Troop 50 paddlers make five portages in five days, covering 50 miles
Persistent paddlers: Members of Guilderland’s Troop 50 and their adult helpers lived up to their name, paddling 50 miles on Adirondack waterways this August. Standing by their canoes are, from left, Dan Cortelyou, Cameron Burdgick, Jack Streeter, Matt Cortelyou, Matt Hesler, Jason Streeter, Christine Hesler, Glenn Streeter, Brandon Chew, Brian Chew, and Don Hesler.
GUILDERLAND — Six Scouts and five adult leaders from Boy Scout Troop 50 in Guilderland paddled a total of 50 miles during the week of Aug 11 to 15. The group put in Monday, Aug. 11, at Raquette Lake’s south shore and paddled to “The Crusher” boat launch near Tupper Lake via Long Lake, covering a total distance of 50 miles.
The group members carried their canoes and gear over five portages: from Raquette Lake to Forked Lake, from Forked Lake to Raquette River, around Buttermilk Falls, around the Raquette River Rapids, and again around Raquette Falls on the last stretch of their trip.
Each canoe of two paddlers had two personal backpacks and one “belly pack” that contained food and kitchen gear for the weeklong adventure. Several boys were able to complete their cooking merit badge requirements, each cooking several meals for the group.
Shopping for food for a full week in the woods adds complexity, as we could carry fresh food for only a limited time. Thanks to the generosity of the Adirondack Hotel on Long Lake, we were able to “drop” some frozen food in the hotel’s freezer to pick up on Tuesday night of our trip.
On Long Lake, we had winds of over 15 miles per hour at our backs, helping us make good time up the notoriously tedious 14-mile lake. As a result, the Scouts completed the trip a day early, pulling out Thursday instead of Friday for some much needed pizza in Saranac Lake.
Each night, the group found a lean-to available to camp at, sleeping in tents and hammocks or in the lean-to. There are several hundred public lean-tos in the Adirondacks and along the Appalachian Trail. These refuges are generally open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Each boy will be awarded the Boy Scout of America “50 mile afoot-afloat” badge as this trip, combined with each Scouts 10 hours or more of community service at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland, fulfills the requirements of the badge.
Troop 50 serves youths from 11 years of age to 17. The troop meets Wednesdays from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at the St. Madeleine Sophie Parish Center on Carman Road in Guilderland. For information, contact Scoutmaster Sam Dikeman at 577-0434.
Editor’s note: Dan Cortelyou is assistant scoutmaster for Troop 50.
