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Wooden Canoe Heritage Assembly

I'll be there. I often see Yellowcanoe there too. It's a great place to see some old canoes and some new ones too. All made from wood, or wood and canvas.
There might be over 100 canoes on the lawn in all stages of a canoes life. Some are for sale for $100, other's thousands
There is no real admission fee to look, and there are some vendors with neat stuff for sale, all canoe related and mostly geared towards the wood canoe.
And if you want to see my old beat up Chestnut Pal, head down to the beach where it's always hidden behind a bush!
My work usually gets the "hummmmm, interesting, never seen it done quite that way" observations. All in fun, nice crowd there for sure.
 
I've been going now for 17 years...but Ole Yellow does not go.. Littleredcanoe always goes, being of suitable construction, but hardly ever is on display as its out working with classes..or might be next to the LMS dorm beach..but not at Cedar City.

The paddle by is always fun to participate in! And the guys just love to talk boat construction..
 
Littleredcanoe always goes, being of suitable construction, but hardly ever is on display as its out working with classes...

Yes, Paddles up for someone who gives back to the canoe community, I have seen YC out there early in the morn waiting for the folks to show up for the paddling classes she gives, always early and with a friendly attitude I'm told....and I have paddled with her on the trail and thankfully she bit her tongue while I flubbed my way across a lake in LaVerendyre, Quebec.
 
Bit my tongue???LOL.... Your memory is fading my friend. Good memories. Gerald and I camped on the last portage on the shore of Lac Kondarionk... No way could we catch you . You were a whirling dervish...(warning to all...Robin can paddle fast) despite a sea of whitecaps.
 
I may be interested in attending in part this year too. I always wanted a wooden boat and now I have a Stewart River Prospector. My dog and I beat the heck out of it in BWCA early May last year. Suppose some folks could offer some advise on how to fix up a couple of cracked planks? Alex Comb put an epoxy/silca bottom finish on the boat and I put it to the test for sure. That bottom treatment is as hardy as RX I think.

I've never been to Paul Smiths, but I've been on Saranac before. Would it be hard to find camping in the St. Regis Wilderness or a campground at Fishing Creek area? I could than paddle up the lake to Paul Smiths and back to camp later in the day. I'm considering a solo w/c boat too, are there boats for sale during the event? I've always got room for another boat on my truck.

Barry
 
Its more than a day paddle from Fish Creek to Paul Smiths . The SRCA is just that..pretty remote..The Fish Creek Campground is jammed that week. You really don't want to camp there..its noisy. There is a primitive campground at Paul Smiths that you can paddle to and from on Lower St Regis Lake. If you want to attend the Assembly its best not to put too many carries between you and the event. You can also camp at Mountain Pond which is a car camp area but not publicized nor fees collected. Its about three miles up Rt 30. Some people also camp at Jones Pond another unofficial area. But till you learn the area its better to camp at the Alumni Campground. Its got a pit toilet. Cracked planks are not a big deal..sure you will find help.

Yes there are boats for sale during the event..Some are solos..wood canvas or better wood dacron or strippers.

You do know there are three Saranac Lakes..?? The biggest Upper Saranac is more than a little paddle..and it does not come all the way to Paul Smiths. I suggest you take a gander at Google Maps in the Paul Smith area. Thats the best way to find Mountain Pond too.
 
Hi Barry,
I have camped directly across the lake from the assembly, nice big site with a lean to. Maybe 5 other tents there during the assembly, free, very quiet. You can also paddle north from the assembly and find a real nice secluded lean to site about an hours paddle if I remember correctly. Keep in touch and maybe we can hook up there.
There is also lots of state land shoreline where you can bushwack a site, you just have to be set back from the water a ways. I saw a few last year that where closer than the required distance but no one said anything, so it's easy to find free comfortable camping to your liking.
The Alumi Campground is ok, if you like Pink Floyd late into the night, better to avoid that area imo.
 
Take a look at post 33 here

http://www.adkforum.com/showthread.php?p=143914

Frog Pond and Church Pond are very close but you will need to lock your boat to a tree before sauntering across the street to the Assembly. Church Pond is public and the access right on the road. They would be free. The others on Lower St Regis would seem to be free but if anyone from PSC checks you might fork over some dough. You do not have to be an alumnus to camp in the Alumni campground or any of its satellite leantos.

Any way its kind of a cute thread.. there is lots of confusion about which leantos in the PSC vicinity are public or not, but I suspect minimal queries during the Assembly.
 
Yellowcanoe, I have been on Upper Saranac on a trip out of Old Forge, but only to the loop in the Fish Creek area and then I went back to complete the trip at Tupper Lake. That was in 2010. I've never paddled all the way up to the top of Upper Saranac lake though. Its a little discouraging to think that I would need to chain my boat to at tree once there though.

Robin, I will certainly advise if I plan to be there. I would like to meet people from the forum in person. I will keep checking in with event updates and see. I would only show for one of the days though, that's why it would be nice to paddle there and than mosey on in the canoe, make it part of a bigger trip.
 
WD, you have the Paddlers Map? The top of Upper Saranac does not connect well to the SRCA; looks like a 1.5 mile portage down Rt 30 to Little Clear. It might be better to cross under rt 30 at Fish Creek go north to Hoel or Long Pond, Fish Ochre, St Regis pond, Green Pond, Bog, Upper St Regis, Spitfire, camp with someone on Lower St Regis and contine a couple of more days to Kushaqua..of course by then your car and you are miles apart.
 
WCHA Assembly.... I will be doing a Northwoods Stroke workshop Thursday and its not yet on the website.
http://www.wcha.org/assembly/Assembly 2013 Schedule.pdf

I am so excited to be doing this workshop!

Great, I was at Jane Barrows (sp?) class at the Maine Canoe Symp. a few years ago and learned alot by actual hands on experience, which I forgot I guess cause I can't do it correctly now. I just can't get it right from a book or video.
Looking forward to the class YC, good news.
 
Don't forget to bring your favorite paddle! Rob Stevens is also doing a paddleshare so for an hour we can pat and play with other peoples favorite paddles. Or even their own creations.
 
WD, you have the Paddlers Map? The top of Upper Saranac does not connect well to the SRCA; looks like a 1.5 mile portage down Rt 30 to Little Clear. It might be better to cross under rt 30 at Fish Creek go north to Hoel or Long Pond, Fish Ochre, St Regis pond, Green Pond, Bog, Upper St Regis, Spitfire, camp with someone on Lower St Regis and contine a couple of more days to Kushaqua..of course by then your car and you are miles apart.

Ha Ha, you're right, it would be a long paddle...in my original post I was going from memory and mixed up Saranac Inn with Paul Smiths at the top of Upper Saranac.

Barry
 
Ha Ha, you're right, it would be a long paddle...in my original post I was going from memory and mixed up Saranac Inn with Paul Smiths at the top of Upper Saranac.

Barry


Just come..we'll take care of you.. I am wearing the green "white" Tilley. Robin looks traditional.. Paul Smiths is on Lower St. Regis Lake which is north of Upper...don't even try to figure why upper is synonymous with south!
 
I may be interested in attending in part this year too. I always wanted a wooden boat and now I have a Stewart River Prospector. My dog and I beat the heck out of it in BWCA early May last year. Suppose some folks could offer some advise on how to fix up a couple of cracked planks? Alex Comb put an epoxy/silca bottom finish on the boat and I put it to the test for sure. That bottom treatment is as hardy as RX I think.

I've never been to Paul Smiths, but I've been on Saranac before. Would it be hard to find camping in the St. Regis Wilderness or a campground at Fishing Creek area? I could than paddle up the lake to Paul Smiths and back to camp later in the day. I'm considering a solo w/c boat too, are there boats for sale during the event? I've always got room for another boat on my truck.

Barry

Camping is available on site for the event, in the PSC Alumni campground. It's only $10 per night per tent. Rustic ie. no electricity. Outhouses. Some Adirondack leantoos available. Only a short paddle (<10 Mins)from the waterfront at Paul Smith's. (It's quicker and easier to paddle than to walk, as the roadway cuts inland and crosses a swampy area and stream.

And, yes, there will be boats for sale, among the 400 or so on display.

Rob Stevens
Program Coordinator, WCHA Annual Assembly
 
You all do know that there will be carbon fiber boats at the Assembly?

Carbon fiber is the newest miracle composite. It's also the oldest of canoe building materials, in the form called wood.
 
I am looking forward to the class too. Are scratched up Chestnuts allowed to join in?;)

It's always nice to see canoes with character at the Assembly! And particularly canoes that have seen the water more than a few times. Wooden boats NEED water I figure..otherwise they shrivel up. I will have two canoes with dings.. It's not their fault. And a little paint and varnish is all that is needed next winter. If you are willing to bring more than one paddle ..that is if you have a beavertail (I know you do) and perhaps an ottertail, bring both.

Some years it seems boats never leave Cedar City... kind of like a car lot where everyone walks around, kicks the tires but does not test drive. No one here does that. :)

Leaving today ...first to Adirondack Canoe Symposium. Weather looks good next week.
 
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