We were headed to the Adirondacks (upper New York) to attempt to hike the highpoint of NY, Mt. Marcy and I was planning our trip. I was reading about the area and realized how many water activities are in the area. I had been focused on the mountains, but it is an area resplendent with lakes. We are not fishermen, but I thought it might be fun to do a multi-day trip on the water. The St. Regis Canoe Area is 19,000 acres of wild, motor-free lakes and ponds and the largest wilderness canoe area in the Northeast.
I looked at possible itineraries and chose a two-day trip called “The Seven Carries.” It was developed in the mid-1850s as a path between two different popular hotels. A “carry” is a portage, when you have to move the canoe from one lake to another via a short trail. In a funny quirk, there are only six of these portages on the “Seven Carries.” When I told people about my plan, many of them said there was no way they would do a trip like that, especially when I told them one of the carries was over half a mile. I still reserved canoes and arranged for a car transfer. It’s a one-way trip and you either have to be picked up or dropped off.
On our appointed day, we showed up at the canoe shop, rented some gear, loaded up our car, and headed to the launch point. Paul Smith’s College has replaced the lodge that once hosted the beginning of the trip. It meant that there were a bunch of college students watching us get ready and start our trip. We loaded our boats, buckled into our life jackets, and headed south. Cindy and I were in a boat and Logan was in his own. Within a few seconds, all our boats flipped. The wind was fierce, the lake had little white caps on it, and we were headed perpendicular to the force. It’s not a good equation.
The water was shallow, so we walked back to the shore and began to unload the boat. Our “audience” began to move our stuff away from the shore. We assured them that we were not quitting. They seemed confused but moved the bags back within our reach. We emptied the water from the canoes and made a new plan. We had to cross Lower St. Regis Lake to start the trip. I knew from studying the map that it would be the most difficult crossing with the wind direction, but that if we could enter the smaller channel at the end of the lake we would likely be protected from the wind.
I hiked up into the woods nearby and found the two “straightish” limbs, each about eight feet long. We then lashed our two boats together with my emergency rope and my camera straps. Each boat stabilizes the other boat and keeps them from tipping. After a long delay, our bags were repacked, and we were again paddling on the water. We stayed near to the shore and made steady progress and did eventually reach calmer waters. We saw pristine remote lakes, loons and shore birds, rare carnivorous plants, and beautiful water flowers. It rained and blew against us, but that just made completing the trip more fulfilling.
It would be easy to quit when things get difficult or challenging. It would be easy to quit when the people around you are critical and judgmental. It would be easy to quit when you are feeling discouraged and alone. It would be easy to quit when other people don’t seem to value what you value. Don’t quit. Find people that strengthen you. Find goals that motivate you. You can do more than you imagine.