By Bill Luther
Why do RICKA paddlers have to travel 250 miles to get together to have a good time? It’s a long way from home. You have to stay overnight. They don’t serve hot wieners or coffee milk in this part of the world. The State police do stop you for running stop signs. I don’t know. I guess it’s just one thing. We’re on vacation and like to have FUN!
Henry Dziadosz, Barbara August and I were on the first RICKA trip on the Chain of Lakes in 1983 and discovered the joys of portaging over a seven-day period. Since then we’ve had a new approach and just do short day trips like sane people do. Besides Henry, no one has made the trip every year. Much has changed. Now we bring sea kayaks and mobile camping trailers and more than 30 people go every year. I guess it must have become big time fun, this Adirondack Week of Paddling.
This year, Peter Hill and I arrived at Lake Eaton Campground on Sunday at 2:00. The first two days were not summer-like with highs in the 50’s and dampness in the air. We kept telling each other that it would be nice after that. It was but that didn’t help with our “What have we got ourselves into” attitudes.
On Monday we did a short 6-mile, up-and-back paddle on Long Lake from the town beach. We did our “Monsters on Main Street’ pose for the camera on entry. Others were eager. I was not chipper. I didn’t feel warm until I crawled into the sleeping bag later that night. I wanted to talk to the leaders to see if I could leave summer camp early this year.
It was 38 degrees when we woke on Tuesday morning. Like a fool, I had forgotten my cooking gear, but was lucky enough to scrounge a cup of coffee. This was not going well. So I sucked it up and got ready to paddle nearby Round Lake.
At first 15 of us paddled up to a small beaver dam and looked at the trees along the shore that were turning crimson red. The wind was picking up to 15 mph as we entered the lake. Some of the solo boaters in canoes and short kayaks turned around to return.
Five of us continued to the beach area and talked to a small group from out of state who were camping for the night. These were primitive sites and had gorgeous views for those who dared to venture. On our return leg, the wind had abated and become almost glass-like for us to enjoy and engage in easy chit chat talk.
The real fireworks and sense of happiness did not arrive until the night of the Pot Luck Dinner on Tuesday night. Almost 34 people individually brought more than 1 person could eat at one serving so there was plenty to go around. It was a smorgasbord of delight. So much good food to please the gods. You saw people that you hadn’t seen in a year’s time and it evolved into small talk and laughter.
Hey where’s your dog? Hey, are you still paddling that ratty old boat? Where did you get the bucks to buy that luxury liner? Remember the time we almost tipped over? Matter of fact we did tip over. Yes, it was a pleasure to see so many of your old friends in one place at one time.
Later that night we were elated to hear that the Northern Nights would appear. The rumor was later amended and persisted through the week.
Chuck Horbert had asked that we should break up into smaller groups to maintain safety and to respect parking privileges. Thus there were as many as four trips to different places going on any given day.
On the 3rd day, five of us decided to paddle on Blue Mountain Lake, a short 20 miles away from our campsite. It was Peter, JeanMarie, Tammy, David and I who set out from the town landing that was manicured with flowers.
It was a glass mirror day on the lake with barely a breeze. We paddled through a corner of Blue Mountain into a stream and then into Eagle Lake and then into Utawama Lake where we looked for a lunch spot. This as I’m told is a traditional way for Scout troops to enter Long Lake and avoid some nasty long portage spots.
Failing to find a nice beach spot and after being on the water for over three hours, we made a beeline back to the launch beach and had lunch there. So day three was over and we went back to our sites and had a nice campfire with over 20 people telling their day’s adventure stories.
On the 4th day, Thursday, I set out on my own to find the elusive Adirondack Bike Rail Trail from Lake Placid to Saranac Lake and beyond. I had read about it and now I had to find an access point. On the way, I was passed by every motor vehicle on the road. I did not know where I was going and my “get-up-and-go” had “got-up-and-left”. Finally I found a bicycle shop that clued me into the start point.
I was the one cyclist in this canoe group and I was determined to find other sources of recreation. What I found was wonderful a flat gravel crushed stone bike path that had been completed in recent years. The trail was tree-lined in most places and had spectacular views of bodies of water that rival just about every bike trail that I have gone on. I rode over 45 miles that day and I was glad that I did it. In 2025, it will extend to 34 miles total and reach Tupper Lake and Rollins Pond Campground.
On the 5th day, Friday, Peter and I had teamed up with Hyman and Sandy Spekman to paddle the Oswegatchie River. Others had gone there and we were fortunate to have the last remaining day available. It was in St Lawrence County, close to the Tug Plateau where they often receive 200 inches of snow per year.
It was a treasure. I had wanted to visit two new places this year and I was rewarded. The Oswegatchie is about 20’ wide and 3’ deep and has a few rocks and blowdowns but it is not difficult to paddle a few upstream miles. We did and reached an overlook on a high rock outcrop that surveyed the entire upland marsh area.
This was the Campsite #45 that others had described with glowing words. We did not see any wildlife but if you used your imagination, you could picture moose and beaver roaming free. It was a spectacular view that remains with you forever.
We quickly returned downstream, loaded boats on to cars and later dined at the Adirondack Hotel as it was now late and getting dark.
The 6th day, Saturday, was going home day for most people. Four of us remained. We promised to keep in touch with each other and to share photos. It felt as if we were leaving summer camp and going back to school. For adults who refuse to grow up, some of us could relate to this feeling.
Three of us, Peter, Kim, and I decided to hike the local Buck Hill Fire Tower trail. We took the slow and easy approach and had fun on the way. We chatted to people coming down the hill. There was the couple from France who spoke to us in their native tongue to test us, the guy who knew every episode of Yellowstone by heart and the 7 member team of Hiking Grandmas with 28 grandchildren amongst them who entertained us along the way.
We reached the top and climbed the fire tower whose exterior structure was fenced with chicken wire to make it seem safer. We had another spectacular 100-mile view of forests and lakes on this clear end of summer day. We descended quickly and just for the hell of it we had dinner at the Adirondack Hotel again. Tomorrow, Sunday was packing time and we left at 10:00 for the long, 6-hour trip home.
I wanted to thank Hyman and Sandy for the meals we shared together and others who I shared a drink with or a snack together. It was my third consecutive year and I’m planning a 4th year even now. Thanks, Cindy and Chuck, RICKA paddlers and my travel mate, Peter Hill.