Lows Lake and Bog River Flow ADKs May 2025

[lowangle al]

One of the things I like about tripping are the images I see. It's mostly scenery and sometimes wildlife. Sometime I can capture it on film and sometimes it's just a memory, but the Adirondacks always comes through for me. It's one of the places that I find so beautiful that I can't stop taking pictures. This is a pic heavy report but I'll try not to go overboard.

I got a 6:30 AM start on the lower dam and it was nice and calm.



I did the portage around the upper dam without a problem. I had three packs that were all pretty light. I wore the pack basket while carrying the boat and carried the other two with one stacked on the other. The pole was an issue but I strapped it to the boat and it was fine. I wouldn't have brought the pole but when I left home I didn't know where I was going and it was already on the truck from a previous getaway. The wind picked up and I had to strap down my hat. I made it to campsite 18 but it was occupied. It was too windy to continue and was going to stay at camp 13 but it too was occupied so I made it back to campsite 12. This is also a very nice spot that I stayed on with my wife a couple years ago.



I got another early start in a light rain. I put on raingear but the rain never materialized. I didn't have enough time to explore the far end of Lows because I wanted to get out early on Friday so I headed back towards Hitchens Pond. Now I had plenty of time and didn't have to rush or otherwise kill myself. I portaged my stuff back down to Hitchens Pond then I took the hike to the Hitchens Pond Overlook, which was very worthwhile.



Once on Hitchens Pond I decided to camp at site 8 right near the outlet from Lows. It was a nice spot with a beaver pond and a stream coming in. I figured I could kill some time exploring up the creek to see how far up I could get. I crossed the beaver pond and another dam and came to a pretty large pond. There were some old relics from bygone days there. I don't know what they were for but I'm thinking possibly a water supply for steam locomotives. That exploration didn't kill much time so I went out to explore Hitches Pond itself. I found another inlet to the pond with considerable water and some beaver dams. The map I had wasn't the paddling map for the area and it was pretty vague and didn't show the stream I was on. From what I could tell there was another pond upstream, Long Pond, that I tried to get to. I crossed seventeen beaver dams and came to a dead end where there are RR tracks. These are the same tracks you go under on the way in. After looking at the better map that I left in the truck I saw that the pond wasn't too far away, but it was on the other side of the tracks. I turned around, came back and checked the other campsites on this end of Hitchens.



I returned to my campsite where I had left a pack and my tarp set up around 4:30. It was still too early for me to want to hang around the campsite so I decided to head towards the truck so I could get an early start home in the morning. My hope was to find a West facing site that was open to a breeze to keep the bugs down. Site #3 fit the bill, it was really nice and close to the truck. At this point I was low on water and also low on fuel to get some boiled up. It was a little after 6:00 and there wasn't a lot of firewood here so I had the idea to paddle back to my truck and my other stove with a full fuel bottle and grab my ballast back which was full of firewood. It was an hour round trip but I was happier paddling then I would have been firewood collecting. Within minutes after getting back to the site I had water boiled and when it got dark I made a log cabin style fire with all the wood in the bag. I also wanted to test the wood in the bag because it had been outside for am couple months and was concerned it might be damp. I was well rewarded with this campsite as it was a nice sunset.



I got on the water early again and had a great little paddle back to the put in. It was a great trip. It was short and easy. It would have been easier if I hadn't crossed all those beaver dams, but I guess that's my thing. The sunset pics and the ones from the following morning were taken from camp. It was still very scenic and I took photos right until I got to the truck.

 

[yknpdlr]

The pond beyond the beaver dam east of Site #8 are the wood and steel circular structures called cistern wells. Did you notice how clear and pure the water looks in there? A. A. Low was ahead if his time. He sold bottled water from them to cities downstate from "Adirondack
Mt’s Virgin Forest Spring". He had installed one of the first ever Adirondack electric power generators at the dam. He even invented square bottles that packed and shipped more efficiently than round glass. Beyond the broken down structures immediately next to the carry to the upper dam, there is much more scattered in the woods. Off the road to the west of the upper dam an obscure trail leads to remains of a maple sugar production facility, with a large solid marble floor still intact hidden in the woods. On a rock face at the summit of the overlook are the names of his associates carved into a small side of the rock. Very difficult to see unless the lighting is just right and you know where to look.

Great set of pics with lots of memories for me. I have been paddling, camping, and bushwhacking the environs of Lows and the associated Five Ponds to Pepperbox wilderness areas annually for more than 30 years. I'll be back there sometime this summer again.

Grass Pond Mountain Overlook

 

[Penns Woods]

Great report and pictures. Really enjoyed it. I was headed to Lows early this year for the first time, but got delayed by Doctor demands. I should be OK in a week or so and just as soon as I can I'm headed to Lows. I'm not sure if I'll use my canvas wall tent or my dome tent. Eather way I've settle on Lows or nothing.

 

[Patrick Corry]

Nice report Al, I'm jealous. A combination of broken wrist for me, and my wife's post surgery care has kept me away from anything canoe related other than hiking up to the barn to look wistfully at my new wood/canvas build project which is on hold. Your report provided a pleasant diversion from being home-bound. Thank you.

I had a terrific trip to the Whitney Wilderness a couple of years ago,

https://www.canoetripping.net/threads/the-whitney-c-adks-william-c-whitney-wilderness.127931/

The Whitney 'C': ADKs William C. Whitney Wilderness

A partial solo transit of the Whitney Wilderness 'Loop'; starting from the DEC headquarters on Little Tupper Lake and traveling around 32 miles to Low's Lower Dam take out on the Bog River Flow. Also, this would be the first overnight canoe trip for the Island Falls Willow solo canoe I restored...

www.canoetripping.net

and your report reminds me that approaching from the lower dam (rather than ending there) is on my to-do list.

It has become an unfortunate habit of mine when paddling in a new-to-me region that I hurry too much, I guess because I don't know the timing for where I'm going to find places... notably the finish line! Having been there once I can now visualize new trip plans. I didn't have time to do the Hitchens Overlook and I regret missing any chance to climb a hill and perch on a rock to ponder the landscape and future plans....

 

[Patrick Corry]

dang Glenn.... how did I not do the unfurling link properly? I even re-read the instructions!

 

[Gamma1214]

Nice TR Al and great pics! "Picture heavy"? Yep. "overdone"? Nope. I'm not sure if/when I might visit the ADKs so it's nice to see them through your pics.

 

[Erica]

There can never be enough pictures of the Adirondacks. Beautiful. Thank you.

 

[lowangle al]

The pond beyond the beaver dam east of Site #8 are the wood and steel circular structures called cistern wells. Did you notice how clear and pure the water looks in there? A. A. Low was ahead if his time. He sold bottled water from them to cities downstate from "Adirondack
Mt’s Virgin Forest Spring". He had installed one of the first ever Adirondack electric power generators at the dam. He even invented square bottles that packed and shipped more efficiently than round glass. Beyond the broken down structures immediately next to the carry to the upper dam, there is much more scattered in the woods. The road to the west of the upper dam leads to remains of a maple sugar production facility, with a large solid marble floor still intact hidden in the woods. On a rock face at the summit of the overlook are the names of his associates carved into a small side of the rock. Very difficult to see unless the lighting is just right and you know where to look.

Great set of pics with lots of memories for me. I have been paddling, camping, and bushwhacking the environs of Lows and the associated Five Ponds to Pepperbox wilderness areas annually for more than 30 years. I'll be back there sometime this summer again.View attachment 146751

Thanks for filling me in on those cisterns. It did cross my mind that it was a water source, but I thought it was a lot of infrastructure for a water supply for the amount of people in the area. The pond did seem to be spring fed as there was no stream coming into it that I noticed. The train thing also seemed skeptical as it would have made more sense to take water from Lows Lake that is much higher.

I had just heard that there was power generation at the dam. I spoke with a guy that worked on the recent dam repair. He said the reason why it took longer than expected was because they found PCBs that were associated with it that had to be removed.

Great report and pictures. Really enjoyed it. I was headed to Lows early this year for the first time, but got delayed by Doctor demands. I should be OK in a week or so and just as soon as I can I'm headed to Lows. I'm not sure if I'll use my canvas wall tent or my dome tent. Eather way I've settle on Lows or nothing.

View attachment 146750

Thanks and good luck on your upcoming trip. Lows would be a good spot for a base camp trip. The one portage is just a few minute walk so an extra load wouldn't be a big deal. On the other hand you can be more flexible with the dome tent. I don't know if you fish but it looked like it would be pretty good.

Nice report Al, I'm jealous. A combination of broken wrist for me, and my wife's post surgery care has kept me away from anything canoe related other than hiking up to the barn to look wistfully at my new wood/canvas build project which is on hold. Your report provided a pleasant diversion from being home-bound. Thank you.

I had a terrific trip to the Whitney Wilderness a couple of years ago,

https://www.canoetripping.net/threads/the-whitney-c-adks-william-c-whitney-wilderness.127931/

and your report reminds me that approaching from the lower dam (rather than ending there) is on my to-do list.

It has become an unfortunate habit of mine when paddling in a new-to-me region that I hurry too much, I guess because I don't know the timing for where I'm going to find places... notably the finish line! Having been there once I can now visualize new trip plans. I didn't have time to do the Hitchens Overlook and I regret missing any chance to climb a hill and perch on a rock to ponder the landscape and future plans....

Thanks Patrick, I've been wondering how you've been doing. I hope you get back at it soon. I met some guys doing the loop. They started and finished from the lower dam. They spent five days up there and mentioned a two mile portage.

Nice TR Al and great pics! "Picture heavy"? Yep. "overdone"? Nope. I'm not sure if/when I might visit the ADKs so it's nice to see them through your pics.

Thanks Gamma, if you haven't been there I can tell you it's worthwhile.

 

[yknpdlr]

because they found PCBs that were associated with it that had to be removed.

I had not heard about the PCBs. At one time there was a leftover large building near the entrance of the gated road by the upper dam that was scheduled to be removed until it was discovered that it was full of asbestos paneling and siding. I remember seeing it on the way to the BSA camp. That delayed fuilly opening of the trail to Low's Ridge overlook to the public for a few years, until it was funded to be cleared and processed.

 

[MichaelMerry]

Been a minute since I’ve been up there. Seeing and reading this is really making me want to get back. I might make it happen next week.

How were the bugs on your trip?

 

[lowangle al]

The bugs weren't too bad. If I had been a little smarter I could have prevented most of my bites, which were a lot. I'm not used to black flys and I didn't see them or feel them entering my unbuttoned shirt bitting the crap out of me. I didn't know I had a problem until I saw what looked like a bunch of bloody scabs on my chest. The shirt also has a big vent for ventilation with mesh under it where the mosquitoes got to me.

I would say the mosquitoes were very manageable. I was told the blackflys would have been worse if it were cooler, so I probably didn't see the worst of them. Good luck if you go.

 

[Robin]

Nice trip, was looking forward to seeing one of your wood canvas canoes in the pictures, oh well, next time. Lows is a great destination, Thanks for sharing your time there.

 

[stripperguy]

Al,
Thanks for the TR, next best thing to being there...
I've been talking about those cisterns for quite a few years, that Lows guy was pretty enterprising.
By the upper dam are the remnants of many, many buildings, I could spend a full day just poking around there.
We used to car camp at Horseshoe when the kids were younger. At the lower dam and power house remains was a viaduct that diverted water to the power turbine. That huge pipe, mostly buried, developed a hole, through which water would spew with great force. The kids would stack rocks over the hole and create a shower facility! In the spring, there would be a massive ice floe on the river bank opposite from the power house from that spewing pipe. Lots of great memories you stirred up, thanks.

 

[tileguy]

The pictures are great, they make me want to go. I'm new to canoe tripping and this seems like a manageable trip for a 1-2 night adventure only 5 hrs from home.

You mentioned bugs.
I was assuming its not mosquito season yet. When does it get into peak season?

 

[lowangle al]

Nice trip, was looking forward to seeing one of your wood canvas canoes in the pictures, oh well, next time. Lows is a great destination, Thanks for sharing your time there.

This would have been a good trip for bringing a w/c boat but it was a spur of the moment thing and I didn't know where I was going and wanted to keep my options open. Besides that, the Seliga was already on the truck. Since I've had my 18' OT Guide repaired and recanvassed, without a keel and with lighter canvas I wouldn't want to be dragging it over beaver dams anymore. There is so much flex in the bottom of the boat now, that I fear it could crack ribs.

I'm not done tripping in my w/c boats, but on any trip where I think I'll be abusing my boat I'll bring the Seliga. Plus, this trip gave me an opportunity to test out my solo tripping system on a portage.

Al,
Thanks for the TR, next best thing to being there...
I've been talking about those cisterns for quite a few years, that Lows guy was pretty enterprising.
By the upper dam are the remnants of many, many buildings, I could spend a full day just poking around there.
We used to car camp at Horseshoe when the kids were younger. At the lower dam and power house remains was a viaduct that diverted water to the power turbine. That huge pipe, mostly buried, developed a hole, through which water would spew with great force. The kids would stack rocks over the hole and create a shower facility! In the spring, there would be a massive ice floe on the river bank opposite from the power house from that spewing pipe. Lots of great memories you stirred up, thanks.

I slept at a nice turnout on Horseshoe lake the evening before I headed out. There was a beautiful night sky and a nice sunrise, a good way to start things off.


I was surprised to see those cisterns back there, they creeped me out for some reason. Your kids were lucky to grow up camping with the family up there.

The pictures are great, they make me want to go. I'm new to canoe tripping and this seems like a manageable trip for a 1-2 night adventure only 5 hrs from home.

You mentioned bugs.
I was assuming its not mosquito season yet. When does it get into peak season?

I think it's a great place to start tripping with lots of rewards for little effort. As far as the bugs go I didn't think they were bad, if my wife was there she would have said they were terrible. Like anywhere else you need to cover up as much as possible with clothes and spray any exposed skin with repellent. A headnet would be a good idea too if they do get bad.

 

[ppine]

Great images by lowangle al. My life's goal has been to fill my mind with images of the good stuff every day. Now I rarely take photos.
Going out to look at forests today with my friend who is a wildland fire fighter and a forester.

 

[stripperguy]

Al,
Near one of those roadside Horseshoe campsites, there is a good spring, complete with hand laid stone liner.
BTW, there used to be more of those roadside sites, but a few folks abused it and set up hardside trailer campers and stayed all season long.
And my nephew, who is now 42 years old, was fishing on Horseshoe in the early morning, when he was 11 years old in one of my strippers, and got a tiger muskie on the line. I can remember it like it was yesterday, with him shout whispering “Uncle Mike, it’s pulling me around the lake!” I had to paddle out to him and help him land that thing, must have been about 30” long.