We set off from Camp Cherokee on Middle Saranac with the intention of paddling to Tupper Lake in a day. It required one long portage over to a series of ponds connecting with the racquet river. The sun scorched us on the lake, but was gentle in the shade of the trees aligning the river highway. The bush was dense and gorgeous. We nearly made it, but darkness intervened, forcing us to bivouac on a front lawn.