Mileage: 18 miles
Weather: Partly sunny, occasional sprinkles
Wildlife: Loons, eagle, osprey, geese, ducks
Portages: 4
Light tail winds carried us to the Forked Lake access. We passed by the two lean-tos on Outlet Bay, the second of which had a tarp covering a damaged roof. Glad we had decided to stay at Tioga Point the night before. Sky looked threatening at times, especially as we approached the Forked Lake Campground. Like Tioga Point, there is a ranger station where you can register and stay in any open sites for a fee. Like the Saranac Lakes, the paddle access-only sites on Forked looked beautiful too.
There is one free DEC lean-to/campsite on Forked Lake, but it is located closer to the green shaded area indicating the state campground boundaries and not adjacent to the outlet shown on the map. It is unnumbered, whereas all the other sites on Forked Lake are numbered.
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| New Forked Lake Access "Canoe Carry" sign on Outlet Bay |
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| Didn't think to photograph this last year |
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| Forked Lake access |
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| Forked Lake access road |
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| Forked Lake put-in |
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Forked Lake State Campground Rentals
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Took a lunch break at Forked Lake thinking we might need to wait out a storm, but nothing materialized so we started on the 1.5 mile portage down the road. All wheelable except for the last .1 mile from the road to the river, which is a rough trail. Still manageable. We left the wheels on. Used our harness method for pulling the canoe along the road which works out well.
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| Harness system in use on the road to the Raquette River |
The two carries around Buttermilk Falls and the rapids on the Raquette River are not wheelable. Buttermilk Falls is rocky, stepped, rooty, swampy (after yesterday's passing storms). The final portage by-passing the rapids is longer at .6 miles and would be equally difficult for wheels. I took a trail turn-off too soon near the Deerland lean-to and ended up sinking to my calves when I tried to cross a wet area taking a "short cut" back to the trail. We carried everything. Ironically (or not) there was a broken and abandoned set of portage wheels near the lean-to with a bent and missing wheel. Does this serve as a warning?
Arrived at Long Lake village around 4 pm--pretty much the same time as last year, and with another headwind. Unlike last year, I didn't make Sam paddle another 5 miles to camp. We stayed at the Adirondack Hotel, instead of just getting a beer, and had a fine meal in the restaurant, then walked around the town for a little bit as the wind died down.
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| Our third night's lodging (and meal) |
Dinner: I had the duck breast over a rice pilaf and Sam had the steak and shrimp. Delish!
