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The Adirondack Canoe Classic, also known as the 90-miler, is a three-day, canoe race from Old Forge to Saranac Lake in the

Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular d ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. The race has drawn as many as 500 competitors from California to Florida, New Zealand and Canada paddling 250

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

s and guideboats. Included in the ninety mile length is of carries. Held every fall since 1983, the race follows routes traveled by the region’s early settlers and Adirondack guides, a chain of lakes, rivers and carries that is also the first leg of the

Northern Forest Canoe Trail The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) is a marked canoeing trail in the northeastern United States and Canada, extending from Old Forge in the Adirondacks of New York to Fort Kent, Maine. Along the way, the trail also passes through the states ...

Entrants

The race is limited to 275 boats, and fills soon after applications are made available. While each year sees a substantial number of true racers, the largest classes are recreational paddlers. Many older paddlers participate well into their 70s, and C4 boats with four generations of a family are not unknown. There have been many collegiate teams that have competed in the race.

Hamilton College Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York. It was founded as Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812 in honor of inaugural trustee Alexander Hamilton, following ...

has a canoe racing team that takes part in the 90-miler every year. In 2018, the Hamilton team sent 20 paddlers who all completed the course. Classes include C1, C2, C4, K1, K2,

War Canoe A war canoe is a watercraft of the canoe type designed and outfitted for warfare, and which is found in various forms in many world cultures. In modern times, such designs have become adapted as a sport, and "war canoe" can mean a type of flatwat ...

and Guideboats.

The route

The original course followed the historic "Highway of the Adirondacks", a continuous route from Old Forge, via the Moose River through the

Fulton Chain Lakes The Fulton Chain of Lakes is a string of eight lakes located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, United States. The chain is the dammed-up Moose River, and the dam which creates the chain holds back nearly of water. The lakes are locate ...

, to

Raquette Lake Raquette Lake is the source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has of shoreline with pines and mountains bordering the lake. It is located in the t ...

, then via the

Raquette River The Raquette River ( moh, Ahná:wate), sometimes spelled Racquette, originates at Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. long, it is the third longest river entirely in the state of New York. The river is a popular destination ...

to Forked Lake, Long Lake and finally via the Stony Creek Ponds and the Indian Carry to

Upper Saranac Lake Upper Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, in the towns of Santa Clara and Harrietstown, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Upper Saranac Lake is the sixth largest lak ...

. The route then proceeded via Bartletts Carry to

Middle Saranac Lake Middle Saranac Lake, also called Round Lake, is the smallest of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Two-thirds of its shoreline is state-owned. The lake is lo ...

and

Lower Saranac Lake Lower Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. With Middle Saranac Lake and Upper Saranac Lake, a paddle with only one portage is possible. ...

, ending at the New York State Boat Launch on

Lake Flower Lake Flower is a lake in Franklin County and Essex County in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York in the United States. The lake was created by damming the Saranac River in 1827. It was originally called the Mill Pond, but was later n ...

in downtown Saranac Lake. Over the years, the route has been adjusted to deal with the logistics of what has become a 250-boat race. The route is now broken into three discontinuous one-day segments—the endpoints are chosen with accommodations in mind. As a result, the first day's route now proceeds from Old Forge via the Fulton chain, proceeding to the

Marion River The Marion River is a river that connects Blue Mountain Lake (New York lake), Blue Mountain Lake via Utowana Lake and Eagle Lake (Hamilton County, New York), Eagle Lake (the Eckford chain) to Raquette Lake in Hamilton County, New York, Hamilton ...

and the

Eckford chain The Eckford Chain of lakes is composed of Blue Mountain Lake, Eagle Lake, and Utowana Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. The chain was named for Henry Eckford, a noted engineer and ship builder who made a survey of the lakes in 1811 ...

of Lakes to

Blue Mountain Lake Blue Mountain Lake may refer to: * Blue Mountain Lake (Arkansas), a reservoir in Arkansas * Blue Mountain Lake (New York lake), a lake in Hamilton County in the central Adirondacks, New York * Blue Mountain Lake (hamlet), New York, a hamlet in the T ...

. The second day's race starts near the bottom of Long Lake proceeds via the

to the New York State boat launch on

New York State Route 3 New York State Route 3 (NY 3) is a major east–west state highway in New York, in the United States, that connects central New York to the North Country region near the Canada–US border via Adirondack Park. The route extends for be ...

, five miles (8 km) east of Tupper Lake. The third day starts at the state campground on Fish Creek, off of

and then proceeds via Bartletts Carry to

, the

Saranac River Saranac River ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is an river in the U.S. state of New York. In its upper reaches is a region of mostly flat water and lakes. The river has more than three dozen source lakes and ponds north of Upper Saranac Lake; the highes ...

Oseetah Lake Oseetah Lake is an lake with a mean depth of . It is in New York State's Adirondack Park, south of the village of Saranac Lake on the Saranac River. It is located mostly in the town of Harrietstown, but its easternmost portion extends into th ...

and

, where the race ends at Prescott Park in the village of Saranac Lake. There are of carries. The race is hosted by the

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC, DEC, EnCon or NYSENCON) is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection ...

, the Central Adirondack Association, and the Adirondack Watershed Alliance. In 2005 and 2006, the event was named race of the year by the New York Marathon Canoe Racing Association. Image:Adirondack Canoe Classic, near the end.jpg, Nearing the finish Image:Adirondack Canoe Classic, 2-man guideboat.jpg, Two-person guideboat Image:Adirondack Canoe Classic, Joe Moore.jpg, Joe Moore, repeat winner of the Men's Solo Rec Image:Adirondack Canoe Classic, C4s.jpg, C4 is a popular class

References

External links

Race ClassesNorth Country Public Radio - "Adirondack Canoe Classic Underway from Old Forge to Saranac Lake"(slow loading pdf) Adirondack Sports and Fitness - "Adirondack Canoe Classic"
{{coord, 43.711898, -74.969276, type:event_region:US-NY, display=title Adirondacks Canoeing and kayaking competitions in the United States Tourist attractions in Herkimer County, New York Tourist attractions in Essex County, New York Tourist attractions in Franklin County, New York Canoe marathon Saranac Lake, New York