The Boreas

After spending the first portion of the summer in the Maritime Provinces of Canada, we were itching to explore the Adirondacks on our return. For our first trip, we picked a real jewel. We read about the newly acquired state land around Boreas Ponds through an article in Adirondack Explorer by Phil Brown. By random happenstance, he happened to pull in behind us just after we parked the car. We chatted a bit before parting ways - his group was going rock climbing and were bringing boats into Boreas Ponds.

The road was well maintained but certainly not flat. We had hornbeck boats on wheels since it was a full seven mile walk to the ponds. The walk was uneventful although we had to don bug nets to keep swarming deer flies at bay.

Arriving at the pond we were treated to our first jaw-dropping view of Gothics from the bridge over the dam. We launched our boats and it only got better from there. The ponds are set in a bowl surrounded by high peaks. The familiar mountains from that vantage point certainly competes with the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. We didn't rush through the ponds but instead floated from one side to the other to see which mountains would peek out next. Within a few years, this will become the premier destination for backcountry paddlers in the Adirondacks.

We made the trek out and got to the car slightly footsore but elated at what we had just experienced. We had just enough energy left to make dinner and collapse in our bunks. THUNK.

The next day we headed for the Hudson River in Newcomb for a short paddle before thunder overhead made us get off the river. We will be back to explore this quiet section of flat water paddling between Lake Harris and the Newcomb Park.