Moose in the Adirondacks

The Moose, alces alces, is the largest member of the deer family and has an estimated population in NY State of 500 to 800 as of 2010. We have yet to encounter a moose in the Adirondacks, but there have been sightings on Osgood River, near to White Pine Camp in 2014.

MOOSE confirmed at WPC! First time guest Bob Allbery and wife from Ohio paddled the Osgood River and saw 3 moose: a cow and large calf about 2+ miles down and then another cow about a mile from the mouth of the river! There was a report by another guest of one standing near the shore in view of WPC a month ago. (posted to White Pine Camp Facebook Page, September 18, 2014)

Moose sighting on Osgood River, Photo Credit: Bob Allbery
source: White Pine Camp Facebook page

We have had very close-up sightings of deer, once seeing two generations together immediately outside our cabin at Adirondack Swim and Trip Camp. Apparently, deer and moose rarely cohabitate because deer carry a parasite which is deadly to moose.

While sightings are rare and celebrated these days, moose were commonplace in the 1800s, the age of the Adirondack guides. Guide Alvah Dunning was credited with killing the last moose in the region sometime in the 1860s (accounts vary as to the exact year).

Hamilton County sighting, Photo by Gary and Karen Lee, source DEC Website

Here is a video showing giving us a peak at this fascinating creature and some interesting information. (Unfortunately, the creator disabled the youtube imbed function.)

I think in the simplest possible terms, the moose is a symbol of both the richness and the history of the Adirondacks: it has a rare and unique beauty, it flourished in the wild until being brought onto the verge of demise through human interaction, and it is making a tentative and uncertain comeback. On second thought, that characterization is much too dramatic for the Adirondacks writ large. I believe that the current state of the Adirondack park is much more robust than that of her inhabitant the moose.

Dear moose, we hope to catch a glimpse of you on our next visit to White Pine Camp.

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Fishing in the Adirondacks

This blog has numerous very large blind-spots. I want to generate as much enthusiasm as possible for spending time in the Adirondacks with the articles that I write here, in particular among the group of people who will be joining us at White Pine Camp. In doing so, there is a strong bias toward activities and aspects of the Adirondacks that are particularly dear to me and gaping voids outside my typical sphere of activities. Probably one of the most famous activities in the Adirondacks that I have completely neglected until now is fishing.

Lower St. Regis Small Mouth Bass. Photo: adirondacklakes.com

With more than 3,000 lakes and 30,000 miles (48,000 km) of streams and rivers, the Adirondacks is said to be the premiere place to go for fishing in the northeastern United States. Our location at White Pine Camp is right in the heart of the Adirondack Lakes Region. Although not completely banned on Osgood Pond, the use of motorboats is not allowed at White Pine Camp. Still, the pond is seldom disturbed by motorboat use, and the few that we have seen were there for fishing, keeping the surroundings peaceful and comparatively quiet. The nearby St. Regis Canoe Area is guaranteed to be motorboat free:

The St. Regis Canoe Area is the only wilderness canoe area of its kind in the northeast, and the only designated canoe area in New York State. Closed to all forms of motorized boats and vehicles, it is a paddler's paradise, a place where anyone can seek renewal and inspiration in nature. 

The canoe area's expansive waterways are situated near the towns of Lake Clear and Saranac Inn, and include the headwaters of the west and middle branch of the St. Regis and Saranac Rivers, as well as 58 ponds, streams, lakes and rivers. Canoe routes are connected by carries, or portages where paddlers must exit the water and convey their kayak or canoe across land to the next body of water. Visitors can enjoy camping under the stars, fishing, paddling, hiking and swimming for free. There are 18 primitive campsites located around the shoreline, offering scenic views of the St. Regis Canoe Area's vast forests and distant Adirondack mountain peaks.

Free Fishing Guide

You can download a guide to fishing in the Adirondacks from the Adirondack Lakes website, here. If you don't want to sign-up to access the download (you need to register with your e-mail address), you can directly download the 2008 version of the guide (pdf, 48 pages, 17.5 MB) here.

Rules and Regulations

If you are over 16 years old, you will need to purchase a fishing license (available for 1 day, 7 days or for one year from date of purchase). The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation details the prices and regulations here. Near to White Pine Camp, you can purchase a license at:
- The Town of Brighton, 12 Co Rte 31, 12970, Phone: (518) 327-3202
- Blue Line Sports, 81 Main St., Saranac Lake 12983, Phone: (518) 891-4680

Fishing Guide Service

For those who want to benefit from expert experience and equipment, Ed Kanze recommends Russell Trieller of Adirondack Fishing, Inc. He caters in particular to White Pine Camp guests, offering to pick up clients directly from the boathouse dock at camp. As impressive as I am told that the fishing on Osgood Pond is, I am guessing that the picture of the Halibut from his website, that I have inserted below, is from another body of water.

Halibut Catch. Photo from adirondackfishing.net

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My Week's "To Do" List for White Pine Camp

In earlier posts, I have discussed that there are so many fun things to do at White Pine Camp itself, that you could spend a delightful week there without ever leaving the camp's grounds. My own personal preference is to find a balance between activities at White Pine Camp, climbing a few mountains and doing other activities around the park. We like to alternate each day's focus between physically demanding activities - typically mountain climbing - and more relaxing activities.

Until now, I have resisted creating a list of "priorities" or even worse, a week-long activity list. As much as we love having a nice long list of things to do on vacation, it is at least as important for us to free ourselves from fixed schedules, agendas and strictly defined goals while we are on vacation. Our vacation is OUR time, and it is closely guarded.

The last thing I would want to do in creating a list of activities is to leave the impression that it represents what I want everyone to be doing during our week. No. If anything I write here sounds interesting and you are inspired to join us, that's great. If your preference is instead to kick back, drop your feet into Osgood Pond, read a book, take in the pine scented air - that's equally great. As the tongue-in-cheek title of this blog is "90th Birthday Get Together …," we are facing the reality that we are starting to get on in years. Accordingly, your preference might be to do something more ambitious still, like tackling Mt. Marcy in a day hike (15 miles RT, 3166 ft ascent, 6 to 7 hours one-way for an experienced hiker).

Finally, in writing down ideas about how I might like to spend a week at White Pine Camp, I disavow any responsibility for spending the week as outlined here. I am equally happy to be inspired by others ideas as well!  So, for what its worth, here is how a week at White Pine Camp might be spent.

Several Times During The Week

Trips to the Snake Pit!! Confused? See my earlier post on this subject to find out more.

Saturday

Check in is at 4:00 PM, so some of the activities will be pre check-in (info.: White Pine Camp Policies and Procedures).

Depending on how far we travel to get to White Pine Camp, we typically don't do much more than grocery shopping and getting settled in at camp. This year however, we may come to the Adirondacks before the beginning of our week at camp, so in addition to shopping, we might get in a moderate hike. Baker Mountain seems to be a perfect combination with shopping in Saranac Lake. The trailhead is right in the village and gives us a nice peek at the neighborhood.

- Link to Trail description

Excerpt of Saranac Lake 6er Trail Map, saranaclake6er.com
Link to entire map (pdf)

Sunday

I am looking forward to spending a day on the water. We have previously made our way up the Osgood River and paddled the channel to Jones Pond, but we have not yet succeeded in getting to Church Pond. This is directly accessible from Osgood Pond via a series of canals. On our previous attempt, we were defeated by headwinds and were eventually pushed all the way back to the channel leading to Jones Pond. This time, the plan is to get an early start, before the wind kicks up.

The ambitious goal would be to then travel via canoe to Jones Pond, keeping a lookout for Loons, Mergansers, Beaver Dams (ok, we won't have to look out for those, we will have to cross over them on the way to Jones Pond) and Eagles.

An alternative plan may be to take the short drive in the car to Adirondack Swim and Trip Camp (ASTC) which is on the eastern shore of Jones Pond. The latter option may actually be preferable as I have long neglected visiting friends at ASTC, and I think that a visit might be in order that extends past sunset. Learn more about my experiences as a child at ASTC from my previous post.

Graphic from http://adirondackexplorer.org

Monday

I have long had my eye on climbing Pitchoff Mountain, but haven't done this hike yet as the best way to do it is via a one way trail, with a car parked at each end. The folks at ASTC consider it one of their favorite short climbs. As you can see from their picture below, the summit gives a very rewarding view.

Summit of Pitchoff Mountain, photo from ASTC website

Pitchoff Mountain
Distance to trailhead from White Pine Camp: 31 mi / 47 min
Elevation: 3500 ft / 1067 m
Vertical ascent: 1300 ft / 396 m
Round trip distance: 5.2 mi / 8.4 km

If we are a very ambitious bunch, we might actually consider also climbing Porter Mountain, which has a trailhead right across the street from Pitchoff. Typically, Cascade and Porter are done together as they share the same trail for most of the ascent, with the summit of Porter forking off the main path toward the top. In all honesty, Cascade has the better view of the two, but to date we have been atop Cascade and not Porter, so Porter is higher on the priority list. A friend at White Pine Camp recommends an alternative approach to Porter via Blueberry Mountain - which would turn it into a day trip in itself (more about that in my previous post).

Porter Mountain
Distance to trailhead: 31 mi / 47 min (same parking area as Pitchoff Mountain)
Elevation: 4059 ft / 1238 m
Order of height: 38
Vertical ascent: 1960 ft / 598 m (or 3275 ft / 999 m from Marcy Airfield via Blueberry Mt.)
Round trip distance: 5.6 mi / 9 km (or 9 mi / 14.6 km from Marcy Airfield via Blueberry Mt.)

Tuesday

Typically Ed Kanze gives a nature walk at White Pine Camp at 9:00. In spite of everything I have written about Ed here, here and here, I have yet to actually meet him. In just a few days, I will be able to start reading his book!! What I already know about Ed is that he is a great story teller and is very knowledgeable about the Adirondacks as well as the immediate area around Osgood Pond. And, I have every reason to believe that he is great with kids.

Ed Kanze, photo credit http://www.edwardkanze.com

In the afternoon, an additional activity could be to visit the Six Nations Indian Museum. I am sometimes critical of such museums as their authenticity can vary significantly. In this case, I am not concerned, as it it is family owned-Mohawk of Akwesasne. The description of the museum on their website is really interesting, and I believe that the story of the native peoples is an essential part of the essence of this park. The Museum is open until 5:00 PM.

Photo Credit: Six Nations Indian Museum

Wednesday

My biggest personal challenge is to climb Wright Peak. This is a task left undone since my childhood trip with ASTC. The planned climb was "A.I.W." which stands for Algonquin, Iroquois, Wright, all to be done in one day. These are the second, eighth and sixteenth highest peaks in the Adirondacks, respectively. Wright is a left turn off the trail to Algonquin, and Iroquois is reached by descending partway down the "back" side of Algonquin along a ridge to its peak. We managed Algonquin and Iroquois, and I have been longing to finish this set of mountains ever since.

I am still undecided as to whether I will be up to this challenge, much less extending it even more by proposing continuing on to Algonquin afterwards, much less Iroquois as well. Depending on how the climb on Monday went, we may instead decide to select one of the less challenging peaks among my list of suggestions.

Wright Peak from Mount Jo, Heart Lake, lower left, Algonquin, behind at right photo credit: Wikipedia

Wright Peak
Distance to trailhead from White Pine Camp: 31 mi / 51 min
Elevation: 4580 ft / 1396 m
Order of height: 16
Vertical ascent: 2400 ft / 732 m
Round trip distance: 7.6 mi / 12.2 km

Thursday

Wherever the trail takes us on Wednesday, there will be a strong focus on relaxation on Thursday, particularly considering everything on my list of 10 reasons not to leave White Pine Camp. Perhaps I can challenge someone to pool, table tennis, badminton, croquet or horseshoes. Maybe we can figure out what this game is that is called ladder ball. Depending on where our canoes took us on Sunday, I am tempted to head out in the respective other direction that we perhaps didn't get to before, including the waterway approach to ASTC.

Some of the sports gear at White Pine Camp

On this day I have one activity in mind that we would like to invite the entire group to join us for. I'll keep the details to myself though.

Friday

As our last full day at White Pine Camp, I would like to hit the trails again, but keep the focus family-friendly. Assuming that a significant portion of the group, young and old, are interested in hiking, I would like to set out for a destination that is interesting and achievable for the largest portion of our group possible.

Any of the following would be interesting:

Paul Smith's College Visitor interpretive Center

Very possibly, we have already maxed out the enthusiasm for major hiking by the time Friday rolls around. In this case, the Visitor Interpretive Center is a great nearby place to go for outdoor activities. There are a number of nature trails with interpretive information which make for a nice easy hike which is also educational. There are also naturist led hikes and other programs. Also, we can personally recommend the butterfly house.

Mt. St. Regis

This mountain is the closest to White Pine Camp among my suggestions, with less than a 15 minute drive to the trailhead. It is predominately a gentle climb, with a steep bit at the end. At a round trip distance of 6.6 miles, it is probably at the longer end of family-friendly suggestions.  One particular bonus about this selection is that Mt. St. Regis has an historic fire tower. This has been in disrepair and not open to the public, but a plan to restore it was approved this past November, with restoration work scheduled to begin next summer. We might have the opportunity to see these works in progress.

Summit of Mt. St. Regis

Mt. St. Regis
Distance to trailhead from White Pine Camp: 6 mi / 14 min
Elevation: 2874 ft / 876 m
Vertical ascent: 1266 ft / 386 m
Round trip distance: 6.6 mi / 10.6 km

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Azure Mountain

Azure Mountain is another peak with a fire tower. It is a bit farther away from White Pine Camp, and the substantially shorter approach compared to St. Regis indicates that the climb will be more consistently steep along the way. This one comes recommended from a university classmate of mine, who climbed this peak with a three-generation-group, including her small children.

Azure Mountain topo map, source: cnyhiking.com

Azure Mountain
Distance to trailhead from White Pine Camp: 21 mi / 42 min
Elevation: 2518 ft / 767 m
Vertical ascent: 1000 ft / 304 m
Round trip distance: 2 mi / 3.2 km

Other suggestions are detailed in my previous post. Here is a list in brief, ordered from less to more challenging:

- Baker Mountain (already planned for Sunday!)

- Mt. Jo

- Ampersand Mountain

- Porter Mountain

Saturday

Check-Out is at 10:30. On our last visit to White Pine Camp, we rounded out our week with a historic tour of the camp, which was fascinating. In 2011, we made a departure day climb of Mt. Jo, before continuing on to Ottawa. Any number of activities I mentioned for Friday, except perhaps the most challenging climbs, are also potential Saturday activities for us.

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I am curious to see which of these activities we actually end up doing. Regardless, two things stand out in my mind: we have a real luxury of options, and more important, we will be among friends and family.

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