Adirondack Canoeing

[Robertus]

Hello, I'm with a Boy Scout troop, and we're planning on going to the Adirondacks to canoe.
There will be 8-14 guys.
We want to canoe around 70 miles
We want it to be a 4-5 day trip
The Blue Mt. Lake to the St. Regis area is supposed to be a pretty good route, is there any truth to that.
Any information, such as maps of the area, campsites, etc.. would be greatly appricieated.
Thanks
Rob

 

[tonycc]

Rob,

I am a scout leader who has taken crews on numerous wilderness canoe trips. I have never been to the adirondacks for a canoe trip though. Group size is problematic, maximum of nine. Not only can you not stay on the same site, you also can not travel together. Depending on how many leaders you have, splitting into two groups can be a trip buster since you need at least two leaders per group.

Another reason is that from my location the Dacks are not much closer than Algonquin Park in Ontario, or LaVerendrye in Quebec. Algonquin, in my opinion, is the premier place to go for relatively inexperienced canoeing groups who are looking for scenery, wilderness feel, and wildlife (paddling up to a moose is an awesome experience). You won't see near as many people as in the Dacks, and you will see no motor boats once you get interior. They have group size limits of nine per site, but you can travel together and book multiple sites on the same lake. We typically have the adults on one site, and the scouts on another. This is with older, more experienced scouts. Of course, we are also close enough for easy travel to dinner which the scouts prepare.

The last reason, is that if I am in the Dacks, I can't seem to avoid getting above treeline. But, that is my problem. It might also be a problem for getting a lot of response on this site. I recommend you also ask your question at www.myccr.com , a discussion forum for wilderness canoers. It is focused on Canada, but there are quite a few yanks who are active members. Be sure to include where your home is and and how far you want to travel from home.

If you decide Algonquin can fit into your itinerary I can give you all sorts of route suggestions, canoe rental contacts, and places to stay before and after you leave the park. Here is a link to an older online version of the canoe
routes map for Algonquin just to tease you.

http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~crpalmer/algonquin/alg2.pdf

Tony

 

[Robertus]

@Tony, Sorry, I guess I didn't explain very well.
We're considering a bunch of locations, including (not limited to) The Adirondacks, I'm finding out about the Adirondacks.
Some info on that other spot, would be great, as I can pass it along, but I still need some information on the Adirondacks.
Thanks.
P.s we'll probably end up with 6-8 people.

 

[Bob Smith]

Here is an option for you Troop http://www.floodwood.org/ This is a High Adventure Scout Base located on Rollins Pond, check out the Pack and Paddle guide under "resourses" they off many trips, canoes, food and a Voyagure to work with your boys. At the end of your trek you get an option to water ski or rock climb.

 

[old timer]

Years ago, (something like ~36) I was part of a group of scouts that made a 50 mile canoe trip ending at Coreys or Axton (east of Tupper Lake). I believe we started at Raquette Lake. We then traveled northeastward to Forked Lake and then followed the Raquette River through Long Lake, then toward Tupper Lake. It had 2 or 3 carries. Was great fun for a 15 or 16 year old.

I am sure you can find more current info on this route on the internet.

(I imagine the trips north of the border would be more scenic.)

 

[Nessmuk]

Hello, I'm with a Boy Scout troop, and we're planning on going to the Adirondacks to canoe.

Rob,

There are a number of BSA council camps in the Adirondacks that offer complete 5-day high adventure treks as part of their summer camp program. Treks can be all canoeing, all backpacking (high peaks or lowlands), or a mixture of the two. You can get deep into the backcountry if you are willing to get off the usual beaten paths - we do have moose in the Adirondacks, and I've paddled up on them. On the other hand, some scouts pick a trek so they can stop in a village for pizza break along the way. Treks can be individualized to meet your exact needs. It's your choice to select the level of "wildness" and effort.

Search around in the web pages I've listed below, look in their internal camping links to "treks" or "high adventure". They each offer virutally the same program, including a "Voyageur" guide who has gone through an intensive 8 day BSA National Camping School training period in the Adirondacks. Don't necessarily choose one council camp or the other based on the layout of their web page - all treks are run pretty much the same way and have the same options. Your best bet is to contact the high adventure director by phone.

Most Adirondack area council web pages will have an extensive pdf file with tons of high adventure trek information you can download. I highly recommend you do this regardless of where you decide to go. If on the other hand you decide to go it alone there's info available on that as well, but I do recommend using a Voyageur for both safety and for localized expertise and instruction.

You will be limited to a total of 9 persons (including your guide) by NY State DEC. Permits for up to 12 persons are not difficult to get in many areas, but groups that large are not generally recommended in the wilderness. Email me privately with your exact interests and I can give you as much detail as you like on the various options.

regards and YIS,
Paul

http://www.adirondackcampsbsa.org
http://www.otetiana.org
http://www.rtcbsa.org
http://www.wpcbsa.org
http://www.wakpominee.org
http://cnyscouts.org
http://www.floodwood.org

 

[RiseAboveHiker]

I took my Scout troop on the trip you suggested in 2000 and had a great time. We've also been on the Allagash in Maine and in Algonquin Park in Ontario so can help you with those as well.

As for the ADK: We started in Blue MT Lake renting canoes and meeting the outfitters there. We then canoed to Racquette Lake via the Marion River and Utwona (sp?) River spending our first night along the way. From Racquette Lake we paddled and portaged to Fork Lake and onto to Long Lake. Midway through Long Lake you come to a beach with an easy stroll to for pizza and other junk food. Continuing on Long Lake you empty into Racquette River and onto Thompson Pond (or is it Simon??) by Tupper Lake. This is where we ended but you could go further if you wanted to. Ours was 78 miles long and gave us enough time to paddle in the morning when the wind was low and then enjoy the afternoon in the campsite. There were three portages on this route: a short one to Forked Lake (I think 1/4 mile), a mile and a half around rapids on the Racquette and then three miles around Buttermilk Falls prior to Long Lake -- with planning you could arrange to have a trailer meet you to drive the canoes the three-mile portage. Group size is limited to 9. When we went we had two groups of 9 but had to camp one mile apart from each other. You'll encounter motorboats along the way, but if this is your first longterm canoe trip, it might be better than going in the wild, because if something goes wrong you always have help available. The Long Lake section passes by the Northville Placid Trail so if you wanted you could plan to hike out there for a day or two and if you do I seriously recommend a visit to Cold River -- there are few more places in the Adirondacks that demand a visit. Enjoy the sunsets.

Feel free to send me email for further info -- [email protected]. We may even pass you on this trip as we are considering canoeing the Adirondacks again this summer and this is one of a few trips we are considering.