The NFCT hosted the 2024 ‘Round the Mountain Canoe & Kayak Race on Saturday, May 11, drawing a record 102 boats for the annual spring paddling tradition.
Matthew Skeels of Canton, NY, posted the fastest time of the day, completing the 10.5-mile course in 1:25:30. The ‘Round the Mountain begins at Ampersand Bay on Lower Saranac Lake, crosses to Second Pond, through the Lower Locks to Oseetah Lake and finishes on Lake Flower.
“As the kick-off to our race season, the ‘Round the Mountain is one of our favorite events of the year, as it represents the first gathering of our NFCT paddling community after the long winter,” said NFCT Executive Director Karrie Thomas. “It’s a great mix of competitive racers and folks who are in it to finish and enjoy the camaraderie of being with their fellow paddlers. We had some rain and fluctuating temperatures, but it clearly didn’t scare anyone away as we posted our largest field to date. It’s so great to reconnect with everyone and the enthusiasm is contagious.”
A full list of results by boat class, age and gender can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/rtmresults2024.
This year’s race was part of a full weekend of paddling activities that included a paddlers mixer, vendor booths, a boat demo and a film festival, all of which were made possible with support from over a dozen local businesses and agencies, including: NRS, Explore Adirondack Frontier, Ampersand Bay Resort, Adirondack Lakes & Trails Outfitters, Mac’s Canoe Livery and Outfitter, Raquette River Outfitters, St. Regis Canoe Outfitters, Hornbeck Boats, Placid Boatworks, Guide ADK, Hotel Saranac, Gauthier’s Saranac Lake Inn, Hotel Saranac, Sara-Placid Inn & Suites/The Ashley, the Waterhole, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, Blue Moon Cafe and the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We send a special thank you to the organizations who provided critical safety support for the ‘Round the Mountain race: HK Marina and Saranac Lake Marina, for providing safety boats, and the Adirondack Amateur Radio Association, for providing communications for race staff,” Thomas said. “The NFCT also extends its gratitude to the volunteers who supported the race, from safety boat drivers to our timing crew. Our organization has a small professional crew, and we simply can’t run these events without support from the community.”
Proceeds from all events support waterway access, stewardship and programming.
