Need help planning a canoe route

**stripperguy** · 07-17-2008, 09:48 PM

If you are looking for quiet and solitude, you would be better off staying within the St Regis Canoe Wilderness Area. Some of the water you are considering will be populated by motor boats and private camps on the shore. Look at your paddler's map, and decide how long of a carry you can tolerate. There is some very nice camping/canoeing just over the tracks on Hoel Pd, and the carries are very short. If you are able and willing, you could start on Little Clear Pd and then carry the .6 or .7 mile to St Regis. From there you will find a wide variety of intimate waters and carries that vary from a stone's throw to over 2 miles.
And what do you mean about info on another forum?? Are you saying there are other forums?
All kidding aside, stay on the smaller waters within the wilderness area, and you can't go wrong. You could also oick up a copy of Jamison's North Flow and/or the proper Discover series books for full discriptions. But for immediate first hand info, this is the place...

**carbritkye** · 07-17-2008, 10:24 PM

subject

Stripperguy
Is there a loop you could suggest within the St regis canoe area?

**stripperguy** · 07-18-2008, 06:27 AM

Mr. carb,
It all depends on how far you're willing to carry. One of my personal favorites is Fish Pond, and the myriad of small, distinct waters nearby. You could easily spend a week in there...So you could go from Little Clear to St Regis through the outlet to Ochre and Mud, then to Fish. That would take most of a day, if you want to enjoy the trip. Or some folks go directly from St Regis to Fish on the truck trail, it's nicer than it sounds and is easily cartable.
There was a recent post of a trip that included Fish to Long, via Nellie and Bessie, but there is some flooding there. Best to search the old posts here for descriptions and photos from the area, then make your plan...

**richard p** · 07-18-2008, 01:52 PM

I totally agree with stripper guy - stay withn the St Regis Canoe Area. Another option (on the other end of the Area) is Long Pond. You have to carry canoe and gear a short distance, but it is not bad. You can spend a week exploring and do a hike up Long Pond Mountain. You can even get to Fish Pond (it is quite a treck however). I made my first trip to Long Pond 17 years ago, and I have been back to the Area every year since.

**carbritkye** · 07-18-2008, 01:52 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. This route was sugested to me what do you think?
Hoel
Fish pond -north shore
Long Pond
Little square
Follensby Clear
back to Hoel

**carbritkye** · 07-18-2008, 02:09 PM

Is parking a problem in any of the suggested areas? Also how long is the portage between nelli Pond and Long Pond , it looks to be quite a distance. But I am not really good at reading maps, my husband does a better job, I am trying to figure out a route while he is at work so when he gets home I will have our vacation figured out,lol.

**richard p** · 07-18-2008, 03:19 PM

I don't like Hoel or Follensby because you can encounter motors and there are houses on their shores. Parking at Long or Little Clear (access to St Regis)is not a problem. The portage to Nelie is very long and somewhat difficult (mud and mosquitos). Fish is beautiful but difficult to get to - so camping there is quite a undertaking. You can do alot from Long or St Regis in a weeks time.

**Msample** · 07-18-2008, 03:24 PM

Nellie to Long Pond is about a mile and a half .

How are you getting from Hoel to Fish Pond ? The carry from Turtle to Clamshell pond is closed due to beaver activity . You might do better to start at Little Clear Pond, go through St Regis to Fish, then down through Long and take out at Hoel . From Long , if you have time you could also paddle through Floodwood / Little Square and Follensby. Either take two cars , or walk/hitch back to Little Clear from Hoel - it's only about 3 miles along the maion road from Hoel back to Little Clear.

You should have more than enough time - heck, some people do this as a day trip .

**carbritkye** · 07-18-2008, 05:10 PM

I did not relize that the carry from Turtle to Clamshell Ponds is closed that was my intended route by looking at the map. Long portages are not a problem we have done them before. We did the two miler in Temagami last summer only to find a swamp at the end that we could not paddle through we had to portage another 3/4 of mile through this. Was not fun but doable. So not knowing the area we will go with your recomondation. We plan on leaving Monday and want to be out by Saturday. Any other input would be appreciated.
Thank You Shelley

**stripperguy** · 07-18-2008, 05:14 PM

If you are on the fence about Fish Pond, take a look.
This was the view near our campsite between Fish and Little Fish.
My wife and I spent a week in the St. Regis area for our 3rd anniversary, it was magical. I sometimes introduce friends and acquaintences to the area, but I try to be sure that they paddle and carry in by themselves. That way, they usually have the same sense of discovery and awe that we did so long ago...

Attached Files

fish pond.jpg (79.7 KB, 251 views)

**carbritkye** · 07-18-2008, 05:29 PM

Wow that is a beautiful picture, can't wait to discover it for ourselves. As it looks now we will go with the route suggested by Msample so that would bring us to Fish. What conditions are the portages in? Is there any thunderboxes on these sites or do we take along a shovel? Is this all flat water travel? We plan on taking six days is this too much time for the suggested route? We have to be home to repack and then go to Algonquin for another five days. Can't wait to start our adventure.

**Msample** · 07-18-2008, 10:25 PM

If you did the Diamond two miler , none of the portages here will give you pause . Of the two long ones, the St. Regis to Fish is all along a fire road . Nellie to Bessie is not as long, but more of a trail - less travelled - and has a beaver bog partway through where you paddle across - so it's more like a long portage and a shorter one strung together, totalling about a mile and a half . Of the shorter ones, Fish to Little Long is up and down a STEEP esker . Some merely skip Little Long and carry to the top of of the esker, then take a trail heading south along the esker to where it hooks up with the Little Long - Kit Fox portage.

You should have plenty of time to do this loop - I have done it as a day trip . I would suggest :

Monday - put in Little Clear , paddle to St Regis and make camp .

Tuesday - day trip over in the Seven Carries area - little Long, Bear Pond, see some of the nice old lakeside mansions along the St Regis Lakes chain . You could also paddle to the trailhead for St. Regis Mtn and hike up the Fire Tower.

Wednesday - paddle to Fish Pond . You can either carry from St Regis direct to Fish, or paddle from St Regis to Ochre to Mud . Don't know what the water level is like . Most of the time you can at least paddle to Ochre . After that, paddle/portage to Fish via Mud . Fish has a nice lean to along the northern shore; the southern one is not as good IMO . The campsite between Little Fish and Fish cited above is quite nice as well.

Thursday - enjoy Fish Pond . Explore Little Long ( nice clear water ), Little Fish, Lydia Ponds . Some nice cliffs along north side of Fish.

Friday - carry to Nellie and then to Long Pond, see my comments above regarding bypassing Little Long.

Saturday - Long pond to hoel take out should only take about 2 hours.

Lean to sites have thunderboxes ; varies by site elswhere . Many sites on Long pond have them. Bring a small trowel to be on the safe side.

**carbritkye** · 07-19-2008, 01:12 PM

Ok I hate to be a pest but I have another question. If we put in at Little Clear where do we park? I do see it on the map but is there any signs or landmarks to look for?

**Msample** · 07-20-2008, 01:12 AM

There is a parking lot right at the put in - holds plenty of cars.

Need help planning a canoe route

Need help planning a canoe route

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