Adirondack Canoe Classic facts for kids
The Adirondack Canoe Classic, also known as the 90-miler, is a super exciting three-day canoe race. It covers about 90 miles (145 km) through the beautiful Adirondack Mountains in New York. The race starts in Old Forge and finishes in Saranac Lake.
This race is a big deal! It brings in around 500 people from all over, even from places like New Zealand and Canada. They paddle about 250 different kinds of boats, including canoes, kayaks, and special guideboats. A part of the race involves carrying the boats over land, which is called a "portage" or "carry." There are about 5.25 miles (8.4 km) of these carries in total.
The Adirondack Canoe Classic happens every fall and has been going strong since 1983. The race follows old paths that early settlers and guides used to travel through the region. It's also the first part of a longer route called the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
Who Can Race?
The race can only have 275 boats, and spots fill up super fast once registration opens! While some people are serious racers, most participants are just there to have fun and enjoy the challenge. It's amazing to see how many older paddlers, even those in their 70s, take part. Sometimes, you'll even see a C4 boat (which holds four people) with four different generations of the same family paddling together!
Many college teams also compete. For example, Hamilton College has a canoe racing team that joins the 90-miler every year. In 2018, 20 paddlers from Hamilton College finished the entire course.
There are different types of boats, or "classes," that can enter the race. These include C1 (one-person canoe), C2 (two-person canoe), C4 (four-person canoe), K1 (one-person kayak), K2 (two-person kayak), War Canoes, and Guideboats.
The Race Route
The original race path followed what was known as the "Highway of the Adirondacks." This route went through many lakes and rivers, like the Moose River, the Fulton Chain of Lakes, Raquette Lake, and Long Lake. It also included carries like the Indian Carry and Bartletts Carry, ending at Lake Flower.
Over the years, the route has changed a bit to make it easier for so many boats to race. Now, the 90 miles are split into three separate parts, one for each day. This helps with places for people to stay overnight.
- Day 1: The race starts in Old Forge and goes through the Fulton Chain Lakes to Raquette Lake. From there, it continues through the Marion River and other lakes, finishing at Blue Mountain Lake.
- Day 2: This day begins near the bottom of Long Lake. Paddlers follow the Raquette River and finish near Tupper Lake.
- Day 3: The final day starts at Fish Creek, which is off Upper Saranac Lake. Racers then go through Bartletts Carry, Middle Saranac Lake, the Saranac River, Lower Saranac Lake, Oseetah Lake, and finally Lake Flower. The race ends at Prescott Park in Saranac Lake.
The race is organized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Central Adirondack Association, and the Adirondack Watershed Alliance. It was even named "Race of the Year" by the New York Marathon Canoe Racing Association in both 2005 and 2006!
Images for kids
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Paddlers getting close to the finish line
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A two-person guideboat on the water
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Joe Moore, who has won the Men's Solo Rec class many times
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C4 boats are a popular choice for many teams
