Celebrate Paddling in the Adirondacks

By Rivka Cilley

The first canoes used in the Adirondacks were dugout canoes, used by the indigenous people from the Algonquin and Mohawk tribes. The canoeists enjoyed a variety of usage including transport, warfare, hunting and fishing. The new European settlers arrived in the mid-1800s. They were immediately drawn to travel by boat along the connecting bodies of water which make up the Adirondacks.

A now famous boat builder, George Washington Sears, designed the first lightweight pack boat solo canoe, weighing only 20 pounds. These Adirondack canoes were unique in that they came from an aboriginal type design and were built with European construction techniques. Guideboats were designed and made in the Adirondacks for the pleasure sportsman who came to the area to hunt and fish. Built to be lightweight, guideboats have naturally carved spruce ribs made from the tree roots.  

The Adirondack pack boat design from the 1800s is still used today. Today the only difference are we have modern technology and resources to make the boats even more efficient and durable. Paddling in the Adirondacks is still very much alive today. People travel from all over the world to get out on the water. Now people have the choice of paddling a canoe, guideboat, kayak or paddleboard. We also have the luxury of just paddling for fun. Amidst our busy lives, we find it necessary to immerse ourselves in nature.

What better place to do that than in the Adirondack Park with its six million acres filled with several designated wilderness areas and many wild forest areas. The St. Regis Canoe Wilderness area is an area designated just for paddlers and is often compared to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. The number and proximity of lakes and ponds offers unconfined paddling opportunities in a wilderness setting. The Adirondacks has nearly 30,000 miles of streams and brooks that emerge from the mountains and forests form the network of over 3,000 lakes and ponds. These rivers and their networks are perhaps the greatest multiple-use natural resources in the Adirondacks.

Celebrate Paddling ADK was first organized in 2016 and has grown into a bigger event every year. Since then, we devoted the month of June to celebrating paddling in the Adirondacks. This year Adirondack Lakes & Trails Outfitters, St. Regis Canoe Outfitters, Raquette River Outfitters, Mac’s Canoe Livery, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce have come together to organize events over the month of June to celebrate paddling.  

Organizers focused their conversation on making these events easily accessible by offering a variety of classes and paddle outings at discount prices. The events are designed for a range of ages and interests. St. Regis Canoe Outfitters is offering Family Canoe Games clinic for families with children. Also on the schedule is the traditional Trivia Night for people to test their knowledge on paddling questions. Adirondack Lakes & Trails Outfitters has created a series of events focused on Invasive Species Awareness.

The Saranac River and Raquette River clean-ups are great volunteer community service opportunities. The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation is offering a Loon Interpretation Paddle on Middle Pond. Mac’s Canoe Livery is offering Voyageur Canoe Evening Paddles in their 26-foot-long voyageur canoes. Paul Smith’s VIC is offering guided evening paddles on Barnum Pond.

In addition to these individual events, there will be larger opportunities such as the Adirondack Paddling Symposium, which is held the weekend of June 17-20. This event, which is being put on by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, focuses on instruction with tracks for kayak, canoe, pack boat and SUP. It caters to beginners and intermediate paddlers looking to build stronger skills. The Celebrate Paddling Invitational will be held at Riverfront Park on June 26. This is a family-friendly paddling event with something for everyone, including races for all ages and abilities, boat demos, and a chance to purchase or sell used boat or paddling gear.

The larger Saranac Lake community was also included in the planning. The Saranac Lake Public Library and the Saranac Lake History Museum will have a display of photographs and books. Mountain Hooves and Paws will be offering a series of four classes focused on paddling with your dog. The Adirondack Artist Guild will feature paddle related artwork in their window. ADK ArtRise will offer a Friday Night Date Night on June 10 focused around “watercolors” and Open Studio hours on June 11 with an optional “Dip and Go” marbling demo project. 

The Art Walk on June 16 will offer special activities that focus on paddling, such as a performance by the popular Canoodlers. Local restaurants are having lots of fun creating special menu items, such as Nutrition 365 will be offering the “Happy Camper Tea” and the “S’mores Meal Replacement Protein Shake” for the month of June to follow the festive theme. Some of the local retailers, such as the BookNook will have displays in their windows focused on paddling themes. For more information on these events, please check the schedule: celebratepaddlingadk.com.

Rivka Cilley fell in love with paddling 20 years ago and has never looked back. She is an outdoor guide and co-owner of St Regis Canoe Outfitters. For more info on St. Regis Canoe Outfitters, visit: canoeoutfitters.com.