Welcome to the Packbasket
Founders, Rick Kovacs and Angela Oliver, have welcomed guests to Packbasket Adventures located on the banks of the Oswegatchie River at the edge of the Five Ponds Wilderness Area for more than 20 years. In 2024, the founders, desirous of a slower pace, first trained and then transitioned ownership to its current owner, Donna Landy. Packbasket is modeled after the old-time Adirondack lodges, complete with individual rooms with private baths, a great room with cathedral ceilings and a cozy fireplace. Hearty meals are served in the riverside dining room. There are ample paddling, hiking, bicycling, wildlife viewing, fishing and hunting opportunities, including the Cranberry Lake 50. With Donna at the helm, Packbasket also serves as a retreat space and event center. Weddings, Birthday Celebrations, Dinner Meetings, Yoga, Celebrations of Life and Meditation Retreats and all manor of gatherings can be accommodated. Our highest goal is to give you a “Peaceful Afternoon.” Come stay with us. You are welcome and wanted.
Following her mom’s footsteps, Donna has retired from the mortgage banking industry after more than 35 years. Donna’s mom, also a small business owner, provided mortgage brokerage services to military veterans. Donna carries forward her mother’s love of the Veteran community through outreach to various veteran groups and through her Military & First Responder loyalty program. Veterans and First Responders can stay or enjoy events with discounts ranging from 11% – 33%. Donna is the proud mom of her daughter, Grace, an accomplished artist. Donna is an avid hiker and loves the outdoors. She believes music and art are essential to a meaningful life. She is a beginner guitar player and channels her inner Janis Joplin on long car rides. She lives in Wanakena with her Siberian Husky named DeeOGee. You can often find Donna and DeeOGee on the Wanakena Footbridge looking up in awe and gratitude at the beauty of the night sky. Glorious! Donna invites you to join her in being a Joyful Human!
The packbasket is one of the most enduring symbols of life in the Adirondack Mountains—born of necessity and shaped by the land itself. In the 19th century, guides, trappers, and woodsmen needed a reliable way to haul heavy loads across rough trails and soggy wetlands. Their solution was the locally made, hand-woven ash packbasket, worn with a tumpline and built to endure hard use.
Strong, flexible, and easy to repair, the packbasket quickly became essential for guiding, hunting, fishing, and camp life. Over time, what began as a purely utilitarian tool evolved into a regional craft—still built much the same way today—reflecting Adirondack values of self-reliance, simplicity, and a deep connection to the woods.