Long Pond and Round Pond, 2013, part two

Welcome back to part two of Long and Round Ponds!  Here is Brody, checking out the inlet to Round Pond, which is one of the branches of the Oswegatchie River.

The water was much higher than it normally is when we've paddled here in the past.  There is a swift water area which is indicated by the ripples in the photo below.  The water is usually shallow and the passage has lots of big rocks, making it impossible to paddle.

This time we thought we might be able to make it.  We both began paddling hard and made it most of the way up due to the higher water level.  But there were still a few extremely shallow and sandy areas that stopped my husband.  He decided to turn around rather than get out and pull his kayak through.  I continued on until I reached an area that was deep enough, but the passageway was narrow due to some large rocks.  The current kept throwing me back into a rock and prevented me from making anymore headway.  Since I had spent several long minutes making progress, I decided to get out and pull Brody through the last 15 feet that I couldn't paddle.

I was hoping to find a long stretch of quiet water, and if I had, my husband could have pulled through the shallow area and joined me.  As it was, there was only about 50 feet of calm water before another section of swift and shallow water, as shown near the bend in the river in the photo below.

So, I turned around and let the current take me back down to where my husband was waiting below the swift section in his red kayak.

Here are a couple of cute shots I was able to get of Brody:

We paddled back the way we had come, on our way to Round Pond from the inlet.  As I said in part one, it was a very peaceful day.

On Round Pond, several things caught my eye.  One was this tree in the water:

Another was the clouds.  I had noticed them when we began our paddle, but could not get a photo that did justice to the wispy clouds.  I tried again, and used sunglasses (my husband's great idea!) to capture the clouds in more detail.  The photos still don't really show what we saw, but at least you get the idea.

Brody and I paddled over to see a beaver lodge and as we approached we heard some squeaks that may have been beaver or muskrat.  The noise only lasted a second or two.  Brody's ears perked up immediately and he was on high alert for a minute, but with no more sounds coming from the lodge, he quickly lost interest.

I wanted a low shot of the just emerging reeds in the photo below.

It took several tries, but I was finally able to get the perspective I wanted by holding the camera out and close to the water.  (I had the strap wrapped tightly around my wrist!)

We were soon back at the footbridge marking the connection between Round Pond and Long Pond.
Brody is keeping an eye on his daddy ahead of us.

OK. I took a number of photos of the footbridge from underneath.  Which one (s) do you like best?

1.

 2.

 3.

 
4.

I think my favorite is #3, but then when I look again, I see different things and change my mind.


On Long Pond, we headed back to the put-in/take-out.  The wind had picked up a bit, giving us some ripples, but nothing too serious.  With the hot sun, the breeze felt good.

Brody tracked a loon for a little while as it dove for a meal.  It was too far away for a good photo.

Before we reached the end of our paddle, I turned Brody around for a shot of his face.  He would much rather be facing in the direction we're headed, but graciously posed for this photo.  (I had to hold a treat above the camera just to get him to cooperate-- he usually looks away when I put the camera up to my face for a photo of his!)

Although Long and Round Ponds are not very large, they still make for a nice half-day paddle if you bring a lunch along and take time to beach your boats and stretch for a little while.  We didn't do that on this paddle, but have in the past.

I hope you're all enjoying the paddling season so far.  Here in Northern New York, we had a few rain free days and were able to get a paddle in, but since then we've had days that can't seem to stay dry the entire day.... hope this weekend's weather is better!

Happy Kayaking!

Long Pond and Round Pond, 2013, part one

Well, today it is not raining... and that is a very good thing!

The weather has not been cooperative so far this kayaking season.  At least not here in the northeast.  We managed a few short paddles but I won't blog about them since I only took a few photos.  We did manage a trip to Long Pond and Round Pond on Saturday.  Yay!

It was windy, but these ponds aren't large so we had rolls on the surface, no waves or white caps.  And although we don't enjoy paddling in windy conditions, it probably kept us on the water longer because there were many less black flies and mosquitoes with the breeze.

This is the put in.  It is off  a dirt road about 8 miles out of Croghan, just inside the Adirondack Park.
The area has a small circle to turn around, with no outhouse.  Getting out on the water is easy with the nice sandy bank.

I have blogged about Long Pond and Round Pond before, so for more descriptions and photos, check out the blogs I wrote in 2010 and 2012.

Here is the lake from the put-in.  There is an FHA camp at the end (about in the middle of the photo) of Long Pond.  On the day we paddled, there were no campers or day activities happening.  If you decide to paddle here in the summer, it is best to go early in the morning if you're looking for a quiet paddle.

These ponds are separated by an esker which has a campsite on it.  It is very similar to the esker on Francis Lake-- pine trees, pine needle strewn paths, etc.-- very picturesque.

 

This is a shot of the northwestern side of Long Pond.   Oops!  Got some Brody ears in this one!

We saw a loon not long after beginning our paddle.  Later we saw another on the other end of the pond.  It could have been the same one-- considering they are such great swimmers-- but we think it was its mate.

At the end of the esker and around its point is the entrance to Round Pond:

The footbridge is high enough to get under on the left side.  But there was definitely less head-room than the last time we were here, due to the large amount of rain we've had.  I think Brody was checking out some reeds that were rustling in the wind as we approached the footbridge.

Across Round Pond is the inlet to the ponds.  We headed there and couldn't believe the amount of pine pollen in the water.

This is not foam or scum, it is just tons of pollen floating on the water's surface.  Anyone with allergies should now understand why they may be having symptoms!

Along the inlet we heard a bird's call and saw him land in this tree.  I was able to snap a shot before he took off.  It's a Cedar waxwing-- I love their black masks-- makes them very interesting to look at.

The inlet area is a bit more protected by trees and so there were less ripples on the surface, allowing for some reflection photos.  As you can see, except for the wind, it was a beautiful day for a paddle.  The sun was warm and the ponds were quiet-- not a soul to be seen or heard.

Brody enjoyed himself as he always does.  He likes being closer to the shore where he can imagine there is a bird, duck or maybe a muskrat to sniff out.

Long and Round Ponds are beautiful to paddle.  We usually see deer here, though we didn't on this trip.  We always see loons and there are many birds singing away in the trees.  

I will be back soon with part two of Long Pond and Round Pond.

Happy Kayaking!

Long and Round Ponds 2012, part two

Round Pond is our favorite of the two ponds on this paddle.  It is more secluded and as I mentioned in part one, is not accessible to motorboats, though I suppose a small fishing boat with a motor might be able to slip under the footbridge as we do in our kayaks.

Here is Brody, checking out Round Pond as we entered it from beneath the footbridge.

Here is a representation of the pretty reflections found on Round Pond in the morning.  Round Pond also gets less wind, so the water is usually close to ripple-free until late morning.

This little point of land is near the entrance to Round Pond, where there are many lily pads.

Once on Round Pond, if you turn left and paddle across the pond, you will find the inlet.  It's in the northeast corner of the pond.  Here is Brody, checking out a nice reflection as we head toward the inlet.

And another of those wonderful reflections on Round Pond:

We enjoy paddling the inlet.  It's quiet until you hear the distant sound of water over rocks.  Sometimes it's a rushing sound, but with less water flow, it's more of a bubbling.  But either way, it's a calming sound. 

Along the inlet there are rocks on the banks, and also more Joe-pye blossoms:

The stretch of inlet that is paddle-able is less than a mile.  Once you reach rocks in the stream, you will need to turn around.  I know it looks like it's possible to maneuver around those larger rocks and get past them to another section of flat water, but it's not possible if you want to stay in your kayak.  There are many more rocks under the water's surface and those are the ones that you will get hung up on.  But it's fun to try, since the water is shallow.  (The current is strong enough here at times to turn your boat as you are trying to make your way upstream.)

On the way back-- downstream from the rocks in the inlet, I stopped long enough to take a couple photos of a dead tree whose shape I liked:

I was experimenting with the black and white setting to see if I any of my photos look better in black and white.  So far, I don't think I've done a great job with the black and white composition.  I think most black and whites look better with less in the frame and more contrasts than what I see when we're kayaking.  What do you think?

On past paddles to this area we've seen a muskrat or two and once thought we saw an otter swimming, but only for a second or two, then the elusive rascal went under water and we lost him.  So, we can't be sure it was an otter.


Paddling back to Round Pond on the inlet, this is the view:

We heard some splashing in the water once back on Round Pond and looked out across the pond to see a deer trudging the last few feet to the banks of the pond!  It was out of the water and bounding into the woods before I could pull the camera out of the dry bag.  But that was fun to see, for sure.


Brody enjoyed the lily pads:

He gets excited when there's something in the water.  We're not sure if he thinks he can get out and walk on the lily pads or if he just wants to eat them!

But whatever the case, he really seems to enjoy checking out the blossoms as well as the pads.

This is a set-back on the northern side of Round Pond:

And another great reflection from that area:

And Brody, surveying the set-back with curious doggy wonder!  (And more beautiful reflections)

He very rarely faces me in the kayak, being curious enough that he must see where we are going and what might be happening in front of us.  So, I grab the camera quickly when he turns around.  I held him in place for this shot.

So that I could also get this close up:

Here is another photo of the footbridge, reflections and all, as we head back to Long Pond:

I took many common loon photos, but none came out very well since the loons stayed far away from us.  This is the best of them and shows only one loon, but there were two, fishing together.

Here is the put-in as viewed from the water.  It's a nice, easy, gradual sandy entry-- the type we prefer:

Long Pond and Round Pond are small but beautiful.  Although access is off a dirt road, the road has been well maintained with grating each time we've traveled here.  We were a bit disappointed by the beer cans and trash at the put-in which is not at all usual, unless something has changed in the past year.  (We didn't paddle here in 2011.)  But, all in all, it's still a great place to take a short, quiet paddle.

I'll leave you with one more reflection photo of Long Pond from this trip. 

I hope you're all having a great paddling season!  Please use the reactions check boxes to make a comment if you don't want to type in something.  Thanks for reading, and happy kayaking!