Hi all,
Quick question for those of you who are familiar with the Raquette… How many days/nights would you recommend for a trip from Racquette Lake to Simon Pond?
2 people, travelling by canoe, fairly strong paddlers, would like to have enough time for a couple side paddles/hikes, but overall we tend to move pretty quick.
P.S. Anyone got a spare bug net? My dad tells me I’m going to get eaten alive by the blackflies, but I’m trying to just ignore him.
Raquette L -Simmon Pond
"Fairly strong paddlers" could do this trip in either 2 unhurried days w/ a one night camp between or take a week (or more) depending on time available. If you have the time you may want to consider a launch @ Blue Mt L, then paddle W into Raquette L. This section is scenic, historic & allows for longer trip & much shorter shuttle.
Interesting side trips inc. paddles up Raquette’s South Inlet, Forked’s Brandeth L outlet, Big Brook(better downstream), Cold R, & Stoney Creek.
Lots of interesting water accessible hikes also. Enjoy !
Paddle & Portage
Time for this trip is a solid 2 days - unless you are racing with no load. If you want to do any side trips I’d recommend an absolute minimum of 3 full days with 2 nights. I did Long Lake to Axton with 3 nights a few years ago and filled the whole time (including a little hiking). Don’t forget the shuttle time.
Glen’s recommendation to start from Blue Mtn Lake is worth considering. Scenic & historic.
Thanks kindly for the responces
One thing is for sure, there should be PLEANTY of water with the spring we’ve been having around here.
Heck, if you lived over in NH or Mass, you wouldn’t even need to drive to the water. Looks like you could paddle down mainstreet in some of those towns…
Estimation Modification
Keith
Now thinking my original time estimate was a bit ambitious. It’s minimally 56m from Raquette Lake’s Outlet bay to Simon Pond. A launch elsewhere on lake would increase that distance & it looks to be about 70m from Blue Mt Lake.(inc 4.4m of carries) Taking 3 days for this entire rte wouldn’t allow much time for side trips.
Also the Adk NW watershed hasn’t had anywhere near the rain of other areas http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ny/nwis/rt
Lower reaches of Grass(e) Oswegatchie & Raquette here in St Law. Co. are all still running low
yeah
Three days is definitely ambitious, with side trips. It’s doable, but you will have little time for anything besides paddling from sun up to sun down…not that there’s anything wrong with that 