William Woodcleft Journeys

 Upper Osgood River

September 18-20, 2021

In mid-September 2021 I took a trip on the upper Osgood River, a trip that I tried to do on Labor Day weekend, but was unable to do because the area was too crowded.

Day 1: Saturday, September 18

I awoke at 4:20am and was out the door and since everything was already packed and in the car except for my food, I was ready to leave home by 5am. There were few cars on the road, particularly the Taconic Parkway, which I took to Albany, after which I traveled the Northway to the exit for Lake Placid/Saranac Lake. With the exception of getting gas in Raybrook, I made no stops, thus arriving at Osgood Pond shortly before 10am.

There were already five cars in the parking area, which, with only two campsites on the river, was not a good sign. Checking the register, which is way off to the side of the launch area on the pond, did not alleviate any of my apprehension. Since many paddlers would not see it, I could did not consider it a reliable indicator of how many paddlers were on the river. However, no one had signed in for two days, so that was a bit encouraging. I decided to take a chance and go for it, figuring that it was early enough that if the designated campsite was taken, I could either find a place to "stealth camp" 150 ft. back from the river or I could return to the car and go to my alternative location, Moose Pond, which had more campsites.

It didn't take me long to get the Hornbeck down to lakeshore and loaded up with my gear, push off and head across the pond towards the start of the river. Once out into the pond proper, there was a beautiful view to the west.

Rounding the first point, I passed the former Northbrook Lodge, which now is a private residence.

Further on, I passed the White Pine Camp, which was the former camp of President Calvin Coolidge, the 30th U.S. president, but it is now a guest lodge.

Not long after the lodge, on the same shore, I noticed the NY State Forest Preserve sign, indicating that I was now on State land. Soon afterwards, I came to a landing for a leanto, that sits up on the hill, away from the lake. I landed and took a walk up to check out the leanto.

It is a rather steep climb up to the leanto and a pretty good distance too. Carrying a lot of gear up there and having to go back down to replenish one's water supply would be inconvenient, but may the leanto would be nice and would offer a good view of the pond. Unfortunately, neither was the case.

The leanto and the surrounding area was pretty trashed out and it was in need of repair - definitely not a place I would camp. I decided that if the campsite I was aiming for up the river was taken, I would not be staying here. So I headed back down the hill, got into the canoe and continued paddling along the same shore, looking for the first designated campsite that was supposed to be located just before the entrance to the river. It didn't take long to find it (even though, like the leanto, it wasn't well marked).

Again, unfortunately, I was not impressed with this campsite either. Obviously, it too was not maintained and was trashed out. The site had room for a tent, but it was far from ideal for hammock camping. I decided I would not stay here either.

Putting back in, it only a took a couple of minutes to get to the start of the river. I immediately saw a change (for the better) - the river instantly had my attention and interest. It certainly had the "northern boreal" feel to it as described in the Paddler's Guide.

Although the water level was very high, there were still many water plants in the river. The current was discernable and there is a recognizable channel to paddle in. At times the river widens, but most often the opposing shores are not far apart, making for an intimate paddling experience.

As I paddled up the river I was never far from the shore. Sometimes I had to pick a channel through the plant growth in the river, but it was never difficult. There were only a couple of places where I had to push over the work of some beavers. Since I was going with the current, I made good progress, only pausing to take some photos. It didn't take long to near my destination and I looked ahead anxiously, hopng the campsite was empty.

As I neared the campsite, I grew more excited, as it looked like it was unoccupied.

I quickly landed and checked it out. The site is up on a rise above the river, with a nice view and a good sized fire ring. The site is large and open, ringed by trees of various kinds and sizes. I also noticed a doc pulled up in the bushes along the shore. There are multiple paths leading from the main site into the woods. I thought that one might lead to a privy or thunderbox, but that was not the case. Although there was no toilet paper or other waste around the site, since it is the only site this far down the river, the DEC should install a thunderbox here to avoid future sanitation issues.

There was a suitable location for the tarp that would cover the kitchen area and multiple locations to hang my hammock. Looking out towards the river from the campsite, one could not help but admire the fine view.

Pulling the canoe onshore and carrying the gear up to the site, I quickly began the process of setting up camp.

I ended up hanging my hammock in a small clearing behind the main campsite area that had perfectly spaced trees and a floor of soft moss. 

After camp was setup, I made lunch, took my chair towards the front of the campsite and situated myself so that I had a nice view across, up and down the river. 

After lunch, I spent some time exploring the woods immediately adjacent to the main campsite, taking some photos and video. I also picked up some firewood to process back at the campsite.

Once back at camp, I decided it was a good time to catch-up on some sleep, so I retired to the hammock for a nap. I slept well and woke up around 6 pm. Dinner was next - vegetable tikka from Trader Joe's, which was quick and easy with little clean-up afterwards. Afterwards, I took the chair, a cup of tea and a granola bar and sat by river until it got dark, which was around 7:30. 

Shortly after, I returned to the main campsite and secured it for the night. Then I headed for the hammock and did some reading until about 9 pm, then turned out the light and went to sleep. I woke up around 12:30 am to answer nature's call and was surprised how much light there was. The moon had risen and was big and bright in the sky, illuminating the forest and the river, which was bathed in fog. The temperature on the thermometer was 47°. I got the camera and tried to take some photos and video, but neither came out very good. Regardless, it was magical being there in the woods, near the river in the moonlight. 

After about a half hour, I headed back to the hammock and quickly fell asleep, not waking again until 3:30 when nature called a second time. When I left the hammock, it felt significantly colder, so I added a layer of clothing and a hat before getting back in the hammock. I next awoke a little past 6 am, glanced at the thermometer and noted that it read 41° and fell back asleep. At 8:30 I got up and took some photos around the campsite, mostly by the river where the mist was clearing.

Day 2: Sunday, September 19

After a half hour of taking photos, I retrieved the food bag that was hanging in a nearby tree. Breakfast included a hard-boiled, (pre-cooked) French toast and of course, coffee. I first boiled water for the coffee and then using the pot cover as a fry pan, heated two pieces of French toast. These were topped with the Maine blueberry syrup I brought with me. It was a tasty, filling and relaxing breakfast under the tarp.

After finishing breakfast and cleaning up, I made preparations for a day paddle on the river, being further down the river where it supposedly "ends" or vanishes, only to resume further on. The Paddler's Guide describes it as going into a hole and later re-emerging. I was really curious to see what it was like. After packing the camera and fishing gear, water and some snacks, I loaded the canoe and headed down the river. I stopped at various points to take some photos and cast a fly. I got some photos, but no takers for the fly.

The river "ends" at a dam made of rocks and logs, with plant growth immediately behind it. Trickles of water run through the dam, but it really does appear that the river disappears. A very strange situation. I was tempted to land and bushwack down along the side the of the river to see if it does actually re-emerge, but decided against it. I have plans to come back here again sometime and that bushwack would be on my list of things to do. Instead, I decided to head back towards camp, which was only about a 20-minute paddle away, doing some more fishing on the way and then some reading and relaxing in camp. When I got near campsite I noticed a significant increase in bird calls. There seemed to be more birdlife in the area around the campsite than anywhere else on the river. I decided to pass by and spend some time looking more closely at the section of the river just above the campsite. Not long afterwards, I encountered the first people I had seen on the trip - an older couple who were out on a day paddle to the "end" of the river. We chatted briefly and then we both paddled on in opposite directions.

Once I returned to the campsite and unloaded the canoe, I made some lunch (Trader Joe's Problano Corn Chowder, Norwegian Crisp Bread, BBQ Chicken Creations, some dried fruit and Ovaltine by the river. As I was eating, the two paddlers I had encountered earlier paddled by on their way out. They asked about the campsite and I provided them with some information about it. After that, I happened to look up and notice how bright blue the sky was and how the white pines at the campsite contrasted with it.

A few camp chores remained, the most important being to collect some firewood and processing it. I also did some pre-departure packing, to minimize what had to be done in the morning. Fortunately, the weather for my paddle out was supposed to be good, so I was looking forward to it. I would be returning to school on Tuesday, having had some peace, quiet and some time in nature.