XC Ski - Camp Bliss and Bum Pond - William C. Whitney Wilderness - 1/31/16

I'm not a happy camper when the the forecast calls for temperatures in the 40's in January.  Still, there was no reason not to go outdoors.  I brought my xc skis and snowshoes with me, not knowing what the day would bring.  I was determined to ski if possible.  I headed for the Long Lake area and settled on trying to ski the old Burn Road on the west side of Little Tupper Lake in the William C. Whitney Wilderness (National Geographic Trail #135 on the Old Forge/Oswegatchie map #745.

There was about a foot of snow on the ground.  The temperature was 25 when I left the house, but 38 by the time I got to the trailhead.  I put some fresh glide wax on my skis and started out.  The trail is an old woods road that still feels more like a woods road than a trail.  No one was parked at the trailhead, but there was an old ski  track from 3 days prior.  There was just a dusting of snow in the old track.  Even though it was warm, the skis still were moving OK.   If all went well, I'd go at least as far as Bum Pond.  The sun was making an appearance, but after an hour, clouds rolled in for good. 

Map at the kiosk.

The rules...

First stop, Bum Pond

Wide open old woods road 

This trail is very flat and would be classified as a novice level ski trail.  It would also be a good ski route for a full moon ski.

At the two mile mark, I saw a big number 2 hanging on a tree.  There were no more numbers after that.

Perhaps each mile had been numbered at one time. 

At the 2.5 mile mark was an old outhouse that had been painted (kind of a nice idea).  The door had a plexiglas top and wood frame bottom. 

Not your typical weathered board outhouse. 

There was only one significant tree down in the trail and that was at the 3 mile mark.  It was easy enough to ski off the trail and around it.

A typical scene along this trail.

Eventually I came to Charlie Pond stream; a significant water crossing at 4.0 miles.  No worries though, there was a very sturdy bridge in place with steel beams and new wooden deck.

The bridge at Charlie Pond Stream

After I crossed the bridge, I noticed that the old tracks I was following decided to call it quits.  The person that made those tracks was probably worn out from breaking trail.  I took over the trail breaking and pressed forward.  

I was moving slower now in the untracked snow.  I could tell it was getting warmer as well.  I was skiing with no jacket and no gloves.  Even the hat came off.

Next up was a trail junction at 4.7 miles.  The red disc trail from Sabattis Road ends at this junction. It becomes a blue disc trail going straight ahead, or a yellow disc trail by turning left towards Bum Pond.  I made the left and soon found that the yellow discs were almost non-existent.  No worries though, the woods road was still plain as day to follow. 

Perhaps a little water under the snow blanket here.

These signs have seen better days.

At 5.0 miles, I came to Bum Pond (as advertised by the trailhead sign).  Unfortunately with the snow on the ground, I couldn't get much of a vision for what the pond looks like. 

Bum Pond

Bum Pond (street view)!

At like point, I decided to plod forward to one last stop - Camp Bliss (on the southwest shore of Little Tupper Lake).  With an intriquing name like that, how could I not visit?  0.7 miles later, I skied upon a designated campsite at Camp Bliss.  It looked like a nice location.   I wonder if there was ever an old camp at this location that caused the name Camp Bliss?

Campsite at Camp Bliss

I went to the edge of Little Tupper and looked at the expanse of white on the snow covered lake. Once again it was hard to visual what this place would look like in the summertime.  

Sign by the lake, indicating the trail.

Little Tupper Lake

I was hoping that the return trip on skis would be a little faster, utilizing my fresh tracks on the exit. It wasn't to be though.  The temperature had continued to climb, so even though I was skiing in my own fresh track, the snow was getting softer and slower.  My legs were tired when I got back to the car. To my surprise, it was 46 degrees at 2 PM when I reached the large parking lot.

Ski Stats:

Ski Distance:  11.8 miles

Ski Time:  4 hours

Total Elevation Gain:  ~700'  

The route 

XC Siamese Ponds Wilderness - Barton Mines Road to Hour Pond - 3/23/14

 

What a blessing to have such a fantastic stretch of great weather for early spring cross country skiing.  Knowing that day would probably be my last day out for the season, I went to an all-time favorite spot to ski my heart out.  The network of trails surrounding the Botheration Loop in North River are just a fantastic collection of ski trails.

I parked at the Barton Mines Road trailhead off Route 28.  From there I skied 1.4 miles to the NE corner of the Botherathon Loop.  I skied the loop clockwise, but when I got halfway around, at the Old Farm Road, I headed west on a different trail to Hour Pond.  This was a trail I had not skied before.  Conditions were perfect.  The Hour Pond Trail provided some nice hills to get a few nice downhill runs.

I only saw 6 skiers all day.  I'm sad that this will probably be my last ski day of the season, but I got in quite a few trips this winter, especially the last half of the season when we had a pretty good snow pack.  With a couple 50 degree days on the horizon, the powder conditions will be over.

I'll let a pictures below tell the story of how pretty it was in the woods today.

 

 

Sign at Baron Mines Road parking area

 

 

 

 

Blue skies all day!

 

 

 

 

Great bridges with some decorative twig railings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hour Pond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XC Ski Stats

Trip Distance:  16.3 miles

Trip Time:  5 hours, 45 minutes

Total Vertical Gain:  ~ 1800'

 



 

The route (Click image to enlarge)

XC Ski Pharaoh Lake - Pharaoh Lakes Wilderness - 2/9/14

I've gone to Pharaoh Lake, in the Pharaoh Lakes Wilderness, several times from the south, but never in winter.  I knew this would be a good ski trip if conditions were good.  It would also be my 3rd day in a row of skiing, and 2nd for Leesa, so we didn't want to overdo it.

 

The tailhead is just north of the northern end of Brant Lake and is off of Beaver Pond Road.  In the summer, you can drive all the way in to Mill Brook if you have a high clearance vehicle.  In winter, the parking area is one mile south of Mill Brook.

 

I didn't expect that we'd be making 1st tracks.  This is a popular area, and the new snow has been on the ground for 4 days now.  I was right.  8 groups of people had signed in on Saturday.  The tracked trail was a bit sloppy, but there was room for me to create a fresh track adjacent to the existing tracks.  Someone had also skied in pulling a pulk.

 

We skied the first mile to Mill Brook in less than 20 minutes.  This area appears to have gotten a little less snow than the areas I skied the last two days.  There was perhaps 8-12 inches of new snow here.

  

 

Crossing Mill Brook

 

  

Nice newer boardwalk at Mill Creek

 

After Mill Brook is the only section where there is any elevation gain.  The trail climbs about 150' just north of Mill Brook.  After that, it is mostly level the rest of the way to the lake.  We skied the 3.6 miles to the lake in an hour and 40 minutes.

 

Rev's doing a few extra laps

 

 

... and now wants food!

 

Once at the lake, we skied on the lake near the western shore to lean-to #1.  There was a couple camped there, and they were having a camp fire.  Across the way, lean-to #6 that had burned down two years ago, has been rebuilt.  There were people there as well and I could see they had a dog.

 

  

South end of Pharaoh Lake

 

Leesa decided to head back at this point.  I continued on for another .6 miles, skiing across the lake over to Watch Point and lean-to #5.  Once again, the weather was in our favor.  The forecast was for mostly cloudy skies, but we had mostly sunny skies until we were almost out.

 

Rev's checking out a cairn on a tiny island 

 

 The lake was frozen solid except a small section right at the outlet.  It was a quick ski over to Watch Point but cutting across the lake.  Nobody had been out on the point.

Looking south from lean-to # 5 at Watch Point

 

 

 

 

Looking north from Watch Point

I didn't stay long out on the point.  Leesa was on her way back and I had the only car keys.  Rev and I picked up the pace, and we caught up with Leesa about a third of the way back.  

 

 

 

Panorama looking north from Watch Point

 

It's nice having the downhill slopes on the way out and it only took an hour and a quarter to get back to the car.    

Nice newer bridge 

  

Leesa did it!

 

I feel like I took full advantage of this snowstorm by skiing 31 miles in the last 3 days.  It's been a long time coming in getting some good snow in the woods this winter. 

 

Ski Stats:

Ski Distance:  9.1 miles

Ski Time:  3.5 hours

Total Vertical Gain:  ~600' 

 

  

Our route (click image to enlarge)



Our route on the National Geographic map

 

 

a closer look...