The weather has turned decidedly and the water is getting cold, so there are not likely to be many more paddle trips this fall. Time to get bindings on the new skis and get ready for some snow.
Doug worked with our friends at St. Regis Canoe Outfitters to lead a two night trip for seven guys from the metropolitan area. We had all varieties of Adirondack weather. Cold and snow with a low of 23 F on Friday, beautiful sun and a slight head wind on Saturday, then rain overnight, finishing with a “soft” (read wet), calm morning for our paddle out. Bill, Bob, Jim, Elliot, Alex, Wayne and Paul were a fun group to spend the weekend with. See you guys on the next adventure.
The weather has turned decidedly and the water is getting cold, so there are not likely to be many more paddle trips this fall. Time to get bindings on the new skis and get ready for some snow.
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Canoe Trip with Broadwing Adventures guides Doug Fitzgerald and Jack Drury - August 30 to September 13, 2012After waiting too long, Jack and I returned to Minnesota to paddle in the Boundary Waters. For two weeks we paddled with our wives, Phyliss and Jan. Long time friends and adventurers, Karen and Ed Hixson also joined us. Their journey with us was only part of a longer trip they were doing. My plan is to post three blogs about this trip. Here’s what they will cover: #1 - Area history, trip planning and preparation, travel to and from MN, and what we did in Ely before putting on the water. #2 – What we did and experienced while on the trip #3 – Likes and learns from the trip There are pictures and a video already posted on this site, so be sure to take a look at them. Jack will also be adding blogs related to this adventure, so stay tuned. History Before the appearance of Europeans, “Indians of the Woodland Tradition” were the predominant culture that inhabited this area. They depended upon wood products, hunting, fishing and gathering natural food, such as the wild rice that the region is still known for. The first non-natives came to the area mostly in search of fur bearing animals to supply pelts to the European markets. Trade goods came from the east and furs moved east to places like Montreal. Men known as Voyageurs were at the heart of this trade. They carried the loads and paddle the large canoes that moved the goods back and forth. The traditions and feats of these rugged individuals are still held in high esteem by today’s paddlers. Even the international boarder was shaped by the routes traveled by the voyageurs. By the early 1900’s loggers and miners were removing trees and minerals from northeastern Minnesota. Fortunately, the area was also noted for its’ aesthetic and recreational value, so some portions of land were set aside. The establishment of a “roadless” area in 1939 and the designation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area as a wilderness in 1964 has not been without controversy. Much like places in the Adirondacks, there has been conflicts between recreational users that favor mechanized use and those that prefer not to see any motors in the area. Today, around 250,000 people visit the 1 million acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness every year, making it the most visited wilderness in the country. Add the adjacent 1.2 million acre Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario and you have a true paddler’s paradises. Trip Planning and Permitting Before Christmas last year we started to talk about paddling in the Boundary Waters. There are so many varieties of paddling trips that can be done in this area, that it took us awhile to reach consensus for a trip. BWCAW regulations restrict the number of permits per day at each entry point. By the end of January we agreed upon a route. We chose Entry Point #16 at Little Indian Sioux River. The daily limit for this point is six groups; we acted early to ensure we received a permit. The group had a number of competing desires for the trip, so our plan was truly a compromise for everyone. Sometimes compromises work out well, with everyone getting a little something of what they are looking for and other times they remain just a compromise and some disappointments persist. Food Preparation A friend of mine once told me that you should eat better in the outdoors than when you are at home. Everyone in a group has different tastes, to help deal with this we planned to have each couple do their own food prep and cooking. Jack and Phyliss like to bring bulk ingredients and use recipes to create unique meals. Karen and Ed dehydrate many of the ingredients they bring and pack their food by individual meals. Jan and I used to do a combination of these techniques, but since I hiked the Northville Placid Trail, we have moved to packaging our food by meals. We have even started to experiment more with pre-packaged “freeze dried” foods. These have come a long way since I first tried them 38 years ago. On this trip, the food we brought could not have worked better. We started with less than 40 lbs. and brought very little back with us. Some of what was left over was because we ate a few walleye instead. All three cook groups used liquid fuel stoves. Jan and I brought a gallon of Colman fuel and returned with less than a pint. Between fuel and food, we had just enough extra that we could have covered an emergency, but not so much that we carried a lot of extra weight. Travel Each couple drove to Ely separately. Ed and Karen went earlier than us and did some paddling before we got there. We took our time, stopping along the way to visit our one week old granddaughter and other relatives and friends. Jack and Phyliss caught up with us in Two Harbors, MN where we stayed at a B&B located in a working lighthouse on the western shore of Lake Superior. Ely, MN Once in Ely it was only a couple of hours before we met up with Karen & Ed. While there we stayed at Fenske Lake Cabins. One night we stayed in a rustic bunkhouse and the next in a nice housekeeping cabin. It was hot and we appreciated being able to swim and to eat dinner outside. Main St. in Ely has more outfitters than anywhere else in the world, so it was a fun place to explore. We enjoyed visiting the International Wolf Center. It is a high class museum devoted entirely to telling the story of the wolf throughout the world. There are live wolves that can be viewed from an auditorium with large glass windows. A must see place if you ever visit Ely. Putting on the water After four nights on the road and two in Ely, we were ready early on Thursday, 8/30 to leave the front country and start our wilderness journey. We drove on the gravel surfaced Echo Trail for about 20 miles from Fenske Lake to Little Indian Sioux River. Once we got everything out of the vehicles; Jan, Phyliss and Karen shuttled cars seven miles back down the Echo trail to our take out at Moose River, Entry Point #16. In the meantime, Jack, Ed and I portaged our boats and gear 43 rods (700 ft.) to the river. By the time our wives returned we were ready to go. Before long we were paddling into the wilderness. Next blog In part 2 of this blog series I will write about the things we saw and did while on our adventure. To see part two of this series CLICK HERE
To see part three of this series CLICK HERE Additional photos are available on our PHOTO GALLERY We had a great trip with the Wild Center today. Thanks to all involved for making it a successful day. The weather cooperated, the conversation was stimulating, and the wild life was exhilarating. Once Upon a Wilderness, by Calvin Rutstrum
Mornings can break so clear, calm, and insect-free that the first awakening call of a loon over placid water starts a day of serenity, a measure of comfort and pleasure that the most idealistically preconceived canoe journey could scarcely visualize. The leisurely paddle along a rock-bound, forested shore can, under these conditions, bring such inspiring surprises and memorable experiences as to leave them etched upon one’s memory for life. For you who joined us the Cedarlands trip a few weeks ago here's a video taken a year earlier. Here's the view that you missed. :-) This is part of over 15 minutes of video that was captured in the Nina Moose Lake area of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (more on the trip in future posts) of two snapping turtles as they hatched and worked their way down to the stream. You will see a dead baby turtle that had been stepped on, perhaps by a member of our party or someone who portaged their canoe before us. You'll also see a shot of my hand to provide an idea of the size of the turtles. We never touched the live turtles and avoided making their journey any easier or harder than it was. You will see them tumble their way down to the stream. This was shot at 1080p although the default playback is 720p. Feel free to change the quality back to 1080. Although it goes at a turtle's pace this video is amazing and we felt very fortunate to watch their "walk to the sea." Jack We got a chance to scout out Cedarlands for our upcoming trip with the Wild Center. Although we've been to this area before we wanted to check out the conditions before we left for our three week trip to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. (Doug has already left and I leave tomorrow.) As should be expected the water levels were very low but we managed to get to the carry to McRorie Lake without too much trouble. This is a beautiful area and the fall colors should be gorgeous September 22nd. For information on how to register for the trip go HERE. For more photos see below. Sat, 22 Sep, 2012 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Mark you calendar and register HERE. In partnership with The Wild Center, the veteran guides from Broadwing Adventures will lead you on this one day paddling trip of discovery and exploration in a little known corner of the Adirondacks. On your guided exploration you will learn about the history, ecology and conservation of the Cedarlands. This paddle/hike is on lands that are part of the Cedarlands Boy Scout Camp, a property with restricted summer access. Most summer visitors to the Adirondacks do not have the opportunity to travel here. During this full day trip, you will enjoy at least 3 miles of paddling on Mud Pond and McRorie Lake, have some short canoe carries, and hike 0.8 mile up Mud Pond Mountain. The views from Mud Pond Mountain look to the northwest along the expanse of Long Lake and to the summits of the Western High Peaks, a view rarely seen by others. The group will travel at a gentle pace that will accommodate everybody’s abilities. Weather permitting we will eat lunch at the overlook on Mud Pond Mountain while enjoying the panoramic views of the Adirondack Fall foliage. After the hike we will return to our boats and explore as much of McRorie Lake as time and conditions permits, with the possibility of 2-4 miles of additional paddling. This is a quiet, secluded area with wonderful opportunities for discovery. For more information visit: http://my.wildcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=299&cid=1&ceid=235&cerid=0&cdt=9%2F22%2F2012 The Northville Placid Trail – A Soft Path Through the Airondacks Part 3 of 3 – by Doug Fitzgerald8/5/2012 Part 3 – The philosophical stuff; wilderness travel, how we did, what it felt like being out there, coming back to civilization; you know, all that idealistic stuff.There is so much more to a trip like this than what is seen and done. How you feel about the trip while it is happening and what you are left with when the trip is over are more likely to determine whether the experience is considered a success of not. In my final blog about the NPT I will attempt to convey some idea of these intangibles. Wilderness Travel Traveling in the wild places of North America has captivated me for years; there is little that can compare to it. After a few days of travel, you fall into the elemental simplicity of a trip like this. Life becomes easy as you get into the rhythm of the daily routine. Between adventures I tend to forget about this aspect of wilderness travel, but it comes back to me once I am out there and moving. In the wilderness nature reins supreme and being engulf by it is an extraordinary feeling. Places The places that the NPT passes through had a great effect on our experience. I had never been in the Silver Lake or West Canada Lake Wilderness Areas. I expected these areas to be special and they were. Exploring new territory is always exciting and I was not disappointed on this trip. Without a doubt, the last section of the trip was the most spectacular. For this reason alone I would recommend hiking the trail from south to north. Finishing up the trail by hiking along the Cold River and through the Western High Peaks left us with a remarkable final impression. In this section we stopped for lunch at the site of Duck Hole Dam, which was washed out during Hurricane Irene last year. I had been to Duck Hole three times by canoe from Henderson Lake, twice before the dam was breached and a month after it happened. When I was there in September it was amazing to see, but the water was still draining out of the exposed lake bottom. This time the once drowned lands were still brown, but dry. The vista here has always been amazing and the contrast of browns and greens with a stream flowing through the center and the mountains in the background is truly striking now. I look forward to watching this area as forest succession starts anew. Probably the most beautiful place we visited along the trail was Wanaka Falls. I was so struck by the beauty of the place that I felt like I was in Eden. Expedition Behavior aka Group Dynamics Unless you travel alone, group dynamics has an affect on every trip, even those in the front country. In the backcountry how members of a group interacts with each other plays an even bigger role. When living and traveling in close proximity to others it is easy to key in on their actions and attitudes, thus letting the little things bother you. The best trip to the most magnificent place can be ruined if people don’t get along. No trip is immune to this, but experienced outdoor travelers know that it can be controlled. In the backcountry the term we use for this is “Expedition Behavior”. Working to make a trip successful starts well before heading out, good route planning and communication are essential. Understanding other people’s expectations for a trip is important, so it helps if all members of the group know each other before hand. Sometimes that is not the case, so the pre-trip work is even more critical. Good food planning is vital as everyone has likes, dislikes and unique dietary requirements. This issue alone has a huge impact on a trip. Leo and I have known each other for 39 years. We met on the first day of school at Paul Smith’s College. We have traveled together on numerous occasions, so we have an advantage over most wilderness travelers. Even so, we communicated often before this trip and had a well thought out plan of travel with reasonable expectations. We developed a menu plan that both of us were pleased with and we shared the load of group equipment, not duplicating gear that could be shared. Along the way we enjoyed each others company and also enjoyed the solitude that the wilderness provides. I previously mentioned that we used solo tents. This allowed each of us our own space to relax and recharge. Sometimes we would hike close to each other and chat, other times we would have some distance between us and get into the rhythm of the trail and beauty surrounding us. It just happened for us without much thought. We are fortunate to have a friendship that works so well. From my experience many wilderness travelers are not as lucky. Civilization I have a friend that claims there is no real wilderness in the Adirondacks. The claim is that in the Adirondacks you are never more than eight miles from a highway or other form of civilization. When you compare this to travel in the Far North where you are hundreds of miles from civilization, then the claim is true. Other people believe wilderness is in the eye (or mind) of the beholder. I certainly experienced the feeling of wilderness on this hike, but it is impossible to escape the contacts with civilization along this trail. Instead of viewing this as a negative aspect of the trip, we embraced the opportunities it provided. We enjoyed the contrast between these two worlds along the trail. We easily flowed from one to the other. Towards the end of any trip the thoughts of returning to civilization start to creep into the mind. We always try to keep this to a minimum and practice “staying on the trip” until it is actually over. This also plays a role in expedition behavior. The last night of a trip has always been a conflict for me. I look forward to seeing family and friends and to enjoying the creature comforts of home, but I also don’t want to leave the backcountry. I want to keep hiking or paddling; I want to see what is around the next bend or over the next hill. Having been on many trips in the past I feel like I am finally coming to terms with the feelings I experience during the last days. If the trip has been successful, it is a time for reflection and celebration. Fortunately, on this trip that is how it ended for me. Once we were back to civilization Leo and I continued the celebration by stopping at the Waterhole #3 for a cold beverage. This was the site of many evenings during our college days and it is still special to be there together. After showers and a little rest we had a nice dinner with Jan and her sister at the Shamrock, another establishment that was operating during our college days. It is now over a month since we left the trail. The experience has left us with a different perspective of the Adirondacks and a stronger friendship. I am still enjoying the benefits of being in better shape and hope I can stay that way for awhile. This trip has left its mark on us and we will build on it for future adventures. Closing Thoughts After a trip like this people often ask what’s next. There is always a short answer that satisfies the question, but the longer answer is usually a little mysterious. In this case, for me, in a few weeks I’ll be headed to the Boundary Water Canoe Wilderness Area in Minnesota with Jan and other friends. Leo has returned to Connecticut and adventures with his grandchildren, he and wife Linda will travel to Yosemite next month. The two of us have not fixed ours sights on a future adventure, but there are ideas floating around and it won’t be long before we get something on the books. In the meantime we will savor the NPT for awhile and dream of what might come. To the blog readers
I have received so much positive feedback on these blogs. The encouragement has kept me motivated to continue writing. Sharing a trip with others by writing about it or giving a presentation helps keep it alive for me. Thanks for reading; I look forward to sharing my future adventures with you. To keep in touch with what is happening, be sure to “Like” Broadwing Adventures on facebook and check the website for updates. Please share this post with anyone that you think might like to read it. The Northville Placid Trail – A Soft Path Through the Adirondacks Part 2 of 3 – by Doug Fitzgerald7/24/2012 Part 2 – Trail experiences; what we saw, who we met and what we did along the way.So what is a “Soft Path”? My definition would be the Northville Placid Trail. Although the trail is 90 years old, the trail tread shows little signs of wear and erosion. Leo hikes extensively in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and he noted how different this trail is compared to the well worn, hard surfaces of the older trails in the Whites. A similar comparison could be made to some of the hard surface trails in the Eastern High Peaks. There were places we hiked on the NPT where the tread was still covered with undisturbed leaves and needles from last autumn. Trail Conditions There were many water crossings. Most had some kind of bridge or trail improvement that aided us in crossing. Without these structures the trail would be extremely difficult or impossible. Many wet and muddy areas had boardwalks or bog bridging, but there were just as many that didn’t have anything. These areas were difficult and the trail was a mess from hikers trying to avoid the deep mud. This is a dry year in the Adirondacks; we couldn’t help but speculate how wet the trail must have been last year. We also experienced a significant amount of blow down (trees across the trail), especially in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness Area and other southern portions of the trail. The section between Long Lake and Averyville had the least blow down. I believe that section likely received a thorough sweep after Hurricane Irene. Beaver activity was extensive along the entire length of the trail and made travel difficult. Overall, the trail could use more care and attention than it appears to be receiving. After my 26 years of employment with the DEC’s Region 5 Division of Operations I know how severely resources for work like trail maintenance have been cut. The NPT appears to be a casualty of this. Just to be clear, there are new bridges, including a replacement of the West Canada Creek bridge currently underway and some areas have new trail hardening structures, also the section between Wakely Dam and Stephens Pond has been totally relocated and is a vast improvement. The DEC has been able to complete specific projects using the Student Conservation Association, volunteers and by contracting with the ADK pro trail crew, but in general routine maintenance is lacking. We did meet a couple of SCA Backcountry Stewards, in the Moose River Plains, but their function seems to be education, not maintenance. Perhaps in the future the DEC will have them emphasize simple maintenance such as blow down removal. Well, enough about that. Campsites It becomes evident that the goal of the early trail developers was to provide enough lean-tos along the way for hikers to simply travel from one to another. We did stay at lean-to sites for eight nights, although sometimes we chose to tent nearby. Sites with lean-to adopters were generally in better shape than those without. It is always amazing to see the junk that people leave behind under the premise that someone else might be able to use it. Some people just don’t understand the principle of “Carry it in, Carry it out”. Due to the Wild River designation of the Cold River the DEC may allow the lean-tos in that area to fall into disrepair and eventually be removed. In my opinion that would be a shame, they certainly do not affect the wild character of the river corridor. The Ouluska Pass lean-to is already so far gone that it is not salvageable. If DEC doesn’t change their minds about this, let’s hope they develop some nice tent sites in this area to replace the lean-tos. People We saw 11 other people on the trail; we did encounter others at trailheads, the campground and of course in Long Lake. We met one Assistant Forest Ranger at Cedar Lake and shared a lean-to with him for the night. He is currently a Paul Smith’s College student and a former Operations employee, so we had some common ground. There were only 3 other hikers specifically hiking the NPT, we met all of them in the last section. One was a section hiker finishing his last section; the other 2 were through hikers each completing the trail in 7 days. Of note was the hiker we nicknamed “Blisters Dave” he arrived at the Ouluska Pass lean-to in the evening and the first thing he asked was if we had any moleskin. His blisters were the worse either of us had ever seen, the skin of his heels was worn off down to the muscle and infection had set-in. Leo put his SOLO Wilderness First Aid skills to work and did a great job of patching up Dave’s feet enough to enable him to hike out under his own power. He certainly required further medical care once he was out. We took pictures for future training purposes. Touching Civilization We spent three nights in front country locations. At Wakely Dam a family invited us to dinner with them. It was a virtual feast after trail food. Jan took most of our gear from Wakely Dam to Lake Durant Campground were we enjoyed one of our pre-frozen meals, some beers and hot showers. The campground staff didn’t seem to understand that through hikers weren’t quite the same as their other customers. I felt they were missing a marketing opportunity. Our most significant break from the trail was the day we hiked into Long Lake and stayed at the Adirondack Hotel. Last year we had also stopped at the hotel during our canoe trip from Blue Mountain Lake to Upper Saranac Lake, so we already had friends there, including the bartender. The hot showers, soft beds and cold beers were a real treat. We had a nice breakfast with Jan the next morning. She stopped to meet us on her way to Albany. We appreciated the food drop and the ride back to the trailhead. Trees Being Paul Smith’s College forestry alumni, both Leo and I were fascinated by the abundance of large trees along the entire length of the trail. Most were Yellow Birch and Eastern Hemlock, but north of Wakely Dam we walked through the most magnificent stand of Sugar Maples I have ever seen. After awhile we really started to notice the many unique ways that trees grow on rocks. Wildlife The deer at this time of year have beautiful red coats, plus there are fawns with their mothers. We saw our share of them. Everywhere we went we flushed grouse hens with clutches of chicks. We learned to identify their calls and peeping. We never saw a moose, but did see some fresh tracks and found some winter droppings. We also saw coyote tracks and scat. Bear sign was plentiful and we were lucky enough to watch a yearling bear digging roots for about 10 minutes. He had a beautiful shiny black coat. The loons in the southern lakes were plentiful and vocally active. Part 3 is next Now you have an idea of what we saw and experienced. The last part of the blog will touch on the philosophical aspects of a trip like this. I will discuss some of the places along the trail that impressed me the most; using descriptions of these places to give you a feel for what it was like to be out there for nearly two weeks. Stay tuned. Be sure to checkout other pictures of the NPT hike on the photo gallery page.
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Jack Drury
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