Northville Placid Backpacking with Cuben Tarp

[zukiguy]

One of my friends has a home somewhere near Albany and has been trying to get a group of us to hike that area. Airfare is the limiting factor at the moment so maybe your pics and writeup will inspire us a bit.

Thanks....

[DuctTape]

Love the NPT. Possible the splashes in the middle of the night were beavers too.

Did you guys do the entire trail?

If anyone here decides to go in the future and is need of a trail partner for all/part of it send me a message.

[nptrailfanatic]

For anyone considering a hike on the Northville-Placid Trail, there is a website devoted to it - www.nptrail.org. I'm the webmaster for it and also chair the NPTrail Chapter of ADK.

There are lots of folks who take care of the trail. We had several Student Conservation Association work crews on the NPTrail this summer as well as the Adirondack Mountain Club's Professional trail crew replacing bridges under contract with the NYS DEC. We also have some 30+ volunteer trail stewards that visit their particular section of the NPTrail a minimum of twice a year to clear blowdown and sidecut.

Thank you for your support of the trail crew you met. As you said, the NPTrail is a work in progress. When the trail was built - 1922, opened in 1924 - there weren't any beavers as they had all been trapped out. So the trail was placed in valleys along water ways without thought to the beavers coming back. They did about 30 years ago and now dominate the landscape throughout the Adirondacks. Of course Mother Nature also does her best to cover the trail with brush and blowdowns. All of this makes it quite the challenge to keep it passable.

As for bears, yes you will see them but so far they haven't been lucky enough to get food from hikers and thus don't equate hikers with food. They also are hunted along the NPTrail so they are far more afraid of you then you should be of them. As to hanging food, I use the two tree method with the line slightly sloped to prevent squirrels and chipmunks from getting my food.

Thanks for the trip report and the pictures of the hammock approach to camping.

[jerzybears]

For anyone considering a hike on the Northville-Placid Trail, there is a website devoted to it - www.nptrail.org. I'm the webmaster for it and also chair the NPTrail Chapter of ADK.


As for bears, yes you will see them but so far they haven't been lucky enough to get food from hikers and thus don't equate hikers with food. They also are hunted along the NPTrail so they are far more afraid of you then you should be of them. As to hanging food, I use the two tree method with the line slightly sloped to prevent squirrels and chipmunks from getting my food.

Thanks for the trip report and the pictures of the hammock approach to camping.

Russ and I saw many bear rope hangs of bags gone by. Really werent afraid of bears; after all, we are from Jersey!!! We use the Pacific Crest Trail hang and that has worked well for the most part. The last night bear hang had lower branches that would have thwarted bears but delighted raccoons. We were looking forward to seeing a moose, but only heard the bugleing at Duck Hole. No sight of the critters. After careful consideration, you guys might be right and the large splashes could have been beaver. Long Lake was a pleasure/pain with all the motor boats and campers who brought guns to the party. Duck Hole had a group of bozos with 20/20 rifles shooting at anything that moved. Idiots. Would not want to hike 12 miles out to tell a ranger someone got shot.

[jerzybears]

For anyone considering a hike on the Northville-Placid Trail, there is a website devoted to it - www.nptrail.org. I'm the webmaster for it and also chair the NPTrail Chapter of ADK.

There are lots of folks who take care of the trail. We had several Student Conservation Association work crews on the NPTrail this summer as well as the Adirondack Mountain Club's Professional trail crew replacing bridges under contract with the NYS DEC. We also have some 30+ volunteer trail stewards that visit their particular section of the NPTrail a minimum of twice a year to clear blowdown and sidecut.

Thank you for your support of the trail crew you met. As you said, the NPTrail is a work in progress. When the trail was built - 1922, opened in 1924 - there weren't any beavers as they had all been trapped out. So the trail was placed in valleys along water ways without thought to the beavers coming back. They did about 30 years ago and now dominate the landscape throughout the Adirondacks. Of course Mother Nature also does her best to cover the trail with brush and blowdowns. All of this makes it quite the challenge to keep it passable.

As for bears, yes you will see them but so far they haven't been lucky enough to get food from hikers and thus don't equate hikers with food. They also are hunted along the NPTrail so they are far more afraid of you then you should be of them. As to hanging food, I use the two tree method with the line slightly sloped to prevent squirrels and chipmunks from getting my food.

Thanks for the trip report and the pictures of the hammock approach to camping.

Shout out!!!

[jerzybears]

Love the NPT. Possible the splashes in the middle of the night were beavers too.

Did you guys do the entire trail?

If anyone here decides to go in the future and is need of a trail partner for all/part of it send me a message.

I wish!!! We went out to Duck Hole and back...then went out to the middle of Long Lake and back. Finally went out to Lake Durant, Stephens Pond and back. As you can see, we only had one car. Nevertheless, am inspired to a thru hike if I can manage the trail support for food. OMG!!! Once you get into the "back country" these towns resemble appalachia West Verginia. Grocery stores are 35 miles away. A thru hike involves lots of road walk to a post office.

[DuctTape]

I wish!!! We went out to Duck Hole and back...then went out to the middle of Long Lake and back. Finally went out to Lake Durant, Stephens Pond and back. As you can see, we only had one car. Nevertheless, am inspired to a thru hike if I can manage the trail support for food. OMG!!! Once you get into the "back country" these towns resemble appalachia West Verginia. Grocery stores are 35 miles away. A thru hike involves lots of road walk to a post office.

Planning a thru with food takes skill for sure. One reason I go lighter with other gear is to be able to carry more food. (I carried 10 days worth my last trip.)

Next time be sure to get to the West Canada Lakes wilderness area and past Duck Hole along the Cold River. Once you get 3 or so days in, there are less people and even less yahoos.

[Veto 65]

Planning a thru with food takes skill for sure. One reason I go lighter with other gear is to be able to carry more food. (I carried 10 days worth my last trip.)

Next time be sure to get to the West Canada Lakes wilderness area and past Duck Hole along the Cold River. Once you get 3 or so days in, there are less people and even less yahoos.

I thought yahoos were people.

[DuctTape]

I thought yahoos were people.

Not all people are yahoos.

[Cranky Bear]

Great report and pic's thanks for taking the time to post, enjoyed it!