PADDLING

Adirondack Paddle Festivals and 'The 90-Miler' Celebrates 20 Years

by Doug Haney

Courtesy of Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce War canoe on Browns Tract Inlet, which winds through a marsh that connects to Eighth lake on the Fulton Chain.

Spring runoff may have skipped town a bit too fast for most paddle-nuts, but thanks to the abundance of paddling festivals within the Adirondack Park, the rivers will be raging all summer long. For those of you who enjoy river travel, but of a less aerated nature, you won't want to miss the 20th Anniversary of the Adirondack Canoe Classic.

For the first-time festivalgoer, paddling fests are a weekend-long celebration of liquid alpine descent and river travel. On-river activity pulls up a stump next to post-paddle festivities that often include bands, bonfires, paddling films and a chance for local retailers to showcase their wares.

But at the end of the day, it's all about paddlers enjoying every aspect of the sport that they love, swapping stories and gear and inevitably talking about the next day on the river.

Adirondack Paddle and Film Festival
The Adirondack Paddle and Film Festival kicks off this year's season on June 22-23. It features the big-screen premier of Teton Gravity Research's Valhalla in Lake Placid on June 22, to benefit the Adirondack Paddlers Club and the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.

"The Adirondacks have so much to offer both whitewater and touring paddlers," says Stephen Doxzon, Adirondack Lakes and Trails owner and event host. "This event gives us an excuse to get together, check out an amazing film and then get out and paddle. It's also a great way to introduce new people to the sport and help out local organizations at the same time. It's all about fun."

Valhalla promises to showcase adrenaline-pumped first descents from around the world along with numerous high-octane soaks in the United States. Most of us may never be able to paddle in these remote and exotic rivers, the movie is a celebration of those who can and have. While Lake Placid itself may not be a hotbed for whitewater, single-day whitewater and flatwater touring instruction will be available in Saranac Lake.

For seasoned vets, the event will serve as hub for paddlers to meet, load up and set out for a day on any of the lakes and rivers within a short two hours of Lake Placid. Regional whitewater favorites are the Hudson, Sacandaga, Moose and the Black rivers, but don't count out an early evening run of the class III section of permanent rapids on the Saranac River. If you prefer touring, the choices are uncountable with the Saranac Lakes chain, the Saint Regis canoe area and Lake Champlain nearby. For more information, contact Adirondack Lakes and Trails (800) 491-0414 or www.adirondackoutfitters.com.

Adirondack Canoe Classic
For those who enjoy river travel but of a less aerated nature, don't miss the 20th anniversary of the Adirondack Canoe Classic on Sept. 6-8. 'The 90-Miler' kicks off in Old Forge with paddlers traveling the route that the early guides used as a passageway through the Adirondacks, finishing in Saranac Lake.

Hosted by the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and McDonnell's Adirondack Challengers, the event features 250 canoes, kayaks, guideboats and even 10-person war canoes, with approximately 450 competitors. Along with the paddling and rowing, there also are several miles of portages that the racers must negotiate. Participants vary from hardcore racers competing for the crown to recreational folks out to enjoy the historic waterways with other paddlers.

The canoe classic is one of the most popular races in the country, drawing participants from as far away as California and Florida; however, it's limited to 250-boats. If you are interested, be sure to contact the Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce by June 30. Entry forms are mailed in early July and the race fills up in a couple of weeks. For more information, contact the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at or (800) 347-1992 or www.saranaclake.com.

Moose River Festival

Courtesy of American Whitewater Dropping Ager's Falls on the Bottom Moose River.

Quickly becoming the premier whitewater festival in the northeast, the Moose River Festival launches Oct.18-19 with hundreds of paddlers swelling the town of Old Forge.

Kicking off on Friday with a run of the Black River near Watertown, paddlers then move to Old Forge for an evening bonfire sponsored by a local paddle shop before gearing up for the next day's run of the Moose.

A unique festival, the Moose can be enjoyed by all levels of paddlers with its three runable sections of river — each increasing with difficulty the farther you get down stream. Starting with the class I-II middle section, the Moose flows into the class III-IV lower section, which features such rapid names as Mix Master, Elevator Shaft and Froth Hole, before raging into the well-known class V bottom run.

Morning wake-up on the bottom starts at Fowlersville Falls, a 60-foot slide at a 40-degree angle, and ends with the triple-drop of Crystal Falls with such rapids as Knifes Edge, Powerline and the 18-foot Ager's Falls to fill up the run.

Après paddle activities happen on Saturday night in Old Forge when Moose Fest kicks up the sound with an evening band and a festive atmosphere where paddle-sport dealers debut their new 2003 products. There also is a gear auction and a chance to check out photographs taken from the previous day on the river.

"It was easily one of the best paddle weekends of my life," says first-time Moose Fest goer Andy Walkow, of the 2001 event. "Since then, all I can think of is my next run down the Moose." For more information, contact Chris Koll (315) 475-7499 or ckoll1234@aol.com or go to www.oldforgeny.com.

Whether you're pounding the whitewater or putting some miles on the canoe or kayak, this paddling season is packed full of festivals and events to get you on the water, no excuses. See you on the river.

Doug Haney (dhaney78@yahoo.com) is a freelance writer based in Lake Placid. He enjoys whitewater paddling, hiking and mountain biking.

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