Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Lean-to pictures (Part 2)

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #91
    Pillsbury Lean-to & Sampson Lean-to

    Pillsbury (3/4 view) and Sampson lean-tos (Straight on).... 3.3 miles uphill into Pillsbury from parking lot at foot of Pillsbury Mountain trail, another 3 (each way) in a day trip to Sampson. Sampson was a bit of a surprise, (why my friend is holding the book) heads under canoes, and trusting we didn't need to refer to maps on such well worn trails... we missed the turnoff to Whitney which is almost an invisible turn off unless you are looking for it, and continued on the highway, figuring the trail to Whitney and it's lean-to would be pronounced. We discovered the lean-to we were at when we looked at the log book. ROFL ! Two things, apparently there is no longer a lean-to on Whitney, and the trail is not well traveled, and the climb down into Sampson is a bear and about twice as far as Whitney would have been! We were a long way and a mountain from out car while fishing on Sampson!

    I slept well after this trip, we carried & dragged the boats much farther then we paddled them. While the lakes are very pretty, and loons quite tame (one pair spent a good deal of time 6 feet from our boat... they are VERY LOUD at that distance!) it was the busiest place I have ever canoe camped ...obviously because it being a side hitch on the Northville-Lake Placid Trail. Our full-sized boats raised a few eyebrows and scratched a few heads! We are not used to company dropping directly into our camp and foot traffic at all hours! But they were friendly enough and we scooted over and shared our fire!
    Attached Files
    Last edited by RichieC; 12-16-2014, 02:09 PM.

    Comment


    • #92
      I don't think that Sampson Lake gets much traffic from NPT through hikers. Most of those through hiking the trail are loathe to go very far out of their way due to the mileage involved in hiking the trail, and Sampson Lake is nearly 3 miles off the NPT. 6 miles round trip is probably nearly half a day of hiking for most through hikers.

      Sampson Lake (and Pillsbury Lake) are, however, located on the French Louie Loop, which is a 20 mile backpacking loop that traverses many of the lakes in the West Canada Lakes. Because it can be easily hiked in a long weekend, the trip is moderately popular. The backpackers you encountered were probably people hiking this loop.

      And yeah, the old portage trails that used to connect Pillsbury, Whitney, Cedar Lakes haven't been maintained in years. Trying to follow them is a significant exercise in backcountry navigation.

      Comment


      • #93
        Originally posted by DSettahr View Post
        ...the old portage trails that used to connect Pillsbury, Whitney, Cedar Lakes haven't been maintained in years. Trying to follow them is a significant exercise in backcountry navigation.
        They had been cleared when I was last through there in Nov. '13.

        Comment


        • #94
          Originally posted by Justin View Post
          They had been cleared when I was last through there in Nov. '13.
          Interesting. I haven't been on them since 2009. I wonder if it was done with DEC authorization?

          Comment


          • #95
            Originally posted by DSettahr View Post
            Interesting. I haven't been on them since 2009. I wonder if it was done with DEC authorization?
            That I couldn't say, but it appeared that a portion of the Pillsbury Lake leg had been re-routed further up the shoulder of Noisey Ridge, bypassing a large pocket of blowdown on the original route.

            Comment


            • #96
              Originally posted by DSettahr View Post
              I don't think that Sampson Lake gets much traffic from NPT through hikers. Most of those through hiking the trail are loathe to go very far out of their way due to the mileage involved in hiking the trail, and Sampson Lake is nearly 3 miles off the NPT. 6 miles round trip is probably nearly half a day of hiking for most through hikers.

              Sampson Lake (and Pillsbury Lake) are, however, located on the French Louie Loop, which is a 20 mile backpacking loop that traverses many of the lakes in the West Canada Lakes. Because it can be easily hiked in a long weekend, the trip is moderately popular. The backpackers you encountered were probably people hiking this loop.

              And yeah, the old portage trails that used to connect Pillsbury, Whitney, Cedar Lakes haven't been maintained in years. Trying to follow them is a significant exercise in backcountry navigation.
              LOL... on the way back we had our maps and compasses out and looked for it... we ass-u-me'd it to be plain.. it is there, right about where a noticeable rutted former road ascends the hill. It goes up and over the bank and you can make out an opening into the woods across a small field, but it is very faint. BTW, At the top of the hill is a set of old wood spoked wheels, axel and tires. LOL these are the third similar entire unit I have run across. Must be they'd bring in a whole new rear assembly when they broke!

              The hikers that stopped in were on the Northville-Lake Placid trail and were swinging over as a side trip specifically see/stay at the Pillsbury lean-to, they both came in from the north, from th eCedar lake trail we turned off of to get to Pillsbury and both left headed south. The one came in at 11:30 p.m. or so, we watched his head lamp dance through the trees long before he showed up. He was quite happy at the cold beer we handed him! Lean-to packed with us and the first guy, he set up his tent. We base camped there and day tripped to Whitney to fish, though ended up at Sampson. That Sampson trail is well worn. We were going to see if we could cut up to Cedar from WHitney- along the trail on the map... LOL, but we didn't quite get to Whitney! No trail that we could make out between Pillsbury and Cedar like that which shows up on the map near the Pillsbury outlet. We scoured the shore (from the lake) looking for any sign of a landing. Only very wet swamp and very thick undergrowth.

              This and similar trips in the rainforest of the Adirondacks, which is more jungle then wide open, where you can be 5' from a trail and not know it... or right on top of it and not be able to tell... or never find a trail that should exit a blowdown detour, especially when you run into another, ( and sometimes another. and sometimes even another) before getting back on... .. are why I got my GPS. Yeah I know... a compass... and I can certainly make one work.. but we never seem to have much time.
              Last edited by RichieC; 12-16-2014, 06:15 PM.

              Comment


              • #97
                Rich,
                We hiked the former trail from Pillsbury Bay on Cedar Lakes to the beaver flow, where we found fresh Justin tracks. He was there at the same flow earlier the same day, but we missed him. We continued on the S side of the flow along the former trail to Pillsbury...it was extremely thick with much deadfall. After losing and regaining the old trail for a few times, we gave up and headed back to Cedar lakes. Our hope was that we could carry back between Cedar Lakes and Pillsbury. When I got home and checked the GPS track, I realized that we were within .2 miles of Pillsbury!! OH well, it was too thick for carrying that day anyway...but maybe now it could be a little easier.

                Comment


                • #98
                  Continuing the theme...


                  Pharaoh Lake #3:



                  Pharaoh Lake #4:



                  Oxshoe Pond:



                  Little Rock Pond:



                  Hamilton Lake Stream:



                  West Lake #1:



                  T Lake:



                  Raquette Lake, Boucher Point:

                  Comment


                  • #99
                    Great pics Justin , thanks for sharing.
                    Many years from now , you will be able to look back and know that you made the most out of the time that you were given.
                    The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

                    Comment


                    • Fishing Rock, Newcomb Lake



                      Stony Pond ( I had to really dig for this one...from '92)



                      Raquette Lake, Big Island

                      Comment


                      • Friend took this picture today at Stony Pond before we hiked back. It was her first time camping outside of a larger group. We had a good time. No activity besides the loons at night which freaked her out a bit.

                        So I guess the image I uploaded didn't work, but here it is. http://imgur.com/5vqwjbg
                        Attached Files
                        Last edited by LaRocqueOShaughnessy; 06-27-2015, 10:52 PM. Reason: Added image
                        sigpic

                        Comment


                        • Cool shot! Wonder why it won't render without hitting the link...

                          Comment


                          • A few from last winter...



                            Boucher Point, Raquette Lake:





                            North Lake, Black River Wild Forest:






                            Sacandaga Lean-to, Siamese Ponds Wilderness:






                            Lower Sargent Pond:






                            Wilson Pond, Blue Ridge Wilderness:

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by LaRocqueOShaughnessy View Post
                              Friend took this picture today at Stony Pond before we hiked back. It was her first time camping outside of a larger group. We had a good time. No activity besides the loons at night which freaked her out a bit.

                              So I guess the image I uploaded didn't work, but here it is. http://imgur.com/5vqwjbg
                              Looks like they are getting ready to move it. Did you happen to see where it was going to be moved to?

                              Comment


                              • I would love to use some of these photos for the new Lean-To challenge

                                Website

                                Please send me an email with your lean-to image and i will add it to the website lean-to page for that particular lean-to.
                                sigpic
                                [URL="https://www.facebook.com/adkleanto/[/URL]

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X