DUKE'S FIRST HIKE!

When camping in the Moose River Plains, we went hiking at Bald/Rondaxe Mountain just outside of Old Forge. I have hiked the peak at least half a dozen times with youth groups, family and friends. Its a nice short hike with really rewarding views. 

On the day we went hiking, it was by far the busiest I have ever seen. There were police officers directing traffic and handing out tickets. It took us several minutes to drive down the road and find parking. And then when we hit the trail, one would think that there was a sale going on at the summit.  It was single file line at times at some of the steeper sections. There were also many other dogs doing the hike.

Since we got our dog "Duke" last winter, we have been waiting for him to grow up and become mature enough to hike. Well that moment finally came when he dominated this mountain. He did really well on both the ascent and descent. I was actually really surprised how well he followed new commands, like "wait", "easy", "hold on", etc. There was a moment when we reached the summit and he got a bit more aggressive towards 3 female poodles his age. However, all went well. 

Maybe within the next year, Duke will hike his first ADK High Peak. It may be difficult for him to become a 46er because some parts of the high peaks are restricted to dogs. 

CAMPING IN THE MOOSE RIVER PLAINS!

In late summer, I began to do some research to find a place where a few youth group guys could do a fall camping trip. All of the state campgrounds close on Labor Day and only a handful are open but most of them are in the southern NY area. However, I did come across a place called the Moose River  Plains just beyond the Limekiln Lake State campground that I have visited many times. The nice thing about this place is that its available all year round at a first-come-first-serve basis, at no cost. All 150 campsites are considered primitive sites without running water or electricity. There are privy's or outhouses at each site. 

After passing the Limekiln Campground on the right, less than a mile down the road, there is a deceiving sign that says "Limekiln Lake Entrance" with small letters above it, "Moose Rive Plains Wild Forest." To be more precise, its around 4 miles from Route 28. Just beyond the entrance there is a check in on the left. Very similar to starting a trail at a ADK High Peak. They ask for a campsite, unless you specifically know where you are going to stay, but we didn't know and therefore left if blank like many other campers/hunters. 

For about 5-6 miles it was all just a narrow road, with the occasional widening where you could pass. The reviews that I read before coming here stated that it was a terrible off roading style road. There are a couple areas that are rougher than normal and the terrain is very hilly with some steep climbs at times but its not that bad. A higher clearance vehicle is ideal but there were plenty of passenger cars in and about traveling slower and avoiding potholes and rocky areas. 

Some of the nearer campsites were already taken by RV's and hunting parties. We were also looking for a more open site so that we could set up at least 3 tents. Eventually we came to site 65 and decided to call it our place for a short 24 hrs. 

After setting up camp we noticed a trailhead sign to Mitchell Ponds that was about 60 yards from our site. So we all went for a 4 mile plus round trip. It was a good size trail that could easily accommodate an ATV. It was a beautiful walk among the fall colored trees. 

About walk halfway there we came across a marshy place that appeared like a dried up pond or river. The remaining water was only a narrow stream. We also noticed a beaver dam up ahead. Later we were able to walk up to it and it appeared to be still in use because there were beaver tracks everywhere. One of the guys was crossing a wetter area and sunk ankle deep in mud. It made for a muddy adventure.

Normal water level on rocks

Cairn at one of the Mitchell Ponds

At the pond we ran into another visiting group. It was a bit crowded on the small dock that went out into the lake. We attempted to fish and it wasn't successful. Although I did read that it had some nice trout. 

There was also a trail that went around the lake. Portions of this trail were very wet, and the mud was really deep. 

As we headed back to camp, it noticeably started to get colder. It was very pleasant to have big fire going that evening to warm up for the cold approaching night.

I brought an air mattress to sleep on as well as a 0 degree sleeping bag. Halfway through the night I found myself sleeping on a 75% deflated mattress. It was colder that expected, although the new sleeping bag held the warmth in really well. 

The next morning we woke up to a nice coat of frost on everything. It was 31 degrees F overnight. 

After a hot breakfast of eggs, bacon, bagels, and tea we all decided to check the area out a little more by piling into the truck. Majority sat in the back, although it was a chilly ride. We came across another intersection with a couple signs showing distances in each direction. We made a right and drove in the direction of the Lost Ponds. I learned that the distance from the Limekiln entrance to the Indian lake entrance/exit was around 40 miles. 

We never made it to the Lost Ponds but turned around at Helldiver Pond. The next landmark we came to was Icehouse Pond and so we decided to take a short 0.4 mile walk and check it out.

We noticed a couple hunters getting ready to walk in but I think they quickly realized there isn't going to be any good hunting when there is a good size group of guys walking in as well. 

At the pond there was a couple guys fishing from a canoe. I tried fishing for about 30 minutes and there was not excitement. Nevertheless it was a really nice spot to hang out and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

We continued to drive until we came to the south branch of the Moose River. I was surprised at how deep it was. I was also intrigued by the idea that it would also be a good place to do some kayaking in the future. 

Overall it was a nice trip, it would have been better if it was longer. Its definitely a nice place to camp for a group of guys who don't mind roughing it for a few days. There was a creek across the road from our site where the water could be filtered for drinking and cooking. The sites were also very far from each other and therefore gave you a lot more privacy when compared to state campgrounds.

SMOKING SALMON THE PRO WAY

It has been a pleasure fishing salmon over the past 4 years. Most of the fishing has been in the water tributaries of Lake Ontario, primarily in the New Haven area. Once I had the opportunity to fish in the deep waters of the lake when my friends took me on a charter boat. Over these years I have probably caught around 30 fish and I have only smoked it once before.

The first time consisted of a very simple approach. I defrosted the fish, rinsed it off, seasoned it with salt and pepper and placed it into the smoker. It turned out pretty good but not even close to what it should be.

After my final fishing trip this year I decided to give it another try. So I spent an hour or so surfing the web, watching videos and reading up on the differences between cold smoke and hot smoke. Although cold smoke was intriguing I realized that I needed to buy additional equipment in order to make this process work. So I decided to go with the more traditional method, hot smoke.

I quickly learned that either method was fairly straight forward, and once again I was surprised I didn't try this earlier. At the start of this fishing season,  I brought my first catch to Junior's in Pulaski,  and they smoke 4 fillets for $50.

Last year Derek and I tried their smoked salmon for the first time and it was absolutely delicious. During of last year's fishing trips, while cleaning fish at the place, I had the opportunity to ask some questions about the smoking process and also got some good advice on ingredients. Unfortunately no one revealed their secret recipe but I recored the conversation on video and was able to replay the important info.

After surfing the web and listening to the video, I compiled different recipes together to make my very own.

Either fresh caught or store bought will work for this recipe. I may try store bought Atlantic salmon next time just to compare the cooking process and taste.

I had 4 fillets, about 15" long and so I cut them down into more manageable  sizes about 2-3" wide. Some recipes called for removing access bones with pliers but I found it very difficult to do and skipped that part. In retrospect it didn't make a big difference because the bones are large and easy to pick out when eating.

Cure Ingredients:
1 c           Brown sugar (dark better)
1/4 c        Kosher salt
1 TBSP    Black Pepper
1 TSP      Garlic powder

I had to double the ingredients for the amount that I had. It's also ok to have more cure, for better coverage.

After washing the fillets and patting them dry with paper towels, I layered the bottom of the aluminum pan with the cure. You can use glass pans as well. Continue to place fish and coat it well with the cure. Layering the fish works really well. Make sure to cover with plastic wrap. (One recipe called for a 2 layer cover with one directly on the fish). Then place in the refrigerator for 12 or more hours. The longer it cures, the more flavor it will have and the more moisture will be removed from the fish.

After curing for 12 hrs rinse the fish with cold water. Then pat dry with paper towels. Notice the firmness of the fish. 

For the next step, I used racks from the smoker. It made for easier transfer. Spray racks with non-stick cooking spray for easy removal later. Allow for the fish to dry on the racks for at least 2 hrs. Sometimes it may require 3-4 hrs depending on the thickness of the fish and the air humidity level. I used a fan to expedite the process. Dry the fish until a pellicle (film) forms-- a shiny, sticky surface.  If you have a good pellicle, smoke will adhere to the fish really well. 

Place in preheated smoker at 150 degrees F. For my electric smoker, I usually crank up the heat to as high as it would good for a good 30-45 minutes. Place the non-wet wood chips into the smoker pan and wait until they are beginning to smoke before putting the fish in. It is good to have the water pan already in the smoker so that it could reach smoker temperature as well. As soon as you put the fish in you will drop the temp anyways. 

Most recipes recommended a temperature range between 150-220 degrees F. I tried to keep the temp between 150-180 degrees F. Depending on the thickness of the fish and how well you can maintain a constant temperature, the fish will probably be done in at least 2-3 hrs, at most 4-5 hrs. 

Recommended wood: Hickory, Alder, and Apple. 

This time I tried a little apple on the bottom with 75% hickory. Apple burns more quickly and therefore it acts as a kindling for the hickory which burns longer. I had to refill the pan only once. 

Overall the fish came out looking really good. It tasted much better compared to last time.  In retrospect I would have added less salt (I adjusted the portion in the above ingredients already). I would have refilled the water pan more often. But it was delicious nevertheless. 

SALMON SEASON 2015

The 2015 salmon season was very interesting from the start. Several fisherman attested to the fact that they have never seen salmon run so late in the season. On average salmon start running in small schools earlier in the season, followed by a large run and then tapering off. This year there was minimal to no small runs earlier in the season.

My favorite fishing spot at the dam took a different turn this year as well. The two land owners around the dam decided to fence off the land charge people to fish there. I have fished this spot for 4 years now and it was disappointing to shell a large amount of money to fish there. Furthermore, I have only fished for salmon in that spot and in the past only traveled no more than 4 times a season. Although both owners said that steelhead and brown trout can be caught in the early winter and early spring in that creek. I am still debating if I will actually try fishing for trout in that area. Fly fishing would be the better choice, however its something that I haven't mastered yet.

Salmon began there run a far a few days of heavy rain in mid October. I went fishing on the 14th and caught 2 at the dam. I was the only person fishing there. Solo fishing makes landing the fish a bit more challenging but not impossible.

Over the past few years, rarely would I go fishing alone. Most of the time I had a family member or friend come along. And it made for a more pleasant fishing trip. After my first trip, I decided to take my father along, since he had always wanted to see how salmon fishing goes. It was very nice to spend some time with him as well as get his help in netting the fish.

Before the second trip, it had rained even more and the creek levels rose to heights I have never seen before. Although my fishing friends who introduced me to the creek have seen chest high levels. This time the water was thigh high. There were at least 20-30 fish in the hole and therefore it made for an interesting fishing experience. A couple of the fish made a run downstream and it made for a more challenging fight but it was nice to have my dad downstream to net it.

On the third and final trip, another fisherman was at the dam when we started. He was a pleasant individual and offered some good fishing tips. We maxed out in less than an hour and headed home. The other fisherman was done at least 20 minutes before us.

It was one of my earlier times to max out, so my dad and I drove up to Pulaski to have the fished cleaned. To our surprise all of the fishing stations were closed except one near the 81 South on-ramp. It was also nice to see all of the cleaning stations charging the same amount $3/fish. We also ended up getting some roe for caviar.

Overall it was a successful fishing season but not fully satisfactory because of fishing restrictions at the dam. Before next season it would be nice to find a new fishing spot.