I have canoes and kayaks- each has its place. If you have a canoe that you can simply sit in (vs. kneel), it's vastly superior to a kayak for purposes of carrying gear and portaging between bodies of water. I used my sea kayak on the 77-mile Old Forge to Saranac route last year. It was OK for most of the way, but a couple of the carries were murder with a kayak on a cart. So much easier to carry a light pack, and a canoe overhead.
Right on! For this trip through the Saranac Lakes, I was thinking of using my 17 foot sea kayak (and I still might since the portaging isn't too bad this trip) but I am having second thoughts. The kayak is great on the open water but the canoe is always a better deal when it comes to portaging. Like you say Bob, portaging is a lot easier. I wish my canoe was a bit lighter but once it's on the shoulders, it's much better than any other method, I think. And investing in a deep-dish portage yoke, really made it easier on the traps too.
Canoe
Portage
(hope those links work...)
And even using the canoe on open water with a kayak paddle (even though it's against my purist nature
), is actually pretty cool. The double bladed paddle makes it easier paddling against the wind on open stretches. Last year on Raquette Lake, we had a good headwind. With the canoe paddle, it would've been murder getting across that lake but with the kayak paddle it was almost as fun as being out on the Sound.
For sections we'll be doing on this trip, like between Middle and Lower Saranac, and into Weller Pond, and between Lower Saranac Lake and Oseetah Lake...well, that's just canoe territory if you ask me.
Very Excite!
Paul Ron...we plan on going in April.
