LOCALadk Magazine

30 Summer 2015 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk miles north of Bolton Landing, and Exit 24 on the Northway. This small launch area is not intended for large boats, but offers easy access for canoes and kayaks. Joe Moore is the owner of Placid Boatworks in Lake Placid. Their mis- sion with these beautifully hand laid craft, is to build lightweight, effi- cient paddlecraft in the cleanest manner possible. They are dedicated to helping everyone enjoy the great outdoors from the seat of a well made boat. Joe shares with us one of his favorite paddling areas. www. placidboats.com The St. Regis Canoe Area, Santa Clara, NY "There are so many options here for flatwater paddlers that it's hard to pick one, so I always end up gravitating to the place I grew up exploring - the St Regis Canoe Area. Anytime you have a free day in the summer or fall, you can't go wrong pond hopping in the St. Regis Canoe Area and/or the ponds just south of it, between Route 30 and Floodwood Road. You can feel like you're getting away from it all without having to travel very far. Another fun spot is to put in at Long Pond off of Floodwood Rd about 1/2 mile west of St Regis Canoe Outfitters and paddle to the Mountain Pond carry. Hike into Mountain Pond and pick up the trail to Long Pond Mountain on the right. Nice little hike with lots of views and blueberries if you go in late summer. You can also approach by putting in at Hoel Pond and travel- ing through Turtle and Slang Ponds to Long Pond for a longer paddle. Follensby Pond also offers easy access paddling and the opportunity to pond hop and or camp." Getting there: Drive north on 86 out of Saranac Lake, turn left on 186 and go 9 miles until the Floodwood Road on your right, near Saranac Inn golf course. Go 5 miles to a parking area on the right side. carry to Long Pond is only .25 miles. To put on at Hoel Pond, take a right at the golf course on Flood- wood Road and keep an eye out for a dirt road on the left that runs along the golf course. Follensby can be accessed right off Route 30 near Fish Creek campground. Simon Gardner and his business partner Chad Smith own the Ad- irondack Canoe Company. They build lightweight yet very durable pack canoes made of Kevlar and carbon fiber. These shorter twelve foot boats are designed to make it easy to portage or carry to so many of the remote ponds and lakes within the Adirondacks. www.adirondackcanoeco.com. Thirteenth Lake, Siamese Ponds Wilderness; North River, NY "Thirteenth Lakes' two-mile length and clear water has always held a cer- tain draw for me. I have never been able to put my finger on it but it is a beautiful place to paddle. Good fishing is to be had as there are Land- locked Salmon, Brook Trout, Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout in the cold depths of this Adirondack gem. Located around the lake are campsites to fit every taste. Morning sun lovers should camp on the Western side of the lake and the mid afternoon sunbathers should go for the Eastern side. There are some small cliffs to jump off and swim on the Western shore. My wife and I were married on Thirteenth Lake and that makes it special to me. But what also makes Thirteenth Lake special for me is the evening paddling session. Once the day breeze quits and the lake goes to glass, Thirteenth Lake settles into the evening quiet of a place of worship. On clear nights I have had hypnotic experiences of paddling under and over the stars as they were reflected so perfectly in the water. Thirteenth Lake is a great get away for a day paddle or for an extended stay." Getting there: Follow Thirteenth Lake Road from State Route 28 in North River approx- imately 5 miles or so to the access road to Thirteenth Lake. A large DEC sign is visible and obvious on the right indicating a trailhead to Thirteenth Lake, Peaked Mountain Pond, Peaked Mountain and the Siamese Wilder- ness. Follow the dirt road to a parking lot. A walk of about 100 yards on a wide smooth well maintained trail through a camping area takes you to the put in. There are several camping spots here but the really good ones are on the lake. These campsites will usually have people in them but pass them by for the water access sites. There is a good map showing campsites and trails on the path to the water. Anne Brewer Long Pond, St. Regis Canoe Area

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