Canoe Trail - Mile 43.5

Miles: 43.5.

Good morning. It's raining here in the hamlet of Long Lake, NY. But that is just fine. The water is needed in this part of the country and I am dry and fed. A great, home cooked breakfast was in store this morning. Pankakes, eggs, sausauge and coffee. Mmm!

Last night I stayed in the southern part of Long Lake on State-owned land, where we can camp as long as we are 150 yards from water. The mosquitoes, black flies, horse flies and no-seeums made my decision to call it an early evening. They are bad now. However, I have 99% DEET and long pants and a rain jacket.

Monday evening around 5pm'ish, July 16,2007, I pushed off from Old Forge, NY. What a great feeling to be at the beginning of a new adventure, a place where I have never been. Given the lateness of the day and the fact that I do not, yet, feel comfortable paddling at night, I canoed in several miles and camped on an island. Islands often are wonderful places to camp. You get any breeze available and wind is what shoo's those antagonistic insects on their way. That night, the breeze made things cooler which always equates to better sleeps. As bedtime neared, the loons began their evening symphony. What a wonderful thing to hear as you drift off to sleep.

Tuesday morning was warm and clear. I met a guy named Matt, who had been coming to the Adirondacks for years to visit his grandparents' camp on the Second Lake of the Fulton Lake chain. We visited and then both parted. We may cross paths again one day as we both enjoy many of the same outdoor endeavours plus he lives in Washington state. Before, it was warm and clear, however, a fog hovered over the lake. I slept in. But the fog cleared and the sun appeared. There was little to no wind today, which always make paddling easier.

I made my way up the Fulton Lake chain, passing through Third, Fourth lakes. At the end of Fourth Lake was the smaill town of Inlet. I parked the canoe and walked into town for some groceries. Inlet was a nice little town. But the folks there were a little leary of this bearded long haired country boy. Hahahaha. The grocery store there made one heckuva great roast beef sandwich. Back to the lake and the first portage awaited. Not bad. Half a mile into Fifth lake, which really could have been tagged a pond. A nice portage trail and I was able to do the portage in one carry. A canoe on my shoulders, a pack on my back, a paddle in one hand and holding the canoe with the other. It was good to have a canoe back on my shoulders...

Into Sixth Lake and Seventh lake. At times a loon would appear from nowhere in the water. I would stop to watch them. These birds are large and beautiful. There were Canadian geese and wood ducks both with their young. The second portage of the day was a little longer, a mile and went through the Eigth Lake State campground. I would have stayed but wanted to make it to Raquette Lake to take advantage of a non windy day. It has been said that this lake can get pretty brutal with wind. Some have been windbound for days and others would begin their paddle across this big lake early, like around 4am.

As the day wore on, I began to tire. You know, the breaking down of muscles is starting over for me now. Through Eighth Lake and one more portage to Browns Tract Inlet. This portage was abit longer - 1.3 miles and the last of the portage was on bog logs or bog boards. It was fun trying to balance everything up top while the boards would sink into the bog under feet. This was an awesome stretch of paddling, winding through this boggy water way. It eventually worked into Raquette Lake. I went through the inlet slowly and noticed blue herons, otters, ducks, geese and INSECTS. Paddling near the water lillies were nice and there was plenty of wild rice and cat tails on the edges. There were five beaver dams I crossed on Browns Tract Inlet and I swamped the canoe pulling my canoe over the first dam. So, does that really count as I was not yet in the boat??? A short paddle to Big Island, once I reached Raquette lake, and my day was over. There were several lean to's in the area I had stopped. I found one, away from the other campers and set up my tent below the shelter.

At 4am the rain started. I know because I was up for the mid morning bathroom break. So I put the rainfly on my tent and went back to sleep. When I woke up around 8:30am the rain was still coming down. I broke camp and hung out in the shelter until 9:30am, when I pushed off in the rain. But by then it was a light, warm rain. Navigating this big lake in that weather was not difficult at all and before I knew it I was rounding Bluff Point, where it can really get windy. Not windy at all. Thank you!

A short portage awaited me at the end of Forked Lake. Then a 1.3 mile portage took me around Raquette Falls. This portage was long and painful. Nothing that I won't get used to but now instead of carrying a 30lb pack on my back, when hiking, vis-a-vis, portaging, I am carrying over half of my body weight. The canoe with hardware weighs around 47 lbs and my pack weighs 42 pounds. That is over half my body weight. Last time checked, my weight was 167. In any case and for all my whining, the portages never last all day. And to be out here in the Adirondacks and paddling the width of the park is a blessing.

Back in the water for three miles before having to portage .2 around Buttermilk Falls. What a beautiful area...this would be a great place for a zero day. Then a short paddle before we are promted to portage another half mile or so around what the sign indicated as "Dangerous Rapids Ahead...". I looked over the next distance between where I docked and where I would come out, at the mouth of Long Lake and decided two portages was enough for that day and some moving water is what the doctor ordered. However, the water levels were low and I beat the hell out of the bottom of my canoe. Fortunately, I did not swamp the canoe and learned that with a little water in the canoe the tilt factor decreases. It was fun and in some places I really got to move! In other places I was getting out to walk over rocks. Fun, fun, fun and no portage. I only paddled another mile and a half or so to an area on the Northside of Long Lake. On state land I found a place suitable for sleep and eat.

This morning I awoke early and hung out in the tent while I stretched sore muscles. And they were sore! I started earlier this morning than usual, 8:30am and arrived at the boat lauch at Long Lake, NY around 10:30am. There I met a group that was just coming off the water, stowed my canoe and gear and headed for town with groceries and breakfast on my mind. A great breakfast adn a dry library to send updates!

More to come later. We have to share these public pcs.

Quickly, thanks Piragis Outfitters, Mountainman Outfitters, Granite Gear, Bell, Sawyer. Thanks NFCT!

Thanks Rob and everyone else.

Love and Happy Trails,
Jason Bivin aka Totally Different Subject