us moving through easy terrain even as we gained elevation up to the shoulder of the mountain. This route had us slightly more west and we passed by a nice cliff face. At the shoulder I adjusted the bearing to match the change in the "trail" as we did on our way to the river. As we approached the swampy section it looked much larger than it did the other way. Looking at the map, the trail was supposed to go right through the center. I wondered if earlier we had just hit a small arm of it and got lucky. Steppoing into the spongy mass the grasses here exacerbated our weariness. I knew we were just a tad west from where we crossed before so I headed to that edge of the swamp. Ducking intot he woods for abut and then out to he small section of swmp. We did not see the exact spot we crossed earlier but it must have been close. Up and obver the hill and back to Spruce Lake was all that was left. Not wanting to walk right past the lake on the side of a ridge, I cheated a bit to the east. At one point Shannon realized she lost the rain cover to her pack. We headed back up the hill for a few hundred yards looking for it. She could not recall the last time it was on her pack. We felt bad leaving it in the woods. Soon the lake was in view and because I had cheated east we were east of our target. Shannon waited here while I followed the shoreline to the canoe and paddled to where she awaited. The winds had picked up a bit so the lake was not glass like earlier but still an easy paddle back to camp. It was now dinner time. Shannon got the fire going while I cleaned myself up at the water. I commented how refreshing it was so Shannon also decided to go. We were just finishing eating when Dan arrived. We figured he would be back after us as he was planning on fishing the pond. He caught a few fish and prepared then for his dinner. We shared the details of our adventures with each other and by the time we went to bed it was close to ten. What a great day.

Day 6 was just packing up and heading back. We hiked with Dan for about 2 miles until the junction to his trailhead and we continued on to ours for another 7 miles. At the cars we cleaned up and heasded home. When I stopped for gas I texted Justin the photo of the stillwater to see if he could the location. I should not have been surprised he got it on the first try. Maybe he and I will head back there and do some more exploring.

Feelin' HOT HOT HOT - Trail Maintenance and reconnecting with an old friend

Due to Covid, summer camps are shut down. An old friend whom I worked with back in college was available to do a trip. I needed to clear some trail on the NPT so Jim joined me. The weather had a 50% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. This coupled with the new flooded beaver area on the approach trail hinted at a less than ideal backpacking trip. But we were both game to push through it. We had rain gear, and brought water shoes so it shouldn't be so bad. Met Jim at Wakely Dam and we drove to the TH. Geared up, signed in we ambled down the trail. Jim was trying out "going stoveless" for his meals. I brought my usual plus the extra large saw and other tools needed for clearing blowdown and putting up trail markers.

The old road was familiar to me but new to Jim. We chatted about old times, it hardly seemed like it had been 25 years.It wasn't long before the flooded section came into view. We paused to remove our boots, hike up our pants and don our water shoes. The long slog began. Not very deep but the boardwalk remnants did not make it easier. There was a small section of creek which flowed through showing a very deep section which we could step over. At the main creek the bridge is still operational for now. When this goes, the crossing will be much worse.

Past the flooded section we pressed on to Carry lean2 where we stopped for a later lunch. It was hot out and we were both sweating a lot. The bnugs were horrid in tha parking area, not so bad while while hiking but at breaks like this they would return. Checked out the shelter log and noted Justin's entry from last winter. It was early afternoon and we still needed to get to my section of trail and then to camp. We crossed the new bridge over "Halfway Bridge". I can never remember ther real name of this creek. I call it "Halfway Creek" because this point is almost exactly the halfway point for an NPT thru hike. Anyway, Jim commented on the nice bridge built by the SCA a few years back. A half mile later we reached the Sucker Brook trail junction. Continuing on the NPT we would cut blowdown and remove it from the trail. I was getting tired early on. I assumed it was me being out of shape. This "work at home stuff" has had a negative effect on my weight and exercise. It was good for me to struggle as it re-emphasized my need to do more. Did not have to clear any drainages as they were all dry. Some of the usual springs had no water. I did fill up at the two largest. Water was nice and cold. About 2/3 of the way I was done cutting. I was whupped. I figured to save the rest for the return trip tomorrow. On a positive note we did not get rained on. We did hear a thunderclap not far away but nothing on us.

We reached the Cedar Lakes Dam, I signed us in and noted folks heading to Cedar#2. The campsites along the lake were empty except for a lost child's poncho hagning in a tree. I would grab this on the way out. At Cedars#1, Stephan and Brandan were relaxing int he lean-to. They were on day 2 of the French Louie Loop. It was their first time backpacking and seemed like they were enjoying it. We set up our tents/hammock in the nearby area and talked to S&B for the evening. I shared some of my cream ale with Stefan. I was not hungery at all, but knew I needed to eat something. I forced down some m&ms. The entire time I was thinking just how out of shape I was. At 7:30 Jim reminded me of the annular solar eclipse which was visible on the other side of the planet. Was neat it was happening on the summer solstice too. If these were ancient times I am sure the peoples would have all kinds of celebrations going on. The longest day of the year was coming to a close and I needed to sleep. Not long after sunset I headed to the hammock. It was still hot. I was not very comfortable but it got better once the temperature dropped a little.

I tried to sleep in, I really did. But could not force myself to fall back asleep so I was up before 6. I heard Jim packing up his gear so I did as well. Went down to the water to see the sun had just risen and was burning off the morning fog over the lake. My camera was up in my pack so I did not take a picture. I headed back up to the lean-to. Stefan and Brendan were up. I made a quick fire for some coffee. Still could not eat. After more conversation we heading back to where we came. It was cooler and the dew on the leaves/grass dampened the pants a little. At the dam I checked us out and we said farewell to Stefan and Brendan; wished them well on the "funhouse bridge". They replied "huh" curiously. I said they would know when they got there. Hope to see them on the trail again someday. Jim and I cleared the blowdown we left on the way in. Stopped at my "breakfast place" on the Cedar River for break. Jim took a couple photos. Had more energy today, even though I hadn't eaten much. Jim's homemade powerbar was quite good and lasted me the entire hike back to the car.

Stopped again at the Carry Lean-to. Jim took some photos of the flow. Deer flies were out and about, and a large number of ants were all over the deacon seat. As we were hiking out we noticed some of the ground seemed wet; more than just typical dew. Even a few muddy spots which were not there the previous day. We surmised that some of the thunder we had heard was a very localized storm including rain. Well, the ground was wet in places and when we stopped before the flooded section to remove out boots the lost poncho I picked up was used to sit on while I changed footwear. After wading through the muck the rest of the hike out was uneventful. I was not as tired as yesterday. I wondered how much the heat had gotten to me, and whether I was dehydrated. Our cars were where we left them. We said our farewell's and promised to not let another 25 years go by before we would see each other again. Hopefully this little adventure will be the catalyst for more to come.

Winter or Not? -Lake George WF

The last few years I have done a winter trip with Dan between Christmas and New Years. With 5 days, we had many options. Dan suggested a foray into the Lake George Wild Forest as it was an area neither of us have explored. This is also a heavily used area and at this time of year would see less people. Besides hiking, camping and climbing we would also go off trail in search of special trout ponds. We sent our itinerary to a few friends in case they were able to join us for part of our trip.

Day one consisted of the long drive to Lake George and then along the dirt road to the parking area nearest Shelving Rock Mt. We noticed the "no parking on road" signs all along the way, and numerous dedicated lots showing just how much use this area must get in the height of the season. We saw no cars, and no signs of people on this day. The temp was barely int he twenties as we parked the car and geared up. Tonight and the last night were fore-casted to be the coldest of the nights, with friday being unseasonably warm and rainy. As such, we had to pack for two seasons; winter and rain. That and 5 days of food made for an unusually heavier pack. The hike began along an old roadway. We noted the exquisite stonework used to shore up the edge. These old roads were much "nicer" than the old logging, or camp roads I am used to seeing. The trail, err road, wound its way up the mountain side. Soon we stopped to shed our heavy layer. A half mile shy of the summit was our trail junction, so we dropped our heavy packs and put back on our heavy layers. Towards the top, there was an area which was obviously a site of an old home, or cabin. After about 1.5 miles and 700', we reached the summit of Shelving Rock Mt. We had a nice view of Lake George looking to the South. We took a few photos and headed back down to the the junction with our awaiting packs. We paused for a snack before continuing on.

From here we would be generally going downhill. Quite steeply in places. In total losing about 600' in elevation in less than 3/4 mile to the shore of Lake George. We continued south to the edge of private land just to see the shoreline. This took us about a half mile out of our way which we would then turn around and continue for another half mile to our camping area. Our chosen site had quite a bit of cut wood apparently from off season blowdown maintenance. We collected our own from a fair distance knowing that this wood is typically for the in -season users. It was still cold, and as the sun began to set, it was getting colder. While setting up his tent, a pole snapped back and hit Dan in the eye. A few highly stressful moments as we gauged whether to abort the trip to get him some emergency help. Fortunately the pole had hit just above the eye and his eye was not damaged. We would monitor though, just to be sure. A great dinner of roast venison with rice/beans.

As predicted it got quite cold over night. Windy too. I woke up often due to the flapping of my tarp. Even with the irregular awakenings, I slept plenty. I was out of my hammock before Dan and re-started the fire. With the water almost ready Dan emerged and finished making the coffee. We ate and packed up, Today would be the toughest as we had our almost full packs and the big climb. We hiked about 2 miles to Black Mt Point all the while exploring the shoreline of the lake. The signpost here gave the mileage to Black Mt Summit as 2.75 miles with 2200' of elevation. It was still cold out, but this climb got the blood pumping and warmed us up. At the junction, 1.8 miles up and 1500' complete we had lunch to fuel us before the next 750' over the next mile. We left our packs here for the final spur trail to the summit and fire tower. As we neared the summit, a view vistas allowed us to see over Lake George and the Tongue Mtn Range. From the top of Black Mtn, we could see not only Lake George, but the other mountains in this range as well as across Lake Champlain and the Green Mtns of Vermont. A mile back to our packs and then a long quarter to our camp at Black Mountain Ponds. While getting camp set up, a two-man group stopped by. They were day hiking the Black Mtn loop. (Fred and ???) As we got our fire going, they headed out. Ground venison stroganoff for dinner. Hearty and filling to refuel after today's workout of only 6 miles, but over 2200' of elevation.

Day 3 we expected rain which came over night. Our main wood pile had glaze ice on it, but we had stashed enough under the lean-to to get a breakfast fire going. Today would be a relatively short day with a lean-to midway for a dry lunch break. As we began to pack up, I looked at my watch and noticed it was a quarter to ten. We knew we slept in, but this was later than we thought. No worries since we had a short day. We donned our rain gear and hiked down to the main trail which connects to the Pike Brook trailhead. From here we headed to Lapland Pond. We followed the shoreline for a bit until we met the trail to the lean-to. Passed bv a fishermans campsite along the way. The lean-to was messy, and the roof leaked. It was also quite low. I hit my head twice on the overhang. At the lean-to was the typical junk including some canned food. We opened a can of campbells soup and heated it up on the stove. Except for the trash, the lean-to was situated at a picturesque spot on the lake. After our break we retraced our steps back to the main trail. Dan spent a little more time looking for boats without any luck. We continued on for another mile to Millman Pond and its lean-to. This one was very nice, and not just relative to the mess at Lapland. The caretakers, ironically are Russ and Dan. According to the log book they check in quite often. The other visitors commented on the outhouse as "the nicest they have ever seen". Before we left we knew we had to at least open the door to the privy. Inside it was painted red and white. there was a nice wooden box for the tp, and the walls were decorated with watercolor paintings encased in plastic. It certainly was the "nicest outhouse" I have even seen too. It was getting later in the afternoon and we had a short two miles to go to our camp for the night at Greenland Pond. we would be arriving with a waning daylight and needed to collect wood. This reminded us both of our winter trip in the Haderondah, specifically arriving at East Pond. We gathered the scraps nearby, and eventually found some downed hardwood quite a distance away. Dan cut it up and we carried it back to the lean-to as the woods darkened. We had to get water using headlamps. even with the wet wood we got a good fire going and stashed some extra birchbark for the morning.

we had bean and cheese burritos with salsa for dinner and went to bed. It was windy over the night. Not so much it kept us up but just enough to dry out much of the wood. Starting a fire int he morning was much easier especially with the dry charred logs from our evening fire. Another short day to camp, but we would first need to find a spot. We first explored Fishbrook Pond and its 2 lean-tos before continuing on to Bumps Pond. A very nice campsite was situated on the point, but with the winds it would not work on the this trip. We continued around the pond and found a designated site at the old homestead location. The remnant chimney was still there. Dan went to look for other potential spots while I collected firewood. We spent the early afternoon setting up camp and getting more wood. We still had some time and the bushwhack to Spectacle Ponds was on our itinerary so we loaded up day packs and headed down the trail to where we took a bearing. Our path to Spectacle was rough through a lot of small spruce thickets and beaver ponds to go around. It took a little longer than we expected to get there, but we still had enough time to explore its shoreline. At the southern end we opted to take a bearing to the Bumps Pond outlet and then follow it back to the trail. This was a much better route. As the trek progressed I could feel my legs running out of gas. The last quarter mile would be climbing around a small hill and then dropping down to the trail close to where we took our original bearing. We got back to camp before sunset. The fore was ready to go, so we got it lit. As the woods darkened, we noticed the temperature dropping rapidly and the stars emerging. We expected it would be a cold night. Some soup for dinner and then a walk to the pond's shore to look up to the sky before bed.

Dan was up before first light. He gathered the dry kindling we stashed under my tarp and got the fire going. I went to get water. By the time the fire was going the woods began to brighten in the pre-dawn making our headlamps no longer necessary. We chatted and packed up. We had more miles to do today but it would be mostly downhill back to the car, this would be after we climbed Sleeping Beauty Mtn. The northern trails had a lot more snow and ice than we had been walking on the last 4 days. After climbing about 500' over about a mile, we reached a lookout and wondered how such a well marked area would not have a sign to the summit. We descended a bit and then the spur trail to the summit appeared. Sleeping Beauty overlooked Lake George and also had views to the east. we spent a little time taking photos and climbing the various rocky knobs. It was still a bit cold out, but we basked in the warmth of the morning sun. We had the summit to ourselves.

We headed down the icy trail and over the next couple miles passed quite a few groups headed up. From dacy Clearing we had a number of options to get back to the car. We made decisions at each intersection which trail to take. It was obvious these trails get very little use compared to the main trails. About a mile before the car, we stopped at a pretty waterfall for lunch. Sitting for even the short lunch break allowed us to realize it was still rather cold. We arrived back to the car and noted the lot had quite a few more vehicles. It was apparent this area is heavily used. We were fortunate to have found the solitude and steal another pre-winter backpacking trip at the end of December.

West Canada Lakes -Raining, Fishing and Leaf-peepin'

It had a few months since Dan and I had hit the trail together. We each had gone our own way on separate adventures over the summer. It would be great to sit around the campfire and tell our stories. While Justin was headed to Metcalf for the weekend, we had three days to spend, so we opted for the W. Canada Lakes wilderness to do some fishing and leaf-peeping. I picked up Dan early Saturday morning and we headed into the woods at the Pillsbury Mtn trailhead. The lot was already filling up, mostly with those hiking to the firetower according to the register. The air was chilly and we expected some rain over the weekend.

We stopped at the Pillsbury Lake lean-to for lunch. It was surprisingly clean. For dessert I had a brownie and traded my second one to Dan for an after dinner beer later that night. We turned off the marked trail and headed to Whitney Lake. We arrived to the main campsite which was already occupied. A tent was set-up as well as a large tarp with a windblock. The occupants were not around; we assumed they were off day hiking or fishing. Instead of staying at the campsite at the old shelter location, we headed to the one on the other side of the lake which Justin and I had stayed at the year prior. The site was in good condition. There were signs it had been used since we had last visited. With camp set up, we went fishing. No hits and no rises for a while. Then Dan spotted a rise in the water. I cast short of it and hit immediately. Not a big fish, but a nice 9.5inch brookie. while I was playing him, Dan a much larger specimen; a 14 incher. We fished that spot a little longer and Dan hauled in a whopper at 15.5 inches. That would be the end of our fishing.

Back at camp, we made dinner and talked. Dan commented how he would probably be asleep soon after dark. I, of course, would also. True to our word we hit the sack early. The rains came over night and into the next morning. Neither of us were in any kind of hurry to get up. Eventually I ventured out of my hammock and restarted the fire. We had set up a large tarp as a communal space in anticipation of the rain. This proved to be worth the effort. It rained a little on/off for the morning. We had fish tacos for breakfast while we discussed our options for the day. According to the lists, Puddle Hole nearby should have trout. So we set off to bushwhack through the wetness to check it out. We split up at the pond to search for a boat. Dan took the north side, and I the south. We met at the far side after 'whacking around the dense shoreline. Neither of us found a boat. The pond was shallow and the shoreline was not even conducive for shore fishing. We took a bearing back to the main trail and then headed back to Whitney. From there we headed to Sampson to also search for a boat.

The lean-to at Sampson is in an unfortunate location perched at a run-off stream. For some reason people also seem to leave a lot of trash here too. A group of beginner backpackers from canada were just packing up after their lunch break. Two ladies were waiting nearby to secure the spot for the night. We told them we were only having a late lunch and would be moving on. We again had no luck finding a boat so we headed back to Whitney and fished our way back to camp with no luck. As the sun was getting low it really illuminated the changing colors.

We again went to bed early. The morning again had rain and fog. We checked out the un-named pond onthe other side of camp before we left. No fish were seen or caught.All packed up, we headed back. As we passed through the occupied site from Saturday morning, the occupants were there and we chatted for a bit. Jim, wearing a "Whitney Lake Woods Rat" ball-cap said he had been coming here for 30 years. He told us some history, and we all swapped stories and fish-tales. Jim and JB offered us a beer, so we stayed a while longer and chatted some more. After a second one, we packed up the empties and headed back to the Pillsbury Lean-to for a late lunch and then to our awaiting car.

We had just that one quick flurry of fishing. Quite a bit of rain and some gorgeous colors of the changing leaves. It was good to be back out on the trail with Dan. Next time we will hit a different part of this Wilderness. We are thinking of heading back to the Quetico next summer. A lot there left to explore. meaning Questico and the West Canadas.