No Hammocks at Lake Durant & Stephen’s Pond
August 15, 2016 8:27 pmAfter making nearly 20 miles today from in town at Long Lake I arrived at the State campground in Lake Durant. It is supposed to rain very heavily tomorrow and my plan was to reserve 2 nights, take a zero miles day tomorrow and head into the nearby town of Blue Mountain Lake to visit the Adirondack Museum. When I arrived at the booth I was told there were no hammocks allowed at the campground. In some respects I can see why they might have such a policy but I use tree straps for my hammock so the ropes don’t damage the tree. Seems like a bad blanket policy.
I am very disappointed as I was looking forward to seeing the Adirondack Museum. Short of staying at Lake Durant and hitching into town I’d be going pretty out of my way. So I pushed on another 5 miles or so and made it to Stephen’s Pond lean-to.
The rain is supposed to start pretty early and I’m shot from nearly 25 miles today so I’m spending my very first night ever sleeping in a lean-to after 70 or so nights in the woods. Lean-to’s are generally dirty, attract rodents, and no where near as comfortable as a hammock but I’m super exhausted and well, don’t knock it till you try it…Mosquitoes are horrendous here so I’m using my hammock and its bug net like a bivy. I can hear a army of them buzzing around me right now.
