Lost Paddle Boatworks

Tanager Lodge Tree Removal

2011-03-04T14:43:00.001-05:00

Handicrafts, Shop, and Shop Porch suffered catastrophic damage in December of 2009 caused by a large White Pine. Since then, there has been a conscious effort to remove other trees that could cause potential damage to buildings around the Point. The most recent work was completed this week on a spectacular winter day, felling a large Spruce next to North Cottage. The tree had a slight back lean towards the building, along with the onset of decay. Here is a slideshow of some of that work.

Shop Porch

2011-01-17T20:24:00.001-05:00

Upgrades to Shop Porch where made at Tanager Lodge this fall with more storm salvaged timber that was milled on site. This was done using an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill, powered by a Jonsered 2094.

Docks

2011-01-17T19:49:00.001-05:00

This fall after Tanager closed for the season, I helped Tad build a new Swim Dock. It is based off a similar plan for a new Girls Dip Dock that was built last Spring. The dip dock was built with the idea of trying out a new standard plan for docks at Tanager that would last longer than the current ones constructed with spruce stringers. This layout was scaled up in size for the Swim Dock.

Tanager Lodge, December Storm Clean Up, Shop and Handicrafts Repair

2010-05-22T02:12:00.010-04:00

This spring as the weather warmed, I started working on the task of cleaning up and repairing the damage caused at Tanager Lodge, by a severe storm on December 10, 2009. Here is a running slide show of pictures, from trips this winter, and more recently days this spring. I'll try to keep it up to date the best I can.

Boreas Stix's and 3388s

2010-03-19T23:23:00.005-04:00

Here are some watercraft that I built this winter for frozen water. I skied the 3388's for the first time today at Whiteface, other than a bit in the backyard earlier in the week. I built them to be a lightweight telemark touring ski, to pair up with my Garmont Excursions that I like to use when I go for backcountry skis. Most of the good lines in the Adirondacks require long approaches, so I favor the idea of a lightweight tele set up. At 117-83-105 mm I feel they are big enough to float in the woods yet small enough to skin, or kick with wax while on long approaches, without feeling like you have a pair of lunch trays strapped to your feet. They come in at 5.5 pounds at 170 cm, the soft flex makes them easy to drive with a soft boot. I had a great day on them and the Excursions ripping bump lines on Skyward, and making effortless jump turns with their low swing weight on the steeps.

The Boreas Stix's are a pair of light weight skis that I made earlier in the winter, for ski jouring with the dogs. I wanted something that did not have edges, but was a bit wider than the old nordic race skis I had been using. So at 58-54-56 mm they have a bit more platform but will still fit in a prepared track. The dogs especially like the descent from Avalanche Pass to Marcy Dam on them.

Well here is to more spring skiing.

December Storm Damage Tanager Lodge

2010-01-28T20:51:00.001-05:00

Around Christmas we received word that Tanager Lodge had sustained winter storm damage to some of the buildings.
I was not able to get up there to look things over and assess the damage until the 30th of December. After a short ski across the lake with a chainsaw and other implements in tow, in a sled, we arrived to view the carnage.
It seems like this damage occurred around the 10th of December, based on the weather history for the month recorded at SLK (Saranac Lake Airport), and from what I can recall. 45 mph winds were recorded at the airport during the three day period, December 9th to the 11th. Looking at the damage on the ground and the linear line of trees that were toppled and up rooted across the Point, it would appear that a micro-burst, or straight-line down-draft from a thunderstorm, raced across the point in a fury.
This storm drastically altered the landscape of the Point as we have known it for years. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

Reg Merrill's Skiffs

2009-08-09T23:56:00.015-04:00

Reg Merrill was a carpenter and boat builder, repairing camps and boats around Chateaugay Lake. Reg built six Chateaugay Skiffs: five 17 foot boats that are copies of the Big Green, a St. Lawrence Skiff owned by Tanager Lodge that was built at Cranberry Lake in 1903, and one 14 foot boat.

Here are two of his 17 foot boats that I recently finished restoring this summer in July:

The skiff owned by Tanager Lodge was in bad need of repair after daily use at the camp since 1972. This started with, stripping off 35 years of varnish, replacing the lower half of the stern stem, replacing about 1/4 of the planking, replacing all of the ribs, replacing the stern seat, and finally revarnishing the boat.

The other skiff seen here was originally built for and owned by C. Hadden, and is now owned by the Salomon Family. It was in much better shape requiring the replacement of only one plank and the repair of six ribs, along with stripping the damaged paint and varnish and then repainting and varnishing the boat.

Reggie's Skiff Ribs

2009-05-16T22:52:00.011-04:00

After replacing about one quarter of the planking in Reggie's Skiff I was finally able to turn my attention to the task of replacing all of the ribs in the boat. I always find this a fascinating process, of being able to take white oak, a strong and stout hardwood, and bend it like rubber into a multitude of curves and shapes.

BC Beez and 4400 N

2009-04-22T16:38:00.017-04:00

Now that it is spring here, and I'm not out skiing these quite so much, here are some pictures of a pneumatic ski press and skis that were built over the winter. The first pair are the BC Beez, a pair of back country touring skis for my wife. The second pair, 4400 N, a pair of telemark skis that I built for myself. The press worked well making a much more uniform ski than the previous quick and dirty method of a clamp press that was used last winter. I plan on building more in the late summer of fall after I finish up with the current boat work in the shop.

Reggie's Skiff

2009-02-02T22:00:00.005-05:00

Along with other projects this winter I am still working on repairing of Reggie's Skiff after a break over the fall to work on some construction projects around the house. Reggie's Skiff was built by Reg Merrill for Tanager Lodge. The boat has been stripped and had the lower half of the stern stem replaced, along with multiple sections of planking. Attention has been turned towards replacing the majority of the ribs inside the boat.

3830's

2008-02-22T01:11:00.020-05:00

I know that I should be working more on boats, but it is hard to focus on this when it's snowing out, and all you want to do is go out and play in it. I had felt that I needed a better pair of telemark skis for skiing in the backcountry. I did not want to cough up $500-$700 for a new pair, and I realized after a little bit of research that building a pair would not be very difficult with the resources of the shop. Thus the 3830's my first pair, of hopefully many, homebuilt skis where hatched. So here are some pictures of that process and the best part testing them out. They ski better in the backcountry than any other skis I have skied and break trail on the way up just as well. Other than some cosmetic blemishes I am happy with them and plan to make some more over the summer and fall. I assume these will be even better with what I have learned thus far and with more time to refine the process, until then,
Pray for Snow and Enjoy!

Reggies Shop

2008-01-10T03:55:00.000-05:00

New ice in December, view from Reggie's Shop

Reggie's Shop, sitting on the water's edge on the northern end of Upper Chateaugay Lake, in the Hamlet of Merrill, is now owned by Tanager Lodge. The shop was Reg Merrill's until he retired and sold it to Tanager. The shop was built in about 1930 as a garage for Haddy Young, son of the operator of the Merrill

House on top of what is left of an iron ore dock. The dock was in use from about 1870 to 1890 to transfer ore from the mines in Lyon Mountain to barges that transported via the narrows and the lower lake to the Forge in Popeville.

Reg was a carpenter and boat builder, repairing camps and boats around the lake. Tanager kept him busy with their fleet of wooden canoes and skiffs, and to this day continues to keep me busy. Reg built six Chateaugay Skiffs: five 17 foot boats that are copies of the Big Green, a St. Lawrence Skiff owned by Tanager Lodge that was built at Cranberry Lake in 1903, and one 14 foot boat. Sadly, Reg passed away September, 24, 2005 at the age of 80, however, the boats he built out-live him today.

This shop commands one of the premier views on the lake, and was the first place that I worked on boats in any serious manner. I still use it today when I run out of space at home or when smaller repairs of Tanager's boats do not justify transporting them to Saranac Lake.

Reg published a book of his poems called "Musings of a Lake Man," one of my favorite poems is:

"A nice place to work"

Mowed lawn up to Indian Point

That sure is one beautiful joint-

the grass fresh and green

and mowed down nice and clean,

like an emerald worn by a giant."

Sunset from T-bird Shed roof

Goeller Dinghy

2007-12-10T03:47:00.000-05:00

These pictures are of "Sadie" a 12' Goeller Dinghy that I built over several years in between many other projects. It was finally launched on August 24, 2006. During her maiden voyage on Upper Saranac Lake I proposed to my wife. At our wedding we used the boat to arrive at our reception.