William Blake Pond is located near Thirteenth Lake in North River, NY and is part of the 114,000 acre Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area. It is a popular hiking destination. In the early 1900s the water from the pond was piped downhill to Frank Hooper’s Vanning Jig. The jig used a lot of water to separate garnet from the hornblende and feldspar stone in which it was encased.
But exactly who was this William Blake for whom the pond was named?
The Siamese Pond Trail Improvement Society and community volunteers repaired the accessible trail and picnic area at Thirteenth Lake in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness this fall. The trail was severely eroded during the 2019 Halloween storm. DEC purchased the necessary materials while volunteers supplied wheelbarrows, rakes, and a bucket loader.
The .1-mile hardened path from the Thirteenth Lake trailhead to the shore of Thirteenth Lake provides access to an accessible hand launch and four accessible tent sites.
DEC thanks the Siamese Pond Trail Improvement Society for their continued commitment to trail work and community improvement and the local volunteers who helped complete this project.
DEC photo
The Adirondack Land Trust has purchased 17 acres of land on the Thirteenth Lake’s 4.5-mile shoreline, marking the conservation of the last unprotected shoreline on Thirteenth Lake. The Lake is a headwater of Upper Hudson River and the largest body of water within the Siamese Ponds Wilderness.
New York State Forest Preserve borders the land on one side, while the Garnet Hill Property Owners Association borders the other. The latter is taking advantage of restrictive use covenants to ensure its lake shore property is protected.
The Adirondack Land Trust will be working along side the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to integrate the Thirteenth Lake land into the 114,010-acre Siamese Ponds Wilderness, allowing for it to become public, and thereby protected under the Forever Wild clause of the NYS constitution.
Garnet Hill Outdoor Center in North River is set to host a paddle, reception, and presentation on the history and conservation of loons on Tuesday, July 23. Dr. Nina Schoch will give an overview of the Adirondack loon population and threats affecting their health and existence. » Continue Reading.
Peaked Mountain, with an elevation of 2,919 feet, is a modest sized mountain located north-west of Thirteenth Lake in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness. Just before the creek (0.85 miles), the trail turns away from the lake and follows up the stream valley on a generally gentle grade. This part of the hike is a very nice walk in the woods. » Continue Reading.
There are still signs of fall in the lower elevations of the Adirondacks. On Sunday I explored Peaked Mountain and Peaked Mountain Pond in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness. The trail starts from the shores of Thirteenth Lake and branches off to follow a beautiful stream towards Peaked Mountain. The hike is about six miles round trip. I’ve been there twice and have yet to see more than a few people on the trail.
A proposed regulation that would limit motorized boating on Thirteenth Lake to electric motors only has been released for public comment by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Interested parties have until July 2 to provide comments on the proposed regulation.
Thirteenth Lake lies in the northeastern portion of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area in the Town of Johnsburg, Warren County. The lakeshore is predominately state-owned lands classified as wilderness. Some privately owned parcels adjoin the lake.
During the development of the Unit Management Plan for the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area, DEC received numerous comments from private homeowners on the lake and from other users requesting that motorboats be prohibited on Thirteenth Lake due to noise, air pollution and water pollution issues. In response to these concerns, the Siamese Ponds Unit Management Plan calls for limiting motorized boating on the lake to electric motors only. This regulation implements that directive.
The use of electric motors will allow anglers to troll for trout and people with mobility disabilities to access the lake and adjoining wilderness lands.
The full proposed regulation and additional information regarding the purpose of the regulation can be viewed on the DEC website.
Comments will be accepted until July 2, 2011. Comments or questions may be directed to Peter Frank, Bureau of Forest Preserve, Division of Lands & Forests, by mail at 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4254; e-mail at pjfrank@gw.dec.state.ny.us or by telephone at 518-473-9518.
The 114,000-acre Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area has always been one of the premiere places to cross-country ski in the Adirondacks. But this winter, the region offers something even more compelling: a new trail.
This is the first winter that skiers can travel the eight-mile Botheration Pond Loop, a route that circles around the Balm of Gilead Mountain and several lesser hills. The route begins and ends at Old Farm Clearing, located near the Garnet Hill cross-country ski resort.
The loop combines existing trails with more than a mile of new trails and two bridges, 35- and 55-feet long, that were built last summer by nearly a dozen volunteers and DEC staff under the supervision of Ranger Steve Ovitt. » Continue Reading.
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