The Cold River

It was the spring of 1992 and one of the boy's I work with decided that a canoe trip was in order. Him and I decided on a trip up the Cold River. I started checking with local forest rangers on the routes and pitfalls of this journey. I talked to a couple of rangers and was told many people go up the Raquette River but usually in the summertime when the water is a little calmer. One told me this was the best way to go and that there was a short carry around the falls.When I asked him some key questions he was a little vague. I decided to call one of the local rangers in my home town. He was not real sure about the time of year and how the highwater would affect our trip. He knew a person in Tupper Lake who had taken the trip many times. I was given his name and I looked up his phone number in the book. He was a nice gentleman and his information was right on the money as it turns out. He suggested going in from Long Lake as the highwaters on the Raquette River would make it near impossible to paddle against the current. He also recommended on getting an early start on Long Lake as the winds pick up around 9:00-9:30 in the morning. That time of year they will be right in your face and pretty strong.

My buddy was taking his best friend in one canoe and I was planning on taking my "oneman" by myself. We started making plans, which is difficult this time of year in the Adirondacks. You can run into weather of all kinds in a matter of hours. So everything from shorts to wool hunting clothes is the ticket. My friend told me that they planned to do some fishing so I changed my plan of the oneman canoe and decided to take my son who was only 12 at the time. I was a little leary of taking the 18 ft. canoe, as this is a long trip and I would be doing the bulk of the paddling. Another friend of mine heard we were taking the trip and asked that if he could find a partner for another canoe, could he come along? Knowing that I already had three inexperienced canoeists on my hands, two more could turn into a nightmare. I invited Charlie to come along with my son and I in the eighteen footer. I relished the idea of an another adult to help with the paddling. This was Charlie's first canoe trip and probaly the first time anywhere in a canoe. I knew this so I made a list of essentials that he would be required to bring. After the list was filled he could bring whatever he thought that he need beyond the list as long as it would fit in one large pack. I also required he bring the pack to my house so we could go through it and make sure we were not bringing things we didn't need or would never use and that between him and I we were not bringing two of something, we only needed one of. Each canoe would bring their own food and essentials. Charlie and I sat down and planned our meals,drinks and snacks and a little back up food as well. We did a dry run with the gear in the canoe to make sure we had enough room and buoyancy. We were loaded, but still safe. My friend from work (his name is Joe) was bringing his friend Herbie and they planned on using a 15 ft. canoe. Both Herbie and Joe were inexperienced in canoeing /camping. Although both had done some of each,just not mixed together. Two nights before we were to leave I was out working in the yard and Joe pulled up in his Jeep Cherokee.He had picked up his food and was running around borrowing the things he needed. He said he was all set. I looked in the back, "Wow Joe I don't think your going to get all that and Herbie in that 15 footer," Oh, this isn't all of it, my double bed at home is covered with stuff and Herbie still has his stuff to go." "Your going to need a bigger canoe and you need to gear down." I told him. He was going to have to do as we had, and that was to dry run the gear.

It was late April, and the day was expected to be warm and sunny. We loaded all the gear and canoes in my dad's truck. We would leave Joe's jeep at the landing of the Raquette. This would be the route we would come out on. After dropping Joe's jeep off we all loaded in the truck and headed to Long Lake. The water on the lake was like a mirror, we loaded the boats and we pushed mine out first. Joe's boat was next,"Whoa!", I said as they cleared shore. They had about 4" to the top of the rail and they almost capsized immediately. They had dry run the canoe but only for space.They had forgot to add their own weight which was about 400lbs. Our canoe was still riding high, so we took on enough of they're gear so that they could travel safely. We planned to stay close to shore as an added precaution. We paddled up the right side, and head toward the other end. Stopping just once on some rocks to take some pictures. The sun was warm and the wind was picking up. By the time we got underway again the wind was getting stronger. We barely made it to the end of the lake in time. We headed into what is called "Lost Channel",and for good reason, as you couldn't tell where the heck the channel was. In to play came the map and my compass. The boys were reluctant to follow as I headed through the flooded timber. They followed anyway. Moaning about going the wrong way. We finally broke through the timber and onto the mouth of the Cold River where it meets the Raquette. The current was so still, I had to "spit" over the side of the boat to see which way the current was running. We headed onto the Cold River.The waters were so still and deep, I was in total awe. It was the most beautiful river I've ever been on. Crystal clear, deep water and a beautiful graval bottom. We worked our way upstream with little difficulty. Amazed at the scars on the trees from the ice going out. The scars were about ten feet high on the trees. The current started to get stronger as we moved farther upstream and both boats pulled over to the the left shore. The left bank was like a wide grass path. We grabbed the bow and stern ropes on the canoe and walked up to Shadducks Landing with great ease. Above Shadducks Landing the river tumbled down making small rapids and the forest moved right up to the banks on both sides. We decided to pull out and walk the trail. I checked the map and it showed two Lean-to's within a short distance. We decided to leave the boats and pack the gear up the trail. The first lean-to we came to was obscure from the river so we decided to continue onwards. The second lean-to was a beautiful spot set on a hill above the river, with a clear veiw of the water. There was a large waterfall just up stream with a long cable bridge crossing over the top of the falls. This was the spot. We set up camp. After setting up camp we were lonely for the site of the canoes. I guess they deserved to make it to camp too. We carried them to our lean-to with little problem. We gathered wood for the night and started our dinners. Nightfall came early and we sat around the fire enjoying the sounds of the river and drying out anything that had gotten wet during the day.

At first light I woke the boy up and with fishing poles in hand we snuck out as the others lay sleeping. The morning air was still warm and the sun had not quite cleared the tree tops. We fished below the falls for an hour, just talking and glad we had taken this trip together. We never did get a bite, but it was too beautiful to care. We went back to the lean-to, we heard the others stirring. We shook them out of their bags and got breakfast going. When they got dressed and came out, they noticed our poles against the tree. "You two been fishing already?" they said. "Yeah, but no bites." was our reply. "Lets all fish upstream after breakfast, and we'll work our way to Noah John Rondeau's campsite." This was one of the reasons for the trip in the first place. Noah John was a true Adirondack Hermit. Which was especially interesting to me, as he was a distance relative of mine. We finished breakfast and spreadout along the river. Fishing each hole and "leap-frogging" by each other. Around noon we decided if we were going to make it to Noah's and back by dark, that we had better pick up the trail. We stopped at a leanto and had lunch , then continued on our way. There wasn't much to see at Noah's old site and the spot where he had his camp wouldn't have been my choice.There were so many pristine spots and I wondered why he had pick this one. We hustled back down the trail staying on it all the way to our lean-to. We made it within an hour to spare before dark. We started dinner early and fished the river until we couldn't see anymore. We hung around the campfire telling stories late into the night. The next morning we split up and scouted the woods. Fishing the river a little more(never did get a bite). We all met back at the lean-to around three in the afternoon.Ate an early dinner, and just relaxed. In the morning we would head out, going down the Raquette. It had been a great trip so far,nice and sunny and warm. We turned in early and made plans to leave after breakfast the next morning. We all were excited about fishing down the Raquette.

I awoke at five in the morning to the tarp flapping around. It was still dark out, but it had turned cold and windy.Oh well, we were ready for anything and I turned back over and caught some more sleep. Charlie was the first up in the morning and the rest of us woke to his hollering. "You ain't going to believe this", he said as he pulled the tarp back from the front of the lean-to. We all looked out in disbelief. "Yep, it had got cold alright". We were looking at a foot of snow and the wind was cold as hell. We decided to have breakfast inside the lean-to before packing. By nine it started to warm up pretty good ,the sky was cloudy and dark. Looked like we had another storm coming at us. Joe and Hebie dressed in their wool clothes, I told my guy's that it wasn't that cold now and we may regret the wools paddling if it gets warmer. We packed the canoes and decided to launch in front of the lean-to. The small rapids should pose no problem now that everyone was running alot lighter. We weaved though the rocks and made it to the calmer waters with no problems. The sun even started to poke through the clouds, but only for a moment. We reached the Raquette and stopped at Deep Hole lean-to and did a little fishing. We noticed the clouds getting darker so we decided to move on down river. We had gone about a half mile when it started to pour and it sure was a cold rain. The river was so high that the woodland was flooded for a half mile on each side. We had no place to pull over to and the rain gear was packed away. I had a roll of plastic garbage bags that I could get to ,so we made makeshift rain gear until we could find a place to pull over( this turned out to be the carry above the Raquette Falls. We were all soaked to the bone. We decided to make it to the lean-to as we were told it was only a quarter mile. Joe and Herbie decided to try and take everything at once. I was concerned about hyperthermia especially with the boy as he was the smallest of all of us. I decided we would take our packs and what we could carry and make our way to the lean-to. Thank God for this decision as the carry turned out to be 1 1/4 mi. The trail was muddy and hilly. We made it to the lean-to, I ordered the boy out of his clothes. He was froze and I could see his lips were blue, he was shaking and his skin looked real white. We dressed in our wool clothes and I made the boy get into my good sleeping bag. I fixed up some food and hot chocolate. We stayed long enough so that we were sure he was o.k. I told him he was to stay in the bag and not to leave the leanto for anything until we got back. Charlie and I head back to get the canoe. It was a long time till we ran into Joe and Herbie. They wanted to know how far to the lean-to, I informed them they were only half way. I told them to leave their boat and take only their packs and to make their way to the lean-to, get changed and get something to eat. Charlie and I returned with our boat. Joe and Herbie had only jeans left that were dry,but with their rain suits on they would be o.k. We left the boy at the lean-to once more and the four of us went back for Joe and Herbie's canoe. We had lost a lot of time on the carry so as soon as we repacked we were back on the river. The Raquette was getting higher by the minute and the farther down rive we went the less chance we had of reaching shore. I kept wondering what we would do if one canoe tipped over as the woods were flooded as far as you could see. Six and a half hours after we had left the lean-to we reached the landing where Joe's truck and my dad were waiting. We took some group photo's and we looked like a bunch of "drowned river rats". The truck heater was a welcome feeling.

We had endured, but had to use our survival training. It was a well thought out trip and lucky for us it was!!

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