Long Lake
18 miles / 29 km - Lean-to on Forked Lake - Lost Channel campsite on the Raquette River
Sunny
After finishing Section 1 at lunchtime, we paddled down Long Lake this afternoon.
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Long Lake |
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We wanted to stop at Plumley’s landing but Chris and Meghan had arrived 15 minutes earlier. It is shown as a double site on the map but they said there was only 1 site there but we were welcome to share. We thanked them but decided to continue to the next site at Island House. Unlucky for us, Island House was overpopulated with a large camp group out on a 3 day trip. The wind was extremely unfavorable for trying to paddle over to Camp Riverdale so we decided (big mistake) to head for Lost Channel campsite.
Once in the Raquette River we were sheltered from the wind and attacked by all sorts of flying insects. At first we could not find the site. We scouted a possible stealth site (which looking back would have probably been far more enjoyable than Lost Channel) and continued down river. We turned back when we decided we had gone too far and then spotted the site. We had not recognized it initially as there is no lean-to on the site as shown on the map. Scenically it is a nice site but NOT IN THE BLACK FLY SEASON.
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Lost Channel campsite |
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Dressed against the blackflies |
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View from Lost Channel campsite |
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Evening light at Lost Channel campsite |
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There is no wind tonight to make things worse. We put on our bug jackets, covered our necks and heads in bandanas and mosquito caps but still there is no respite. We were driven completely crazy by the flies. It was a major effort to swat them in the tent and get the tent as insect free as possible.
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