paddler.nl

[paddler.nl]

@Little Bug 338 wrote:

In NY I heard a rumor that no paddle cart has ever made the whole length of a thru-paddle… is that true?!?

We finished the trip yesterday. Our cart frame stood up admirably. The wheels is another story.
We started with airless tires and melted the bearings of them.

We bought a new cart and tires in Saranac Lake. We left the cart there as ours appeared stronger and put on the new tires.
Within about a week during the Sheldon Springs dam portage, the tire thread parted from the side walls.
We bought new tires and inner tubes in Enosburgh falls.
One inner tube exploded in the heat in Island Pond but we were extremely lucky to find a new inner tube of the correct size.
We also bought some lithium grease and regularly greased the bearings.
The third combination of tires and frame took us through to the end!

We concluded after the first melt down that we had overloaded the cart. For the second and third set of tires, we only used the cart for transporting the canoe and small stuff. We carried the two large packs at every portage.

[paddler.nl]

My copy of the Through-Paddlers Guide arrived today – thanks to CreateSpace and DHL it travelled across the pond in 2 days.
Just quickly browsed but it seems to be a great source of information – cancels out all the time I have spent last winter googling resources!:)

[paddler.nl]

As we are starting in june, I am more interested in what effects your cold winter with little snow will have on
a) water levels in rivers like the Saranac?
b) mosquito and black fly populations?
I guess the water will be pretty cold or does it warm up fast in june?

[paddler.nl]

@Kalmia 282 wrote:

Glad to help! What boat did you buy? – K

Penobscot 174 Royalex. Last year in Canada we had a rental boat, same model in polyethylene. It did fine on both WW and long slogs but we had hardly any portaging.

[paddler.nl]

Thank you Kalmia for all the information. I had already made notes on where to buy food but not yet for fuel. You have done my homework for me.

We had already made contact with Mountain Man and St Regis Outfitters both of whom were extremely helpful. We have actually purchased a boat from Mountain Man which is now lying under the snow I believe awaiting our arrival in June!

We have flown with our stove on several occasions without problems – we burn off the fuel some time before departure and leave the stove out in the sun to let all traces of fuel evaporate. If we are unlucky it could be taken off us at Schiphol and we would need to buy another. We are flying to Boston and then a one-way rental with a car to Utica and then taxi to Old Forge.

I bet a traveler with the right personality could buy the gallon can, refill a couple of liter fuel bottles, and give the rest away.

– we’ve done that before!

Sweeper – thanks for the tip to get us started although along the trail I do not think we will find a Walmart within walking distance.

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