I accompanied a friend and five young people aged 10 to 14 on a five day, four night trip from Blue Mountain Lake to Forked Lake this past week.
We had a late start on Monday so we took the kids swimming and cliff jumping off one of the islands. Afterward we set up camp on site 3 and made a dinner of scrumptious Mountain House chicken and rice followed by a fire and smores.
In the morning we broke camp and paddled over to the Castle Rock trailhead and made the ascent. It was clear beautiful day and very crowded on top.
We headed to our next campsite, the lean-to on Utowana but stopped at the old seaplane hangar for a quick swim.(with permission)
I have never camped at the lean to but have used it as a lunch stop in the past. It's in good shape and has a privy up the hill. The noise from rt 28 was not too bad but I am sure on a weekend it would be a little different. We built a good fire and had good night with more smores.
We were planning on getting one of the lean-tos by Beecher Island on Raquette Lake so we broke camp early as we still had the half mile carry to the Marion River. The weather forecast was calling for possible t-storms in the afternoon and we were hoping to avoid them. We double carried all the gear, two Minn 3's and my Hornbeck. A nice easy downhill walk. The upper Marion offered plenty of blooming pickerel weed, cardinal flowers and a few pitcher plants. We encountered one beaver dam which was easily carried over. We had a quick lunch at the campsite that was closest to Raquette Lake and hurried on as the skies were darkening.
The plan was to paddle toward Tioga Point and then past Needle Island and then around Bluff Point toward Beecher Island. As we passed Tioga the skies opened up and it poured heavily with some hail mixed in. Luckily there wasn't much wind involved. We made it to the camp site just past Beecher Island in good time, thanks to a tail wind. Luckily, only one of the three lean-tos were taken and we quickly set up camp. Good thing too.....a huge storm came through knocking down a couple of trees just a few feet from our site. :eek:
It seems that the lean tos were recently moved back from the shore. New roofs and floors installed.
The next day we paddled to the Forked Lake carry, quickly unloaded and completed our second and last double carry. At the Forked Lake put in we ate lunch and took a swim before heading out for our last night. We paddled west hoping to find an open site which we found on the north west side in a grove of white pines. It was one of three sites in the area, with tables and a privy. Nice open site. We had to hurry setting up the tents as some weather was approaching. As soon as the tents and tarp were up the rain came and didn't stop for a few hours. We broke camp and were back at the Forked lake launch before 11 am.
We had two girls and three boys, one boy never paddled or camped and another had minimal experience. The girls have done other trips such as Raquette Falls. I have to say that the girls were awesome. One girl did the Marion carry carrying a Minn 3 by herself with a barrel strapped to her back. THEN, after doing that, went back and picked up two barrels...one on her back and one in front completing the carry. Never complained, never stopped paddling and never stopped smiling! The inexperienced boy had a rough start but a good finish, had a smile on his face in the end and can't wait to do it again.
Can't beat that..........
We had a late start on Monday so we took the kids swimming and cliff jumping off one of the islands. Afterward we set up camp on site 3 and made a dinner of scrumptious Mountain House chicken and rice followed by a fire and smores.
In the morning we broke camp and paddled over to the Castle Rock trailhead and made the ascent. It was clear beautiful day and very crowded on top.
We headed to our next campsite, the lean-to on Utowana but stopped at the old seaplane hangar for a quick swim.(with permission)
I have never camped at the lean to but have used it as a lunch stop in the past. It's in good shape and has a privy up the hill. The noise from rt 28 was not too bad but I am sure on a weekend it would be a little different. We built a good fire and had good night with more smores.
We were planning on getting one of the lean-tos by Beecher Island on Raquette Lake so we broke camp early as we still had the half mile carry to the Marion River. The weather forecast was calling for possible t-storms in the afternoon and we were hoping to avoid them. We double carried all the gear, two Minn 3's and my Hornbeck. A nice easy downhill walk. The upper Marion offered plenty of blooming pickerel weed, cardinal flowers and a few pitcher plants. We encountered one beaver dam which was easily carried over. We had a quick lunch at the campsite that was closest to Raquette Lake and hurried on as the skies were darkening.
The plan was to paddle toward Tioga Point and then past Needle Island and then around Bluff Point toward Beecher Island. As we passed Tioga the skies opened up and it poured heavily with some hail mixed in. Luckily there wasn't much wind involved. We made it to the camp site just past Beecher Island in good time, thanks to a tail wind. Luckily, only one of the three lean-tos were taken and we quickly set up camp. Good thing too.....a huge storm came through knocking down a couple of trees just a few feet from our site. :eek:
It seems that the lean tos were recently moved back from the shore. New roofs and floors installed.
The next day we paddled to the Forked Lake carry, quickly unloaded and completed our second and last double carry. At the Forked Lake put in we ate lunch and took a swim before heading out for our last night. We paddled west hoping to find an open site which we found on the north west side in a grove of white pines. It was one of three sites in the area, with tables and a privy. Nice open site. We had to hurry setting up the tents as some weather was approaching. As soon as the tents and tarp were up the rain came and didn't stop for a few hours. We broke camp and were back at the Forked lake launch before 11 am.
We had two girls and three boys, one boy never paddled or camped and another had minimal experience. The girls have done other trips such as Raquette Falls. I have to say that the girls were awesome. One girl did the Marion carry carrying a Minn 3 by herself with a barrel strapped to her back. THEN, after doing that, went back and picked up two barrels...one on her back and one in front completing the carry. Never complained, never stopped paddling and never stopped smiling! The inexperienced boy had a rough start but a good finish, had a smile on his face in the end and can't wait to do it again.
Can't beat that..........
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