Dear RICKA members with camping experience, you are cordially invited to join a wilderness paddling and camping adventure in the Adirondacks in early May! Please reply here with your email address to be looped into further planning communications.

Early birds and I will start the trip on Thursday, May 7th. Anyone else can join Friday, Saturday, or even Sunday (May 8-10). I intend to stay for 4 nights, Thursday through Sunday (May 7-10), and return to civilization on Monday, May 11th. I chose these dates because they give the best odds of being after "ice out" but before black fly season ramps up. This will be relaxed, flatwater paddling, without significant hurdles to contend with (e.g., no tough portages, rapids, beaver dams, etc).

This year, I'd like to have a relatively big group with plenty of down time for hanging out and exploring the area (8 confirmed as of 3/11/26). I also want to plan it flexibly so people can join or leave the trip as their schedules allow, and you are welcome to invite any kind souls who can handle themselves in the wilderness.

With that in mind, I've selected Little Tupper Lake as the primary destination and camping location. From there, we can easily explore Round Lake (without a portage) as well as Rock pond with a very short carry. There are many great campsites on Little Tupper lake, as well as more on Round lake and Rock pond. We might need more than one site depending on total group size (legally, the limit is 8 people per site and rangers do check).

I also want to prepend a one-night excursion to Boreas pond, which offers spectacular views of the Adirondack High Peaks, before continuing the rest of the adventure in and around Little Tupper lake. The appetizer trip to Boreas pond is optional and intended for those who can afford a little more time away from "real" life to adventure. See full itinerary below.

Because we won't necessarily all start the trip at the same time or caravan, and because cell service is spotty or non-existent, I will have a satellite communication device. My satellite device can only text, not call, and it has a dedicated cell number: 401-561-8993. I'm charged a credit per message sent or received, so please use sparingly. I'll also have 3 waterproof walkie-talkies to communicate across localized distances while we're there.

A note about the weather: early May in the Adirondacks is brisk and cloudy. Daily highs will be in the upper 50s and low 60s, with nighttime temps in the 30s and 40s. The chance of precipitation is about 33% on any given day. Skies are overcast more often than not. All that said, you need proper gear for camping and paddling, and you need to be prepared for water exposure and the risk of hypothermia. I have advice and gear to share for anyone not experienced with paddling. Campsite characteristics might limit its practicality, but I plan to bring my big tipi hot tent and wood stove to use as a cozy common area.

Itinerary
Thursday, May 7th: one-night at Boreas pond
Boreas pond trip report with pics
https://dec.ny.gov/places/boreas-ponds-tract
Boreas pond can now be accessed from the Four Corners parking area. There is a 3/4-mile portage from the parking area to the pond, but it's entirely on a dirt road and cart-friendly. There is only one decent camp site on the pond, which is a lean-to shelter at the south end very close to the end of the carry. On Friday morning, we'll continue on to Little Tupper Lake.

Friday, May 8th: Meet at Little Tupper Lake
We'll meet and park cars at the William C. Whitney wilderness headquarters on Little Tupper Lake early afternoon. I'll research which camping sites to aim for. They are all primitive and first-come, first-serve. Once we have base camp established, there's plenty to explore in the area. On Saturday and Sunday, we can easily paddle back to the cars and drive elsewhere for other paddling and hiking options before returning to base in the evenings if we wish.

Nearby hiking:
A hiking trail to Buck Mountain fire tower is very near the north end of Little Tupper lake. The trail is 2.4 miles out-and-back with about 500 feet of elevation gain.

Bog River Loop
6.7-mile loop, 570' elevation gain
This section of the Bog river could also be a day-paddle excursion.

Winding Falls trail
5-mile out-and-back, 500' elevation gain

Coney Mountain
2-mile out-and-back, 530' elevation gain

Owl's Head Mountain
6-mile out-and-back, 1500' elevation gain
Has a fire tower on top with views of Long Lake

There's also some portage trails leading to a smattering of small ponds southwest of Rock pond that might be fun to hike or packraft.