Little Tupper Lake paddle to Inlet on the Oswegatchie, 7/8 - 7/15/20

[Wldrns]

Originally Posted by Wldrns

Ahhh,, the sound and sights of freedom, which I most enjoy.They don't bother the loons (like careless boaters do), they don't bother the long sky views, but they do keep us from falling to the renewed Soviet Union.

When I was flying for USAF from a base in Ohio, if our training mission took us anywhere toward the northeast, I would intentionally plan my navigation traning leg to pass directly over the adirondacks , and my home territory with a turn point or two. Loved it.

[montcalm]

Originally Posted by firewatcher

As you surely know better than I do, it's not so much whether you come across others... it's whether or not the others you do come across will have similar goals in their enjoyment of area you're sharing!

Oddly enough when I wrote that last post I had some comment about this, but I deleted it.

Anyway, the point was *most* people you run into out in these areas are pretty quiet and respectful. They are out there to be alone and have some quiet, so they tend to be almost imperceptible - this is my goal as well, although I'll certainly talk to people when I'm near them.

SRCA has been the best IME - meaning I never had any issues with loud neighbors night or day. Same cannot be said for all other areas, but I'm sure it's hit or miss. For the amount I've experienced it, and how little it was, I can't complain much.

[firewatcher]

Originally Posted by montcalm

Oddly enough when I wrote that last post I had some comment about this, but I deleted it.

Anyway, the point was *most* people you run into out in these areas are pretty quiet and respectful. They are out there to be alone and have some quiet, so they tend to be almost imperceptible - this is my goal as well, although I'll certainly talk to people when I'm near them.

I did not mean to intimate unfriendly vibes toward my fellow man -- to the contrary, I feel a kinship with fellow travelers! I think we're both acknowledging the same thing, that the vast majority of people willing to exert the effort it takes to reach remote places are there with similar goals in mind.

[DSettahr]

Yeah, Little Tupper Lake, Lake Lila, Low's Lake, and the downstream section of the Oswegatchie River were the obvious hot spots of use along this route. Although FWIW, even at those locations, every group I encountered/observed appeared to be pretty well behaved. I think the general ban on motorized boats on these water bodies (there's a couple of small exceptions not applicable to public use) also helps to keep users a bit more in line with regards to expecting at least peace and quiet if not solitude.

And even without excessive portages, there's still some decent options if you're willing/wanting to paddle further- Rock Pond off the south end of Little Tupper, and Grass Pond off the northwest end of Lows Lake both seem to get relatively less levels of use than their adjacent larger bodies of water. Rock Pond requires a short portage on the outlet (as well as a beaver dam or two), while Grass Pond requires no additional portage (there's still the short portage at the Lows Upper Dam). But both are probably at least the better part of a full day's paddle from their respective access points, so they still conform to the rule of "the more difficult an area is to access, the less use it tends to get, and the more respectful the users who do access it tend to be."

If you're looking for possible longer paddling days (without committing yourself to a traverse) as intermediate steps to work yourself up to the level of doing the full 50 mile traverse, either of these itineraries could be worth looking at.

[montcalm]

It's hard to complain...

Lows:




Lila:

[Wldrns]

Ahhh, Lows campsite #20 (not my favorite, but it does have a nice sandy beach) with a view toward Pole, Scout, and Gooseneck Islands with a portion of Frying Pan Island. A calm day... How nice.

Here's a view looking in the same direction from a slightly different perspective:

[montcalm]

I enjoyed that spot quite a bit. There was a full moon that night and I had a great view of it from there.

I couldn't get a pic that was in focus, but you get the idea:




I read "Dune" under that moon. The only issue I had out there was lack of wood - that site was completely stripped. I managed to find a large birch that was down, but not laying on the ground, so it wasn't completely rotten, which I cut up and used. It was a bit of pain, but I had plenty of wood after that, although not exactly what I wanted. The nature of that site makes it almost like an island, so I can see it's probably stripped. I probably should have went for a paddle and got some 100 yards up off shore somewhere. Next time I will.

[montcalm]

I can't recall if it was mentioned, but Cranberry Lake is a really great place to go with no carries. I'd say it's a little more advanced than some other places due to the wind factor, but when it's good, it's great.

There are, of course, motorboats, but if you go in spring or fall, they are minimal. Mostly just people going to their camps or homes. Dead creek flow is almost all state land, and is a just side of the lake to stay on, although I've had great experience around the whole lake. The only spots that are really populated are the flow to Wanakena and the north arm across from the camp ground. The rest of the lake is fairly remote and mostly state land.

Looking east from Joe Indian Island:



Looking west from the far east shore:



Somewhere on Dead Creek Flow:

[firewatcher]

Originally Posted by DSettahr

Yeah, Little Tupper Lake, Lake Lila, Low's Lake, and the downstream section of the Oswegatchie River were the obvious hot spots of use along this route. Although FWIW, even at those locations, every group I encountered/observed appeared to be pretty well behaved. I think the general ban on motorized boats on these water bodies (there's a couple of small exceptions not applicable to public use) also helps to keep users a bit more in line with regards to expecting at least peace and quiet if not solitude.

And even without excessive portages, there's still some decent options if you're willing/wanting to paddle further- Rock Pond off the south end of Little Tupper, and Grass Pond off the northwest end of Lows Lake both seem to get relatively less levels of use than their adjacent larger bodies of water. Rock Pond requires a short portage on the outlet (as well as a beaver dam or two), while Grass Pond requires no additional portage (there's still the short portage at the Lows Upper Dam). But both are probably at least the better part of a full day's paddle from their respective access points, so they still conform to the rule of "the more difficult an area is to access, the less use it tends to get, and the more respectful the users who do access it tend to be."

If you're looking for possible longer paddling days (without committing yourself to a traverse) as intermediate steps to work yourself up to the level of doing the full 50 mile traverse, either of these itineraries could be worth looking at.

Thanks, my thoughts are definitely along these lines. In fact, it was an obsession with the possibilities offered by a launch at Little Tupper on the map that led me to this excellent trip report in the first place!

[firewatcher]

Originally Posted by montcalm

I read "Dune" under that moon. The only issue I had out there was lack of wood - that site was completely stripped. I managed to find a large birch that was down, but not laying on the ground, so it wasn't completely rotten, which I cut up and used. It was a bit of pain, but I had plenty of wood after that, although not exactly what I wanted. The nature of that site makes it almost like an island, so I can see it's probably stripped. I probably should have went for a paddle and got some 100 yards up off shore somewhere. Next time I will.

I have a similar story from my trip to Forked Lake at the end of the last DEC season. I had brought wood with me, though not enough, and ended up dragging a downed birch 100 yards or so and sweated it out to process it into the wood I needed (though not exactly what I wanted). Not optimal, but superior to having to swallow my pride and paddle with the hound back to the campground HQ for a bag of the DEC treated stuff.

Live and learn. Next time.

[montcalm]

Originally Posted by firewatcher

I have a similar story from my trip to Forked Lake at the end of the last DEC season. I had brought wood with me, though not enough, and ended up dragging a downed birch 100 yards or so and sweated it out to process it into the wood I needed (though not exactly what I wanted). Not optimal, but superior to having to swallow my pride and paddle with the hound back to the campground HQ for a bag of the DEC treated stuff.

Live and learn. Next time.

I have to be honest, even though the direct vicinity of the campsites will get stripped, there are always areas back in the woods, away from sites where there is bountiful wood. Most people are just lazy.

When I bring my own, I typically do so for actual cooking, although I'll bring a small alky stove for backup. If I'm just using my stove to cook, then fire is nice but not necessary, so I'll look for wood. I typically just go deep into the woods if I'm not on an island and I can get a ton - if it's an island or peninsula, that becomes difficult, so I think it's best to take the boat and look for an undisturbed area, and go 100 yards or so in. You'll find enough wood to heat your house for the winter, and it won't disrupt anything. Taking it too close to shore is not wise though as it does alter the shoreline ecology and character.

[montcalm]

Actual documentation of someone collecting firewood away from a designated campsite.

[firewatcher]

Originally Posted by montcalm

Actual documentation of someone collecting firewood away from a designated campsite.

and the forest will echo with laughter?

[Justin]

Look Mom, no hands?

[montcalm]

Originally Posted by firewatcher

and the forest will echo with laughter?

When it does, and I'm the only one there, I'm going to GTFO

[montcalm]

Originally Posted by Justin

Look Mom, no hands?

I should give credit where credit is due - most of my switch to cooking with wood, particularly on overnight trips where I'll bring fresh food is largely in part to two people on this forum, Justin and DuctTape.


I probably still would have been eating Ramen noodles and beans from a can if not for them...

[Justin]

Originally Posted by montcalm

I should give credit where credit is due - most of my switch to cooking with wood, particularly on overnight trips where I'll bring fresh food is largely in part to two people on this forum, Justin and DuctTape.


I probably still would have been eating Ramen noodles and beans from a can if not for them...

Right on bro, I honestly have not used my backpacking stove in over 15 years.

[montcalm]

Originally Posted by Justin

Right on bro, I honestly have not used my backpacking stove in over 15 years.

I still have my MSR white gas stove I bought in high school. Still works, it's easy to rebuild and will probably last forever, but I hate using that thing.

[DSettahr]

My first backpacking stove was a white gas stove (MSR Whisperlite) because I knew they were the most foolproof- usable in any temperature, easy to see how much fuel is still in the bottle, etc. I still have it, and once every so often it gets dug out of storage for use as a hot water maker on winter group trips where it makes sense to carry multiple stoves, but it's well over a decade since I've used it as my primary stove of choice in any conditions.

[montcalm]

I bought my MSR for the exact same reasons - mainly for winter use though. I had many friends who simply used those very cheap propane stoves and cannisters. They worked great most of the time, but if was really cold they wouldn't work great. They were also quite bulky.

I always thought alcohol was a poor choice back then, and no one I knew used it. I eventually gave it a go, and for 3 season use, I wouldn't use anything else for fuel. My stove has zero moving parts - it's a can with holes. My stand folds flat and weighs like nothing. I know exactly how much fuel I need - I can easily carry a 4-5 day supply in a bottle as big as I used for my MSR - but I use a plastic bottle which weighs less. Also I believe I'd probably need twice the quantity of white gas. A good, small alcohol stove is brutally efficient if you know how to use it.

For a longer trip where I'm using dehydrated food and don't want to spend time cooking, it's my choice. For a quick lunch or some tea while I'm moving - it's my choice. A cannister is less fuss, but not much, and it's way more waste and valves to fail.

When I want to enjoy myself and eat good food - wood it is. And back to the original tangent, when I have the luxury of being in a boat and not having to carry, having really good wood is a treat. It's hard to find something on the ground that burns as nice a kiln-dried piece of split hardwood. But if weight is an issue, cooking with wood is never hard. I guess a twig stove could be nice, but a small grill is lighter and more useful and it's easy to make a small fire with it to boil water - not much more time consuming than using alcohol. But typically I use the grill for actual cooking and less for boiling...