Any NYC/Northeast packrafters out there?

[Matt Friedman]

Hello folks, I've got a Denali Llama on the way and am rearing to get out there. No specific plans yet, but would love to coordinate on any hiking / packrafting trips this summer with BPLers in the NYC area or the Northeast generally.

For what its worth, I have solid backpacking experience but very limited paddling experience- pretty much limited to a NOLS sea kayaking (& backpacking) course a few years ago and a couple of whitewater rafting days over the years.

As far as potential trips go, I've been thinking about something in the Adirondacks but am open to any flatwater or mild river trips (for now) within driving distance (for now). Weekend trips are very doable for me, longer trips also possible if I know far enough ahead.

Let's make it happen!

[Adam Klags]

Hey dude, I don't have a packraft and still just mostly backpack around, but as a person very familiar with the adriondacks, there are some trips that are basically designed for packrafting up in the adk lakes region. I would take a look at the area involving the oswegatchie river. You could piece together an epic trip of varying lengths that ends in you paddling down the oswegatchie. Check it out on the map. I've been thinking for a while about eventually getting a raft to try that out. But won't be for a while for me :) Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

You don't really need a raft for the Oswagatchie, 'cept the lower section. I did that with my daighter before she started dropping kids, 6-7 years ago. We used a larger UL canoe then, but I could do it today with a much smaller solo canoe or two with a partner. The canoes weigh about 20 pounds, but there are only a couple areas that you have to carry the canoe. Most notable was the trek between the Oswagatchie and low's Lake(4mi) and a very short portage between Hitchins pond and the Bog River (which flows out of Low's,) less than a mile. A really beautiful place.
“,jamesdmarco”

[Donna C]

I've canoed in that river years ago, dealing with beaver dams. It truly is a beautiful place. The portage is not bad at all. I will someday get back on that river. Pretty high on the solitude level.

[Adam Klags]

Yeah, you don't "need" one, but the point of the poster was to enjoy his packraft, and there's a vast wilderness back there in the 5 ponds wilderness that would be extremely conducive to having a packraft.

Some of those remote ponds back there have the most incredible native brook trout fishing you can imagine… the stuff that dreams are made of if you enjoy both seclusion and the elusive larger brookies that have been pushed out of most of the adirondack ponds and rivers by inter-sepecies competition. The reason those fish are there is because you have to bring a float tube or a really heavy canoe back there and its impractical while bushwhacking.

I would imagine this is the exact type of terrain that allow additional opportunities for packrafts to be used in the northeast. Its the east coast equivalent of Ryan Jordan's packrafting through the high alpine lakes and avoiding talus… avoid that tight pine tree and crazy brush situation by using your raft to cross ponds AND fish :)

You could can connect a series of ponds and wilderness areas into one trip that ends in a packrafting trip down the oswegatchie. It would be pretty epic. Watch for beaver dams with the inflatable boat.

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