Lessons I Have Learned, Part Two

Social Media – Good, Bad and Ugly

By Rich Macha

The inspiration for this article came from a question recently asked on a Facebook paddling group. A family, new to kayaking, wanted ideas for places to paddle in the Adirondack Park that would be an easy drive from the Capital Region. There was a wide range of responses, some of them good, and some of them not so good.

Since there was not a lot of background and details offered by the original poster – like ages of the children, type of kayaks being put to use, and how much time they had spent using them locally – it made it more difficult to suggest appropriate paddling locations. I could only assume that they had little experience, so a smaller lake or pond with minimal motorboat use seemed like the best choice, since they would be less likely to have issues with the wind and boat wakes. A stream or river with little current could also fit the bill. Here are some of the responses that folks made and my thoughts on each.  

The Good

Take a lesson. It’s never a bad idea to jumpstart your paddling skills by learning how to do it the right way. Watching some YouTube videos can also help you with your technique.

Pick up a guidebook like Quiet Water New York: Canoe and Kayak Guide by John Hayes and Alex Wilson, which is perhaps the best guide to flatwater paddling destinations in New York, with a large number of descriptions of smaller lakes, ponds, and streams in the Adirondacks.

Many DEC campgrounds are located on appropriate smaller bodies of water and are open to day visitors for a small parking fee – Putnam Pond (Ticonderoga), Lewey Lake (between Speculator and Indian Lake), and Lake Durant (Blue Mountain Lake) can be attractive choices with easy access to the water.

Thirteenth Lake (North River) is a scenic two-mile-long lake with little development in the southern Adirondacks that attracts many paddlers, however, you must carry or wheel your boat for 200 yards to get to the put-in at a small sandy beach. Other similar possibilities include Garnet Lake (Johnsburg) and Mason Lake (north of Speculator).

The Schroon River, immediately south of Schroon Lake, is a slow-moving stream with some sandy beaches that could please a family of kayakers. Many other sections of the river have quickwater and whitewater sections that are more appropriate for those with more advanced skills and experience. 

There were also quite a few good suggestions outside of the Adirondacks, such as the Spier Falls section of the Hudson River and the ponds at NYS Parks like Moreau Lake (Gansevoort), Grafton Lakes (east of Troy), and Thompson’s Lake (south of Schenectady). There were also a number of suggestions in the northwest half of the park which, to me, did not qualify due to being well over a couple of hours driving distance from the Capital Region.

The Not So Good

The Kunjamuk River, east of Speculator, is a popular Adirondack stream but it has beaver dams so I would not recommend it to a family that is new to kayaking – until they know how to get in and out of their kayaks in less than friendly places. I have seen enough capsizes at beaver dams, especially when going upstream where a lift-over is more likely to be a necessity. Depending on water level, I have found that you can expect anywhere from two to 12 dams that may require a lift-over on the way to Elm Lake – with some luck, you may be able to slide down some of the them when going back downstream.

The Sacandaga River, between Lake Pleasant and the mouth of the Kunjamuk, was suggested but I believe the Sacandaga has enough current that some paddlers – especially smaller kids – may have problems, or at least have to work extra hard to paddle upstream. As a rule, streams with a noticeable current should be avoided by folks new to paddling. I also find it best to paddle upstream against the current first, while I am fresh, and then get the benefit of going with the flow on the return – when I am more likely to be tired.

Indian Lake, Northwest Bay Brook (Lake George), and West Lake to Canada Lake (northwest of Gloversville) were mentioned – all have their appeal, if folks stay in protected areas off the main part of the lakes, where wind and motorboats become more of a factor.

The Ugly

Great Sacandaga Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Raquette Lake, Little Tupper Lake and Stillwater Reservoir – these are all larger lakes that are known for the waves that can be kicked up by winds and/or motorboats. I have personally capsized on Stillwater when wind-driven waves swamped the canoe we were paddling – luckily, two picnicking motorboaters saw us go over and came to our rescue. I have kayaked in two-foot waves on Raquette Lake, which was fun in a sea kayak with spray skirt, but may not have been as much fun in an open canoe or recreational kayak.

Many Adirondack lakes, like Little Tupper, are oriented in a southwest to northeast direction and so are more susceptible to the prevailing winds that come from the west or southwest. I once stood at the put-in and watched a couple set out onto the lake in a nice canoe. Once they were out past the peninsula that shields the put-in from the wind they continued paddling hard, yet they made no progress, and soon gave up. I love to paddle Little Tupper because it gets me away from motors and civilization, but it does command respect.       

More Thoughts

Advice on social media can be a mixed bag, you get some good and some bad, and then you are left to do more research anyway, but I guess you have to start somewhere. If you’d like to read, “Lessons I Have Learned” (Part One), see the May 2020 issue: adksports.com.

Many years ago, I bought my preteen son a short, wide and stable kayak, and we took it out onto Garnet Lake where he paddled it less than a mile before it seemed like too much work for him, so I towed him back. Recreational kayaks are not known for their efficient glide. And in retrospect, the beginner paddle he used was fairly heavy, so I should not have been surprised. 

Just a few years later, now in his early teens, he was going out onto Lake Champlain in a long and narrow 17-foot touring kayak, and circumnavigating Valcour Island in a moderate chop. I still remember his comment as we were halfway across to the island, “This is fun, dad!”

A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack Mountain Club, and has spent 20 years in the paddlesport/snowsport business. More of Rich’s adventures can be found at northeastwild.blogspot.com.