Purgatory Chasm - September 24, 2026

Climbing the rocks at Little Purgatory

This week’s hike with the "Old Guy's Thursday Hiking Society" was at Purgatory Chasm State Reservation.

Purgatory Chasm became a state park in 1919 and is known for the .25-mile-long, 70-foot-deep chasm near the entrance. Various theories have been proposed to account for the creation of the chasm, but the most common is that glacial meltwater ripped out the gorge at the end of the last ice age.

Looking down into the chasm

We started on at the trailhead off Mendon Road on the Forest Road Trail. We took the trail along Purgatory Brook down to Little Purgatory. We then looped back to the Forest Road Trail and followed the Old Purgatory Trail to the main entrance. From there, we took the Charlie Loop Trail and the Chasm Loop Trail to explore Purgatory Chasm before returning to the cars. 

Total distance was around 3-miles - just enough to justify lunch at Schultzy's Place in Sutton.

Exploring the bottom of Purgatory Chasm

Links:
My Pictures
Trail Map

4-Day/3-Night Trips on the Connecticut River

I’m planning a 4-day/3-night trip on the Connecticut River with Jonathan, Aaron and Cory. We would really like to do the section from Canaan to Bloomfield but the water is too low, so I came up with three options from other sections that we have paddled before.

Option 1 – Debanville (Bloomfield) to Mount Orne Covered Bridge – 46 miles

With Bill in 2017

Put in - Debanville Landing (VT)
First Night - Maine Central Railroad Trestle Campsite (VT) – 13 miles
Second Night - Samuel Benton Campsite (VT) – 7 miles
Portage - Wyoming Dam
Third Night - South Guildhall Campsite (VT) – 16 miles
Take out - Mount Orne Covered Bridge (VT) – 10 miles

Detail

Debanville Landing

Put-in - Debanville Landing (VT) – mile 348. An unimproved path at the mouth of the Nulhegan River - park by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail kiosk on the other side of Rt. 102.
44° 45' 5.2344" N, 71° 37' 58.6524" W.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zUxwJmEgZW1jkdVdA

First Night - Maine Central Railroad Trestle Campsite (VT) – mile 335. Maintained by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The site is immediately downstream of granite railroad trestle, on the Vermont side. Land on a beach and follow trail north to campsite on former railroad right of way. 
44°40'34.0"N 71°35'33.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/g1fYwa8vYFFHeMkr7

Samuel Benton Campsite

Second Night - Samuel Benton Campsite (VT) – mile 328. The campsite is situated in a grove of trees on a sandy bluff, at the edge of a field, on privately owned farmland. (I stayed here in 2017. Staying here means a 7 mile second day and a 16 mile third day.)
44° 37' 46.362" N, 71° 32' 50.3196" W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/G7Y4DEwN6D7JzsFt7

Alternative Campsite - Scott C. Devlin Memorial Campsite (VT) – mile 318. Situated in a shady stand of pines about two miles below the confluence of the Upper Ammonoosuc, after the river makes a tight 180 degree turn near 102. (Staying here means a 17 mile second day and a 6 mile third day)
44°34'25.8"N 71°32'58.6"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xsu9no96GcznBWYMA

Wyoming Dam

Portage - Wyoming Dam – Mile 323. Take-out is located immediately upstream on the Vermont side. A portage trail takes paddlers up to Rt. 105.
44°33'50.8"N 71°33'33.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/U65kdev8E3tcihKo7

Third Night - South Guildhall Campsite (VT) – mile 312. Beautiful campsite situated in floodplain forest, with great views of the White Mountains. Site is accessed via a set of access steps. Watch for stinging nettles in the forest. Room for 3 tents. (We had 4 tents in 2017)
44°31'20.1"N 71°35'11.8"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LM99Na6e52AxMM849

South Guildhall Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Riverside Camping and RV Resort (NH) – mile 308. Private riverside campground. Caters to RVs, but grassy meadow provided for tent camping. For reservations and info call (603) 631-7433 or visit riversidecampingnh.com
44°29'42.9"N 71°35'38.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BbMFZREuzToZowzo7

Take out - Mount Orne Covered Bridge (VT) – mile 302. Small parking area and hand-carry launch, just south of the Mount Orne Covered Bridge on the Vermont side of the river.
44°27'36.8"N 71°39'13.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1fKf5ew9MwYrYHgh8

Mount Orne Covered Bridge

Now that I look at it, I’m not so big on this one. It’s the furthest away, has the the most miles, and has a long day (16 miles) with a portage. The water may also be low up by Bloomfield. I did this trip with Bill, Tommy and Mena back in 2017.

Option 2 - Woodville to North Thetford – 34 miles

With Conrad in 2018

Put-in - Woodsville Access (NH)
First Night - Harkdale Farm Campsite (VT) – 9 miles
Second Night - Underhill Campsite (NH) – 13 miles
Third Night - Roaring Brook Campsite (VT) – 10 miles
Take out - North Thetford Landing (VT) – 2 miles

Detail

Woodville Access

Put-in - Woodsville Access (NH) – mile 263. Small, sandy beach in town of Woodsville. Downstream of bridge, on Connecticut Street. Unimproved ramp, car-top access only. Parking for several vehicles is available along the road.
44°09'11.5"N 72°02'25.2"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BdaaooWCp1WH5Lb29

Alternative Campsite - Howard Island Campsite (NH) - mile 260. About 2 miles below the Woodsville Bridge. The northern campsite is located at the northeast end of this island with access on a moderately-sloped cobblestone bank. The southern campsite is at the southwestern corner of the island.
44°07'26.0"N 72°02'24.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mVLC5FKRC5Ky7Lw86

Harkdale Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Horse Meadow – (NH) - mile 257. One of the first campsites established on the Upper Connecticut River, and recently re-established with the help of the Thetford Academy. Access is via a set of removable stairs situated just past the southern tip of the adjacent island.
44°06'10.8"N 72°01'57.5"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/K7T5WR6h5WbDW8vb9

First Night - Harkdale Farm Campsite (VT) – mile 254. Access on Vermont side at second large oxbow downstream of Howard Island, across from high eroding sand bank that meets small brook with fallen trees.
44°04'39.0"N 72°02'13.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EJYbVQyYa1VfymtNA

Underhill Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Vaughan Meadow Campsite (VT) – mile 248. Located on the Vermont side one mile below the old Bedell Bridge abutment. Located on a wooded bank after the river turns from SE to S, a few hundred yards north of the Bradford line.
44°01'49.0"N 72°04'39.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cvbxZ1vZZEt2ri267

Second Night - Underhill Campsite (NH) – mile 241. Popular campsite at the mouth of Eastman Brook, before the river veers west, past Bug's Island. Access is via a set of timber steps or at a take-out up Eastman Brook.
43°58'02.6"N 72°05'26.8"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2na9Ho3t67KvDJjy5

Roaring Brook Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Birch Meadow Campsite (VT) – mile 233. Two miles below the arch bridge, on a low wooded point just above the marshland at the outlet of Lake Morey.
43°53'10.9"N 72°09'59.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9icZHUjL8yYc8bQ9

Third Night - Roaring Brook Campsite (VT) - mile 231. Popular grassy campsite on the VT side where Roaring Brook joins the river. It is close to the road and the railroad tracks, so there can be a lot of traffic noise.
43°51'45.0"N 72°11'07.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vnu9zJqK1cundP16A

Sawyer Mountain

Take out - North Thetford Landing (VT) – mile 229. Improved ramp for all boat types. If you intend park overnight, please leave a note in car so no search is initiated or car is towed.
43°50'29.3"N 72°11'00.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DToxYqdYNTn835ro9

I like this one. Its a bit of paddling the first day, but we’d be on our way quick on Tuesday. We did a two day version of this in 2018. We have never used Thetford Landing, but we have been to Woodsville and the campsites.

Option 3 – Bugbee Landing to Wilder Dam – 30 miles

With Bill in 2019

Put in - Bungbee Landing (VT)
First Night - Underhill Campsite (NH) – 3 miles
Second Night - Roaring Brook Campsite (VT) – 10 miles
Third Night - Patchen's Point (VT) – 11 miles
Take-out – Wilder Dam – 6 miles

Detail

Underhill Campsite

Put in - Bungbee Landing (VT) – mile 244. Small dock and unimproved ramp at the mouth of Waits River. Access off Doe Meadow Rd by driving through fairgrounds. If you intend park overnight, please leave a note in car so no search is initiated or car is towed.
43°59'47.9"N 72°07'21.4"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NFC9vAPCW4JjTmqU8

First Night - Underhill Campsite (NH) – mile 241. Popular campsite at the mouth of Eastman Brook, before the river veers west, past Bug's Island. Access is via a set of timber steps or at a take-out up Eastman Brook. No fees. Suggested donatio
43°58'02.6"N 72°05'26.8"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2na9Ho3t67KvDJjy5

Roaring Brook Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Birch Meadow Campsite (VT) – mile 233. Two miles below the arch bridge, on a low wooded point just above the marshland at the outlet of Lake Morey.
43°53'10.9"N 72°09'59.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9icZHUjL8yYc8bQ9

Second Night - Roaring Brook Campsite (VT) - mile 231. Popular grassy campsite on the VT side where Roaring Brook joins the river. It is close to the road and the railroad tracks, so there can be a lot of traffic noise.
43°51'45.0"N 72°11'07.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vnu9zJqK1cundP16A

Patchen"s Point Campsite

Third Night - Patchen's Point (VT) - mile 220. A pleasant and roomy camping spot nestled in a grove of White Pines north of Hanover. This can be a popular hang-out spot for local kids on summer weekend nights. An unmarked privy is located off a spur trail to the north.
43°44'03.1"N 72°15'57.4"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DccoBau844ZV8JjM6

Alternative Campsite - Gilman Island (NH) – mile 216. Large, popular campsite on the south tip of the island. No camping is allowed on the adjacent island.
43°41'32.8"N 72°18'10.4"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/g1rWCc9ARp1goSVdA

Wilder Dam

Take-out – Wilder Dam – mile 214. Unimproved path provides car-top access to the Wilder Dam impoundment. Parking area on east side of Route 10 serves both paddlers and hikers exploring the nearby Boston Lot Trails. Overnight Parking allowed, but you must put a note on your dashboard indicating you are on a multi-day paddling trip, with dates the car will be parked at the site.
43°40'04.1"N 72°18'06.3"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/e3FEehPgJTPu183P7

This one is good too, and goes by Dartmouth. We did a two night version of this in 2019. Bungbee Landing is the school where we stopped for the cook-out.  

We are leaning toward doing option 2.

Forked Lake - September 18, 2026

Me and Bill in the Spirit II

For our last RICKA Adirondacks trip, we decided to head off to Forked Lake.

Forked Lake is 1,248-acre lake located about 7-miles southwest of Long Lake. Shaped like a multi-pronged "Y" (hence the name), it is known for its rugged shoreline, pristine water, and remote paddle-in campsites. The New York State DEC operates the primitive Forked Lake Campground, which features 80 primitive campsites.

The beaver dam that did us in

There are two access points for Forked Lake – the Forked Lake Campground to the east, and the Forked Lake Boat Launch to the west. Since the road to the Forked Lake Campground was closed for bridge repairs, we would be launching from the boat launch.

We met at 9:30 for the trip out to the boat launch. It was a bright sunny day with blue sky and puffy clouds. We headed west with the intention of paddling up the Raquette River. Unfortunately, the water was low and a large beaver dam blocked our path. Instead, we decided to stay in the lake. It was still a nice way to end the week.

Links:
My Pictures

A Day Off from Paddling – September 17, 2026

Rain was in the forecast, so Bill and I decided to take a day-off from paddling. We started off with breakfast at the Long Lake Dinner. Then we spent the morning at the Adirondack Museum, which tells the story of the rich history of the Adirondacks. In the afternoon, we visited the trolls at the Wild Center. After pizza for dinner at the Adirondack Hotel, we sat around the fire with the RICKA crew. 

Log chair at the Adirondacks Museum

Links:
My Pictures – Adirondack Museum
My Pictures – Wild Center
Adirondack Museum
The Wild Center

Boreas Ponds - September 16, 2026

Portage down to the put-in

My second trip with the RICKA group in the Adirondacks was to Boreas Ponds – perhaps the prettiest lake that I have ever paddled. Pictures don't do it justice.

The Boreas Ponds are an interconnected group of three ponds (First, Second and Third) with striking views of the High Peaks, including Mount Marcy, Mount Haystack, the Gothics and Saddleback Mountain. The lake gets its name from the Boreas River, which was named around 1829 after Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind and winter storms, reflecting the area's notoriously harsh winters.

Scott with the High Peaks in the distance

For over a century, the Boreas Ponds region was owned by paper company Finch, Pruyn & Co. The company built a timber dam at the outlet, which raised the water levels and created interconnected 320-acre lake that you see today.

In 2007, Finch, Pruyn put this historic timberland up for sale. The Nature Conservancy purchased the property to prevent it from being purchased by a private developer. Much of the land was eventually added to the High Peaks Wilderness Area.

Canoes at the lunch stop

We met at 9:00 for the drive out to Gulf Brook Road - a seasonal dirt road located off Blue Ridge Road. We continued up to the Four Corners Parking Area. From there it is a 1-mile portage down a gravel road to the put-in - a high wheeled cart is recommended. We were accompanied on the portage by Scott who was heading down to a near-by lean-to. He took a trail off to the left just before the put-in.

The view from the put-in gives you no sense of the beautiful views that await you on the lake. We paddled up a short inlet and turned north, and there it was - a spectacular view of the High Peaks. We saw Scott paddling out from the lean-to, so we hooked up and he gave us a great tour of the ponds. We stopped for lunch at the northern end before returning to the put-in.

Selfie with the mountains in the distance

On the way back to the cars we took a detour to check out the near-by lean-to. In 1996, Finch, Pruyn built a massive wooden lodge on this site for use by its corporate executives. With the transition to the wilderness area the lodge was demolished and replaced with a simple shelter with a million-dollar view. Not a bad place to spend the night.

After checking out the lean-to, we continued the portage back to the cars and returned to Eaton Lake.

One last view of the mountains as we head back to the put-in

Links:
My Pictures
Boreas Ponds Tract

High Peaks Wilderness Area

Henderson Lake - September 15, 2026

On the portage trail

My first trip with the RICKA group in the Adirondacks was at Henderson Lake. It was a new trip for me, and also for RICKA.

Henderson Lake is a two-mile-long lake sitting on the edge of the High Peaks Wilderness Area. Covering roughly 281-acres, it is the “official” birthplace of the Hudson River. The river begins its 306-mile journey at the lake's concrete outlet spillway near the put-in.

Launching near the source
of the Hudson River

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries this area evolved from a mining village into an exclusive Gilded Age camp. Remnants of both can be seen on the drive to the parking lot and the portage down to the lake. The lake was opened to the public in 2003, and was formally added to the state wilderness area in 2008.

The group met at 9:30 for the drive to the Upper Works Trailhead Parking Lot. From there it is a half-mile portage down a rocky path to the lake – a high-wheeled cart is recommended. We launched and began a counterclockwise circumnavigation of the lake. It was a cloudy day, but there were still beautiful views of Wallface Mountain, Henderson Mountain, McNaughton, and the MacIntyre Range.

Enjoying the mountain views

As we approached the northern end of the lake we noticed smoke coming out of the trees. At first we thought it was a campsite, but soon realized that it was a small forest fire. Several members of the group extinguished the visible flames, but it was probably still smoldered underground. Once we got back in cell phone range we reported it to NYDEC with GPS coordinates.

We had a big group, so about half stopped for lunch at the lean-to on the north-west shoreline near a small waterfall. The rest of us found some room on a grouping of boulders nearby. After lunch we continued down to the southern end of the lake before returning to the put-in.

Links:
My Pictures
Upper Works Trail Head Parking Lot
Henderson Lake

Camping on the Oswegatchie - September 11-14, 2026

The put-in at Inlet

I decided to start off my week-long trip to the Adirondacks with a 4-day/3 night camping trip on the Oswecatchie River with Aaron and Dan.

The Oswegatchie flows general north for 137-miles from the Adirondack Mountains to the Saint Lawrence River. We would be doing an up-and-back from Inlet to High Falls – about 22 miles round trip. This section is widely considered one of the premier wilderness trips in the Northeast, taking us deep into the Five Ponds Wilderness Area.

View from High Rock

We arrived at the put-in at Inlet at around 2:00, packed up our boats and headed upstream. The river meanders through a vast marsh lined with alder thickets. There is also a lot of beaver activity - we got very good at lifting and dragging our boats over beaver dams.

About 3-miles upstream is High Rock – a massive outcropping that rises sharply from the river bank. We took a break to check out the view, but because the site here was already taken, we continued upstream.

Home for the night - Buck Brook

We ended up stopping at the Buck Brook Campsite (#34) for the night. We gathered firewood, set up our tents, had dinner and then settled in around the campfire for the night. The stars overhead were amazing with a clear view of the Milky Way arching across the sky. I was in bed by 10:00 and slept like a log.

I woke up around 7:00 and crawled out of the tent at around 7:30. We knew it would be short trip up to High Falls, so there was no rush to get going. We eat breakfast, packed up our gear and got on our way.

One of many beaver dams

The river continued to be challenging with lots of beaver dams, blow-downs and shallow rapids. We arrived at High Falls at around 1:00 and set up camp on the east side of the falls at Lean-to #2. We gathered firewood, and then had the rest of the afternoon to rest and explore the area.

High Falls drops 20-feet over well-worn bedrock. Aaron and Dan went for a swim below the falls, but I decided to check out the portage trail and campsites on the west side of the falls. The west side is much more active than the east side with hikers passing through pretty regularly on the Cranberry Lake 50.

Checking out High Falls

After a relaxing afternoon, we had dinner and sat around the fire. Dan made Pineapple Flambe for dessert. It was cloudy, so it was not a good night for viewing the stars, but we still saw the space station race across the sky. I went to bed around 10:00.

I woke up at around midnight to a heavy rainstorm. I was glad that I set up an additional tarp over my tent. Once I confirmed that my tent was staying dry, I fell back asleep.

Above High Falls

I woke up at around 8:00, but stayed in the tent until around 8:30. This was our lay-over day, so there was no rush to get up. The forecast was for a chance of showers through-out the day. We decided to continue upstream above the falls. With empty boats it would be easier getting over the beaver dams.

We paddled over to the west side and took the portage trail to the put-in above the falls. The river continued to meander through alder thickets with lots of beaver dams. We checked out Camp Johnny (#11) that gets its name from Johnny Robinson, a legendary 19th-century Adirondack guide, woodsman, and trapper. We also checked some of the huge old growth pines near the site.

The "Boover Dam"

We continued up stream climbing over beaver dams until we hit a huge dam just below site #8. We joked it was the Hoover Dam of beaver dams – the "Boover Dam". We decided we had lifted over enough beaver dams for one day and began our run back downstream.

It was a lot easier running back down over the beaver dams than it was to lift over them. We took a break for lunch on some large boulder before continuing down to the falls. That evening we had another great night for viewing the stars - amazing compared to what I normally see in light-polluted Rhode Island.

Lunch on the rocks

We were up early the next morning for the trip back to Inlet. It took us about 8-hours over two days to paddle up from Inlet to High Falls. It took about 4-hours to paddle back down. Many of the dams that we needed to lift over on the way up we were able to run on the way down. By mid-morning the clouds broke and the sun came out. Unfortunately, the battery in my camera died so I don’t have any pictures.

When we got back to Inlet I found that my car had a dead battery. Somehow, I had left my lights on. Fortunately, Aaron had a set of jumper cables. We stopped for a celebratory beer at Raquette River Brewing before heading on our ways – Aaron for home and Dan and I to Eaton Lake Campground for the RICKA Adirondacks trip.

Links:

My Pictures

My Video

Five Ponds Wilderness
Five Ponds Wilderness map
Five Ponds West Map (GeoPDF)
Five Ponds East Map (Geo PDF)