"French" Louie Seymour was an Adirondack original. Born in 1832 (or thereabouts), he was a trapper, fisherman, and outdoorsman who also worked as a lumberjack and a carny. Although he spent long stretches of time alone in the deep woods of what is now the West Canada Lake Wilderness, he was well-loved in the town of Speculator where he would make a biannual appearance to trade.
The French Louie Loop is a 20ish mile loop traveling through some of the areas where Louie lived, including Cedar and Pillsbury Lakes. I hiked part of the loop in 2020 when traveling the Northville Placid Trail. The West Canada Lake Wilderness is one of the most remote sections of the NPT and is a landscape of picturesque lakes littered with lovely lean-tos (perhaps some of the least frequently used sites in the Adirondacks). I've always wanted to return to this area.
Day 1: Pillsbury Mountain Trailhead to Cedar Lakes (18 miles)
The trip to the Pillsbury Mountain Trailhead from Glens Falls culminates in one of the longer dirt road approaches I've driven for an Adirondack hike. Some of those seven miles were quite rough and the bridge over the Jessup River looked like it was designed for a small carriage or perhaps a wheelbarrow. After safely arriving, I donned a day pack to climb up Pillsbury Mountain (not part of the loop but it was right there!). This turned out to be a great 3 mile out-and-back climb with a fire tower. I knew that cabin at the top of the fire tower was closed but there are expansive views from above tree line. I only climbed up about 2/3 of the way because the winds were surprisingly strong.
I signed in at the trail register not quite sure what awaited me. I remembered some stretches of the NPT in the area being quite rough and I suspected that the non-NPT sections of the loop would get even less foot traffic. Also, the endless ponds, lakes, and bogs in this area could mean a feeding frenzy of biting insects. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised on both counts as the first two miles of trail followed a road bed (it was well-drained by old but serviceable culverts). Blessedly, bugs were a nonfactor and would remain that way for the whole trip.
To make a clockwise loop, I followed the French Louie trail west. The trail got rougher and muddier but was well-marked and easy to follow. I eventually stopped at the Pillsbury Lake lean-to for lunch. This was one of the places where French Louie built a camp. The lake felt remote and untouched, surrounded on all sides by thick forest. A whimsical carving of a bear's head adorns the back wall of the lean-to.
As I continued west, I encountered another backpacker coming from the opposite direction. A group of 12 from Colgate University had signed into the trail register and and I asked him if he knew their whereabouts. He said that they were coming towards me but would probably be staying at the next lean-to down the trail. This was good news for me– I didn't want to find myself trying to share a site with that many people. I never did see them but I hope they had a great trip.
About 8 miles after leaving the lot, I reached the NPT where it winds through South, West, and Mud Lakes. There are several interesting bridges and walkways in this area. The twisted bridge near South and Mud Lakes has a special beauty. It feels as though the wildness of the place is tugging at the timbers of the boardwalk, gradually reclaiming them.
Extensive flooding near Mud Lake forced me to slow down enough to avoid getting too wet. Luckily, I had opted to bring my trekking poles and they provided some extra stability here. They also served as useful probes to distinguish friendly Adirondack mud puddles from true boot-sucking quagmires.
The NPT eventually tracked away from the lakes and got considerably drier. An open hemlock forest provided a change of scenery from the beech I had been hiking through for most of the last few hours. As twilight approached, I reached the trail to the first of several Cedar Lakes lean-tos. After a muddy half mile, I reached the shore of the lake. The lean-to was occupied by a father and daughter so I opted for a tent site nearby. I washed up in the lake and then boiled water for dinner under a stand of spindly hemlocks and a few upstart maples (no cedars in sight). I chatted with my site-mates as we enjoyed the sunset over the lake. I was asleep by 9:00 PM.
Day 2: Cedar Lakes to Pillsbury Mountain trailhead (8 miles)
The father and daughter who had stayed in the lean-to had told me that their morning routine started at 4:00 AM. They weren't kidding– despite waking at 6:00 AM myself, they were long gone by the time I emerged from my tent.
I had slept reasonably well with the first really cool temperatures of the season making me feel cozy under my quilt. The loons woke me several times throughout the night. Their haunting calls seemed to echo impossibly around the lake. The full moon also woke me up at one point. It was so bright when it first peaked over the trees that my sleepy brain thought a car had trained its headlights on my tent.
My last few miles on the NPT skirted Cedar Lakes and culminated in another battered bridge, this one between Beaver Pond and Cedar Lakes. I turned off the NPT near the site of the old Cedar Lakes Dam (nothing but a ruin now). There are several interesting lean-tos and tent sites in this area.
The Cedar Lakes Trail took me south to close the loop, skirting Noisey Ridge and eventually meeting up with the old road that ended in the Pillsbury Mountain Trailhead.
Thoughts on the trip:
This was a perfect overnight trip for me in terms of experiencing some solitude without feeling totally alone. I saw more people than I expected hiking, fishing, and even pack rafting. It's great to see folks enjoying this beautiful area that doesn't get as much attention as the High Peaks region. But it still felt remote in a way that the Adirondak Loj parking lot ever does.
In reviewing my notes about the West Canada Lake section of the NPT, I mentioned the atrocious bugs (particularly deer flies) several times. I came loaded for bear with permethrin-treated clothes and a new bug shirt. Miraculously, I saw no deer flies and perhaps two mosquitos. I'm not sure if I have the cooler nights to thank or if I just got lucky with their reproductive cycles. But it was wonderful to enjoy this landscape without having to squint through a head net. I don't think I will ever come here again in spring or early summer. But I'd love to come back in autumn.
There are so many excellent shelters and tent sites in this area and numerous possible side trips (e.g., Brooktrout Pond, Lost Pond, Spruce Lake). It's even possible to seek out one of Louie' shelters (a cave), although that seems like it would require some route finding.
Comentarios