Anyone around Lake George (NY) or paddled there this past weekend?
I'm thinking of heading up there the coming weekend (Columbus Day weekend). Wondering
1) Is the color foliage good?
2) if it'll be busy with power boat (don't mind a few from time to time, but not much fun if it's full of motor noise)
Notice that only a few will know where
you’re talking about.
Edited
original post to make sure WHERE it is. 
We visited Lake George in July.
According to foliage maps, the leaves should be getting real good by now. If you want to try some really, really long class 2 rapids, go run the Schroon.
lake george
was there 2 weeks ago. Power boat traffic was heavy in the afternoons…we paddled early mornings on the lake and then would find a quiet spot in the pm.(like the put-in off of rt9 north of Bolton Landing - that little stream leads into Norhtwest Bay and was a real nice paddle). No color when we were there but should be near peak this weekend. Enjoy.
Why Lake George?
Must be lots of better destinations in the Adirondacks, no?
If you want to paddle a big lake,
in NY, you might also try:
http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?1981
Can’t beat the 35 mile fetch
There are many beautiful water spots in the Adirondacks, however if you want something that feels bigger than a pond, Lake George is hard to beat. It is also very beautiful. The boat wakes give the water some dimension and if there is a good wind out of the South, the waves can build nicely.
By this weekend the boat traffic will be less than earlier in the season. The leaves should be pretty good. We paddle on Lake George often. I can suggest some options on put-ins and directions. Email me directly if you like.
Exactly
And the many tiny islands one can camp on.
Plus, it's easy to get to from down state. 4+ hr (all interstate) instead of 5-6 hr drive to reach the western side of the 'Dack.
I've done it in September one year. A bit chilly for camping but nice and quiet padddling with minimal motor boat traffic.
But I was interested to find out about the "leaf peeping" period. For ocean kayakers, the boat wake is not an issue but a lot of motor noise can be annoying.
Define "better"
I call it fresh water “ocean”. Big enough to stretch our arms, so to speak.
Was relatively close
yesterday and no where near peak at Saratoga National Battlefield. Week before at Blue Mt. Lake was probably 40%. LG should be at or just past peak this weekend - depending on how much rain we get.
Should be some good boat traffic, but probably not as much as Labor Day. I do like the confused seas the boat wakes make. Mix in a little wind and you’ve got a perfect day!
Yes, you’ve just talked me into it. Pretty likely I will paddle there this weekend. Who else is up for a LG romp?
Best,
~wetzool
Good points
I retract my thinly veiled negative opinion of Lake George. Not a place I would paddle, but apparently people do. Have fun!
Some shots from last Columbus Day wked
Some shots from paddling on Lake George last Columbus Day weekend start here:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2176997050048488250UnQeej
As you can see ConnYak was paddling on LG that day...
LG
A coworker who lives on the lake believes color will be 75%. One has to remember though that LG lies in the eastern Adirondacks, which is dominated by eastern white pine forests. Although sections have colorful hardwoods, this is perhaps the least impressive foliage region of the Adirondacks due to pine domination. A ride from Glens falls to Scroon Lake on the Northway, dominated by white pine, often has leaf peepers asking, where's the foliage? They need to head west toward Indian Lake, Keene Valley, etc.
Other lakes as beautiful? While other larger Adirondack lakes with islands like Little Tupper, the Saranacs, and Lowes are certainly scenic, Lake George stands alone among larger lakes for mountains and cliffs that drop right to the shorelines vs. being background scenery. So despite the increased motorboat traffic on a holiday weekend, it should be breathtaking this weekend and despite fighting a bad cold and not up to a distance paddle, I will be on the Lake this weekend. Perhaps the Narrows from Bolton. (the closest body of water with mountains coming right down to shore to LG, in my opinion, are the Palisades and South Bay on Lake Champlain. Also, the lower Hudson below Newburgh.
Yep!
OK, about 85% sure to be heading up there…
Lake George Columbus Day
Hi,
I’m heading up with a few friends Columbus Day weekend to camp on Mohican Island off Bolton Landing. We’re canoeing out to the island. Hope we get some good weather although the outlook is kinda iffy.
.
"Other lakes as beautiful?
Lake George stands alone among larger lakes for mountains and cliffs that drop right to the shorelines vs. being background scenery."
Thanks for putting into words what I can see but can't express! :o)
Very nice lake
It’d be nicer if the motor boats assembled somewhere else during the summer, but even with dodging them it is a darned pretty lake. As described below, plus easy stops for lunch etc. And it’s the only lake I can think of where the water passes drinking water standards right of it.
The waves don’t stink - often something to play with even if it’s not the ocean.
Saturday LG?
The only launching spot I know is Bolton Landing. Anyone knows any other good launch besides that one?
I’d love to check out the northern part of the lake especially. (unless someone can tell me it’s not worth doing there). It’s a bit of a long haul from Bolton Landing. So a launch a bit futher north might be worth considering.
Looks like it might be a bit wet early. So I’m thinking of a late morning start…
Huletts Landing or Roger’s Rock
Both may cost a few bucks but they are worth it for the convenience. Both north from Bolton Landing.
There is a paddle boat only DEC launch several miles up from Bolton Landing, no services at all, but it isn’t a great bet if you really want to get out onto the lake and into the islands easily. You launch into the creek that flows into Northwest Bay and have to go south around the bottom tip of Tongue Mountain to get onto the main body of the lake.
Huletts Landing is on the east side, choices are the county park (if it’s open) which is free, or the marina close by that just asks several bucks for launching paddle boats. The marina is nice people - it’s not too hard to give them a few bucks - and the marina isn’t a huge one to navigate in and out of. You are close to some islands along the eastern shore there, and aren’t an obscenely long paddle from clusters further south.
Roger’s Rock is a state park well up there with the usual large park services. The downside is that you are a ways away from any major island clusters, though it’s not way far from the top of the lake if you feel like poking up along the canal that runs out of Lake George north.