Raquette Lake Adventure

[Shadow rider]

I think I have finally cracked... I've agreed to go camping for a few days, off the boat on the far shore of Raquette Lake. If you are familiar with the area, there are public access leantos on the far side of Outlet Bay. It's something Mrs. Shadow Rider and I do on a regular basis, BUT this time we are taking 4 grandkids all under 10yrs. old (one is only 9 months). The infant's mom (my oldest daughter) is going along as well (thank the gods). The other 3 are 7, 8, and 9 (oldest and youngest are sisters visiting from Texas who have never camped before)! The boy is brother to the infant and has been out with us a couple times, so he will be a big help!
SO... if you don't ever hear from me again... you will know I did not survive the ordeal! One thing I'm afraid might happen...I may have an unfortunate boating accident in which I may loose a few treasured long guns. Of course the kids will all have their life vests on when, I mean, if it happens!

 

[Beerman]

Good luck. Try to remember a few landmarks in case you ever need to go after them. The guns, I mean.

 

[Shadow rider]

Handheld GPS!!!

 

[Saltwater60]

Have fun, stay sane, and be safe.

 

[Uninformed and Compliant]

It's gonna be awesome! Make certain you are equipped to store your food and trash where bears cannot get it.
And make sure you have "the talk" with the young ones about food in the tents, lol.

 

[Shadow rider]

Thanks for the advise...been doing this for 45 years. Only ever had a bear in camp once!

 

[Jmac00]

strong suggestion: Give each child a whistle, on a lanyard. its only to be used if you can't see camp or get separated from the family,

Just in case a little one decides to chase chucky-chipmunk into the woods

 

[byron]

does it still look like this

 

[thegatman]

Camped there 30 years ago. The bar at the boat launch site was a crazy place. Encountered a bear. Hang your food high. Don’t keep snacks in the tent. Have fun..

 

[Different Drummer]

Seems as though I have a long ago memory of a girls camp of some sort on one side of the lake.
Think I can remember visiting a few times. Don't think it was in my dreams.

 

[Carlos Hathcock]

You were a good man and friends will speak of you with fond memories.

 

[Jmac00]

we use to do a 50 or 100 mile canoe trip through Saranac, Raquette River Tupper lake, all the way to the Kery Falls reservoir. depending where we started, sometimes we'd start at long lake damn, we had fun when we went up there

 

[Shadow rider]

Well I survived! No easy feat! All the kids had a great time. The girls were a bit skeptical when I tried to convince them that the loons would not attack and eat them in the dark! They had never heard them before! My grandson Jack ate his weight in dirt and my granddaughter Marley (7 yrs. old) won the fishing contest with the only catch of the weekend (not much serious fishing by me as I was the chief tackle pro and snag saver as well as head de-tangler)! I couldn't have been prouder when she landed a bass about half her size!



I'll be heading out again on Wed. for a 5 day trip with a crew I have been camping with every year for over 30 years now. Usually 5, sometimes 6 of us (old college mates...class of '81). We will be on the back side of Weller Pond above Middle Saranac Lake.

 

[Jmac00]

well done, very nice catch. how were the deer flies/mosquito's.

 

[Shadow rider]

well done, very nice catch. how were the deer flies/mosquito's.

I never saw one mosquito! No deer flies either! There were a couple of bites on the kids but I was expecting much worse! It has been a pretty mild bug season up north. Much lighter than in years past! Even the black flies early in the season weren't too bad! Maybe we were just lucky, a good breeze helps a lot with the bugs.