The Floodwood Loop: XC-Skiing near Saranac Lake

I recently skied -out and back- one leg of a route known as the Floodwood Loop. This route follows one of several trails that wind among the maze of glacial ponds that lie to the north of the state campground at Fish Creek Ponds. These trails are well connected, and the mostly gentle terrain makes them ideal for cross-country skiing.

Little Square Pond from near the stream that connects this pond with Floodwood Pond.

The "Floodwood Loop" trail starts from the campground road (directions below) just a quarter mile past the park entrance (opposite campsite 23). The trails in this area are marked as snowmobile trails, and the 2000 edition of the ADK Guide to Northern Adirondacks notes that snowmobile use can "occasionally be heavy". But, I saw no indication that snowmobiles are using these trails and, on the first Sunday in March, with excellent skiing conditions, I didn't see a soul all day.

Three trails leaving the Fish Creek Ponds Campground road provide the basis for the skiing and hiking routes in this area. The orange trail (marked as a snowmobile trail) is known as the Otter Hollow Trail. It connects the Fish Creek Ponds Campground with the Rollins Pond Campground. The Red trail represents the western leg of of the Floodwood Pond Loop. The Blue trail forms the eastern leg of that loop. The loop is connected on the northern end by a one mile walk (or ski) along Floodwood Road. A short spur trail also connects the Otter Hollow and Floodwood Red trails, just south of Floodwood Pond, creating an alternate loop route. Numerous Canoe Carry trails provide additional connections. Note that, in places, the actual routes deviate from what is show on the map (USGS Upper Saranack, 2000 edition) so carrying a map, and keeping an eye on your direction of travel, is wise. 

The Floodwood Loop Red Trail (the leg that I skied) passes several attractive ponds but the most striking feature of the route is the forest itself. I'm always on the lookout for mature forests and this area contains trees, of multiple species, that appear to have escaped the axes of the logging era. That judgement rests on both the size of trees, but also on the aging of the bark. Much like people, trees can reach full height relatively early in life, but they thicken and the bark becomes rough and weathered as they age. The mix of tree species present is also an indicator that logging was light or selective in this area. Large Red Spruce trees are present in significant numbers and that supports the hypothesis that this area was not heavily logged.

In addition to the spruce, large White Pine, Hemlock, and Yellow Birch are also common along the trail. These are relatively fast growing species and they can reach a fully mature size (which I'm defining as: diameter of 36 inches or greater, four feet above the ground) in 150 years. There are some really big Sugar Maples present as well. That's a slower growing species, and that provides another indication that these trees were standing before 1890. It is worth noting that size alone is not a reliable indicator of age, trees can grow very rapidly under ideal conditions. But the presence of many aged trees, with large trunks and the heavily furrowed bark, is a reasonable basis for classifying these stands as old growth. 

This route also passes through several stands of large, equal-aged, Red Pine. That is intriguing, but I'm not sure what to make of it. Red Pine are uncommon throughout much of the Adirondack region and I'm less clear as to the factors that affect their presence and growth.

Along the flow that connects Little Square Pond and Square Pond.

Little Square Pond.

Directions:
Enter the Fish Creek Ponds Campground from Route 30, approximately 5.5 miles north of the intersection of Routes 3 and 30 (between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake). The Floodwood Loop trail leaves the road at a gate, approximately .25 miles past the park entrance. This is directly opposite campsite 23. Parking is available a short distance further along the road. The Otter Hollow trail leaves the road about 1 mile into the campground.