Reservoir full of Adventure

I awoke to my 5am alarm clock and noticed the bedroom was still dark.  Daylight was no longer visible like it had been just a few short weeks ago at this time.  A cool 50 degree breeze gently passed through the open window as I crawled out of bed.  I quickly brewed a pot of coffee and prepared myself for the two and a half hour drive.  After checking on the sleek red canoe hanging off the back of my truck one more time, I pointed the truck south. 

As the sun slowly rose, small specks of red and orange could be seen in the tree line over the tops of corn fields that looked ready for harvest.  Autumn wasn’t here yet but it was certainly on its way.   The roads twisted and turned through small towns as I made my way out of St. Lawrence County.  Once into Lewis County it was time to head east into Herkimer County. Finally the blacktop turned to gravel and dirt.  For six miles I slowly navigated over wash boarded crushed stone.  At last the large body of water and the boat launch came into view.  I had arrived.  Welcome to Stillwater Reservoir.  

I found a place to park and met up with my partner in conservation for the day.  Today our goal was to locate two sensitive brook trout ponds within the Five Ponds Wilderness and place signage at their banks.  We unloaded the canoe and headed to the launch.  The sun was trying to peek through the cloud cover as a light breeze created ripples upon the water's surface.  Before we shoved off we compared what the map was showing us in relation to the landscape in front of us.  When we found the landscape feature we were looking for, we pointed the canoe in that direction and headed out.  This was the first large body of water I had put the canoe on and I was impressed by how smoothly it sliced through the water's surface. Stroke after stroke we made our way closer to the large rocky outcrop we were heading for.  Thirty minutes later we had arrived at the campsite we needed to find.  We dragged the canoe up onto the rocky shoreline and grabbed our gear.  

With phase one of our trip complete it was time to hit the trail and find the ponds we were looking for.  We knew the trail would get us close to the ponds we were searching for but we didn’t know if it would go all the way.  The light breeze kept the bugs at bay as we hiked through the hardwood forest. 

We chatted about our summer's fishing adventures and the remaining ponds we needed to get to before mother nature got in our way.  Several times we stopped to check the On X map to ensure the trail was still heading in the right direction.  As the trial weaved deeper into the backcountry a small stream that had been running alongside the trail opened into a larger stream we had to cross. 

After a mile of hiking we could see that classic Adirondack opening through the trees.  We knew we were almost there.  Just as we started to approach the pond we could hear a loon’s tremolo echo across the open water.  We had made it to our first pond.  We found a visible place to hang our sign and took a look around.  We found the location of an old camp that once sat upon this waters shore. 

All that remained was some old pipes, a few old wires, and a mountain of old beer cans.  I could envision the hunters that once called this beautiful place home during the hunting season.  I swear I could hear their laughter around the woodstove fire as they toasted to another day afield.  After taking in the view we checked the map again and headed towards the next pond.  We knew it wasn’t far and the satellite image assured us we were heading in the right direction.  After hiking another fifteen minutes we found ourselves at the second pond.  This one was much smaller but I could imagine myself swinging flies to the resident brook trout. 

Once our sign had been hung we hit the trail back to the lake.  Back at the campsite we decided to have a quick snack and enjoy the view.  At this point of our trip the reality came to me that this campsite was absolutely stunning.  It sat right on the edge of the lake. 

I could see myself watching the sunset over the water with the flames of a campfire creating shadows on the forest behind me.  I could see myself crawling into my tent for a peaceful night's sleep as the gentle waves lull me into a deep slumber.  I envisioned waking up to fresh percolated coffee while I watched the loons hunt for their breakfast.  The most amazing part about this whole thing was it was absolutely free.  The primitive campsites that surrounded this water were free to use for anyone willing to paddle to them.  As we loaded up the canoe and headed back to the boat launch my mind raced with ideas for upcoming adventures.  I knew that I would come back to have many more Northern NY Adventures all over this forest land.

About this Location:

The Stillwater reservoir sits about 22 miles east of Croghan NY in Herkimer County.  For me it was a two and a half hour drive but it was well worth it.  This 6,700 acre lake sits in the middle of the Pepperbox, Five Ponds, and the Pigeon Lake wilderness making the majority of it surrounded by public land.  Around the lake there are 46 primitive campsites that are free to use.  The only access to the majority of them is from the water.  The boat launch for the lake has plenty of parking and is also free to use.  The DEC requires you to sign in and mark the board to let everyone know which campsites are being used. 

This entire area was once home to many logging operations so once you find a campsite there is a good chance that you will find old logging roads and trails that will take you back far into the wilderness.  Many of these trails will take you back to some amazing brook trout ponds.  Just a quick look at my map and I counted over 40 ponds in the surrounding area.  The main objective of this trip was to hang signs for the DEC but it was also a great recon mission for future adventures.  This truly wild area is known for its paddling, boating, fishing, hiking, and in the winter cross country skiing and snowshoeing. 

If you truly want to get off the grid and enjoy sometime being one with nature I highly recommend you check out the Stillwater Reservoir and the Five Ponds Wilderness.  This area has the potential to have years of Northern NY Adventures that will create memories that will last a lifetime. 

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures

“Make Life an Adventure”