Oswegatchie/Long Pond, Adirondacks, NY

[Guest]

I meant it is exactly as it was. You grew apart in terms of your outdoor activity... we have been steadily growing together, especially in terms of canoe trips. I had never done a canoe trip before I met my wife but I had done lots and lots of backpacking. This is something we've been doing together.

I'm glad you have a great marriage, but I still don't see what the point was?

I should have done the Oz as a day trip? I should have not planned for the most extreme case (3 nights/4 days) and planned just for an overnight (in which case if my wife did like it then I would have been forced to return when I did)? That little kids can hike 16 miles round trip to go swimming so we should be able to?

I knew I shouldn't have posted this story. Not going to High Falls is some kind of Oswegatchie sin... it's like climbing a mountain and not making the summit. Well I'm sorry that chaps you but I couldn't care less.

 

[yknpdlr]

I meant it is exactly as it was. You grew apart in terms of your outdoor activity... we have been steadily growing together, especially in terms of canoe trips. I had never done a canoe trip before I met my wife but I had done lots and lots of backpacking. This is something we've been doing together.

I don't think you read what I wrote. Where is the growing apart that you read about? You asked that I write a trip report of me with my wife. I did that in summary. She doesn't race with a paddle in her hand, I do, but she is a very necessary and critical support to me and to others in the canoeing community. And as I wrote, she does paddle with me recreationally. We canoe camped together for years, before, during, and after kids. These days she doesn't tolerate hard ground so much. However, we both enjoy traveling and touring outdoor places far from home together before and after canoeing events. We don't even need canoe events to do that. That is hardly a description of "growing apart".

I should have done the Oz as a day trip?

Not necessarily. It was only a suggestion, given the negative experience you related that your wife had. You said you needed permission from your wife to go. The words you used for your wife were moodiness, somber, low spirits, tired, didn't care for the river, anxiety, exhaustion, fear of panic, fear of becoming stranded, tolerance of a stubborn mule, hates wild rivers. You were lamenting about the number of rocks. What is one to think after reading that? How is that a good start, as you say? A short pre-trip in that case, knowing (?) your wife's potential response, might have made for a better time for both of you later.

Not going to High Falls is some kind of Oswegatchie sin... it's like climbing a mountain and not making the summit.

Absolutely not. No mountain climber or paddler worth any salt would continue onward in foolish conditions. You made the wise call to abandon the trip and turn around to find something less remote, more familiar to your shared abilities and more enjoyable. My original suggestion stands, to scout out on a day trip when you are about to encounter a new and different experience (remote river paddling is foreign to you, as you seem to admit), before you take someone who would not like such a trip. Not essential, but given the outcome of the negative response from your wife, at least you could have been better mentally prepared and perhaps decided on a different trip with her from the beginning.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Speaking of spirits my wife's were quiet low. I don't think she much cared for the river.

I think your wife's reaction was very reasonable and appropriate.

My opinion of the Oswegatchie run to High Falls is that it is a low quality, unscenic and insipid river run. All you do is wind around and around, staring at endless alder bushes. There is one big rock you can climb up and get a prosaic view of the river winding around and around through endless alder bushes. High Falls is unimpressive.

My heretical opinion aside, I enjoyed your humorous and self-deprecating trip report. Everything in life is a learning experience. Even typing stuff on the internet.

 

[Guest]

About 3 years ago I planned a route that would take my wife and I up a meandering wetland to reach a portage at the source of a river. I embroidered this route idea with descriptions of every kind, to intrigue my missus. She had liked smaller winding streams between lake travels, so it seemed like a good idea. It took several hours to follow the lazy river upstream, and after the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] beaver dam liftover, her interest flagged. I loved the adventure, but she was pretty quiet. We both were, it was a beautiful place. When we reached the portage and stood there looking back down the green valley I said “God, that looks so beautiful!” She said ”God, I’m glad THAT’S over with!”
We won’t be doing anymore long meandering streams. I’m okay with that. I couldn’t be happy if my wife wasn’t happy.
We go to those places to share it with one another. As much as I like my own company, I prefer hers when I’m out there. Maybe I’ll solo one day, but not yet. People paddle for different reasons, challenge, adventure, relaxation, speeding up, slowing down, whatever. You were enjoying your relationship, and likely making it stronger. I enjoyed your trip report L’oiseau, keep exploring life.
Take care,
Brad

 

[Seeker]

I think your wife's reaction was very reasonable and appropriate.

My opinion of the Oswegatchie run to High Falls is that it is a low quality, unscenic and insipid river run. All you do is wind around and around, staring at endless alder bushes. There is one big rock you can climb up and get a prosaic view of the river winding around and around through endless alder bushes. High Falls is unimpressive.

My heretical opinion aside, I enjoyed your humorous and self-deprecating trip report. Everything in life is a learning experience. Even typing stuff on the internet.

Not heresy... my uncle loves that area for some reason... has fished, canoed, and hunted it his entire life (late 80s now), including walking in from the Low's side, but I have to agree with your assessment of the featureless meandering... I get a lot of that here in LA too... miles of steep dirt banks with only the occasional duck, turtle, or alligator. the coastal marshes are the same.

Maybe the Delaware would be a better, more attractive trip? better scenery, imho, and the 'big 3' are less prevalent.

 

[Guest]

It was only a suggestion, given the negative experience you related that your wife had. You said you needed permission from your wife to go. The words you used for your wife were moodiness, somber, low spirits, tired, didn't care for the river, anxiety, exhaustion, fear of panic, fear of becoming stranded, tolerance of a stubborn mule, hates wild rivers. You were lamenting about the number of rocks. What is one to think after reading that? How is that a good start, as you say? A short pre-trip in that case, knowing (?) your wife's potential response, might have made for a better time for both of you later.

Possibly but I don't know that we would have experienced as much. Honestly the 'big 3' are what gets her, and I have no control over them. If I had us turn around everytime she made a frowny face we'd never get anywhere. A lot of it was mental, and I kind of wanted her to get over that. She had psyched herself out before we even got on the water, and honestly I think she is OK with it now.

I think your wife's reaction was very reasonable and appropriate.

My opinion of the Oswegatchie run to High Falls is that it is a low quality, unscenic and insipid river run. All you do is wind around and around, staring at endless alder bushes. There is one big rock you can climb up and get a prosaic view of the river winding around and around through endless alder bushes. High Falls is unimpressive.

My heretical opinion aside, I enjoyed your humorous and self-deprecating trip report. Everything in life is a learning experience. Even typing stuff on the internet.

Not heresy... my uncle loves that area for some reason... has fished, canoed, and hunted it his entire life (late 80s now), including walking in from the Low's side, but I have to agree with your assessment of the featureless meandering... I get a lot of that here in LA too... miles of steep dirt banks with only the occasional duck, turtle, or alligator. the coastal marshes are the same.

Maybe the Delaware would be a better, more attractive trip? better scenery, imho, and the 'big 3' are less prevalent.

Both your opinions of the area, I can only guess, are typical. Seen as how the amount of people out there was atypical for the Adirondacks on a Holiday weekend I can only guess this area doesn't attract big crowds. Big crowds usually want something more than alder bushes and a 6' falls.

I agree, and is why I said it was one of the less 'cheery' parts of the Adirondacks. I think my future experience with the Oz may be to use it as a travel corridor in the downstream direction. The beaver dams did not bother me at all. The rapids were a minor inconvenience. The only thing that Oswe-got-me is my seat. That is going to be remedied before I spend anymore significant time in that boat though.

About 3 years ago I planned a route that would take my wife and I up a meandering wetland to reach a portage at the source of a river. I embroidered this route idea with descriptions of every kind, to intrigue my missus. She had liked smaller winding streams between lake travels, so it seemed like a good idea. It took several hours to follow the lazy river upstream, and after the 5[SUP]th[/SUP] beaver dam liftover, her interest flagged. I loved the adventure, but she was pretty quiet. We both were, it was a beautiful place. When we reached the portage and stood there looking back down the green valley I said “God, that looks so beautiful!” She said ”God, I’m glad THAT’S over with!”
We won’t be doing anymore long meandering streams. I’m okay with that. I couldn’t be happy if my wife wasn’t happy.
We go to those places to share it with one another. As much as I like my own company, I prefer hers when I’m out there. Maybe I’ll solo one day, but not yet. People paddle for different reasons, challenge, adventure, relaxation, speeding up, slowing down, whatever. You were enjoying your relationship, and likely making it stronger. I enjoyed your trip report L’oiseau, keep exploring life.
Take care,
Brad

Glad to know someone else is as crazy as me to take the wife on adventures... and I know the feeling and the saying, if the wife isn't happy, no one is! Sometimes I have to be real creative to make her want to do stuff or see the value in it. I told her there were lots of beavers on this river and the possibility of seeing one was enough to make her want to go, despite her fears.

 

[Robin]

I liked your story and I enjoy your writing. It's nice to see such an honest view when things go "not the way we planned". I think some folks new to canoe tripping will learn from the discussion that followed too.

My wife and I did a few canoe trips together, but they ended when the 3 kids just needed too much gear and it became more work than fun for her. We turned to car camping the ADK's and Montauk,NY or 2 weeks a year in a free run down lakeside cabin in Canada. I would take the twin boys out for trips in canoes from age 7, same with my daughter, all the ADK's. I guess we had fun, cause my boys and their 20 something friends have invited me numerous times to Lila and Little Tupper Lakes and I was the only adult there.
Then the kids got busy with life and my wife turned in her sleeping bag, so I started solo tripping or going with groups. Now it's pretty much solo, but I hope to rent a lakeside cabin somewhere in Maine next year with my wife and dogs.
My sons what to take their older children (7 & 3&1/2) now, and I dream of a family trip with my 4 Chestnuts, maybe it will happen.

I have been up the Oswegatchie two or 3 times, once with my son Dan. I enjoyed the trip each time, although I can see the reasons some don't like it much. Just the fact it was such a wild area drew me back, and the time we spent above the falls bush wacking around and catching chubs thinking they where trout was pretty neat.
Dan found an expensive Stainless Steel stove stashed in the bush, no doubt left for a hunt camp tent the following fall. We left it, even gave the cover up underbrush a new coat to help keep it safe. A good character building moment I will always remember.

 

[Seeker]

Dan found an expensive Stainless Steel stove stashed in the bush, no doubt left for a hunt camp tent the following fall. We left it, even gave the cover up underbrush a new coat to help keep it safe. A good character building moment I will always remember.

Thank you... someone appreciates that you left his cache alone. (I think there was once a thread on another forum about that topic.)

 

[Guest]

There is one big rock you can climb up and get a prosaic view of the river winding around and around through endless alder bushes. High Falls is unimpressive.

I come from the land of waterfalls... I knew HF was nothing special. Waterfalls work best when you have a bedrock like shale that erodes easily and makes gullies and gorges like these in Conklin Gully near Naples, NY:

The anorthosite of the Adirondacks is very poor at doing this.

Of course these streams don't make for good paddling. Even Harold Deal would have a tough time on this terrain.

 

[roadends]

l'oiseau... happy birthday btw. I am kind of late for the party but thanks for the report. One of these days (hopefully before my sister moves out of NY) I plan to do a similar canoe backpack trip to the Oz too.

 

[Guest]

Thank you Mr. Ends. I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy it than being outdoors! Being somewhere new to me was great also!

 

[DuctTape]

One description of the O I read once said if you paddle fast enough the bow paddler will see the stern. The Upper O is a very different experience in many ways. Very wild.