One little man, one little boat, one little bag of kit and one huge state park

[GGTBod]

i have occasionally rambled on about my upcoming Adirondack adventure, said adventure eventually happened.

Part 1 of 4

[video=youtube;Dvtg_Z7n1L8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvtg_Z7n1L8[/video]

Part 2 of 4

[video=youtube;ZbF0X_UgFLo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbF0X_UgFLo[/video]

Next 2 episodes will be in the next post due to video per post limitations


Where to start, well i suppose the very beginning makes sense.


So there i am 3 days before leaving Massachusetts and i am roped into helping pack the van and get the family glamping gear ready, i have never been glamping before and as the kit piled up so did my astonishment at how much they were going to be taking for the 6 days they would be there with me, we planned leaving at 5am on Thursday 28th Aug so i planned to pack my kit at 4.30am on the same day, this left me ample time to be a packing assistant

So we hit the road 6am on the 28th for the 4hr drive into the ADKs, stopping halfway for a hearty breakfast at a diner with great grub where we met up with the other family members, i stuffed my face and took the opportunity to use the last real toilet i may see for some time.


It was not long before the scenery changed and we were in the mountains and crossing the Hudson River for the first time, as anyone knows who has been up this way the vista is stunning and before we knew it we were arriving at Forked Lake campground nr Long Lake.


Unpacking and ferrying everything across the lake via the little inflatable dinghy and canoes took best part of half a day, i heartily chipped in after quickly loading all my kit into the 10ft kayak for my single trip once i had helped everyone get their gear over to our campsites.

Setting up my tarp took a whole 5 minutes so again i was roped into helping the small tent town appear at one of our campsites, i had arranged that i would have my own campsite for me and my basic setup, the glamping setup was impressive to say the least, consisting among other things of a fully equipped kitchen, i was equally amazed and disgusted as to me this is not camping it is taking as much of your house as you can with you and relocating it into nature, i firmly held this opinion until the ladies knocked up a cracking feast and we all sat down to a well earned dinner including pudding, it is safe to say my freeze dried provisions remained safely stored away in the bear proof food safe as the multitude of coolers held all manner of feastable goodies and the ladies of the family were masters at taking care of us all and insisted on doing so, my heartiest thanks go out to them and there was a part of me dreading them all going home and me switching from the feasts of glamping luxury to my freeze dried meager provisions regardless of how hearty a meal i am proficient in making from them (see later images).


So the next 6 days were spent slothing and feasting in the company of family, doing a bit of fishing, a lot of sunbathing and swimming in the crystal clear waters of Forked Lake and getting far too used to the luxuries and the excesses of the family kit and food supplies.

More family glamping pictures behind this link


On the second last day before the family headed back to Massachusetts me and my father escaped the luxury of glamping and headed over to the Adirondack Museum (insert link), if anyone ever goes up this way i can't recommend this place enough except for the food, the place itself is in an excellent setting with indoor and outdoor displays peppered with very informative guides who are keen to share their info.


Link to gallery full of pictures from the museum


continued in next post.........

 

[GGTBod]

Day 01 Solo

Part 3 of 4

[video=youtube;QDT6mujHxCk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDT6mujHxCk[/video]

Part 4 of 4

[video=youtube;n8Kim4EhoXE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Kim4EhoXE&feature=youtu.be[/video]


Well day 6 arrived quickly and i was packed up in 15 minutes and ready for my solo venture, i was keen to help everyone pack but my father said it made better sense to drop me off so i can get my first days paddling started and that they can all deal with removing tent-town without me, so i loaded my gear into the kayak and paddled to the dock near the car park where my father was waiting with his van to ferry me down to Blue Mountain Lake.


Before i knew it i was paddling out onto BML and when i looked back he was gone, i was finally alone in the Adirondacks, the lake seemed huge and was a little choppy so i cut across at a steady pace and headed for the first island which had 4 primitive campsites allocated on it, an Adirondack primitive campsite is a designated clearing for camping in with a stone fire circle nearby and marked with a little symbol on a tree, the 4 on the island were not to my liking for various reasons but mostly because it was so early in the day i did not feel like setting up camp yet, i knew that approx 14 mile away at the end of Utowana Lake there was a lean-to shelter so i got my head around the idea that this is where i was heading and going to sleep on day 1

I kept a steady pace stopping now and then to rest and take pictures or shoot a little video, drink plenty of water or top up on sunblock as it was easily 90f by midday, it wasn't long before i was entering the much smaller and glass-like Eagle Lake on the South West corner of Blue Mountain Lake which was impressively shallow, it was amazing to think that huge paddle steamers filled with tourists ferried in and out of here back in the late 1800's when at times i was worried i was going to ground my kayak, the water was crystal clear and if i was not on such a mission to get to my desired location it would have been a great spot for some attempted bass fishing due to the amount of large fallen trees in the water creating the perfect cover for them. It was blistering hot by now and my pace slowed but i kept at it and before long i was entering the beautiful Utowana Lake.

I kept heading west and gradually the houses on the edges of the lake got further and further apart and became less regular, before long it was just woodland either side of the lake as it gradually narrowed, the whole time the water was like a mirror reflecting the trees and the sky perfectly, then on my right on the north shoreline i seen my goal the lean-to shelter, this was a sight for sore eyes and arms and back and butt as i had been paddling for about 6 hrs in total (i will check the gps data for the exact time and add it), i aimed the kayak at the little beach and picked up a pace so i could beach the front end and get out easily, in minutes i had my insect bivvi setup inside the lean-to and had the kettle on for a well earned cup of tea (i know, i know very English of me).

I quickly settled into my home for the night after a couple of cups of tea and after a quick explore of the area i took a seat on the edge of the lean-to and sat in silence taking in the views, before dark i hung my food bag high in a tree about 100 yards from my sleep area and for piece of mind i grabbed myself a large pole and pointed the end of it. As darkness fell i climbed in my bed with my pole nearby and was asleep instantly, well until i heard a noise, asleep this noise sounded like something rummaging in my gear and it woke me instantly my heart racing, i shone out my headlamp and could see nothing and all of my kit looked untouched, this seemed to happen every couple of hours each time i seen nothing and fell back asleep laughing at myself.


continued ...........

 

[GGTBod]

Day 02


At first light i was up and had the kettle on, whilst drinking my tea i heard the noises i had been hearing whilst asleep and noticed a chipmunk scurrying under the lean-to, upon inspection i spot the nest entrance under the lean-to, seriously at least twice through the night i had convinced myself those noises were a bear, maybe even two bears hahahaha laughing at myself and my first night alone in the wild i looked at my pointed stick and laughed again, i also had an air horn which i had kept close by, the stick was to be left behind and the airhorn left in the bottom of my kit bag and forgotten about, it is amazing how the mind can plays games with you.


Dawn

After a couple of cups of tea i was ready to get on my way, packed up in 5 minutes and loaded the kayak in another 5 and i was ready to go, i took a quick photo to remind myself i had left the place better than i found it and pushed off from the bank.

today's goal involved the first portage which was 3/4 mile long, this started about 1 mile from where i was camped so i gently paddled towards it at the far west end of Utowana lake, the portage was on the old line from the railway that used to shuttle tourists between the paddle steamer that ran them up and down the Marion River and the steamer that took them to Blue Mountain Lake and back. i quickly arrived at the little dock ahead was a little beach area but being a smart **** i figured i would climb out at the little dock and avoid getting wet feet, i pulled alongside and went to stand up wobbled and capsized fully over into 3ft of water and at least 1ft of mud on the bottom, i bobbed up instantly due to my pfd and the cockpit filled with water washing away one of my trekking poles and my metal water canteen which i had been using to pump filtered water into from my Lifesaver bottle, i righted the kayak and dragged it and myself ashore laughing and spluttering as i went, the irony was not lost on me even at the very instant it happened i was trying to keep my feet dry and instead got soaked head to toe.


Once onshore i took stock of my kit and noticed the missing items, i took everything out, most of my kit was inside submersible drybags but the things that weren't were saturated and some even filled with water like the stuff sack containing my ground bivvi and my tarp, i laid out all the wet kit in the sun to drain of water and dry off and checked on the stuff in dry bags like the electrics, all were fine. This gave me confidence that if or when i capsize again the kit that needs to stay dry will.


So i emptied the kayak of water and decided to take the portage in stages leaving the wet stuff to dry out, off i headed down the shaded dirt track carrying the 42lbs kayak which turned out to not be half as bad as i imagined even with my back problems, i took it easy and soon the 3/4 mile track ended next to the Marion River, on the way back to my kit i was able to appreciate the scenery of the little pathway which had forest as far as the eye could see on one side and the meandering Marion River on the other filled with rocks and impassable objects, on the way i seen a multitude of fungi, 2 squirrels and a small grey snake. Soon i was back at my kit, i picked up the driest items and walked back to where i had left the kayak. I ended up doing the trip 3 times there and back in total before all my kit was at the end of the portage so in total walking almost 4 mile. On the last leg of the journey i raked in the reeds and mud at the bottom of the lake with my paddle where i capsized trying to find my lost bits of kit to no avail so i accepted their loss signed the log book and videod the walk back to the kayak.


After resting i repacked the kayak, drank copious amounts of water (straight from my Lifesaver due to loosing my canteen), i waded into the water pushing the kayak until it was deep enough to float and hopped in not giving a care in the world about wet feet for some reason that eludes me right now, strangely i never cared about wet feet getting in and out of the kayak for the rest of my adventure.


To say the Marion River is stunning is an understatement beyond measure, forested wilderness on either shore reflecting off the mellow flowing waters, i glided down with the flow paddling gently stopping now and then to take pics and shoot some video.


I had gone about a mile or so and spotted up ahead the remnants of a beaver dam and in the centre it looked like a kayak or canoe had gone through it so i headed for this area and paddled as fast as i could, i burst through and stopped dead centre but with a bit of wiggling and shuffling about and using my paddle i managed to get over it, i rounded a few corners and there up ahead was a full built solid beaver dam completely covering the river, i had never even seen a beaver dam before let alone had one block my path, i paddle to the edge of the water and climbed out thinking i could pass it over land, my feet sank in the sludge and it took all my effort to get my feet out and keep my footware, i managed to get back in the kayak and into the water, so here i am sitting at the edge of the dam on the dammed up side, the water on the other side was at least a foot lower than on my side. I checked my maps and started to wonder if i had got back into the river too soon and missed half of the portage path which would have taken me past this obstacle, relunctantly cursing the beavers i paddled back the way i hd come over the broken dam to where the path ended, once there i explored the other side of the river looking for the continuation of the path but failing to find anywhere that looked like i could even get through the woodland alone on foot never mind carrying a kayak and kit, baffled i get back in the kayak and paddle back to the beaver dam hoping to find another way past this obstacle.


So there i am sitting in my boat on one side of the beaver dam and stumped, just as i was about to turn back with some mad half arsed plan of heading to a path i can see on the map with about a 4 mile walk around before it meets up with the river again when i see this woman in an open canoe dressed in sporty clothing looking like a jogger paddling toward the other side of the beaver dam, she pulls up alongside and climbs out of the boat onto the dam and hoist her boat up and over and jumps back into it on my side of the dam, i am sitting there gobsmacked and i tell her about my idiocy, she laughs and explains that they have to do this all the time over this way as they are training for a big canoe race and that beaver dams are really solid and will easily hold my weight, being 242lbs i am sceptical to say the least even though i had just seen her do just that (although they were lucky if she weighed 120lbs).


I got chatting with the lady and she told me that the race they were doing next week normally went up through Raquette Lake, Forked Lake, Raquette River, Long Lake, Raquette River and onward, basically my exact route i had planned to traverse, they told me the route of the race had been changed due to exceptionally low water levels making the Raquette River north of Long Lake almost impossible to paddle, i barely took this info in at the time as i was just thinking will this beaver dam collapse the minute i climb my fat bottom onto it. So the lady paddles off the way i had came and left me to my own devices, i pulled the kayak alongside, dug my paddle into the structure of the dam to give me some purchase and hoisted myself out and onto the top of the dam, it creaked, it cracked and slowly under my feet it started to get lower, water started flowing from the dammed side between my feet, i grabbed the kayak handle at the bow and dragged the boat over the dam and into the low water side, the dam cracked and cracked more and the water flow increased as i sank down, i held the kayak in place with my paddle and jumped in off the dam, success, my heart was pounding i looked back at the dam and it was still pretty solid but there was a constant flow of water where i had been standing, i caught my breath and shot a little video of the dam. Still now i am amazed at the strength of the structure and that it held my weight and the weight of my kayak and kit combined which easily totally 300lbs (me 242, kayak 42 and kit).


I thought the Marion River was beautiful before the beaver dam, after it the spectacle of nature had me speachless, i paddle lazily on in the blistering heat, mile after mile of stunning scenery and crystal clear waters, tributaries wandering off the main flow left and right and without my gps i would have been wandering in and out of them trying to stay on the right path, floatillas of lilly pads covering the whole river and as i approached them and paddled through them hundred of little frogs were leaping off into the water. After about 4 mile i came to another designated primitive campsite, i pulled up at the shore and got out to explore, it was about a 100 yards back into the trees and once there i couldn't even see the sun, it was still early enough in the day and a good 6 hrs from sunset so i decided to paddle on and possibly stay at the next one about 3 miles down river.

cont .......

 

[GGTBod]

Back on the river i glided peacefully on keeping a steady pace but not enough so that i heat stroke in the 90f+ temps and so i could still appreciate the views. After about 3 miles the river gradually widened and a steady flow of waves were breaking on the bow and ahead i could see the expanse of Raquette Lake and it felt like the flow of the river and the mass of water in the lake were fighting for control of the water flow, i was also at this point a little concerned at how exposed i had been to the sun all day so i decide i would paddle gently along the south coast in the shade of the treeline on the shore, this got me out of the water fight and out of the sun, win win situation, then whilst checking my maps i realized the other primitive campsite i wanted to check out was on the north shore of the mouth of the river, the thought of paddling out into the sun and paddling hard enough to fight the currents to cross the river mouth was a mad one that i never even entertained, so upon checking my map i spotted that there were 2 lean-to shelters on an island called Big Island in the middle of Raquette Lake about 1 mile south west of the river mouth and this became my new goal.


As i broke free of the mouth of the river to cross the 1 mile of open water to get to the south west corner of the island i experienced my first taste of the Raquette Lake consideration for small boats as two high powered outboard speed boats who seemed like they were racing each other shot past me about 40ft off my starboard bow, i just had time to turn into the wakes and hit them head on and cut through them with the bow, if they had hit me broadside i would have been experiencing my second capsize of the day, in a way i was glad it happened as it had me on my toes and i bit down and put all my strength into paddling to my destination and during the paddle i was caught again in similar situations by fast moving large wake causing crafts twice and was ready for them, i made it to the island an safety from the boats, i stuck to the shore and made my way around to the south west corner and there i caught sight of my home for the night and it was empty, i pulled in exhausted and sore, i had paddled a good 30 mile and walked 4 mile carrying kit in 2 days, not bad for a man with herniated discs in his lumbar region even if i do say so myself.


First thing i set up was my woodgas stove and kettle for a cup of tea, whilst the kettle was boiling i set up up my bivvi and bug net bed inside the lean-to and took in my surroundings, at that minute i knew only one thing and that was that tomorrow would be a day of rest, i drank my cup of tea and set about making a broth with chicken jerky, dried vegetables, mixed pulses, stock cubes and wholewheat pasta swirls, I had covered a lot more distance than i had planned since setting off especially today, it had been a good day.

Day 3


Ahh my first day of rest i slept like a drunk baby last night, it was well needed and so was the day of rest as i was sore in all kinds of places, thankfully it was great weather and Big Island on Raquette lake lives up to it's name, i settled in quickly, after a hearty granola bar breakfast and several cups of tea i was ready to explore my surrounding, i grabbed my water filter full of water and my camera and headed off into the island to see what fungi i could snap a pic of.

Link to full album of pictures from my fungi hunt

After a couple of hours wandering i had a good collection of photo's, some fungi were in perfect condition and others well past their best but they made for some good photo's. Back at camp i set up a washing line to dry some laundry and whilst taking a bath in the lake i washed the clothing i had been wearing on the two days paddling and hung it out to dry.


Mid afternoon on rest day and by this point i am well aware that Raquette Lake seems to be a magnet for the type of tourist who wants to come to the countryside with high powered water craft, from jet skis to twin outboard boats dragging water skiers and all manner of party and pleasure craft the water was very busy, i guess we all get our relax on in different ways but at first the contrast from the tranquility of where i had been was unsettling, especially when noticing that none of them seemed to pay any mind to how they affected canoes and kayaks and they blitzed past them full throttle.


The day passed quickly and by the end i was as sore in the muscles as i had been at the start of the day, if i was still this way tomorrow it would also be a day of rest, i had promised myself at the start of this venture that i would pace myself and enjoy it and it was as much about enjoying camping and scenery as any paddling mission to cover distance, this is not an endurance battle i am no longer 20 and there is no need to beat myself up to prove something to myself this venture is about serious fun and enjoying myself in nature. I settled in for the evening with a beef stew made from beef jerky, dried vegetables, soup pulses and cous cous, it was very tasty and filling but a little part of me was missing the family ladies and their glamping kitchen filled with all manner of foodstuffs that kept appearing from their Aladdin-like coolers, i knew there was a store on the south west coast of the lake so i gave myself a mini mission of crossing the lake at dawn before it got busy with motors and grabbing a few tasty fresh food morsels


cont ....

 

[GGTBod]

Day 4


I was up with the first rays of light and the misty view across the lake was perfect, i couldn't even see 50ft from the shore so i stuck my gps in my pocket, popped on my pfd and paddled in the direction the gps arrow told me was the shore where i knew the store was, it was 2 mile in a straight line there are back and thankfully at the crack of dawn there was no wind at all and no motor craft on the lake, i raced in a perfect straight line through the mist in faith with my tech that i was heading in the right direction, thankfully my faith was not wrong and as i came close to the shore i could see the store i had seen pictures of in my books and online. The store had been there since the early 1900's and was a well known canoe outfitters ready to supply everything an adventurer might need to sustain them on their canoeing or kayaking explorations, well that is what it was in the early 1900's, now it was a tourist trap hell hole selling all manner of junk and crap paraphernalia at top dollar, i was gutted as i had marked to refuel and restock some choice items here before leaving Raquette Lake, sadly i have no use for a game of Beer Pong or any of the other myriad of novelty items, i needed some high factor sunscreen and they had none and i could have used some more water purification tablets or liquid and they also had none, looking around the store i was appalled at the cost of things, i know they are a seasonal business and need to survive the off season but the prices and selection of things were pathetic. I ended up buying a 250g punnet of strawberries for $5, 3 bananas for $1 each, 2 peaches for $1 each, 2 packs of 5 granola bars at $6 a pack and an 8oz bottle of water for $2.


The prices were insane but i was more gutted about the experience as i was expecting to be visiting a top quality resupply store as i had read about in my old books about the area and seen images of, instead it was a store filled with novelty items and overpriced basic groceries, such a let down, anyway i promised myself i wouldn't moan about it too much in my trip report so lets move on. I packed my provisions into my kayak and set off back for Big Island, my muscles were still tender from the first two days and i felt every stroke, by the time i was heading back there was a good selection of craft using the lake with their usual disregard for smaller man-powered craft but i made it back in one piece, as i pulled into my little bay i knew i was right to make day 4 another day of rest, i sat and ate my strawberries 2 bananas and a peach and felt the instant surge to my bodies energy levels and recuperation process of the natural sugars and goodness of the fresh fruit, at several times i laughed about my $5 strawberries but they were good.


Mid afternoon on day 4 i had been catching some sun and enjoying the nature of the island, whilst answering the call of nature for me to release some fluids from my body i thought i seen someone walking through the trees towards me, i shook the drips quick and put myself away and as i did i noticed that the suspected person was actually a white tailed deer foraging out the back of my camp, i grabbed my camera and tried to sneak up for a better view and to get some video, sadly i fox walk like an elephant in steel toe capped boots but i was managing to keep a tree between myself and the line of sight of the deer whilst getting good video of it, i looked up he could see me but i was static and looking at the ground, i kept moving forward and the deer seemed to be watching me but not overly reacting to me, then he bounded off to my right deeper into the woods, i tried to follow and he picked up pace. I went back to my camp invigorated by the experience and watched the video to see what i had caught, this was where i noticed that i had not spooked the deer i was following but i had spooked the one i didn't see with my eyes who was to the right of the one i had spotted, this deer had convinced the other it was time to be off.


Evening came up on me quickly that day and just before dusk i got a text message from family with a localized weather soothsaying for the next few days, it was forecasting wetness and wind with possible thunderstorms getting progressively stronger day by day until the end of the week, i did not want to stay on this island any longer so if i was to leave safely i knew it had to be at the crack of dawn, i set about collecting some natural tinder to store dry incase where i ended up tomorrow everything was wet. late in the evening a ranger came by checking on the lean-to and looking for any fire risk due to the unusual heatwave and dryness and no rain in the last 3 weeks, we had a good chat and he confirmed what the canoe race beaver dam climbing ladies had said which boiled down to paddling Raquette river north of Long Lake was near impassable due to how low the water was. My original plans needed changing, i knew my original destination goal was out the window so i set about checking my maps to make the most of where i could go regarding paddling and camping.


Looking on my maps i had several options for the next days travel the main goal being to get off Raquette Lake before the storms came, straight line north for approx 4 miles was the north coast of the lake and to the north east end there was 3 lean-to shelters, in a bay on the north west area there was several primitive campsites, i decided i would head as the crow flies at dawn for the north coast and check out the lean-to shelters, it seemed a simple paddle.


cont.....

 

[GGTBod]

Day 05


Crack of dawn i was up with the first rays of light (this is usual for me when in nature as i don't want to miss a minute), my kit is packed and campsite cleared and i didn't even start the day with a cup of tea, i was on a mission to beat the weather front that was said to be rolling in by mid afternoon from the west. One last check of the site to make sure i left it better than i found it and i was off on the water.

As soon as i was away from the shore i could feel the effects of the westerly wind, the water was raising a good chop all coming from the west and the harder i fought to stay on a straight track north the more i kept getting spun about to face north east, after 30 minutes or so of this and making no real progress north i accepted that i had to turn into the wind and get closer to shore to reduce the effects of the wind and waves in shallower water. Once at the shore i started making my way northerly, Raquette lake is a series of bays and inlets from streams on the west coast and the first one i came to was Duck Bay it was only about 1000ft to cut across the mouth of the bay and it seemed the best route rather than cover a good mile hugging the coast to get past it, in hindsight the mile around the coast was the right plan as i fought constantly against the wind and waves to keep my tracking direction as soon as i was 150ft from the shore. it was seriously hard work and no fun paddling against the flow so when i made it back in line with the shore i was resigned to sticking to it regardless of the extra miles i'd have to cover, the waves in the deeper parts of the lake could easily capsize a craft of my low profile especially when loaded with gear, if i capsized in deep water my only option would be to swim to shore dragging the boat so i made the decision to stick near the shore and i know it was a wise move.


As i came around the coast the next bay area was called Beaver Bay which was easily a solid mile across the open mouth at the narrowest point as the crow flies, i had no intention of trying to cover it so i settled in for the approx 3 mile paddle around the shoreline, due to the constant westerly winds (which i found later on were around 15mph with gusts up to 24) heading west into the bay turned out to be one hell of a struggle, i gritted my teeth and focused on the bow of the kayak and my paddle stroke, soon enough the coast turned and i was heading north and then easterly. I came to a pinnacle area called Indian Point and passing Needle Island i realized there was no safe way for me to cross the deepest section of the lake and get to the north shore where the lean-to shelters were located, so checking my maps again i headed west into Sucker Brook Bay to see if i could find a space on one of the 3 primitive camp sites, luckily for me the site on hen Island was vacant as i was exhausted, i set up my tarp and bed quickly expecting rain as the sky looked imminent. What had looked like a simple straight line paddle of around 5 mile turned into 14 mile of hugging the coastline fighting the wind all the way, i was very tired and relieved i had got as far as i had, setting up camp i reminded myself laughing that i had promised to take it easy.


You guessed it before long i had the kettle on making a cup of tea, i finished off the rest of my fresh fruit and counted my blessings, i had a nice little campsite, my shelter was setup and this north westerly bay of Raquette Lake was very quiet and absent motor boats and jet skis and it was a pretty little island. By mid afternoon the wind was a constant 20mph and i had to build a rock cove for to protect my woodgas stove and keep it buring proficiently enough to rapid boil a kettle and make my evening meal, one concern was that wood supplies were very limited on the island, i collected what i could in deadwood and standing dead wood and processed it down to fit my stove, once processed i set it under my tarp to keep it dry.


That night it rained from dusk until dawn, laying there under my tarp listening to the rain bouncing off it i read an updated text message with more weather soothsaying, the outlook was not promising, thunderstorms and rain from midday and wind and rain for the rest of the week, i knew there and then that i had to get off the island tomorrow as there was not enough wood on it to keep me going and be able to cook my food, i had just enough to boil a kettle and then i was barren, i decided at dawn i would leave regardless of the weather with the mission of getting to the north east corner of Raquette Lake and the lean-to shelters (approx 6 mile as the crow flies) to an ample supply of wood so i can cook and make cups of tea, the thunderstorm was forecast for midday in my mind i had to beat this natural deadline.

cont.......

 

[GGTBod]

Day 06


Again i woke at first light but this time to the sounds of the rain hammering on my tarp, much against my plans to set off i early i tucked myself in and grabbed some more sleep hoping the rain would stop so i could at least packup my gear reasonably dry. Thankfully my gamble paid off and at 7am when i woke again the rain had ended, i jumped out of my bad and packed my kit faster than i ever had so far trying to make up for my lost time in my race against the oncoming storm, you can't expect to battle nature and win she will beat you down, you gotta work with and around it and make the most of what you have got.


I was on the water less than 30 minutes after getting out of bed, the wind was steady from the west but my plan was to head east back towards Needle Island so i can cross the deepest part of the lake at the shortest gap to the east coast and then stick to the east coast heading north to the lean-to shelters approximately 6 mile away in a relatively straight line, with the wind behind me i was almost able to do this albeit with a few hair raising wake and wave related moments when crossing the deepest part of the lake from Needle Island to Bluff Point, i had been told the lake was 960 meters deep that this point so capsizing was not a challenge i wanted to face, my risks paid off and soon i was paddling up the eastern shore of Raquette Lake Outlet Bay with the wind and waves pushing me along. Soon Beacher Island appeared on my left and i knew 2 of the lean-to shelters were on the north shore behind this, i made an attempt to cross the bay heading directly north but after 15 minutes the westerly wind and waves had blown me off course and I was farther east and way past the shelters so i scratched them off the list and turned back east and back to following the southern shore of Outlet Bay.


By 11am i arrived at the final lean-to on the north shore of the lake, i pulled in relieved to have got here before the oncoming storm and i hopped out to explore my potential home for the next day or two, i knew i was again in need of a rest day as i had paddled far more than i had planned in the last 2 days hoping to escape first the weather and then the possibility of being trapped on Hen Island by the weather with very limited wood supplies. I secured the boat and climbed up the hill to check out the lean-to. On first sight i knew there was no way i was staying there, the place was a mess, full of litter, holes in the roof, ash all over inside as if there had been a fire inside of it, all in it actually reminded me of run down bush shelters back in England where the youth hang out to drink alcohol/do drugs and leave their mark with illiterate graffiti scribbles and also using it as their makeshift toilet.


I was exhausted but i knew i could not stay there, my main desire for this whole trip had been to enjoy beautiful scenery, camp in amazing settings and enjoy visiting some top quality lean-to shelters and sadly this one was far from that description in both setting and condition, to stay here would have been a miserable experience, i even toyed with the idea of camping nearby but the litter around the area and the general sight of the place was a bit depressing. I dug out my maps, i was about a mile from the portage into Forked Lake and i knew of several wild campsites there not on any maps and also 2 lean-to shelters one of which i knew was really nice although heavily shaded and the other not so nice, both were a million miles from the shambles of the one i was currently sitting at, so again i gritted my teeth and got back in the cockpit paddle in hand, i was not looking forward to the 3/4 mile portage.


My dread of the portage turned out to be comical, my body was strong and although tired i took my time and made it all in one journey with a couple of stops, moving at a nice slow but steady pace i soon had Forked Lake in sight through the trees, as i came down the hill to the launch point into Forked Lake my spirits lifted no end as the sight of it opened up before me, it was definitely the right move to make, somehow i had almost forgotten how literally stunning and breathtaking the views of this lake can be, i sat and took a long earned rest on the edge of the lake and slowly drank about 2ltr of water, the sun was now blistering in the sky and it seemed like i had left the wind and rain on Raquette Lake, whilst sitting resting a large blue dragonfly landed on my remaining trekking pole with a smaller red dragon fly in it's talons and proceeded to eat it alive for my entertainment, i shot a couple of minutes video of nature doing her thing before paddling out on the mirror surface of the lake.


Forked Lake is a state campground and you pay for to use a pre booked plot, the last weekend of the camping season on the lake was the labour day weekend that had just passed, so after i had paddled 2 mile and past the mouth of the Raquette River outlet looking for the lean-to i was surprised to see the canoe sitting next to the designated camp sites, intrigued i bypassed the lean-to locations and headed directly for the ranger cabin some 2 mile farther east, by now my arms are twitching from the paddling and portage and my back is definitely smarting from the strain, thankfully the lake was calm and i was able to take my time. Upon reaching the rangers office several of them were packing away the rental canoes and other bits and bobs related to the state campground, i asked one of the rangers what happens to the area now it is out of season and he said with a mischievous grin,


"The place is free to use out of season as long as you stick to Adirondack primitive camping rules, just enjoy it be respectful of others and look after the place and you'll be fine"


This news blew me away, just then it started to gently rain and i paddled off into the lake to grab a nice campsite, i was pulling up to a site and i bumped into a couple in a canoe full of kit, we swapped pleasantries and all commented on how it doesn't really get much better than this, the rain had stopped, the sun was shining, a rainbow was arching across the sky that seemed to be ending at the Forked lake ranger station and the lake was like glass, there was only us there and about 3 other people in the whole area and a not a motor boat to be seen or heard anywhere.


I set up my camp double time and unloaded my gear, i realize now that before i had even acknowledged the conscious thought to myself i had decided to stay there on Forked Lake, everything i had came to the Adirondacks for was right there before me, the views, the expanse of unspoiled nature, the tranquility, awesome fishing and stunning scenery to paddle about in, all right at my fingertips and to top it all off the predicted storm never came. Although at the time i didn't know it my rehashed plan (due to low water levels) to stay on the primitive sites at the north end of Long Lake was well and truly scrapped, when i thought on it later that day and considered moving on in a day or two i couldn't help but think Long Lake would be a lot like Raquette Lake surrounded by houses and proliferated with motor boats and that to leave this nirvana for that was madness, a madness i did not suffer from thankfully.


cont....

 

[GGTBod]

That night laying under my tarp i could hear the distant thunder resonating through the mountains and see the flashes in the night sky to the south from the lightening but it never came to Forked Lake, i slept that kind of sleep you get after you have worked your butt off for all the right reasons and got exactly the results you were looking for and more from said work, I took risks but they paid off it was a good day.

cont ....

 

[GGTBod]

Day 07


Daylight breaks and i am up, kettle straight on and tea brewing with spirits soaring, i sit on the shore of the lake with my first cup of tea and take in the views and watching two canoes paddle through the mist.

Wilst stretching out my aching limbs I hatched a plan of a gentle paddle in the afternoon to the east end of the lake next to dam for a spot of fishing, with this is mind i thought i'd throw a few lines into the water around my site, well half an hour later and i have reduced my number of available lures by half and due to a stupid mistake causing a bad birds nest at my reel and a pile of knots as i went to untangle it i had approximately 30ft of line left on my reel, not detered by this i put my rod down and told myself to save what i had for my afternoon fishing plans.


About 2pm i packed a light snack and some water, i paddled over to the dam left my kayak on the beach and walked over to the outflow side, the scenery was beautiful, the sun blazing and all around me nature was buzzing and squaking and the thundering sound of the flow of water from the dam was insulating, i stuck a little rapella fish lure on my line and cast into the froth and gently started reeling in, amazingly i got a bite and brought in a nice brown trout about 1lb in weight, i snapped a photo of the fish laid on a rock then i freed the fish from the lure and dropped the little fellow back in the water, smiling like a Cheshire cat i cast in again and again and over the 90 minutes i was there i caught in total 6 fish of varying sizes, i was elated but my back was hurting badly from my awkward footing position on the rocks and the constant casting but mostly from the previous days paddling and portaging, i decided to call it a day and head back to my campsite and call back to this spot another day.

Back on my campsite i started to cook my dinner from my dried provisions and part of me regretted putting all the fish back, i had kept telling myself i would keep the next decent size one each time i got a decent sized one, anyway i was fishing for the entertainment not for survival and i had plenty of food, my biggest concern was the 30ft of line i had left and my 4 remaining lures, i am a terrible fisherman and i knew i was bound to get another snag or birdsnest and one way or another lose the line i had left and possibly the lures, i decided tomorrow i would approach some fellow users of Forked lake and ask them to sell me a role of spare line if they have it. That evening the sunsets were particular breathtaking and i snapped a few pics, as soon as it was dark i was asleep, today was a very good day was my last thoughts.

Cont.......

 

[GGTBod]

Day 08


I guess no one will be surprised that i was again up at first light boiling a kettle and drinking tea, i sat taking in the morning scenery wondering which of the people i had seen were most likely to have an excess of fishing gear and spare line they could sell me, as i was racking my brains on this the nice couple who i had spoken to yesterday came past in their canoe, told me they were heading to the local town about 10 mile away on Long Lake and asked if i needed any supplies, they knew from our previous conversation yesterday that my only transport was the kayak and their offer couldn't have come at a better time, i introduced myself as Rob and found out their names were Lisa and Jerry from Pennsylvania, so i graciously accepted their offer and asked if they could get me a roll of 6lb fishing line, they smiled and paddled off i think they expected me to ask for some sort of food supplies, as they paddled away Jerry called back that dinner was at 6pm and i was invited for chicken pot pie and peach cobbler, unfortunately my inner English politeness kicked in and i politely declined the offer, as they paddled off i was kicking myself, chicken pot pie sounded amazing and so did peach cobbler.


I decided to relax and enjoy the sun until Jerry and Lisa returned with my fishing line, it got hotter and hotter so i took a swim and got some laundry done at the same time, i was in bliss laying on my back taking in the sun and losing my depth perception in the clear blue skies i might have even snoozed a little then.


Soon i could see Jerry and Lisa paddling across the lake, they pulled up next to my site and handed me a roll of Trilene line, i asked what i owed him and he said I owed them nothing as long as i came to dinner that night at 6pm, this time i managed to stifle my inner Englishness and graciously accepted the fishing line and offer of dinner, my stomach rumbled quietly at the thought of chicken pot pie and peach cobbler.


I loaded up the reel with the new line and set off for the dam, i mounted my waterproof camera on my chest and paddled away with the intention of filming my fishing trip and editing out the boring bits, soon i was at the dam and the fish were biting as good as yesterday, this time i never bothered to take picture as my chest cam was recording constantly, after about an hour of fishing i went to check my camera and realized it was not responding to any button presses inside it's waterproof housing, i sat back and upon examining the imitation gopro device i realized it had overheated in the sun inside it's waterproof housing, when trying to read the memory card all it done was gave me a message saying no files present. I was a bit gutted at this as i had shot a lot of footage on this camera over the last couple of weeks and all i could do was hope the fault was the camera and not the memory card, in total that day i caught 4 fish.


When i got back to Massachusetts i was elated to find that i had only lost the last 20 minutes of video that had been shot on the camera and the rest of the files on the memory card were in perfect condition.


At 5.30 that evening i am scrubbing up clean, after putting on my least grubby clothing i paddled over to Lisa and Jerry's campsite for some excellent home cooking and amazing Pennsylvanian hospitality, i don't drink but i politely enjoyed 2 beers of Saranac ale (1 dark and 1 light), due to my low tolerance of alcohol i was gently sauced by the 2 6% beers and we had a good night of eating and chatting, before i knew it it was pitch black, thankfully i had the foresight to stick my cree headlamp and battery pack in my pocket before setting off, we said our farewells and i offered many thanks and then paddled off into the darkness in the general direction of where i thought my campsite to be, thankfully my headlamp is very powerful and my sense of direction was not totally messed up by the combo of being slightly drunk and in total darkness and before long i was tucked in my bed, my last thoughts were that this was a brilliant day.


cont .....

 

[GGTBod]

Day 09


As usual i was up at first light drinking tea and taking in the scenery, part of that scenery this morning was Jerry and Lisa paddling across the lake to head home, i said goodbye and waved them off, what genuinely great people they were i was truly humbled by the generosity of their spirit and the hospitality that they showed to me.


I took another trip to the dam fishing but it was red hot and the fish were not as active biting my lure, they could be seen jumping in the eddies behind rocks and such as they fought with the outflow from the dam, it was a joy to watch and i sat enjoying the view long after i stopped fishing.


After getting back to my campsite i made myself a pan of bacon soup with bacon jerky, lentils and barley and split peas, little pieces of pasta and freeze dried vegetables and a vegetable stock cube, it was delicious but no chicken pot pie or peach cobbler, belly full i tucked myself in as soon as the sun dropped below the mountains and was asleep before it was dark

Day 10


Today was my last day, i had arranged for my pickup to arrive tomorrow around midday, again I am up at dawn taking in the views and drinking copious amounts of tea, in the distance to the east I could see ominous dark clouds with lines coming from them diagonnally connecting them to the ground, weather watchers out there will know this was heavy rain falling in the distance, the wind today was steady and blowing from the east so i knew at some point today that storm was coming to me. It was an overcast and relatively cool morning so i headed over to the dam for a morning fishing, by the time i arrived at the dam the sun was poking through the clouds, over 2 hrs i caught 4 fish and 2 of them were small mouth bass who put up a great fight the other 2 were small brown trout, i took pictures of each and released them.

The distance storm in the east drew closer so i headed back across the lake rather than being caught out by the storm, i packed up most of my gear into the dry bags ready for the rain, the only thing i left out was my kettle and stove and crusader cup and my tea supplies and the means to make my evening broth of beef jerky, dried vegetables, chili and garlic seasoning a beef stock cube and cous cous flavored with chili seasoning, after i had my dinner it was completely overcast and gently spitting with rain so i popped out in the kayak onto the lake for one last little spell of fishing, i never even got a nibble and as the rain started to get heavier i came back on land.


I knew the storm was gonna be a good one so i lowered my tarp and converted it from a summer A-frame shelter to a storm proof A-frame shelter the type i always setup when camping in Scotland, thankfully anything that can handle Scottish weather was more than up to the job of the 12 hr Adirondack rain storm that hammered down on my tarp from 6pm to 6am, regularly i woke through the night to the sound and checked on the storm defense shelter, it stood up to the test and then some, i slept bone dry smiling.


cont......

 

[GGTBod]

Day 11


As i woke the rain was ending and just a gentle spitting was touching the tarp, all around the tarp were pools of water due to the run off, i climbed out of bed and the whole area of my campsite was drenched with water pooling all over, inside my kayak it was easily 3 inches deep in rain water, i turned it over and loosed the drain plug. I raised my tarp ridge line and released the pegs so that it could dry in the light breeze, i quickly packed the rest of gear into the kayak, popped on the kettle for a cup of tea and waited for the breeze to work it's magic.

I sat enjoying my last cuppa sitting taking in the view, the sun was out again and i knew it was time to go, i stuffed the tarp into the stuff-sack and packed it on the kayak and paddled out of the little bay, as i rounded the corner i could see my fathers van waiting at the shoreline.

Link to the full album of images from my solo venture, i selected a small portion of them to post into the report

 

[MartinK9]

Best Trip Report this Year.

Nicely done.

 

[dragon32]

Absolutely brilliant Mr Bod. Best blog this year indeed. Please adopt me. I know I'm 60 but you could make an exception in my case. That way I could come with you next time. Thanks for posting a monumental trip.

ATB,
Don
And I'm not kidding about the adoption.

 

[dewi]

Cor blimey, that is one journey and a half!

Going back to the top to read it again... well done though, that is so, so cool!

 

[mick91]

Not jealous in the slightest Rob! Looks like a great trip mate

 

[Goatboy]

Brilliant trip and post Bod. I really enjoyed that, I'm reading it on my phone so can't see the pictures but you totally brought it to life. I could see, feel and smell it all.
Glad that the back held up, I know it was a worry afore you went but it seems that your body held up for you.
Surprised you didn't partake of any fish you caught but it sounds like you were well provisioned. That and the nice couple you met feeding you a hearty meal. I've a recipe for making little individual chicken pot pies in mason jars that I'll send you. Can be done at home or in camp oven, might be a little Proust moment for you there.
Cheers again I'm going to read and re-read this one, hopefully with pictures when I get into town.
Glad the bears didn't eat you and that you had such a good time.
Welcome back mate,
GB.
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Adze]

Now that's a blog! Thanks for such a detailed write up, I thoroughly enjoyed that.

 

[quietone]

A great read that. Totally jealous of your trip, I must say. You must have been grinning like a Cheshire cat all through it.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

 

[John Fenna]

It sounds like you had quite a nice time!