Archive for October, 2011

Aside: Crazy Ideas for Dealing with Biting Insect Swarms in the Backcountry

Oct 29th, 2011 / 2 Comments

Mosquito by Center of Disease Control (CDC)

Being alone for many days in the backcountry gives me plenty of time to think. Too much time. And when I start getting bitten by hordes of blood-hungry insects, the thoughts inevitably revolve around ways to repel or destroy these pesky little pain-inflicting devils.

Typically, I subscribe to the traditional methods of dealing with these blood-suckers. My first line of defense is proper clothing, with insect repellants being my back-up in more extreme conditions.
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Asides

Oven Lake Trip: Backcountry Laundry at Cracker Pond

Oct 23rd, 2011 / 0 Comments

Cracker Pond from inlet

The following is a description of an eight-day bushwhacking adventure into some of the most remote areas within the Five Ponds Wilderness in the northwestern Adirondacks. The trip includes traversing areas of intense blowdown along the oddly-shaped Oven Lake, exploring a cluster of wilderness ponds and following the wild Robinson River. The second part of day five includes washing up and laundry at Cracker Pond.

Section Stats:
Date: July 2, 2011
Length: 0.3 miles (1.2 miles for the day)
Difficulty: Easy

After a pleasant morning bushwhack from the northern point of Oven Lake to Cracker Pond, I find myself with a sizeable chunk of free time on my hands. And I know exactly how I could put such time to good use too. The stench permeating from my bushwhacking attire as well as every inch of my body demands I perform some long overdue backcountry personal hygiene and laundry.
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Reports, Trips

Oven Lake Trip: A Short and Pleasant Bushwhack to Cracker Pond

Oct 17th, 2011 / 2 Comments

First beaver pond southwest of Cracker Pond

The following is a description of an eight-day bushwhacking adventure into some of the most remote areas within the Five Ponds Wilderness in the northwestern Adirondacks. The trip includes traversing areas of intense blowdown along the oddly-shaped Oven Lake, exploring a cluster of wilderness ponds and following the wild Robinson River. The first part of day five includes observing river otters on Oven Lake before bushwhacking to Cracker Pond.

Section Stats:
Date: July 2, 2011
Length: 0.9 miles (0.9 miles for the day)
Difficulty: Easy

Bright sunlight and warm temperatures greet me on my sixth day within the remote interior of the Five Ponds Wilderness. Now that I visited my primary destination of Oven Lake, it was time to start looking forward to the small ponds located to the north. On today’s agenda was Cracker Pond, the largest and southernmost of the three ponds.
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Reports, Trips

Oven Lake Trip: Stealth Camping on Oven Lake

Oct 14th, 2011 / 0 Comments

Northern channel of Oven Lake

The following is a description of an eight-day bushwhacking adventure into some of the most remote areas within the Five Ponds Wilderness in the northwestern Adirondacks. The trip includes traversing areas of intense blowdown along the oddly-shaped Oven Lake, exploring a cluster of wilderness ponds and following the wild Robinson River. The third part of day four includes a late lunch followed by a search for a campsite at northern tip of Oven Lake.

Section Stats:
Date: July 1, 2011
Length: 0.3 miles (1.7 miles for the day)
Difficulty: Moderate

Bushwhacking along Oven Lake’s shoreline followed by an arduous struggle through a tangled softwood blowdown has left me exhausted, sweaty and covered in dirt, duff and blood. Luckily, the portion of the lake’s outlet stream where I now find myself is rocky and fairly shallow so I can at least clean-up my face and hands.
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Reports, Trips

Oven Lake Trip: Struggling Through the Blowdown Mess Around Oven Lake’s Outlet

Oct 12th, 2011 / 0 Comments

Oven Lake outlet stream

The following is a description of an eight-day bushwhacking adventure into some of the most remote areas within the Five Ponds Wilderness in the northwestern Adirondacks. The trip includes traversing areas of intense blowdown along the oddly-shaped Oven Lake, exploring a cluster of wilderness ponds and following the wild Robinson River. The second part of day four ends with a difficult struggle through softwood blowdowns around Oven Lake’s outlet.

Section Stats:
Date: July 1, 2011
Length: 0.6 miles (1.4 miles for the day)
Difficulty: Very Difficult

The western tip of the swamp is situated in a depression surrounded on three sides by a steep slope mainly forested with hardwood saplings. I bushwhack down to the swamps edge and then ascend along the northern slope as I begin my journey east back toward Oven Lake.
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Reports, Trips

Oven Lake Trip: Bushwhacking Through Blow Downs Along Oven Lake

Oct 10th, 2011 / 0 Comments

Regenerating blow down

The following is a description of an eight-day bushwhacking adventure into some of the most remote areas within the Five Ponds Wilderness in the northwestern Adirondacks. The trip includes traversing 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 part of the fourth day is an ardous struggle through blow downs along the western shore of Oven Lake.

Section Stats:
Date: July 1, 2011
Length: 0.8 miles (0.8 miles for the day)
Difficulty: Difficult

A morning chorus of birds welcomes me to a new day around dawn at Oven Lake. Although I slept well, I was in no hurry to struggle through the regenerating blow down along the lake shore. Instead I lie in my sleeping bag and listen to the delightful songs of a wide variety of Adirondack birds. Northern waterthrush, white-throated sparrow, brown creeper, hermit thrush and red-winged blackbird are just a few of the species singing within the vicinity of my campsite on Oven Lake.
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Reports, Trips