Sand Lake beach

The following is a chronicle of an eight-day bushwhacking adventure into some of the most remote areas within the Five Ponds Wilderness Area in the northwestern Adirondacks. The trip included traversing some areas of intense blow down along the oddly-shaped Oven Lake, exploring a cluster of wilderness ponds and following along the wild Robinson River. The first day of the trip involved driving along the 10+ mile Bear Pond Road, fording the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River, and hiking along a series of mostly unmarked and minimally-maintained trails to Sand Lake.

Date: June 28, 2011
Length: 3.9 miles
Difficulty: Moderate (due to length and unmarked trails)

While performing my Stillwater Reservoir to Cranberry Lake trip last year, the more remote water bodies to the east and north of Toad Pond captured my imagination. The odd shape of Oven Lake and its long channel connecting it to Grassy Pond to the south immediately stood out as a place in need of exploring. Cracker, West and Gal Ponds were simply interesting due to their remoteness and the sense of adventure reaching them conveyed.

With a plan imagined last year, I decided the end of June was a perfect time for this trip with my ultimate destination being the area around Cracker, West and Gal Ponds via Oven Lake. The remoteness of the area necessitated a lengthier trip but an approach from the west could ameliorate some of the extra time necessary. Thus, I abandoned approaching from the north via Wanakena and the well-known state trail system in preference of Bear Pond Road, a 10+ miles long dirt road along the border of one of the remoteness parts of the Five Ponds Wilderness.

Unfortunately, this new approach was not without its own issues. It required driving down a 10+ dirt road in unknown condition, fording a river after a wet spring, using unmarked trails in unknown states of disrepair and crossing through an area known for its extensive and arduous blow downs resulting from the 1995 Microburst.

Thus this trip instilled within me a great sense of adventure but not without a healthy amount of apprehension.

After a whole day delay brought about by circumstances completely under my control, I finally departed for the eight-day trip through the remote interior of the Five Ponds Wilderness. Even with a whole extra day, I still missed an opportunity to get an early start and left the Syracuse area around 10 AM. How much my tardiness was impacted by the apprehension hanging over me due to the multitude of unknowns on trip, I cannot say.

My plan was to use a series of official trails, herd paths and bushwhacking to explore the area around Oven Lake (especially to the south and east) before turning north to Cracker, Gal and West Ponds. My return to the trail system would follow along the Robinson River before heading west through the forest back to the Five Ponds Trail. I would exit the backcountry following the same route as my entrance seven days before.

The drive up was largely uneventful although I made a couple of stops to either get something to drink or just to stretch out my legs and back. Given the painful way my back reacted following the lengthy bushwhack of the 2011 Birdathon, I was taking no chances and made relatively frequent stops to adequately stretch it out. Despite the stops I made fairly good time and by a slightly past noon I drove into the large Jakes Pond trailhead parking lot at the beginning of Bear Pond Road.

Bear Pond Road is a rough dirt road winding its way through both the Watsons East Triangle Wild Forest and the Five Ponds Wilderness. On the popular National Geographic map for the area, the road is marked as Watson’s East Main Haul Road though I am not sure anyone really calls it that. The road acts as a right-of-way for a couple private inholdings on Bear Pond, and is open to the public for the first 10 to 12 miles.

Unfortunately, I had to drive nearly the entire length of the dirt road since I needed to gain access to the Grassy Pond trailhead. I was anxious about driving my little Honda Fit all that way, as I remembered Bear Pond Road being a pretty rough road from my previous experiences many years ago.

Start of Bear Pond Road

I was assured the road was drivable this year by a reliable source from www.adkforum.com as long as the necessary caution was exercised. Despite the assurances, I could not stop imagining completing the arduous trip only to return to my vehicle to find it inoperable and thus facing a daunting 10+ mile hike out via the road with little food and even less energy.

Regardless of my worries, I started down Bear Pond Road at around 12:30 PM. The first mile traverses through private property but the rest of the way is within the Watsons East Triangle Wild Forest or at border of the Five Ponds Wilderness.

At some point during the first few miles, I heard what I thought was a scrap as I summited a steep ridge and performed evasive maneuvers around some rocks in a washed out section as I steeply descended the other side. Fortunately, there were no other incidents involving my vehicle for the remainder of the trip down the road.

After stopping at the wrong place once I finally arrived at the trailhead at 1:45 PM; a whole hour and fifteen minute drive to drive a mere 10 miles!

Grassy Pond Trailhead Parking

The parking area was nothing more than an old, grassy gravel or sand pit. A slight ridge of sand with scattered rocks was arrayed along the entrance to the parking area, obviously deposited there over the years by the grading of the road. Since I heard no scraping, I assumed my little car cleared it with no trouble, or at least that was what I kept telling myself.

With the drive over now my chief worry became crossing the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River. Since there was no bridge located here (although it has been rumored that one was planned to be built here but most likely it fell prey to budget cuts, much like many other backcountry projects), fording across the river was necessary.

I headed down to the river to check out the crossing as a way to stretch my back and legs before changing into my hiking clothes and starting out on my trip. The sky was filled with scattered clouds as I quickly walked down to the river’s edge with an occasional dark and threatening cloud passing overhead.

Fording Location on Middle Branch Oswegatchie River

It was hot, hazy and humid, which seemed to be ideal weather for mosquitoes since they were present in very large numbers. The river appeared higher than I remembered it and the tannin saturated dark water was moving relatively swiftly, too swiftly for my tastes.

With my trepidation about the water levels somewhat elevated (or at least not accentuated), I returned to my car for some last minute reorganization and a clothes change. While changing, a male ruby-throated hummingbird buzzed me, obviously curious about the orange flagging tied around much of my equipment. The colorful flagging is not only useful for ensuring I leave nothing behind on the forest floor, but also attracts an occasional hummingbird.

My packing and changing now completed, I returned to the river for my fording attempt. I replaced my Asolo hiking boots with my Crocs Caymans, hung the boots around my neck, replaced my GoLite Pinnacle pack onto my back and entered the water.

The water was swift and the plentiful, well-rounded rocks at the river bottom were covered with varying types of slimly substances, making fording a challenge. Using my lightweight hiking poles, I slowly made my way across the river without getting wet above the knees.

Rock Lake

After swiftly drying off my feet and lacing up my hiking boots, I started down the wide trail toward my first major destination, Rock Lake, at about 3 PM. This trail was obviously a main road in the past given its width, hard gravel base and the way it cut into the surrounding terrain.

The trail goes past both Brindle and Grassy Ponds on its way northeast toward Rock Lake. Both of these ponds must have provided fine fishing in the past since each has a designated camping site near its shore. Doubtless they have succumbed to the effects of acid rain as neither side trail appears to get much use anymore.

Officially the trail ends at a clearing near the side trail to Grassy Pond, but from previous visits I knew it continues on to Rock Pond. A side trail north leads to Alderbed Flow, a large clearing along the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie. I continue along the main trail, which soon after going through a series of clearings becomes nothing but a foot path.

The foot path is not an official part of the trail system (although it is rumored to be included but it must have fallen prey to budget cuts too), but it gets enough traffic to remain fairly distinct along much of its course as it winds its way through the forest to Rock Lake. The trail appears to be used mostly as access to Rock and Sand Lake by fishermen with their canoes, an obvious sign (along with the presence of loons) that these bodies of water have successfully avoided the effects of acid rain – at least for now.

Sand Lake Outlet Stream

Although several sections are tricky to follow (especially so when entering wet areas) I make pretty good time along the unofficial trail. Many black bear and human tracks litter the trail, with the bear tracks more recent than those of the humans. Several more obscure trails lead off into the forest as Rock Lake nears evidence of either hunter’s camps or stashed boats, I assume.

By a little past 4 PM, I climbed over a slight ridge and descended to the edge of Rock Lake. The area contained some evidence of past boating from the grove in the edge of the lake to the presence of a single rower’s glove and a homemade, improvised oar made of tree branch, bark and a plentiful amount of duct tape.

After a brief rest (forced briefer due to the vicious blood-sucking mosquitoes), I retraced my path slightly until I reached a black bucket on the north side of the trail. On the opposite side of the trail from the bucket was the beginning of the herd path leading to the south through the forest to the narrow esker between Rock and Sand Lakes.

Soon after leaving the bucket, the herd path leads to a wet bay of Rock Pond with a beaver dam. Unable to find the trail, I set about bushwhacking through the wet and dense spruce/fir along the edge of the bay. Unknown to me at the time was that the herd path goes over the dam and reenters the forest on the opposite side. Not noticing the dam crossing portion of the trail led me to bushwhack along the shore of Rock Lake for a while until I was able to climb a steep, forested ridge where I knew the herd path was located.

Esker between Sand and Rock Lakes

Back on the herd path, I started to make much better time. Occasionally, a blown down tree blocked the herd path but there was usually a slight detour evident from previous visitors, human or otherwise. Obviously, those individuals who cut this herd path had not returned recently to maintain it.

Initially upon climbing the narrow esker, Rock Lake can be seen to the north and the marshy but wide Sand Lake outlet stream to the south. As the ridge widens, the path hugs the Rock Lake side with the Sand Lake outlet remaining just out of sight. The ridge narrows again and dips down to a low spot in a little clearing where both Rock and Sand Lakes are visible simultaneously. The lack of much vegetation clearly indicates the frequent use of this spot by both human visitors and the non-human residents. A small fire ring, present in my previous visits, was now absent.

From this vantage point, I could see that the sky over the lakes was now completely overcast. I steady breeze provided some relief from the persistent mosquitoes that had been dogging me since I left my vehicle back on the road. Despite the wind, the air was still heavy and humid; giving the impression that rain was a possibility in the near future.

Sand Lake Lean-to

From this point the herd path hugs the Sand Lake side of the esker and soon Rock Lake was left behind to the east, replaced by a semi-open boggy wetland to the north. When the trail descended from the esker it led right into the back of the outhouse for the Sand Lake Lean-to. A quick check of my watch indicated it was about 5 PM.

The Sand Lake Lean-to is in an unfortunate location. Although shaded by very old and large white pines (that luckily for me did not succumb to the 1995 Microburst), its position just off the open Sand Lake beach and close to a large boggy wetland to the east appears to make it an excellent trap for mosquitoes. Of all the times I have visited here since discovering this place in the mid-1990’s there has never been a time when the mosquitoes are not horrendous. The price of a nice sandy beach, I suppose.

Very dark clouds started to move in as I rested in the lean-to and fed the mosquitoes. Soon I started to hear the rumble of thunder to the west, as it echoed through the backcountry. With the questionable weather and my lack of energy due to hot and humid weather, I decided to stay the night here despite how it might set me back for the rest of the trip.

Threatening Skies South of Sand Lake

Around 6 PM it started to rain as I began to prepare my dinner. The thunder and rain continued for about an hour when the sun finally reemerged from behind the clouds to the northwest. The southern skies remained dark and dreary.

The night was pleasant but warm and filled with the constant buzz of the swarm of mosquitoes apparently just hovering outside the lean-to. The mosquito-netting portion of my tarp-shelter made an effective barrier to the mosquitoes within the lean-to, although it was a hassle to hang it.

The drip of raindrops from the surrounding vegetation and the serenade of the loons on the lake provided some pleasant sounds to drift off to sleep by, despite the constant whining of the mosquito horde frustrated by my improvised shelter.

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