Canoeing in the Adirondacks with Grandkids
First there was a promised trip to a Montana guest ranch. Then there was hope for a trip to Arizona. Promises were made that could not be kept because of COVID. We really wanted to enjoy some family time with Austin, Nicole, Sam and Jude, but the pandemic kept getting in the way.
When the virus appeared to be waning, we proposed a 4-day 3-night canoe trip in the Adirondacks as a way of spending quality time with our grandkids and their parents, and on Sunday, August 8 we all drove to Saranac Lake NY to begin this adventure. We had never camped together, but this trip proved to be a delightful way to enjoy each other’s company; it set a model for future trips.
The Campers: A Slideshow
Last year’s canoe trip to the Boundary Waters was guided. The outfitting company (Piragis Northwoods Company) provided much of the equipment that we would need to provide ourselves for our self-guided trip. We had some used gear that we purchased from Piragis (tent, sleeping bags, air mattresses, tarp), but we needed to purchase additional items to manage our own trip. Starting in May, we secured the same portage pack and food pack that we used in the Boundary Waters. The we added all the cooking elements we might need (grill, cookware, containers, utensils, dinnerware etc.) that we thought we might need for 6 campers. We started planning meals weeks early so we could estimate what additional ingredients we might need (cooking oil, brown sugar, salt, pepper etc.) and what containers we might need to transport all these ingredients. For example, we decided to bring steaks and potatoes for a first night treat, so we added onions and butter to our food list. We wanted to serve breakfast burritos for breakfast on the next morning, so we would need to carry fresh eggs, which meant adding egg carriers to our list. Pancakes sounded good for our second morning meal, so we would need to pack away the right proportions of mix, slab bacon and maple syrup. Each ingredient represented a separate problem for which we needed to find a solution, which was an exciting planning challenge.
Fortunately, Matt & Cathy (Jani’s brother and sister-in-law)had extra gear that they were willing to lend Austin and Nicole’s crew, so by the time we shoved off the only remaining problem was how we were going to fit it all in two canoes.
The Preparation: A Slideshow
Our plan called for our arrival in Saranac Lake NY on a Sunday afternoon for a night in a hotel so that we could get an early start Monday morning. We were renting canoes from St. Regis Canoe Outfitters. The canoes were to be waiting for us Monday at their Floodwood Outpost location which was a 35-minute drive from town. To be safe, we located the outpost and our canoes Sunday afternoon. After some initial paperwork (and an astounding security deposit) we joined Austin’s crew at the hotel which was a throwback to earlier times, perhaps the 1960s or ’70s. It was similar to an old drive up motel, save for the Elvis statue out front. They provided a fleet of kayaks, paddle boards and pedal boats, and the boys and their parents made good use of them.
The Croton-on-Hudson crew wanted the safety of outdoor dining, so we found an equally kitschy place to eat called Tail O’the Pup which you can see in the slideshow below.
Pre-trip night in Saranac Lake: A Slideshow
Months before this trip, we asked the outfitter to suggest a route that would have a minimum of motorized traffic, manageable carries (portages), a touch of wilderness and could be accomplished with 3 in a canoe, two of which would be under the age of 13. Our contact at St. Regis suggested “The Floodwood Pond Route”, a 2-to-3-day route that could be lengthened or shortened according to our needs. It was a loop route of numerous ponds, small lakes and creeks with 5 portages, two of which were 3/4 of a mile or slightly longer. Most of the loop was in the St. Regis Canoe Area Wilderness. None of us had paddled this route before, so it would be a surprise for everyone. A very pleasant surprise.
DAY 1
We were initially concerned that post-COVID the woods would be teeming with people, not unlike the New York subway. We further assumed that competition for a campsite might be fierce. With that in mind we arrived at the outfitters when they opened, intent on a fast start and an early search for a campsite.
This turned out to be unnecessary. The first couple of hours were ideal, with still water, no wind and little evidence of other humans. We had a pleasant paddle on Floodwood Pond and Fish Creek. Our grandsons proved to be good paddlers. Sam had to pull extra hard since Nicole’s shoulder had been bothering her and Jude prooved to be very adept at helping us find outlets, campsites and carries.
We met up with a little motor boat traffic on Fish Creek Ponds, but Follensby Clear Pond was quiet and we found an island campsite with little trouble. Although firewood was scarce, we did manage a hot enough fire to enjoy the New York Strips we carried from home.
DAY 2
After a hearty breakfast of breakfast burritos, we headed out for our first day that had canoe carries. The first one, from Follensby to Polliwog Pond was short (125 yards) but steep. It was a bit of a wake up call after the first day with no carries. Still ahead, within minutes, was a 3/4-mile carry that was more typical of Adirondack carries. It featured hills, dirt road crossings, mud, roots and rocks. Still unsure of our portaging capabilities, we divided up our loads and left some of our gear which we came back for, making a second trip.
We finished the carry on Hoel (pronounced Hole) Pond. There was supposed to be a third carry at the other end of Hoel, but it turned out there was a large diameter culvert there that had enough water that we could line our full canoes through it without scraping. We paddled two more ponds and found a large campsite on Turtle Pond. This site did not have as nice a beach area, but had better cooking possibilities, with a better fire ring, the remnants of an iron stove, and better firewood selection.
We each cooked our own Mucke’s hot dogs for supper on Sam-made hot dog sticks and had ice cream sandwiches (freeze dried)for dessert. We encountered our first light rain during supper. The weather forecast was for more of the same. It cleared enough, allowing some evening paddles and fishing.
Late that night there was a 2-hour series of thunder storms, providing quite a light show. Everyone stayed dry and it turns out that some of our campers were oblivious to any of the storm activity.
4-day 3-night canoe trip: a gallery
Click to zoom; hover to see caption
DAY 3
We woke to a saturated campsite on the third day, but we were dry and happily enjoying pancakes, slab bacon and real maple syrup for breakfast. The plan was for a short day (2 ponds and one 275-yard carry, leaving time to hike up Long Mountain. It took a long time to find a good campsite on Long Pond, but the one we settled on was great. We had decent weather that day but expected more rain, so we set up a tarp in our kitchen area so that we would be more comfortable.
Austin and Nicole paddled off with Sam and Jude to go on a hike but didn’t make it all the way up Long Mountain; the heavy rain the night before left the trails in treacherous condition. The grandparents stayed behind, finished setting up camp, located some firewood and taking a swim.
We had chicken curry for supper which was surprisingly delicious considering it was freeze dried backpacker food. We tried some Mac and Cheese as well which was not as good.
DAY 4
Day 4 began with a beautiful sunrise and and some tasty oatmeal topped with syrup. We cooked the cereal and heated the coffee over a small gas stove this last morning so we could break camp faster and return our rented canoes before noon, anticipating our long drives home.
It was an overcast, but lovely paddle to our remaining portage, which we knew would be the hardest yet. It was .8 mile long with the usual ups and downs and more than the usual mud. This time we made the carry in one trip and returned all of our rented gear early, celebrating with Klondike Bars and iced tea, purchased from the outfitter.
