It's not pure wilderness like Quetico or BWCA or WCPP but it certainly has its moments...

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Mad Mat:

Agreed! The place is very busy, except at really off times of year and in very remote places. In fact, when I think of the Adirondacks, I think hiking not paddling.

Nevertheless, it still has some beautiful spots and mountain views one can't get in the Boundary Waters or Quetico.

Quetico is still my place of choice, don't get me wrong.

There's always the long trip: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Hey Phoenix, I'll be driving through the Adirondacks in 2 days!  Tomorrow, I'll be the finger lakes region. 

Looking forward to it!  I know I won't have time to really get to see it, but am still looking forward to driving through it.

prouboy

I just spent the last 3 days wandering through the Adirondack Park, Vermont, and New Hampshire.  THe next week will find me doing the same in Maine. 

This country is SPECTACULAR.  Words don't describe the beauty of the lakes and mountains. 

If I was 30 years younger, I'd seriously look at moving here! 

prouboy

HighnDry wrote on Oct 10^th, 2013 at 1:40pm:


Yes it is. I grew up in upstate NY and the Adirondacks was a common destination for vacations and Scouts.  Then I lived in Maine for several years.  Always thought I'd like to live in northern Vermont except for the politics.  So I guess it's why I'm intrigued by the North Forest Canoe Trail - a water route from Old Forge NY to Fort Kent ME - 740 miles, with 22 rivers and streams, 56 lakes and ponds, and 62 portages totaling 55 miles.  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

It is a bit longer drive, but Allagash Waterway in Maine is another option, far closer to a BWCA type experience.
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Azalea --  I'm sitting in a house on the Maine coast, an hour north of Acadia NP, thinking about next year's canoe season.  The Allagash is intrigues me.  I've got to learn more about this water. 

Can you refer me to anyone/any books or other sources of info? 

prouboy

Prouboy,

Thanks for the recommend, but we're looking for a trip withing a day's travel of northern Virginia. BSA rule is no more than 8 hours drvining in one day, so Maine would be two days travel on either end. 

I did a trip on the Allagash in 2002.  It was a nice area and as I recall, Allagash Falls was about the halfway point in a 7 day trip and our only portage.  We got windbound one day and the fishing was pretty poor to me, by BW/Q standards, but maybe I just didn't know the area.  Nice scenery, though and fairly remote.

pd

Thanks for the leads MM!  I actually found the same canoe outfitter on line yesterday - good info.  Have you used them?  Another leader of ours has a connection to MACS Canoe Livery in Lake Clear, I just found out.  Gonna check into that.  The St. Regis Canoe Area seems pretty nice too.  It's been suggested to look at a Long Lake, Raquette River, Upper Saranac Lake, Floodwood area for a 50 miler. Thanks for suggesting the Old Forge route.  BTW...what a nice pic on paddling.net on the Cedar.

pd

I'm reviving this thread only because there are some great links and recommendations from others and I've been put in charge of planning next year's trip for a group of 8 into......drum roll...the Adirondacks. Going to be researching guide books, maps and outfitters to find a little bit of something for everyone this time around including cabin stays for the home-bound and a bit more "adventure" for those of us with "restless-paddle-syndrome" (RPS)...As always, advice is most welcome

Portage dog - I apologize for the very late response. Anyway, council had two camps in Adirondacks - Sabattus and Woodlands. After that, our troop several times climbed Mt Marcy.

After 50 years, I don't recall many details.

"if you are in the Old Forge area and are interested in a day trip, Mountain Man outfitter/store can shuttle you up to the Rondaxe road for a day trip down North Branch Moose River - flatwater with one portage at the RR bridge (1/4 mile or so).  that is a nice stretch of river, with no camps and no motor boats at all - end the trip back at Mtn Man's store in Thendara."

Well, since Mad Mat's advice is always good, I took it and that is just what I did a few days ago (7/10/15) - Mountainman's rental fleet was about 50 kayaks, 4 or 5 tandems, and one lonely solo.  An Old Town  "Next" solo - kind of a hybrid, sit on the floor - or rather on a lawn chair like seat I didn't like, but I'd brought a seat cushion to raise up a bit higher, and it paddled well enough. portaging it would have been painful with that seat arrangement, but I used the Type IV cushion as padding, and it carried ok, if a bit heavy at 60 lbs or so.

But for $46 plus tax ($48.50 or so) that included the shuttle to Rondaxe Rd., it was a nice deal.  Took me 3 hours, including the 1/4 mile portage - apparently that was a "record", as all 3 of the guys from the rental shop were amazed I was back so early - they say allow 5 to 6 hours. Something between 10 and 15 miles - would have to look it up.

I hadn't done that stretch of the Moose river in maybe 15 years, and it was nice to get back on it - good current helped (from a lot of rain several weeks in a row earlier on).

So if you are up in that neck of the woods, it is definitely worth doing.  Mtn man will shuttle your own canoes if you have them.   I had a 15' Grumman I could have used, but the $46 rate was a lot easier than cobbling together a boat rack to carry the Grumman, and the Next did paddle easier than the tandem would have, and portaged a bit lighter as well.