Outing, 260426-29, Fish Pond, St Regis Canoe Wilderness

Been a weird year, but I finally got to take a trip to the St Regis Canoe Wilderness. As described elsewhere, I chose to use a portage cart instead of my normal "Hoel to Turtle to Clamshell to Fish" route, and go from Little Clear to St Regis and then along the ski trail to Fish.

This is the outlet into St Regis.


Still some snow on the ground up in the pines.


When I got to the Fish Pond north lean-to, it was obvious a massive windstorm had been through the area. This tree branch, green and healthy, had fallen, but missed both the lean-to and most of the fire pit. Some stones were dislodged, but otherwise intact.


Empty aside from a gin bottle, a gin 'can', the logbook, a worn out broom, and some wet wipes.


After I pulled my canoe ashore, I took some time to clear part of this other fallen tree, which was on top of my normal 'garage'.


I cleared enough to fish from that bank, and to open access along the normal path from water to lean-to.


The stream alongside the path and lean-to.


Home sweet home. Didn't see anyone anywhere from after I left St Regis until I got back to Little Clear 3 days later.


Trying out a new rod holder for trolling with a Wabbler and worm.


Fire the first night... warm on the damp feets.

View from the hammock nest early... I got up a little later, when it wasn't so cold.


First trout on the wabbler/worm combo.


Merganser.


Loon, one of two who kept me company.


Sunset on Fish Pond, looking east.


Sunset again, looking due south.


There was a roughly 3/4 moon.


I usually make a circuit of Fish, Little Fish, Little Long, Lydia, and Kit Fox Ponds. This is a feature I like to revisit, the blowdown at the outlet of Fish into Little Fish. That stump is massive. Thumb for scale.


A brookie caught in the outlet on my favorite lure, a chartreuse rooster tail.


All the log-bog plants are still dead; but they'll be back.

Another fixture is this sign... always worn, always crooked.

And the Lydia Pond campsite outhouse... been photographing it every time I go by for about 15 years.


Beaver damage is everywhere...




The fire pit at Lydia. Someone made a nice bench.


There's a point on Little Long (west) across from campsite 3. Last year, someone built a fire here, either illegally camping or just making a shore lunch, and you can still see the damage. This is looking south from the north side.


This is the view from the south side looking north... that tree's roots were so damaged the tree fell.


Over in the corner, near the portage to Kit Fox, I found some eggs... frog probably?


Kit Fox looking from the Little Long portage down toward the Nellie and Bessie portage.


Back on Little Fish, I was struck by this giant at the outlet.

I don't know who needs to see it, but this is how I dry out my Boundary Boots. A strip of birchbark roughly 3x15 or so, gently flexed, inserted to leave an inch or so of space at the bottom, and then released to hold in place. Set at the edge of the leanto... this is a natural wind block, and the breeze comes around the corner pretty briskly. The bark catches the breeze, diverts it into the boot, it circulates and picks up moisture, then departs through the gap in the bottom and comes up the back side of the bark. Works perfectly to remove sweaty moisture in a couple hours (like over a lunch break). Will dry a completely wet boot overnight if the breeze keeps up.

This is the pile of wood and bark I left for the next guys.


As well as leaving my fire dead out (I found it still hot and smoking).


with a "chicken stick" to boot.


All the little bags laid out ready to go...


And all of it fits in those two bags and the thwart bag (mostly lunch, rain gear, and fishing gear.)

Overall, a good trip... highs in the 60s, lows in the 30s, 3 of 4 days sunny and clear, didn't get rained on, learned a lot, found some peace, and am ready to go back this summer and fall.

I'm blessed to have moved closer to the Dacks again in 2018... I used to get maybe 1 trip a year, at the height of tourist season... now I can usually get 2 and sometimes 3 a year. Still takes 8 hours to get there, but if I break it up to visit relatives in Central NY, I can go up on Rte 3 and avoid most of the tourist garbage going up Hwy 28/Fulton Chain.

sorry... this needs to be deleted.

Well done, good trip. Thanks for the bark in the boots tip, I'll have to remember the trick drying the boots with the bark inside.

Looks like a great start to the new season. Thanks for taking the time to post the TR.

Drying out the boundary boots is a real problem. I’ve been hanging them but it often isn’t enough for the insides.

Good pictures!

Thanks for trip report, and the captions explaining the nice pictures, well done. Looks like you did ok in the fishing department, beautiful fish.

Great report and thanks for all the pics! Now has me even more antsy for my first trip of the season - BWCA in 18 days.

Another boot drying trick involves harnessing campfire heat/convection, but it's more for old-style high leather riding boots... unless you're exceptionally attentive, campfire heat would melt the neoprene.

You use a flat sheet of 1/4" plywood cut out in the shape of your boot's cross-section and drill several holes in the foot portion... like this but with holes only in the foot section, not up through the calf (this one is for socks):



You'd have to turn the toe portion at more of a 90* angle to get it to fit.

You set the boots parallel to the fire with this inside. The fire gently heats one side of the boot, and the air inside rises against the divider, sucking cool air in from the other side, down through the foot section's holes, and then up the near side, drying the boot.