largely

People sometimes ask me why I am so opposed to urbanization, and turning forests and farm fields into strip malls, office parks, and housing developments. Or at the same time, why I am opposed to closing off more public lands to wilderness, or what some call “neccessary reforms” and laws that will benefit the public as a whole.

My answer is simple: we are losing our freedoms, bit by bit. For every claim that every development is neccessary, that every new law is needed to reflect changing times or real needs, there is a counter point of lost freedoms, lost wilderness.

Wilderness is not a place that is baricaded off from motor vehicles, or is highly remote. It is a a place where man can live his life relatively untrammeled by other men.

Where not every part of his life is decided by strict regulations and policies that seek to control and force him or her to act in a specific way. Where a person can be free to make his or her choices, without government dicating everything her or she must do in her life.

…We need more wilderness.

On a nice weekend, expect many people to be joining you on the ever popular Floodwood Loop in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest. While technically not part of the Saint Regis Canoe Area, this area is considered part of series of ponds that makes up this area, and this loop is the most popular of all the canoe routes in this area.

Alternatively, take a look at this Google Map of the loop. Balloons are designed campsites, there are no charge to use these sites. Red lines are portages and other trails.

View Larger Map / Download KML

At around 10 AM I headed out. Bright sunny day, a lot of glare. None of the ponds are paticularly large.

The Fish Creek between the ponds is quite narrow, and don’t be surprised if you hit some traffic. In parts the current can be fairly swift, although one can still paddle up or down stream with relative ease, just avoid the other boats.

There is a 1/4 mile portage between Copreas Pond and Whey Pond. Despite being mostly sandy soil, with some roots, do NOT drag your kayak, if you want to avoid putting holes in it, as I learned the hard way.