Shanty Brook and Mud Ponds

Nestled into the southeastern corner of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness are two bodies of water called the "Mud Ponds". My 1994 ADK guidebook (Central Region) calls these two remote ponds "jewels in the forest" and the book notes that the ponds were probably named by guides who wanted to deter visitors to favored fishing ponds. That deception is no longer necessary. These ponds are not easy to get to.

The route to the Mud Ponds follows an old path into the Siamese Ponds Wilderness and that path, as described in the ADK guide, is well on its' way to being fully reclaimed by the forest. The route has not seen any trail maintenance in decades and whatever hiker traffic it does receive is barely enough to keep the way open. Past the first couple of miles constant attention is required to avoid losing the path and the last mile to the ponds has deteriorated to the point where it should be approached as straight up bushwhacking.

As mentioned, the trail to Mud Ponds via Shanty Brook is described in the 1994 edition of the ADK Guide to Adirondack Trails - Central Region trail guide. Using TopoView to look at USGS topographic maps of the area I see that the trail all the way to the ponds is not shown on large scale (1:24,000) topographic maps from the 1990s but it does appear on the 1994 edtion of the 1:100,000 Raquette Lake map. The first appearance of the trail is on the 1957 edition of the 1:62,500 Thirteen Lake map. So the trail first appears on a USGS map in 1957 and it is gone from maps published after 1994. But that does not mean that the trail had faded from all current maps. The trail does appear on a current edition of the Trails Illustrated Northville/Raquette Lake map. That map was apparently sourced from the earlier ADK map that came with the ADK guidebook (it replicates minor errors present on that map). Looking at a new and nicely printed map it's easy to make assumptions about the accuracy of the information. Maps, like all documents, fall out of date and sometimes even the best maps are just wrong. Something to keep in mind.    

The route overlaid on a recent USGS topographic map (Bakers Mills, 1997, 1:24000). The red line shows the route I followed and the purple line shows the route I would follow if I went back to try again. This map no longer shows a trail from the brook crossing to the ponds and to reach Mud Ponds you'll need to bushwhack that last mile. 

The first challenge in visiting Mud Ponds is finding the trailhead. If you take Route 8 from Wells the parking area is on the right about ten miles from the place where routes 30 and 8 split. It's a large paved pull off with two entrances so you can't miss it. Except that it looks like an abandoned rest stop and there are no signs. The ADK guide says that you should park in this lot and walk up Rte 8 for a couple hundred yards to a dirt road that leaves the highway on the river side. You certainly can do that, but you can also park on the dirt road itself. There are several primitive campsites and plenty of room for cars to be parked alongside the road.

From the entrance to the dirt road you need go only 30 yards before an obvious path down the steep bank is seen. The guidebook states that two cables were stretched over the river at that point but no cables are present. If you look closely, however, you'll spot a tree with clear marks where a cable previously cut into the bark. When the water is low the river can easily be waded at that point and the trail is clearly visible entering the woods on the far side. Alternatively, if you work your way upstream for 75 yards you'll come to a spot where you can have a go at rock hopping across. You'll need to be nimble to get across with dry feet. And those missing cables? They are lying in a tangle a few feet into the woods on the far side.

The trail is pretty good as far as the first vlei. It's about as remote a spot as you'll find anywhere for a walk of less than two miles.

The first stretch of trail is easily followed but narrow. Just push your way through the trees and shrubs that are rapidly filling in the corridor. You won't go far before you'll encounter the first of the dozens (scores? hundreds?) of downed trees that cross the path. Repeat after me, "over, under or go around; over, under or go around." This is a decision you'll make many times on this route. After a quarter mile the trail comes along side Shanty Brook and opens up a bit. At .6 miles you'll come to an obvious path leaving the main trail on the right (east side). The trail and the brook are separated at this point but you should be able to hear falling water. The side path leads a short distance to an overlook above the first of a series of falls and cascades on Shanty Brook. This falls is quite impressive with a 15 foot vertical drop into a rock walled chasm. The falls is well worth a look and a worthy destination in its' own right. But take care; the side path comes rather abruptly to to a vertical drop near the top of the falls. 

Falls on Shanty Brook. Looking down from the top.

The route beyond the falls continues to be easy to follow and at about 1.3 miles the path crosses Shanty Brook. Crossing the brook could be difficult in times of high water but few will actually face that challenge. If crossing the brook will be difficult then crossing the Sacandaga East Branch will be a much more significant challenge. 

At just under two miles you reach a large open vlei. This a pretty spot and it too could stand as a worthy destination. Past the vlei the path generally stays close to Shanty Brook as it meanders through a valley where many generations of beaver have dammed the stream. The path through this stretch remains generally easy to follow and in places where it fades a bit of searching should get you back on track. Someone has tied orange marker tapes to tree branches in a few places; perhaps to help them find their way back.

Looking across the first vlei towards the Blue Hills.

Past the first vlei the route stays close to the edge of Shanty brook. Recent beaver activity has backed up the stream in several places flooding the banks. Yes, that is the path disappearing into the muck. This is one of many places where you'll need to work around an obstacle and then try to pick up the path again on the other side. 

If you are aiming to visit the Mud Ponds you'll reach the critical juncture about 2.7 miles from the start. I didn't realize it at the time but when you reach the place where the path passes close to a solid looking beaver dam (at the lower end of another large vlei) you have reached the turning point. I continued northwest following a faint trail along the east side of the vlei. After a few minutes of walking, however, all traces of the trail faded away. This, along with the fact that I was bearing due north --not the expected direction-- led to the realization that this could not be the correct way. I knew that the route to Mud Ponds makes a 90 degree turn from northwest to southwest about 2.7 miles from the trailhead and I had clearly gone too far. Making my way back to the previously mentioned beaver dam it dawned on me that the beaver had flooded the place where the path crossed the brook and turned to the southwest. Crossing the brook below the dam I searched along the west edge of the vlei until I found a faint path emerging from the pond. That path looked promising but it soon reentered an area flooded by past beaver activity and was lost.

According to my map it's just over a mile from the turning point to the outlet of the upper pond (the point between the two ponds). I worked my way through the tangled forest mostly within sight of the stream/mud flats/vlei/beaver ponds for over an hour to reach a point where I could just see the lower pond through the trees. This route passes through a young second growth forest with a particularly dense (and annoying) understory. Looking towards the ponds all I could see was more tangled and swampy terrain so I called it a day and turned around. Whatever path once existed has been fully reclaimed by the forest and I make that statement with confidence because I expended considerable energy searching up and down the slopes trying to pick the up the path (with the hope of easier going). And you can find faint remnants of a path. There are several places where a distinct footpath can be found and followed. But in each case the trail is soon lost in tangles of blow down or where beaver activity has flooded the way. So, despite what you might see on a map, there is no trail from the stream crossing to the Mud Ponds.

I may go back some day and the knowledge of what to expect will make it much easier to reach the ponds. I'll probably climb up the slope of Blue Hills Mountain a short ways and head straight for the outlet of the upper pond. Contouring around the shoulder of the mountain will add some climbing but it will reduce the distance and it will (hopefully) avoid the worst of the tangles.  Treat this section of the route as pure bushwhacking and pick the path of least resistance. Attempting to follow the old trail requires extra effort for no significant benefit.