Climbing Ampersand Mountain

     The Ampersand Mountain trail, at only 2.8 miles one way, is a shorter climb than St Regis (see previous blog post) and it starts out with a long, fairly level teaser of a walk. But you pay for it because the trail climbs almost 1800 feet to the top compared to Regis's 1250 foot gain. It is quite steep for a mile or so. The trail used to be an eroded mess in some of the steeper sections but now there are many rock steps that are a great improvement. It's a pretty impressive job of trail engineering – and also represents a lot of physical work. The final scramble up the rocks to the large bare summit rewards you with a magnificent 360 degree panorama. No wonder it is one of the “Saranac Lake 6er” mountains. One direction you see mountains – the nearby Seward range of the high peaks – and Long Lake far off in the distance. The opposite side view is dominated by the 3 Saranac Lakes - upper, middle and lower. It is definitely one of the best payoffs for a relatively short, but admittedly hard at times, climb. On the opposite side of the road from the trail head there is a half mile path leading to Middle Saranac Lake and a sandy beach. I've never been on this but I've read it would be a good spot for a post climb swim. I've snowshoed up Ampersand a couple of times and those steep downhills made for some exciting and fast trips down the mountain. Find the trail head by driving south on route 30 to the junction with route 3. Turn left on 3 heading toward Saranac Lake and go 7.1 miles to the parking turn off on the left. The trail begins on the direct opposite side of the road.  

When will the Boat Float - Ice out 2015

When will the Boat Float?  Ice Out 2015

We are giving away

2 Pub Dinners

One online Cooking class

and 

a Lodge embroidered baseball hat

Photos added daily 

1.   here and 

2 .  On Facebook

ENTER here 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest will start 4/15/2015 12AM

and follow the pics of When Will the Boat Float??

and I will be posting "Do you really know how the ice melts on a lake?"  and add the link to the post

4/13/2015

4/13/2015

Make a guess, join the contest.

Skiing St Regis Mountain

  I just returned from a short cross country ski trip on the Raquette Falls trail (see another blog post for details on that trip) with my wife and a couple of friends. We didn't ski all the way into the falls but the conditions were great and the skiing was just the right amount of time for everyone. (Well, admittedly, I would have skied all the way into the falls but, hey, I can be social and make a sacrifice. Sometimes.) So I'm sitting here all warm and toasty by the wood stove, enjoying a nice mug of hot apple cider with rum and cinnamon with everyone and thinking back a couple of days to an absolutely super little ski I did on the St Regis Mt trail. In other words, I'm not being social at all. But no one seems to mind.

Skiing the St Regis trail is not for beginners. I guess I would rate it as an intermediate + trip for whatever that is worth. Don't go if it is at all icy or crusty – it won't be fun. But if there is plenty of light powder you'll have more fun than you'd think is legally possible. That is if you don't mind some climbing (it is St Regis MOUNTAIN after all) and are comfortable skiing narrow trails with twists and turns around the trees part of the time – albeit mostly not at great speed. Every time I've gone the trail has been broken by snowshoers which is really ideal. When you want to slow down it's easy to do a little snow plow and push your ski tails into the deeper snow to the side of the snowshoe track. Or put one ski into the deeper snow.

The really nice thing is that the trail is a great variety of ups and downs of mild and moderate steepness, some pretty straight, some twisty. (OK – there are 2 very steep but extremely short pitches. Only about 20-30 feet long.) About 40 minutes from the beginning you start a long, steady, mostly straight, gentle climb before a short mild drop to a bridge over a small creek, On the return trip this makes for a nice mellow glide. The bridge is a good turn around spot. It takes me a bit over an hour to get there. A couple of days ago, however, I continued past the bridge for about 20 minutes on a continuous moderate climb which became steeper the further I went. I turned around when I thought the descent was going to be as much of a challenge as I was ready for. I've heard of people who ski all the way to the summit. I'm sure it's doable but not for me and still have fun. `

To get to the St Regis trail drive north on route 30 to Paul Smiths College. Just past the college entrance turn left onto Keese Mills Road. About 2 ½ miles in there is a large parking lot on the left with a St Regis Mt sign. Ski about 1/10^th mile down the single lane road that starts next to the parking lot to the actual trail and sign in register on the right.

Have fun! And I'd definitely recommend a hot apple cider and rum when you get back to accompany your equally delicious ski reminiscences.

St Regis Canoe Area cross country skiing - Part 2

The St Regis canoe area is known for 2 historic canoe routes named according to the number of canoe portages they required - 7 and 9 carries. The 7 carries route connected two long gone grand hotels - Paul Smiths and Saranac Inn - and makes for an interesting day's ski. There is a definite cool aspect to skiing an exact route that you paddle in the summer. This is a point to point trip so you will need to spot a car at the end. Also, you will be skiing mostly on ponds which is good if there is not much snow. The portage trails don't need much snow either since they are mostly smooth. On the other hand, if it is windy you won't get the protection afforded by skiing in the woods.  This is the 2^nd post about skiing in the St Regis Canoe area. The first post, Part 1, is titled “St Regis Canoe Area Cross Country Skiing”.

First of all, as I've mentioned many times before (and you are probably sick of reading this), you will need a map. You will have a hard time finding the portage trail to the next pond without one. There are two starting point options both of which have been described in previous skiing posts. You can start on the fish hatchery road or on Conley Road (see "walk or ski off Conley Road"). In either case read the post and follow the directions to Little Clear Pond. The Conley Road option has more woods and a bit less pond skiing. Once you're on Little Clear Pond your goal is the carry to St Regis Pond which is at the far northwestern corner of the pond. Look at your map. As is always the case, the portage trail is identified with a white rectangular sign on a tree indicating its destination. The 1/2 mile trail has a little up at the start and down at the end but is mostly flat. Keep right where you see a trail off to the left. That's the trail mentioned in "part 1" that connects to the truck trail. Once out on the body of St Regis Pond ski down the right hand shore, go around the point (a nice campsite for the warmer months) and find the carry trail to Green Pond behind the large island. (Leave the island to your left.) The trail is short and Green is very small. You can see the sign for the next portage trail as soon as you're out on the ice. This trail, about 2/10th mile long, brings you to Little Long Pond. Ski down it's length, passing through a narrow section, to the next trail at the far northern end. It's a 1/4 mile through the woods to Bear Pond. Ski straight out from Bear's shoreline rounding a point on the right where there is a private leanto and you'll see the sign for the very short carry trail to tiny Bog Pond. Another very short trail from Bog to Upper St Regis Lake is at the end of a short marshy passage on the far end of the pond. Now you are in the land of grand summer camps. If you want to cruise around Upper St Regis and dream of warm summer days sailing your classic Item sailboat you can keep occupied for a long time because it's a large lake. But the quickest route to the spotted car is heading off to the right. Leave a couple of island to your right and head to the deepest point of the bay. You'll see some buildings connected with the water access only camps where your car will be parked. (Road access to this spot is the wide dirt road off route 30 about 3 miles north of the Lodge and the first left after the "Lake Clear Camp" Girl Scout camp road sign. My experience is that the road is plowed in the winter.)

Another loop trip is one I made up after skiing other, more popular, routes and exploring unmarked trails around Lake Clear. There are lots of them. Most of the skiing is on trails that I've already described, but not all. The first part of the loop is not marked on the map so a compass (and the knowledge of how to use it) is a wise precaution although, honestly, I've never come close to needing it. It is a 9 mile loop about 70% in the woods and 30% on ponds and almost all flat. Follow the directions in the “walk or ski off Conley Road” post to the small grassy clearing at the 28 minute mark. But this time continue going straight instead of turning left. Ski about 10 minutes (that's a guess) on the perfectly flat old road to a very obvious but narrower trail that turns off to the left. It will very likely be unbroken. Take that and in about 15 to 20 minutes you'll see Grass Pond (which is on your map) about 200 feet away on the left. (A bit before that there is another smaller pond visible through the woods but further away.) The trail continues past Grass but you want to get down the hill onto the pond. You'll have to pick your way through the trees since there is no definitive trail. Once down on the ice head right, to the far end of the pond and look for a not very distinct carry trail. It's a short way to Little Clear Pond. Follow along the shoreline of Little Clear to the right and look for the start of the carry trail to St Regis Pond. About half way along the ½ mile trail to St Regis turn left on an obvious trail which, in a mile, brings you to the main Fish Pond truck trail where you again turn left. Go about 1/3 mile to another trail on the left which is the loop trail around Little Green Pond described in the “St Regis canoe area skiing – part 1” post. There will be a sign high on a tree to your right indicating that Fish Pond is behind you. Turn left onto the loop. You will be heading in the reverse direction of my description in the part 1 post. Skiing on the level there is a crossing trail (Bone Pond to the left, Little Green Pond to the right), then a very short moderate downhill pitch followed in a couple of minutes by “T” intersection where you turn right (the left at the “T” is not used much and may not be too obvious). After the right turn there is a nice gradual downhill at the bottom of which a bay of Little Green will be visible on the right. Continue on to the gate where there is a very short trail down to the ice of Little Clear Pond on the left. Here's the slightly tricky part. You need to find the campsite like clearing (meaning no underbrush, just tall trees) on the far shore. If you look on the paddler's map there is a little point on the eastern shore right across from the 2 islands that hug the western shore. The clearing is about 1 or 2 tenths mile to the right of the point and a heading of due east on your compass from your starting point on the pond. (If you want to check out the clearing that you are looking for, go down to Little Clear on your way in at the 3 way fork. It's only a 1/10^th mile side trip each way.) Once on land, and feeling very proud of yourself for following these directions so well, head up the hill on the trail and, in a few minutes you'll join the trail you started on at the 3 way fork. Turn right to head back to your car on Conley Road. You are now cleared to eat whatever calorie laden food your heart desires.

Canoe Lake Clear

Canoe or Kayak a quiet lake in the Adirondacks - Lake Clear  

written by Bob Brand

   The most obvious place to start paddling a canoe or kayak is right here in front of us – Lake Clear itself.  About half the shoreline is owned either by the state or the Girl Scouts and, as such, is undeveloped.  Even where there are camps along the shoreline they are not packed together shoulder to shoulder.  There is no public boat launch on Lake Clear so even on a beautiful, warm summer weekend day you may see 2 motorboats out on the lake.  All of this makes for a rather enjoyable paddling experience. 

There are certainly a multitude of more wilderness trips very nearby but for a easy, convenient option throw the boat into the water right next to the Lodge and poke around the shoreline.  You'll routinely see loons and occasionally a bald eagle sitting at the top of a tree.  For the last several years late in the season we've see a huge number of loons seemingly gathering on Lake Clear before leaving for warmer climes.  Last year in October we counted 52 of them.  Pretty darn cool ! 

    A nice variation is to paddle down the Lake Clear outlet.  You can paddle just as far on the outlet as you do on the lake to get to it.   Find the beginning by heading down the shore to the left as you look out from the Lodge beach and go to the far left end of the lake.   Look for a area of low vegetation far from any camp and a very narrow opening.  There is a little sandy beach to the left of the outlet right next to an impossibly horizontally growing tree – nice for a break and a swim. (There is a car accessible public beach at the opposite end of lake to the right.)  Just don't spend much time directly under the tree !   The outlet starts out a bit narrow, goes under the railroad and highway bridges, and eventually opens up into a fairly wide body of water.    Look for turtles soaking up the rays on a log in the middle of the water.  You can paddle down to the dam.  Pull out to the left  if you want to check it out and stretch your legs.  

Time it right and you can paddle back while enjoying one of our beautiful sunsets just to the left of St Regis Mountain.  (Having trouble falling asleep ? I can  show you a slide show of our approximately 1000 Lake Clear  sunset photos.)

 

Sleigh Rides Friday and Saturday thru March 15, 2014

Sleigh Rides Highlight Lake Clear Lodge Heritage Celebration
Partnership with Paul Smith’s College Draft Horse Club Announced



(Lake Clear, NY) Lantern-lit sleigh rides, Adirondack Heritage Cooking Demos, Great Camp Dinners, History of Beer Workshops and live Adirondack music highlight the Adirondack Winter Heritage celebration at the Lake Clear Lodge & Retreat (www.LodgeOnLakeClear.com) every weekend from February 7th – March 8th.


As part of the Lake Clear Lodge commitment to local 100 mile products, the Hohmeyer family is pleased to announce a partnership with the Paul Smith’s College Draft Horse Club to provide lantern-lit sleigh rides. Under the direction of Bob Brhel, Associate Professor at the College, rare Canadian Draft Horses will be pulling the sleigh.


This is the 8th year; the Lake Clear Lodge will be featuring moonlight sleigh rides on its lantern-lit nature trails that meander to the shores of secluded Lake Clear.

This 30 minute ride which brings back the memories of yesteryear is $30 per person and children 10 and under is $10. Proceeds will benefit the Paul Smith's College Draft Horse Club and their programs.


As part of its Adirondack Winter Heritage celebration, the Lake Clear Lodge is also conducting a series of Adirondack heritage cooking demos ranging from pioneering and Old World recipes to the days of the Adirondacks cure cottages.


In its celebration of Adirondack heritage, the historic Lake Clear Lodge as one of the last original Adirondack lodges still open to the public will also feature its internationally recognized great camp dinners. Special for the Heritage Celebration will also be unique workshops and tastings on the “History of Winter Beer.”


To cap off the celebration there'll also be live Adirondack music each weekend.(subject to change)


“The Lake Clear Lodge is proud to be part of the Adirondack community since 1886” commented Executive Chef and co-owner Cathy Hohmeyer. “It is a natural for us to bring back
some of these Adirondack traditions that once was a way of life here at the Lodge when it served as a post office, trading post and a stagecoach inn.”


The Lake Clear Lodge is an award winning facility including a National Geographic Traveler award for "keeping a sense of place” and an Audubon International 5 Green Leaf hotel.


To sign up for the lantern lit sleigh rides or to find out more information about the Adirondack Winter Heritage celebration please contact the Lodge at info@LodgeOnLakeClear.com or 518-891-1489.


Find us on Facebook Adirondack Lake Clear Lodge & Retreat.

St Regis Canoe Area Cross Country Skiing

St Regis Canoe Area Skiing

Just down the road from The Lake Clear Lodge

Clearly Bob posts

  When waterways are in their liquid form the St Regis Canoe Area is a paddling mecca. Its numerous small and medium size ponds,  linked by portage trails ranging from a literal stone's throw to over a mile, beckon the intrepid paddler.

But there is a good reason to visit New York's only dedicated wilderness canoe area in the winter also. The cross country skiing here is great.

You can ski loops from a few miles in length to an 11 mile round trip. Some trails are very flat but there are challenging hills to be found if you want. You can ski land only based trails or, more preferably, do a combination of ponds and canoe carries. The carry trails tend to be smooth so they don't need a lot of snow plus this area's snow is very reliable so it is often skiable when others are not.  Snow conditions on the ponds will likely be different than the woods.  Broken paths don't stay broken for long as the tracks fill in quickly with wind blown snow. 

Check out the conditions on Lake Clear before you head out.    If you are going to venture anywhere other than an out and back trip, where you retrace your route, a good map  is a necessity. If you've read my paddling blogs you know that I get a handsome monetary kickback - oops!    I mean I highly recommend the Adirondack Paddlers Map. (Available at EMS in Lake Placid and St Regis Canoe Outfitters in Saranac Lake.)  

Finally, the ski conditions web site I mentioned in the  introductory blog to cross country skiing very often mentions the Fish Pond truck trail which is the main artery of the area.   Here's the link:   http://www.jackrabbittrail.org/conditions.html

     This is the first of 2 posts about skiing in this area.  All of the trips in this post start at the same spot which is on short loop road off route 30 that goes through the state fish hatchery. To get there drive south on 30 from the Lodge about 2 ½ miles and turn right into the fish hatchery. This is the first right turn after Conley Road. About ½ mile along this road is a DEC sign for Fish Pond that marks the start of an unplowed dirt road where you can park. There will often be others parked there as this is a popular area. Ski a couple   hundred yards down the road to the railroad tracks where there are signs related to the campsites on Little Green Pond.   From this point I’ll describe a few options.  Take a look at the map and you can figure out more.

     The simplest choice is to just ski down the road to the left paralleling the railroad tracks.  In 0.7 miles turn right, still on a broad road,  where the road straight seems to end and find the gate and trail register a minute or two after the turn.  This is the beginning of the well-used and therefore most likely broken truck trail that goes all the way to Fish Pond.   But that is 5 miles away.    You can go as far as you want and then turn around and retrace your tracks.  The trail is level for the first mile or so followed by a long climb and long descent. 

     A much more interesting option is to ski a loop.  Here’s the shortest and none of  it is skiing on the ice.  You basically ski a loop around Little Green Pond.  From the railroad tracks goes straight on the road instead of turning left as described above. In 100 yards keep left at the fork.   (The right fork leads to the parking lot and a large beach put in for Little Clear Pond.)   You’ll see turnoffs to the left for campsites on Little Green Pond. Ten minutes from the tracks,  Little Clear will be close on the right and  there is a parking lot on the left next to Little Green.  Continue skiing straight, go  through the  gate,  now on  a trail.  You’ll see Little Green close by again and  climb a gradual rise at the top of which there is a 90 degree left turn. Just after the turn the trail parallels the trunk of a large downed tree.  This part of the trail is not marked on the map.   There is one very short moderate climb, followed by a crossing trail (right to Bone Pond, left to Little Green)  and then the trail is level all the way to its junction with the truck trail where there is a sign high on a tree in front of you indicating Fish Pond is to the right.  Turn left,   in 5-10 minutes go through the gate, and then continue to the railroad tracks  in a  minute where a left turn will bring you back to the beginning of the loop.  This whole loop should take about an hour or less. 

     A longer 6 ½ mile loop gets you out skiing on Little Clear and St Regis Ponds.  An interesting sight often found along the shores of lakes and ponds where softwoods predominate   is a distinct horizontal line below which there is no green and above which the trees appear normal.  The cause of this is deer standing on the ice eating the vegetation.  They can only reach up so far, hence the line.  The route starts  out same as the loop trip around Little Green above  but take the right fork through the parking lot and down to the put in on Little Clear Pond.  Look at your map.  You’re heading for the canoe carry to St Regis Pond at the northwest corner of Little Clear.  Angle slightly left from the put in heading for the 2 islands.  Past the islands ski parallel to the western (or left) shore, go around a large point, and head almost directly west to the far shore.  Look for the white canoe carry to St Regis Pond sign on a tree.  The carry is about ½ mile long.  (About half way along the trail there is another trail to the left which leads,  in about a mile, to the often mentioned truck trail where a left turn will bring you back to a junction with  the Little Green Pond loop described above.  This would make  a shorter loop.)   When you get to St Regis Pond, you first ski out a narrow marshy area.  Then, once out on the open lake, head toward the point far away along the left or south shore. St Regis Pond is particularly beautiful with its islands and bays all dominated by the hulking nearby presence of St Regis Mt.   There is a leanto at the point – an obvious spot to take a break.  I’ve winter camped at this leanto several time once arriving in the dark after a exceedingly difficult slog through the deep heavy pond snow pulling sleds.  Not fun.   After the leanto head down the bay to the far western end of the lake where there is a small dam.  (It's also possible to continue skiing the canoe carry trails to Ochre, Mud and, finally, Fish Ponds but this would make for a very long day trip and the trails have some sections that are much more difficult.)   To the left of the dam find the trail which heads back in 0.2 miles to the truck trail.  Turn left to complete the loop.  (If you want a longer trip turn right to head toward Fish Pond.)    The wide truck trail climbs for about ½ mile and then you get to enjoy a long ¼ mile moderate descent before the trail levels out.  About 2 miles from the point where the spur trail from St Regis Pond joins the truck trail there is a junction with a trail to the left.  This is the other end of the short cut mentioned above that starts on the carry trail between Little Clear and St Regis Ponds.   Continuing straight, in about 1/3 mile there is another trail on the left.   This is the intersection with the loop route around Little Green Pond described in the paragraph above where it meets the truck trail.  There is a sign high on a tree to your right indicating Fish Pond is behind you.  You can either go straight and follow the route as described above or turn left and follow it in the reverse direction.

       I'll describe a few more options in the St Regis Canoe area in the next post.   Take a look at your best friend, the map, and you can probably figure out some routes on your own too.  What a great place!St Regis Canoe Area Skiing

  When waterways are in their liquid form the St Regis Canoe Area is a paddling mecca. Its numerous small and medium size ponds,  linked by portage trails ranging from a literal stone's throw to over a mile, beckon the intrepid paddler.

But there is a good reason to visit New York's only dedicated wilderness canoe area in the winter also. The cross country skiing here is great.

You can ski loops from a few miles in length to an 11 mile round trip. Some trails are very flat but there are challenging hills to be found if you want. You can ski land only based trails or, more preferably, do a combination of ponds and canoe carries. The carry trails tend to be smooth so they don't need a lot of snow plus this area's snow is very reliable so it is often skiable when others are not.  Snow conditions on the ponds will likely be different than the woods.  Broken paths don't stay broken for long as the tracks fill in quickly with wind blown snow. 

Check out the conditions on Lake Clear before you head out.    If you are going to venture anywhere other than an out and back trip, where you retrace your route, a good map  is a necessity. If you've read my paddling blogs you know that I get a handsome monetary kickback - oops!    I mean I highly recommend the Adirondack Paddlers Map. (Available at EMS in Lake Placid and St Regis Canoe Outfitters in Saranac Lake.)  

Finally, the ski conditions web site I mentioned in the  introductory blog to cross country skiing very often mentions the Fish Pond truck trail which is the main artery of the area.   Here's the link:   http://www.jackrabbittrail.org/conditions.html

     This is the first of 2 posts about skiing in this area.  All of the trips in this post start at the same spot which is on short loop road off route 30 that goes through the state fish hatchery. To get there drive south on 30 from the Lodge about 2 ½ miles and turn right into the fish hatchery. This is the first right turn after Conley Road. About ½ mile along this road is a DEC sign for Fish Pond that marks the start of an unplowed dirt road where you can park. There will often be others parked there as this is a popular area. Ski a couple   hundred yards down the road to the railroad tracks where there are signs related to the campsites on Little Green Pond.   From this point I’ll describe a few options.  Take a look at the map and you can figure out more.

     The simplest choice is to just ski down the road to the left paralleling the railroad tracks.  In 0.7 miles turn right, still on a broad road,  where the road straight seems to end and find the gate and trail register a minute or two after the turn.  This is the beginning of the well-used and therefore most likely broken truck trail that goes all the way to Fish Pond.   But that is 5 miles away.    You can go as far as you want and then turn around and retrace your tracks.  The trail is level for the first mile or so followed by a long climb and long descent. 

     A much more interesting option is to ski a loop.  Here’s the shortest and none of  it is skiing on the ice.  You basically ski a loop around Little Green Pond.  From the railroad tracks goes straight on the road instead of turning left as described above. In 100 yards keep left at the fork.   (The right fork leads to the parking lot and a large beach put in for Little Clear Pond.)   You’ll see turnoffs to the left for campsites on Little Green Pond. Ten minutes from the tracks,  Little Clear will be close on the right and  there is a parking lot on the left next to Little Green.  Continue skiing straight, go  through the  gate,  now on  a trail.  You’ll see Little Green close by again and  climb a gradual rise at the top of which there is a 90 degree left turn. Just after the turn the trail parallels the trunk of a large downed tree.  This part of the trail is not marked on the map.   There is one very short moderate climb, followed by a crossing trail (right to Bone Pond, left to Little Green)  and then the trail is level all the way to its junction with the truck trail where there is a sign high on a tree in front of you indicating Fish Pond is to the right.  Turn left,   in 5-10 minutes go through the gate, and then continue to the railroad tracks  in a  minute where a left turn will bring you back to the beginning of the loop.  This whole loop should take about an hour or less. 

     A longer 6 ½ mile loop gets you out skiing on Little Clear and St Regis Ponds.  An interesting sight often found along the shores of lakes and ponds where softwoods predominate   is a distinct horizontal line below which there is no green and above which the trees appear normal.  The cause of this is deer standing on the ice eating the vegetation.  They can only reach up so far, hence the line.  The route starts  out same as the loop trip around Little Green above  but take the right fork through the parking lot and down to the put in on Little Clear Pond.  Look at your map.  You’re heading for the canoe carry to St Regis Pond at the northwest corner of Little Clear.  Angle slightly left from the put in heading for the 2 islands.  Past the islands ski parallel to the western (or left) shore, go around a large point, and head almost directly west to the far shore.  Look for the white canoe carry to St Regis Pond sign on a tree.  The carry is about ½ mile long.  (About half way along the trail there is another trail to the left which leads,  in about a mile, to the often mentioned truck trail where a left turn will bring you back to a junction with  the Little Green Pond loop described above.  This would make  a shorter loop.)   When you get to St Regis Pond, you first ski out a narrow marshy area.  Then, once out on the open lake, head toward the point far away along the left or south shore. St Regis Pond is particularly beautiful with its islands and bays all dominated by the hulking nearby presence of St Regis Mt.   There is a leanto at the point – an obvious spot to take a break.  I’ve winter camped at this leanto several time once arriving in the dark after a exceedingly difficult slog through the deep heavy pond snow pulling sleds.  Not fun.   After the leanto head down the bay to the far western end of the lake where there is a small dam.  (It's also possible to continue skiing the canoe carry trails to Ochre, Mud and, finally, Fish Ponds but this would make for a very long day trip and the trails have some sections that are much more difficult.)   To the left of the dam find the trail which heads back in 0.2 miles to the truck trail.  Turn left to complete the loop.  (If you want a longer trip turn right to head toward Fish Pond.)    The wide truck trail climbs for about ½ mile and then you get to enjoy a long ¼ mile moderate descent before the trail levels out.  About 2 miles from the point where the spur trail from St Regis Pond joins the truck trail there is a junction with a trail to the left.  This is the other end of the short cut mentioned above that starts on the carry trail between Little Clear and St Regis Ponds.   Continuing straight, in about 1/3 mile there is another trail on the left.   This is the intersection with the loop route around Little Green Pond described in the paragraph above where it meets the truck trail.  There is a sign high on a tree to your right indicating Fish Pond is behind you.  You can either go straight and follow the route as described above or turn left and follow it in the reverse direction.

       I'll describe a few more options in the St Regis Canoe area in the next post.   Take a look at your best friend, the map, and you can probably figure out some routes on your own too.  What a great place!