LOCALadk Magazine

26 Fall 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk You'll probably see a beaver lodge and other evidence of those toothy rodents' presence; otter trails can be spotted on the banks, and folks have seen moose in the area, this be- ing ideal habitat for those magnificent ungulates. Here I can add that upon take-out, I heard distant barking, but whether it was a domestic canine (although there are no houses with- in normal aural range of the spot) or a feral one I could not tell. I would like to believe it was a coyote or coy dog, but I cannot prove it. If you want to schedule this outing for maximum color, re- member that "peak" in the northern Adirondacks is about a week earlier than in the southern regions, and typically a fortnight before it hits in the more populated parts of the state. We're talking the first or maybe second weekend of October in a normal year, keeping in mind that years are hard- ly ever normal anymore. Also (this should be obvious, but re- markably enough, reports indicate it isn't): Be prepared for cool temperatures; daytime highs on the north slope at this point in the annual cycle can sometimes struggle to climb into the 50s, so you'll want layers and a change of clothes in the car in case you get up close and personal with the water, which may feel warmer at first touch than it is. Always have plenty of potable water with you, and wear a personal flota- tion device, or PFD, known in simpler times as a life jacket. I always carr y an extra paddle (I stupidly left one behind after a rest break on the Bog River years ago), and have found that a folding canoe seat—they go by several brand names—is heavenly for my aging back. If you want to extend your color encounter in the area, a 45-minute (give or take) driving triangle with the village of St. Regis Falls at its western tip can add to your foliage fix. You can do this in either direction before or after your paddle outing, but let's describe it heading north from the put-in. Follow Route 30 about 8 miles and, just after the Deer Riv- er Flow (another good paddling location), turn left onto the narrow Red Tavern Road, also Franklin County Route 14. You will pass the distinctive old Red Tavern itself, a stagecoach overnight stop in days long gone, and farther on you can pause at a pull-over and walk across the road for a glimpse of Everton Falls on the North Branch of the St. Regis. Once in St. Regis Falls, turn left at the T, merge straight onto Route 458 in the center of town (do not turn north toward Potsdam, or you will disappear into the St. Lawrence Valley) and take it east through the Eleven-Mile Woods of famed 1800s logging days, back to your starting point. If you do this paddle at the right time, I guarantee you will have your fill of fall colors for another year.

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