Flatwater Kayaking in the North Creek Area?

[Frostillicus]

Hey Dudes. Happy Summer. I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good flatwater (easy access preferred) kayak spots in the North Creek Area? I've gone quite a bit in a couple of small lakes in the GF region, but I'm statring to get tired of the same old spots. Any help is appreciated.

[Snowballs]

13th Lake. Easy access, nice size and little shoreline developement. Loon Lake is nice, easy access. It's been described as one of the most scenic lakes in the ADK's, but Idk. We do like it but Paradox is prettier, IMO.

Some of the remote lakes have their access roads locked this year due to DEC money issues. Myself, I'ld recommend staying off of Lake George w/kayaks and canoes. That lake isn't very friendly to small vessels, as seen lately it turns deadly for them. I'ld at least hug the shore.

Side Note:

Hope everybody is washing off their boats and paddles, etc as they hop from water to water. Invasive species suck bigtime. I've seen lakes that are COMPLETELY choked out with Milfoil. It looks so thick as if you could walk across it. It's gonna be very sad if these lakes up here get ruined by that BS! Zebra mussels and Rock Snot suck too.

Out of the area people who visit here in the summertime should consider bringing swim suits. Many of the waters are absolutely crystal clear. Mirror Lake in Placid is that way, has a nice beach, changing house and more than it's share of Hotties.

[Frostillicus]

No way would I kayak in LG this time of year. Loon is nice. Thanks for the imput!

I was also thinking about Forked Lake (which is a little further North). Anyone done that?

[HudsonHiker]

Garnet Lake out past Johnsburg is nice, small, scenic, quiet with easy access. Cedar River Flow past Indian Lake is nice small scenic quiet and easy access. I think you can still drive to the dam even with the Moose River Plains Road closed beyond there. Happy boating.

[fujative.]

Thurman Station down to 1000 acres or Lake Luzerne. It's not exactly flatwater but in no means whitewater. You'll need to have a second car or bike to get back up to the start point though.

Here are some pics from about a month back
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/tbattesh/0516101719.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/tbattesh/0516101717.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/tbattesh/0516101811.jpg

On a semi-related note... any whitewater kayakers out there? I'm heading out to the Schroon or Sac for my first time ever on whitewater. I'm pretty stoked!

[Snowballs]

Just an FYI for the board....there's one caveat on that Hudson River run Fuj mentioned. There's a very dangerous falls, Rockwell?, just before the town of Lake Luzerne. Don't mess with it. People die there even during low water. There's a take out spot, skier's right, before the Falls. There "MAYBE" signs on the river alerting boaters to the falls - but I'm not sure! Falls can be very difficult to see by upriver boaters. Before you know it, you're sucked in and going over. The water below the falls is very dangerous, too. Couple years ago a strong swimmer, young man, swam there and lost. The water there looks docile but it's not.

There's also a bad spot on the Sacandaga river below the trestle, skier's left of midriver. It's an underwater boulder that traps people underwater and holds them there in it's current. You could see it from the dead end road above that stretch. They were talking about removing it - don't know if they did. Stay to the right, on the inside of the bend.

Just want you to be informed and thus safe. Go, have fun, come back home.

[TomCat]

It's not exactly NC, but not that far either. Very nice lake with some public islansd in the middle that you can stop at.

tom

[Spongeworthy]

Hey Dudes. Happy Summer. I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good flatwater (easy access preferred) kayak spots in the North Creek Area? I've gone quite a bit in a couple of small lakes in the GF region, but I'm statring to get tired of the same old spots. Any help is appreciated.13th Lake for sure. Also try Minerva Stream -- go north down to the dam from the 4-way stop sign in Olmstedville (the corner with Sullivan's & The Lucky Leprechaun). Either put in there or, if you have two cars, head up that road and put in right at the 1st overpass. Cedar River Flow is beautiful, but read up on it first in the interwebitubes so that you know how to get into the twisty stream at southeastern part of the flow -- that stream is one of the best parts of paddling Cedar River Flow.

Forked Lake is very nice, tho' it's a bit of a trek from North Creek. If you do go, don't put in at the campground (first entrance). Keep going until you cross over the Raquette River. There's a put-in right after that on your right.

[Harvey44]

13th Lake is a beauty for sure, especially considering you can drive to it:

My best pic of 13th Lake (http://www.nyskiblog.com/2009/09/another-beautiful-day-in-north-river.html).

A couple pics from the Balm of Gilead Cliffs (http://www.nyskiblog.com/2009/09/beautiful-day-in-mtns.html) above the Lake.

Crane Pond over near Schroon Lake is really nice and not too far of a hike too.

[fujative.]

Just an FYI for the board....there's one caveat on that Hudson River run Fuj mentioned. There's a very dangerous falls, Rockwell?, just before the town of Lake Luzerne. Don't mess with it. People die there even during low water. There's a take out spot, skier's right, before the Falls. There "MAYBE" signs on the river alerting boaters to the falls - but I'm not sure! Falls can be very difficult to see by upriver boaters. Before you know it, you're sucked in and going over. The water below the falls is very dangerous, too. Couple years ago a strong swimmer, young man, swam there and lost. The water there looks docile but it's not.

There's also a bad spot on the Sacandaga river below the trestle, skier's left of midriver. It's an underwater boulder that traps people underwater and holds them there in it's current. You could see it from the dead end road above that stretch. They were talking about removing it - don't know if they did. Stay to the right, on the inside of the bend.

Just want you to be informed and thus safe. Go, have fun, come back home.

Yes, that would be Rockwell Falls. A lot of people jump at the bridge there. I heard about it and it being really sketchy, so I stayed away. One day I finally checked it out and jumped. Went probably 10 times with no issues. Last summer, my next-door-neighbors (house of 6 navy guys and gals who worked at the West Milton Naval Base) were with a guy who got sucked under and drowned there. I haven't been back since.

People have ran in it whitewater kayaks, but it's DEFINITELY not recommended, and maybe illegal.

[Snowballs]

Thanks Fuj. Your pics from the Hudson are pretty. Gotta hit that stretch. Bridge jumping is fun, but like you said not there. Get this, I've ran into a couple people in Luzerne who " claim " they jumped off the trestle over the Sac. A 100 ft jump into 6 ft? of water, yea right. I'm from Missouri on that one.

Sacandaga River is a pretty lookin run. Stewart's pond on the Sac, where you put in, is a great place to fish. Poppers early am will net you Big Azz Bass. There's shoreline rope swings on Stewart's, more fun. An unusual feature on the Hudson from Corinth to Hudson Falls has 6 or so dams in less than 20 miles. Some are rather high. They corral the river as it descends out of the mtns.

Rachel Ray is from Luzerne and maintains a home on Lake Vanare. Sometimes she stops at Lake Luzerne to chat with her friend Madeline who sells hot dogs lakeside. We there alot, but have seen her yet. I wanna go to her house for dinner.

We've wanted to tube the Schroon but not sure where to put in. The dam on there and where the best spot is has me confused.

Rafting on the Hudson, thru the gorge looks very fun. Spring time it's wild. Summer time it's mild. It's not a cheap family day when you go with the local companies but it is highly spoke of. The Cunninghams, NC fame, operate raft tours there and one of them is seen on local TV commercial streamside lookin all rugged and giving his pitch. Someday, when the kid gets older, we'll go.

[Frostillicus]

Thanks for all the input, guys. I'll being doing some research and hopefully we'll have a nicer Summer than last year so I can get out and explore.

[Snowballs]

In the pure interest of public safety, I gotta post another just emerging local story. Many out of towners read on here and may not be totally informed before the trying things discussed here. There's been two canoe/kayak deaths on Lake George already this season. One was run over by a " slow moving " boat.

Now a man writes to the Chronicle that he was kayaking LG and his friends were in a canoe when the following happened June 4th....

" I was kayaking on LG and a boat was coming at me at high speeds. To alert the boater of my whereabouts I waved my paddle.

The individual cut it very close to my boat as well as the individuals I was with in a canoe. When the driver saw how alarmed we were, he proceeded to do circles around our boats at high speeds, causing a heavy wake which resulted in the canoe flipping over in the middle of the lake approximately a mile from shore.

The event was terrifying, and this coming from an experienced boater who has been navigating the lake for 20 years. After making our 2 hour trip (i.e. swim?) with a flipped canoe back to shore I immediately contacted the Sheriff's office. "

They got the boat's registration numbers and an investigation is under way. Lake George while idyllic is not small boat friendly, esp. the southern basin. If you must go, stay close to shore. Large lakes get large waves that can swamp or conceal canoes, etc. Power boats can and do cause LG canoe/kayak fatalities.

Nature is not the only hazard. A-holes are just as present and probably more dangerous. " Drive defensively ".

[rossi]

Rachel Ray is from Luzerne and maintains a home on Lake Vanare. Sometimes she stops at Lake Luzerne to chat with her friend Madeline who sells hot dogs lakeside. We there alot, but have seen her yet. I wanna go to her house for dinner.





on a complete side note, my mom use to be rachel rays boss when she was younger. haha

as far as kayaking goes, i only go on lakes and rivers to fish, so i cant help much :roll:

[MidnightCarving]

north end of of schroon river is one of my favorites. go to exit 28, head straight down rt. 74 about a mile, put in just before the bridge and float or paddle right out into the lake.

works best if you have someone to pick you up at the north end of the lake, wouldnt want to paddle all the way back up stream.

[I:)skiing]

mdnghtcarvng: Appreciate the feedback on this and the old Gondi thread.


I just viewed the stretch you spoke of... Definitely looks to be flat water! I see, easily, 9 oxbow lakes and all of this twisting depcits slack water.


This is the best stretch I have seen yet that I would feel comfortable taking my 5 yr old on for starters. While I will be checking this out in advance, a few questions:

Assuming typical weather--no strong storms or drought---what time might this take, looks like 3 hours? Is paddling recommended or necessary to accomplish this in the time you might note. Example: Sit on your butt 5 hrs. Paddle 3 hours. Water depth..... about? I dont see any drops or rocks in the photos, so guessing we would not have to portage or push any length of this.


Is that a privite road owned by the marina? Looks like the take out is right on the peninsula if public.

[Snowballs]

Just a heads up for all, Brush/trees across the stream, in the stream, over hanging the water or on the side banks can turn a tame float into a killer one. With canoes, brush tends to turn the canoe sideways and the current then quickly makes it tip and people/ lil ones then get stuck submerged under brush. You may not be able to retrieve them in mere minutes.

Several years ago I had dive in and save a tuber on the Battenkill from this. It was a tame ride that very quickly turned lethal. It was real touch and go. I truly didn't think either one of us was going to get out alive. It was real scary and I'm no baby. Avoid trees and brush at all costs even on tame water.

The lower Schroon, after the lake has a dam across it that is of course to be avoided.

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, just want people to be informed of potentail hazards, ones I've personally seen happen to others. These wilderness streams may be clear one day, and the next have trees/brush in them at a most inconvienent place, i.e. current. Stay alert.

[Spongeworthy]

Just a heads up for all, Brush/trees across the stream, in the stream, over hanging the water or on the side banks can turn a tame float into a killer one. With canoes, brush tends to turn the canoe sideways and the current then quickly makes it tip and people/ lil ones then get stuck submerged under brush. You may not be able to retrieve them in mere minutes.

Several years ago I had dive in and save a tuber on the Battenkill from this. It was a tame ride that very quickly turned lethal. It was real touch and go. I truly didn't think either one of us was going to get out alive. It was real scary and I'm no baby. Avoid trees and brush at all costs even on tame water.

The lower Schroon, after the lake has a dam across it that is of course to be avoided.

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, just want people to be informed of potentail hazards, ones I've personally seen happen to others. These wilderness streams may be clear one day, and the next have trees/brush in them at a most inconvienent place, i.e. current. Stay alert.Everybody should read "At the Mercy of the Mountains" if they don't already have respect for the ADK wilderness. A good place to enter your name on the yearly Darwin awards is an ADK river that you haven't scouted, especially with a strainer (as described above)

[Danzilla]

Thanks for the book recommendation Sponge. I am going to order it from Amazon today.

I just spent a weekend on Indian lake with some friends and loved kayaking there. More than half the lake is wilderness and even on a weekend there were only a handful of power boats. Very pretty. There is a state boat launch about halfway down the lake on route 30. It also looks like you may be able to launch at the north end near the indian lake dam. Has anyone here ever launched there? I hate having to drive an extra 6-8 miles and PAY to launch a kayak.

I also rank 13th lake near the top of my list for nearby paddles. Blue Mountain lake is a pretty paddle. Rich and Harris lakes up in Newcomb are also nice and the Goodnow mountain hike is a good moderate level hike nearby with great views at the top. Loon lake is good if you go early in the morning before the boats get active and there aren't many cars on the road (road noise from 9). Adirondack lake is OK but it is small and you get some road noise from 28. Abanakee is also nice south of 28.

The wife and I have sea kayaks so no river kayaking for us. I am interested in taking a whitewater kayak class. Always wanted to do it, but just haven't yet. We just spent some time in Saratoga and kayaked the Kayderossa creek - that was like being in a different world.

[Spongeworthy]

There are several books that you must own if you want to kayak/canoe in the ADKs:

Quiet Water New York, 2nd: Canoe & Kayak Guide (ponds/lakes updated in 2007 to include new additions to the ADK park)
Fun on Flatwater: An Introduction to Adirondack Canoeing (by the legendary Barbara McMartin -- ponds/lakes & streams)
The Adirondack Mountain Club Canoe and Kayak Guide: East-Central New York State (rivers/streams)
Canoeing and Kayaking New York (new in 2009) (rivers/streams)

There's also Adirondack Canoe Waters, North Flow, but rumors are that a long-overdue update is coming.

[I:)skiing]

Guys...excellent book recommendations.

WHile discussing books:

I just got


Adk waterfall guide--Russell Dunn maps out 67 waterfall trails from Saratoga to Peru.

Ski and Snowshoe Trails in the ADK Tony Goodwin. Maps out 50 hikes in basically the same area.


If interested in any particular area or hike, pm me.

[fujative.]

The wife and I have sea kayaks so no river kayaking for us. I am interested in taking a whitewater kayak class. Always wanted to do it, but just haven't yet. We just spent some time in Saratoga and kayaked the Kayderossa creek - that was like being in a different world.

The Kayaderosseras is a pretty nice paddle. Did you start from Kelly's Park in Ballston Spa or the bridge on Northline road right off exit 13N? At the end if you go a couple hundred feet past the take out there's a fun little rope swing where it empties into the lake. Isn't the river a bit tight for sea kayaks though?

[Danzilla]

Hey Fuj. We were staying near the lake so I actually went in from the lake side. I didn't make it all that far until I hit some downed trees that made passage without a portage impossible. Still very pretty though. Reminded me of some backwater paddles in south carolina.

Sea kayaks are actually pretty manueverable so long as you don't get into much in the way of rapids. Getting sideways in running water is not fun. I have a 17 foot perception boat and love it. It is a very fast smooth paddle. It has a rudder but I have only used it a couple times in bad wind / seas. It is overkill for most inland lakes / rivers but I still love it.

[fujative.]

Fun stuff. Last time I ran it we went from Kelly's park in Ballston Spa. There are two mandatory portages but they aren't too bad (other than the bugs).

Do you have family up here or did you just rent a house on the lake?

[Danzilla]

We rented a house with another couple in the woodlands development at the north end of the lake. Had an awesome time.

No family in the area, but I am working on a plan to get my family in the area in the next year or so.

[Snowballs]

Highly advisable. There's sooooo much to do up here. You don't even need a ton of disposable $$$$ as long as you like nature. If that's not your cup of tea, even little dinky donk towns have free concerts,plays, etc. We spend most of our summer time swimming, biking and riding the quads. The ol Lady is getting pretty good on her's. She hauls azz. We've been stopping trail side and loading up on blackberrys. Piece of pie, lil ice cream....Still haven't seen a dang moose tho. Spent 5 hrs at Lake Luzerne today. Tomorrow Lake George. Wednesday somewhere, who knows. Then rip with the quads for a few days. Then swim @......

SO YEAH, MOVE!