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!

Limekiln Lake, part one

A few weeks ago, we returned to one of our favorite paddle spots, Limekiln Lake.  It's north of Old Forge on Route 28.  You'll go through the village of Eagle Bay, and then the hamlet of Inlet. Limekiln is a pretty lake, having a peninsula, three tiny islands, and two marsh/creek areas to explore.  Even with some summer homes, motorboats and a state campground on the lake, the features above keep it on our list of favorites. You do have to pay for a day pass to paddle here since the boat launch is part of the campground.

 Here are the GPS coordinates for Limekiln Lake:  43° 43' 3.2952" -74° 48' 4.2726"  I'm sorry to say these aren't from my TomTom, as I forgot to plug it in!  That's what happens when you already know how to get somewhere, I guess.  Hopefully I'll remember to check the TomTom coordinates next time.  So, these numbers came from Google Maps and may not be quite as accurate, but should get you near the boat launch.

It was a chilly morning-- by this summer's standards anyway.  Again we had morning wind...  in the seven seasons we've been kayaking, we've never seen this many windy mornings.  I'm not sure if it's the overall weather pattern, a fluke that we're kayaking on all the windy mornings lately, or what.  The good news is, each time this has happened, (3  times) we've paddled to a more sheltered area and within an hour and a half or so, the wind has died down.  The ripples in the above photo don't seem to show how strong the wind blew at times, right in our faces.  Around the point to the left is an inlet which is sheltered, and that's where we headed.

Here is a photo as we neared the sheltered area:

This sheltered area with a marsh and sometimes a beaver dam, is in the northeast part of the lake.  From the boat launch, paddle left/east, past a bay where the private houses (and the motorboats) are and toward the three small islands in the distance (all of them are near the southeastern shore.)  Once near the smallest of the islands, which isn't much more than a big rock and some pine trees, head northerly to the scene in the photo above.

A lot more water plants, particularly grasses, were growing here compared to our last paddle a few years ago.  We're guessing the water level is lower, though that is really the only sign we saw of the dry summer here.  With a dam at its outlet, it's safe to say that when possible, the water levels are kept at a consistent level.

As we approached the inlet, we began to see many sets of eyes peering at us from the surface of the water.  I planned to post the photo, but there's no point since it's far enough away that you can't really tell what all the eyes are all about.  Let's just say that there were a gazillion frogs on the thick grasses in this area!  I'll get to their individual portraits in a couple of minutes.

We saw many black ducks, known to reside here.  They have never failed to make an appearance-- either in the inlet or the outlet.   Below, Brody sees the ducks and is, naturally, very interested.

Here are the ducks, having a late breakfast.  I love it when they go under to eat and leave their bottom halves sticking out of the water.  Sometimes they do it in unison, like synchronized swimmers!

As the wind blew the larger clouds away, the bright blue sky and sun lit everything up.  I like the wispiness (is that a real word?) of  the clouds in these two photos:

On our way into this area, we saw a kingfisher hanging out on the branch of a dead tree.  We hadn't seen one here before so it was fun to catch a glimpse of him.  Since we were headed his way, he didn't stay long and flitted off to another tree in the distance.

The inlet is the perfect spot for many marsh loving plants, including the Soapwort Genetian:

And the Pitcher Plant:

Look closely at the plant on the right and you will see a bee on its tip.  Chances are he'll end up in its liquid at the base of the pitcher plant, soon to become plant food.

The flower below is a mystery.  They grow on long, thin stalks, and those that I've seen fully open, look a bit like tufts of cotton, reminding me slightly of milkweed, but without the seeds (that I could see) and much shorter strands of cottony fiber.  The wildflower site I was so happy to find did not yield any results.  If anyone knows what this plant is, please let me know.

While trying to take photos of the many frogs on the lake's grasses near the inlet, I snapped this reflection shot of my husband:

Here are my Northern Green Frog portraits:

Which one is your favorite?  I'm not even sure myself-- it's a tie between numbers 2 and 3.

Once we'd had fun watching all of the frogs, who often stayed right where they were as we paddled by, we headed out toward the islands to look around.  This is the smallest island:

 The largest of the three has landing possibilities, but you need to have good balance if you're planning to get out.  We've seen others land on the rocky side (north) but there is an area on the southwest side that has some dirt and tree roots which make it a bit easier to get out.  We did not attempt it this time since the bugs seemed pretty thick as we neared the island.

Here is a shot of the largest island:

There is a rock sticking out of the water before you reach this island and this is what we found hanging out there:

Certainly not the first time we've seen a seagull on a lake, but definitely the first time we've seen one at Limekiln!  Pretty sure this guy is a Herring Gull.

We also saw a bird that we hear often when paddling and see infrequently.  It was a treat to actually get a photo of him/her.  A Cedar Waxwing.  He almost looks tropical with his various colors, doesn't he?

Oh, I forgot to mention that while we were in the inlet, I was intent on taking photos and floated up to some boggy plants in a group.  It apparently looked like "land" to Brody.  Since we weren't moving and we were up against "land,"  he decided that it must be time to hop out of the kayak.  Yup!  Right into about 4 inches of water.  Luckily, the plants held him and he didn't get anything wet except his feet and legs.  But the wind was still blowing so he was a little chilled from his adventure.  We called him "Swamp Dog" for days afterward.  He SMELLED like a swamp, believe me!  He got rinsed off once it warmed up, then had a real bath at home later on.  

Here he is with the evidence all over his paws  (and notice he's not too happy about it!):

From the islands area, we paddled to the peninsula on the southwestern shore, almost across from the boat launch.  I'll end part one with a photo of this area in the background, with Brody watching his daddy as he approached the peninsula.

Thanks for reading.  And Happy Kayaking!

Blake Falls Reservoir, part two

O.K. back to Blake Falls Reservoir and the finish of my description of our paddle there a few weeks ago.  See part one for GPS coordinates.  Below is another pretty view from our picnic spot.  Just to the right, out of the frame and across the reservoir, is the southern put-in.  Also, this view is facing south/southwest.

Once out on the water, we paddled along the eastern bank, bringing us into a quiet area where there was another good spot for pulling out a kayak or canoe.  But it wasn't as shady, so we made a good choice by stopping where we did.  (see part one)  Here is a photo of Brody and I in that area:

My guidebook mentioned seeing lots of wildlife on this reservoir, but we weren't so lucky.  We did hear cedar waxwings, crows, chickadees and sparrows (not sure what type.)  But we didn't see any birds.  I'm sure it was due to the motorboats.

The reservoir has some large rocks that may or may not be covered at other times.  We have never been here before, so I can't tell if the water level has been kept near normal by the dams or not.

As I mentioned in part one, this reservoir reminds me a lot of some NY rivers we've paddled on, including the Beaver River. This is a fairly narrow reservoir, making it only as wide as some rivers in the Adirondacks.  It is definitely a pretty place to kayak, with trees right up to the banks of the reservoir.

We paddled south past the put-in to check out the end of Blake Falls Reservoir.  The map shows the reservoir just ending, rather than trickling out, narrowing in size.  So, we were pretty sure one of the "arms" we traveled down would be an abrupt end.  On the way, this triangular-shaped boulder caught my attention:

We took the left hand (eastern) arm to see where it led, but knew we probably couldn't go far.  We had prior warning by a sign on a peninsula that said "Canoe Carry."  Also, I forgot to mention that we saw a number of signs along the reservoir saying "No Swimming."  I did not check into this further since we had no plans to swim, but it's something to keep in mind if you paddle here.  I wonder if it is allowed at the campground?

Squarish boulders lined the bank along this stretch.

Within a few minutes of entering that eastern arm of the reservoir at its southern end, we could see a dam area with gates and a building.  We turned around way before the area just to be on the safe side.  Although I thought the water would be flowing north, this area seemed to be flowing south.  I know nothing of the set-up of these reservoirs, so don't take my word for it! All I am sure of is that the Raquette River flows north.

Here is another shot of intriguing boulders in the water:

We paddled back up to the peninsula and took the other arm of the reservoir south.  There was a long skinny island in the middle of this arm and before we'd paddled halfway down either side (we tried both) we were met with a sign that said "Restricted Area."  So, our exploring of the southern part of the reservoir was over.  We headed back to the put-in.

 Along the way, more boulders, of course.  But I saw something on one that made me pause in my paddling and go over for a closer look.  It was bones.  If they had been fish bones, I wouldn't have given it a thought-- an otter, mink, eagle or osprey could have possibly stopped to eat on the boulder.  But these weren't fish bones. I am not good with bones, so I'm not sure what we're looking at.  My guess is a red fox or some mammal similar in size.  I have wondered if it was hurt and crawled up or something, but probably the best guess is that a turkey vulture, raven or other scavenger brought it to the rock to eat.  Maybe not-- it's just my best theory at the moment!

One more boulder photo for you, then I promise to stop!

This is another one of those photos that just come out looking different than you expected.  Here is Brody checking out a set-back on the southwestern side of Blake Falls Reservoir.  Yes, it was a bit shady, but it actually looks dark in this photo!  And once more, Brody looks superimposed.  Well, it wasn't in the plan, but it's kind of neat, anyway.

I think this is actually out of order and should go before the photo of Brody.. but we'll leave it!  This is the set-back before we entered it.

And this is the view as we approached the boat launch, facing north.  I just love the way the clouds are stacked up, don't you?

Before getting off the water, I was able to get one last shot of the clouds using my zoom.

By the time we got back, the small parking area and roadside was full of trucks and boat trailers as well as a few cars with kayaks or canoes.  It was about 1:30 on a Sunday and it seemed the warmer it got out, the more boats arrived.  As I mentioned in part one, if you want a quiet paddle, try a weekday morning, or very early on a weekend.  Of course, this is summer we're speaking about.  I'm sure it would be much more quiet in the fall or spring, as all of us who paddle in the northeast know.

That's it for my description of Blake Falls Reservoir.  A pretty place to kayak or canoe, but choose your time wisely for a peaceful day.

Thanks for reading and Happy Kayaking!

Oswegatchie River near Star Lake, part two

In part one, I ended with a beautiful stillwater scene of the Oswegatchie.  The still areas are around sweeping bends in the river where the current flattens out.  In July, there are a number of spots along the river that are quite calm on the surface even with the current running underneath. 

I'll get back to our 2012 trip in just a few minutes, but wanted to share a few photos from our paddle in 2008.  All four of the following photos were taken then. 

Here is one with some pretty white flowering bushes (sorry I don't know what they are.) They seemed to be past blooming in 2012.

I mentioned that we did not see any ducks this trip.  I'm surprised since we saw many on our last trip.  Here is one of a momma black duck and her juvenile ducklings.

In part one I said that we had planned to paddle as far as High Rock but didn't make it.  In 2008 we did get as far as High Rock.  Here is a photo of the put-in area for High Rock's campsite:

 I know-- it doesn't look like a high rock at all.  But that's because my shot is just of the put-in area.  To the left, the rock rises.  There is a path around and up, leading to a flat area for a tent, and a clearing that looks back on part of the Oswegatchie just traveled.  Here is a shot from there:

No, it's not real "high" but it IS the highest going upstream, at least up to this point of the river.  So the vantage point is very nice, especially for looking back downstream.

OK.  Now back to my description of our 2012 paddle.  We stopped for lunch at campsite 42 which had a sandy bank area to pull our kayaks up on, and it looked like a decent primitive campsite, up from the water in the trees.

We sat on the grassy bank to eat our lunch.  It wasn't long before the deer flies found us.  (In the Adirondacks it seems like if it's not black flies it's deer flies!)  Brody was snapping at them constantly while we were swatting at them.  They weren't biting, just buzzing around us, doing a great job of annoying us while we ate.

When we began gathering up our picnic and reloading the kayaks, we had a visitor!  Yes, I jumped and probably made some kind of surprised and not-delighted noise when I saw this guy.  But, because I'm documenting all of our paddle adventures, his photo had to be taken.  So, here he is, Mr. Garter Snake.  He looked more than 2 feet long-- maybe 2 and a half.  He slithered right into the water and wriggled back and forth to the other side of the narrow river and up the other bank in a matter of seconds.  At least he didn't slither across my bare foot like the small one in my backyard did just a few days ago!

 

 Here is one of those inside curves with an exposed sandy bank.  This one looks large enough for a few kayaks to pull out onto, but the vegetation is just outside of the frame on the left and you would only be able to walk a couple of feet from the water.

Brody has his eye on his daddy in the kayak next to ours.  Whenever I try to get his photo, he completely ignores me. Treats work wonders, but I only have so many hands...

This tree amazes me.  Look how it's grown, despite it's angle.  It would be quite a tall tree if it were upright!  The river goes under the tree, so it's fun to look up at the sky from between the pine needles.

Below is a reflection photo.  As we headed back downstream we were pleased to note that in many areas of the river, the current would take us downstream without paddling.  But, steering was very important!  Then we'd reach one of these quiet spots and paddling was necessary.  We did so slowly, enjoying the reflections as we moved on.

The trip back downstream from campsite 42 took about half the time as paddling up.  Keep in mind that part of the reason was, of course, the current.  The other part of the reason is that I took less photos, and we were retracing our path upstream, so we'd seen most everything on the paddle up.  One of the best things about this up and back type of paddle is that you know where the rocks are (mostly) and you know which side of the beaver dam to paddle over, etc.

In the photo below is an example of the red cardinal flower that just seems to pop right out from the green vegetation.

And  here is is campsite 45.  It is the one closest to the put-in-- probably 2 miles or so upstream.  It looks like a good spot, with a nice area for pulling your kayak or canoe out.

We saw many butterflies long the river.  These yellow ones really seemed to like the Joe-pye weed.  I believe the butterflies are yellow swallowtails, but don't quote me on it!

Our trip up and down the Oswegatchie was almost at an end.  We found that there was more paddling than we remembered from our earlier trip.  My husband and I tried to figure out if we were just in better paddling shape in 2008 or if we'd really forgotten what a work out it was.  We've decided that the newness of our first trip probably accounts for the difference in our experience the second time.  But this is still one of the best places to paddle in northern New York.  It's in a wilderness area and there are no motors allowed.  Two great reasons to paddle the Oswegatchie.

I'll leave you with one last look at this gorgeous river, with half of our paddling party in the mid-ground, making their way back to the put-in.

Happy Kayaking!