Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Sand Lake to Clockmill Pond

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

  • #16
    Thanks for all of the photos, that is a beautiful area. It looks pretty confusing on Google maps. Maybe you need a little flag on a long pole on your canoes so that you can find each other in those meadows.
    Zach

    Comment


    • #17
      Mike, wish I could've made the trip with you guys. I liked how you marked the way with the red rocks. Who needs GPS or map and compass?

      Comment


      • #18
        Originally posted by hickoryskier View Post
        Mike, wish I could've made the trip with you guys. I liked how you marked the way with the red rocks. Who needs GPS or map and compass?
        Dave,
        Hah!! No need for map, compass or GPS, what I needed was a satellite image in my pocket!
        I'm still kicking myself for not fully preparing...don't get me wrong, we had a great time, but still those lingering questions remain. Your little lady would not have enjoyed it, nor would MDB!! Josh called it a mini-manly trip. BTW, he now remembers the Cedar River trip fondly, funny how a little time dulls the memory, or does it give greater perspective?
        I plan to go back early season, when the water is higher and the vegetation lower, tricky though, because the Powley road opens kind of late...

        Anyway, even after marking all the hazards, my boat didn't suffer much.
        Here's how it looked this afternoon when I was putting everything away.

        Comment


        • #19
          A year after not completing this trip, Jamie and I returned with a new plan and lots of determination. We decided the best way to be successful would be to turn the trip around. So on Sunday morning we carried into clockmill. The water level was quite low but we put on and paddled to the old dam and outflow. Very short portage to what most maps show as a small flow or pond. At first it looked completely dry, but we found a narrow stream and we put in. It was about 6 feet wide, so we figured it would be an easy paddle over to the woods approximately 800 yards. The 6 feet quickly narrowed to about 2 feet and filled in with weeds. We managed to push, slide and paddle through but it took about an hour. We were both glad we were going with the flow instead of upstream. At the current low level I don't think a boat could be paddled upstream. We were now at the top of the bushwhack that we could not get up last year. We started bushwalking down through the forest on river left and moved out into the stream bed for the second half, again very pleased we were downstream instead of up. We were exactly where we had turned back the year before. I would say that this bushwhack is at least twice as long as the two coming up from sand. We paddled right and very soon were at the top of the second sand bushwhack. We swung and headed towards the mud pond outflow. This was very much like the trip stripperguy and Josh were on in July, probably a little less water. We worked our way upstream crossing beaver dams and avoiding rocks. At one point we had to get out of the boats and carry over rock gardens. Eventually we made our way to the intersection with the outflow of mud pond. There was not enough water so we carried out boats about 40 or fifty yards and found enough water to paddle. Gps indicated about .35 mile to mud so on we went. In this short distance we carried over 4 or 5 beaver dams gaining water each time. At the last dam we could see mud pond through the woods. We were soon on mud and it was great. We paddled up most of the left shore looking for the trail, with no luck so we climbed onto the bog and headed nw. In a very short bushwhack we broke out onto the road. Gps showed about .7 mile to the car at clockmill corner. All together we traveled just under 4 miles in about 6.5 hours. We had decided during the planning stage to go out through mud so we could bring one car and eliminate the need for a shuttle. I thought it would be easier than going out through sand. Definitely too low of a water level. In the end we made it through as planned and in one piece. John

          Comment


          • #20
            John,

            To cool!! Glad to hear that there was enough water(sort of) to make it from Clockmill outlet back to the 2nd rock dam.
            Did you find my low water warnings on the rocks?
            I think I'll wait for more water before I do a replay.
            Nice demonstration of willpower.
            What's next??

            Comment


            • #21
              Mike, we definitely saw signs of your last visit. Some of the rocks looked exactly like your photos. I agree that it would be wisest to wait for more water before another visit. This year we have been working on upstream adventures. Thinking of getting back to pond hopping with the low water levels and drier trails. Next adventure has not been picked yet. Jamie and I usually discuss and decide while paddling around the Grafton ponds. John

              Comment


              • #22
                Hi all who are familiar with this area.
                I visited Sand Lake last May with my 5 year old for two nights and we had a great time. We used the campsite right at the end of the Sand Lake trail, which was ok. I am looking to go to Clockmill this year, wondering about campsites on the lake there. CNY says there is a site where the trail meets the pond, are there others on the pond we could paddle or hike to that anyone knows of?
                Thanks
                Last edited by Zeebo; 02-28-2018, 01:31 PM. Reason: typo

                Comment


                • #23
                  Found two sites on our trip, there may be more. I think “D” is the better one, in fact quite nice. It has a very nice rock outcropping where you get out into an unobstructed 300 degree beautiful view. Fire pit is out there as well, making for an attractive evening. Hope the link below works. “B”is the approximate location of the second site. The water was a lot lower than the satellite views. Neither site had seen much use.



                  September 15, 2015










                  Farther south along Piseco Road on way out, we came in from north, Route 8, I see on map it’s called Bray House Falls, East Canada Creek.... it’s worth the stop....

                  Last edited by RichieC; 03-03-2018, 04:04 PM.

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X