LOCALadk Magazine

41 Summer 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk A stone's throw south of the Village of Tupper Lake, Bog River Chute flows into the lake less than a mile off State Route 30. Its convenient proximity to the road means it is the ideal location for a quick stop before or after a neighboring adventure. It also makes a great destination in itself. A faint trail from County Route 421 leads to the slide. Here at the easternmost drop of the picturesque falls I unlace my sneakers to prepare for the icy waters. I depend on the air temperature as much as the thrill of the slide to keep me warm. Today, I am warming myself by feverishly blowing air into a large River Rat tube. While the smooth grade of the Bog River Chute allows for one to slide down on their bathing suit bottom, the tube keeps me high above the water. After wading out to the river center, and plopping myself on top of the tube, the current takes control of my chariot. As I travel down the eight-foot drop I imagine I am moving faster than the loggers who once herded logs here a hundred years ago. I stay dry until the tube glides off the edge of the thirty-foot long slope. I am then catapulted into a bottomless pool of white foam. Water sprays upward as my limp body submerges into the deep, before I surface for air. The current is strong. I swim to retrieve the tube, before exiting into a broad eddy and climbing ashore. Then I do it again. And again. There are many flat rocks on either side of the wooded island perfect for cameramen and picnickers. The slide on the island's opposite shore is scenic and worthy of exploration, but has un- friendly ridges sticking up from the rock. The shallow pool at the frothy falls bottom also disqualifies it as a waterslide. Even more treacherous is the lower Bog River Falls beneath the stone- carved bridge on CR 421. I leave this thirty-foot drop to white- water kayakers, instead finding full satisfaction at the upper Bog River Chute. KIDS KNOW that slides are the epitome of playground play. The natural waterslides found on backcountry rivers and creeks of the Ad- irondack Park are no different. These hydrologically carved chutes and waterways offer thrilling river rides, capable of appealing to the inner child within us all. The Adirondack Mountains abound with numerous splish-splashing and therapeutic waterslides. Among my favorites are three heart-thumping and rejuvenating natural slides. In the park's center is perhaps my favorite: the natural chute of Bog River. Shoot the Chute (Tupper Lake) River Rides: The Ultimate Adirondack Outdoor Amusement Your Guide to Trailside Waterslides Story and Photos by Mike Kelsey

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