Adirondack Sports January 2024

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING continued from 15
PHOTOS BY RICH MACHA
FISH CREEK AT THE
CARRY TO FOLLENSBY
CLEAR POND.
JANUARY 2024 17
trail and are just a short distance apart. We visited both the creek and the pond to
admire the scenery before turning north on the blue-marked trail that had just a
hint of old ski tracks on it and thus required some relatively easy trail-breaking.
The route then goes around the southeast lobe of Horseshoe Pond before
heading out onto a peninsula, at the tip of which we stopped for a lunch break.
While I reenergized myself with some food and hot drink, I cheerfully recalled
sitting at the same spot many years ago on a spring pond-hopping canoe trip.
Back on the blue trail, we skied around the northwestern lobe of the pond
before we met with the only real predicament of the day – the brook that runs
between Little Polliwog and Horseshoe Ponds was running high and was
uncrossable without getting your feet wet, so we headed out onto the pond and
made a wide detour around the inlet area, where you should expect the ice to be
thin, before heading for shore and bushwhacking back to the trail.
The trail then stays well above Little Polliwog and Polliwog Ponds, and a carry
trail allows the skier to drop down and take a closer look at the ponds. The route
becomes slightly more challenging after that, with some ups and downs before
reaching the carry trail between Polliwog and Middle Ponds. After making a left
turn, we were soon within sight of the cars and the end of our counterclockwise loop.
Overall, I would rate this trip as low-intermediate. It was very rewarding to see
these seven ponds and the creek from a different perspective. The area sees many
paddlers during the summer months, thanks partly to the proximity of Rollins and
Fish Creek Pond state campgrounds, but does not get visited by many in winter –
we only saw one other skier during our trip.
From a snow-lover’s point of view, the El Niño-influenced winter of 2023-24
has made a miserable start but, hopefully, by the time you read this, things will
have improved greatly and we can enjoy the wonders of the season while gliding
on (frozen) water.
A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack
Mountain Club, and has spent 20 years in the paddle/snowsport business. More
of Rich’s adventures can be found at northeastwild.blogspot.com.
HORSESHOE POND.