canoing

The Quiet Raquette

Who would of guessed 10 years ago that people from all over the country, that have never met before, would plan and meet in a remote little bay in the Adirondacks.

Never having been to Axton Landing before, we didn't know exactly what to expect. For those who don't know, its a remote boat launch off of a dirt road in the mountians of New York. We just barely made it in with the RV ( 33 ft. moter home )but there was plenty of room to park. We were susposto meet up with Tom Saterday night but he eather got lost or the bugs got him. Too bad to, because we had sweet corn and stake. Not that we would have given him any, we wanted to tease him with it. While hanging around after supper, we cought a couple of nice pike in the 18-19 inch range.

Sunday morning, couldnt ask for a nicer day. Worm, sunny, gentle brease, even the bugs liked it. Right on scedual , Moss and silous pulled in just like they knew where they were going. Moss looked a little like the outdoors type and silous, you could tell right off he was a cop, no tan, so you knew he eather worked at night or in a dough nut shop. We were woried at first whether he could handle paddling up stream against that nice gentle current, but he did all right, thankes to his trainer. ( kosokie ) We dangled a tow rope just out of reach which kept him coming

Before we set sail, every one lined up for pictures. I accidently grabed a squert gun camera and soaked em good. ( score 1 for the camper )

Up stream a mile or two, or three, we found an emty leanto, next to hemlock creek, which put us within easy paddling distance of the falls

While Moss and silous were out catching our supper, I was digging through my pack for something and just happened to find my remote fart machine. I wonder how that got in there, hmmmmm. Any way, it ended up under both mosses and silouses tents. It made a great alarme clock. (score 2 )

In setting up camp, I put up my hamock that ive only used once scence ive had it. I hopped in to try it out and the rope broke. suprise, suprise. I retied the rope and told silous he could try it out. Well, the rope held but I didn't know rope could streach that far.

Eric and Linda were having there shair of fun to. They were determined to catch a chipmonk. They tryed every thing from a fishing pole with a rasin for bate to stuffing an M80 down there hole. They finaly cought one when they set up a dutch oven with a stick holding up one side.

The last prank was Erics. ( The Rat ) While we were playing cards, he rolled an M80 under the leanto.(((((((BLAM)))))))) (score 3 )

There was one other where I sliped a stick under silouses tent where his sleeping bag was, but he found that to easey. In retaleation for all these tricks, he made me eat spam. (EEEEEUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK ) Actualy it isn't to bad. I took a picture of spam frying on the grill but it broke the camera.

Wednesday, Eric and Linda decided to leave when he found a mushroom in his shoe. Silous and moss left a couple of hours later after loading us up with pan cake mix and spam. After that it was so quiet that we went hiking and found the horse trails.

First thing thursday morning, we watched a deer walk up the beach across from our camp. I tryed to get a picture but bamby wouldnt pose with out a contract.

With out any one to play games on, we went hiking again. We found a sign that said, would you believe, 2 miles to staging area. That would be 3 miles to Axton Landing. Going the other way, it was 2 miles to the falls.

Friday morning we woke up with sleep deprovation and frost bite. Next time im bringing a wool blanket just in case. Also it seames that a group of mice found our pots and pans and formed a band. You could flick on the light and everything would be quiet with out a mouse in sight. Turn the likht off and you would hear (PING, BANG, TINKEL )

To get warm, we paddled up to the falls to get my plyers that I left on a rock the day before. Soon after, a group from New York City came down through. You knew they were having fun because you could hear them coming for 2 miles.

Saturday morning was cold too so we decided to pack up camp and move it up to the falls where it was at least 20 degreas warmer. We launched out into the current which was so strong that it carried us kicking and screaming all the way down to axton landing

The final question

When and where will we be canoing next?

Come back offten and find out

A final note from my wife

I think they are all crazy. Anyone who goes camping and leaves a MOTER HOME, compleat with a bedroom, and goes and sleeps in a leanto for 6 days have got to have more rocks in there head than the quarry up the road from us.

Moss ( mike) and wife are the greatest moss and i have lots in common and got along great.They were the perfect host and i love the visit

2. loaded canoe very heavy,had a tough time making it up the river at times in the current.Moss had a small canoe and rowed and camper had 4 people with gear broke up in diffent canoes

3. I knew i was in for a rought time when camper said let me take you picture and moss and i posed and got it with a squirt gun camera

4.I learned there is 2 kind of miles camper miles and real miles,said the falls were 4.5 miles moss and i figured around 8 or 9 till we camped and the fall were 3 more up river.

5. we arrived at this camping site and set up camp, i set my chair up and watched moss trying to set his up.All i kept saying was need help ....need help .....is that little tent setting you up or are you setting it up..

6. I look over in the woods and campers 24 year old son has a fishing rod in the woods and is sitting fishing...I told him the river is the other way...he told me he is fishing for chip monks...moss and i moved are tents closer to the river

7.Moss and i go up river and fish we here a explosion we get back and found out he put a m80 in the chip monk hole....moss and i moved even further away.

8.Day 2 i hear a clump clump clump walk by the tent i think its a retarded moose

no its camper with pack boots on ,I tell him i am going to toss rocks at him if he does it next day.Daughter in law has rigged up a trap for the chip monk,a old grill and a rock tied on it with a little stick holding it up....Moss and i go fishing we have named camper anf family the beverly hill billys wit (grandpa camer) ccamper jed,son eric jethro eirc camper and daughter in law linda elly may camper.

9 . we come back froma fishing trip and they have a skin,and hung the body on a trap rope(chip monk has met his match)I make them take the body down its drawing flys

10. last day moss and i pack up and head down the river we take are time and fish the whole way down.i am going back not this winter but next to bear hunt and get one of those 300 pd deer they have lots of it seems

11.tricks that were played i left my snake at home right next to my tomahawk.bit camper was in rare form and put a log under my tent under my bag and i looked for this trick for days...he did it the last night...while playing cards his son eric tossed a m80 under the lean 2 which rang my ears a might...i waited for that for days and we got it camper got it to

12 what i learned about my web partners moss is great we think a lot and he is mighty crafty has is camper...I had some fun with this post but it all was true,camper is big heart and his family are to home people i would hunt with them and camp any time...they are always welcome to my house

13. fishing we caught moss and i many northern pike around the 17 18 19 inches and bass small and large mouth...I lost more lures this trip with snags and teeth of these critters...fingers got it twice first day...bugs were bad i have by count 31 flybites and blood suckers squeeters...the flies would bite you and you would not know it till you saw the blood they chewed me raw(must have thought they were eating gritts........I wonder where we are going next year for the next canoe trip

Silous

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