Biographer Harvey Dunham called the southern Adirondack hermit Louis Seymour, better known as French Louie, “hard as Laurentian granite and tough as Adirondack spruce.”
Louie had a sprawling network of temporary camps throughout his trapping grounds—one was said to be little more than a hollow log, another might have been Kunjamuk Cave, near the village of Speculator, with its handily situated smoke hole. Twice a year Louie would descend on the community of Newton’s Corners, as Speculator was once known, to sell his cache of furs and indulge in an epic bender. Children would trail him around town as Louie tossed candy into the pack. On the day of his funeral services, in February 1915, the school closed so his young admirers could pay their respects.
If You Go
To hike to Kunjamuk Cave, follow Elm Lake Road from the four corners in Speculator. Once the pavement ends, walk 0.6 mile to Cave Hill Road. (Or you can drive the whole way, as long as the gate is open and your car is off-roading-ready.)
Follow Cave Hill Road for another mile, staying to the right when the road forks. After crossing an iron bridge, the small sign for the cave will be on your left; a short trail down a steep bank leads to the opening.
To reach the cave by canoe or kayak, travel 1.5 miles on the Sacandaga River, from Speculator to Kunjamuk Bay, then follow the Kunjamuk River 1.7 miles to the iron bridge near the cave marker.
