LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 58 With our canoes safely stashed, we headed north to the Raquette River Brewery to celebrate life, with our favorite Mango Wheat on tap. We gathered around an outdoor picnic table. Over drinks and dinner, we shared stories and laughs. Camp Wigwam, a charming, roomy private camp on Upper Saranac Lake owned by a paddler's family, was our destination for the night. Hunkered down in our bedrooms—some with lake views—sleep came easily as the stars hovered above. Day 3 was Long Lake Village to Coreys; its 25 miles includes one portage. Long Lake is aptly named, and due to threatening weather, we decided on an early start. Drizzle and a wind that picked up midway had all of us hunkered down and scattered about on the waterway. We noted historic camps and camping options previously unseen during the competition. Our relaxed cruising speed allowed for the sensation of being surrounded by 360 degrees of open water. e Raquette River picks up again at the very end of Long Lake. e river was shallow but passable the entire time. We followed its many twists and turns to our one portage of the day. is carry is not wheel-friendly at its inception due to a steep, narrow, and oen muddy terrain that gets your heart pounding. ankfully, NFCT has made many upgrades to this section, a big improvement from years past. Trudging up and around Raquette Falls for approximately 1.5 miles seemed much longer going at our relaxed speed, prolonging the pain; and then it started to rain. We detoured from the 90-Miler route and went through Stoney Creek to Coreys rather than push on to the Crusher. is was the toughest stretch of the day due to the narrow and shallow conditions of the water and the rain pelting us from above, ricocheting off the water and back into our faces. Aer the chaos of a soggy takeout, showers and a change of clothes topped the list. We ordered takeout from Little Italy (in Tupper Lake) and feasted on lasagna, salad, and beer. As the weather cleared, we convened at the boathouse for dessert and enjoyed the distant mountain views, recalling the details of our adventure along the 90 so far. On our fourth and final day from Saranac Inn on Upper Saranac to Saranac Lake Village the wind picked up. Quartering winds and whitecaps would have cancelled a real 90-Miler day, but being who we are, we paddled onward. Aer completing the length of Upper Saranac fighting full gale-force winds, we finally made it to Bartlett Carry, and were (mostly) none the worse for wear. We portaged along a dirt road and into the woods for a bit before ending

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