Paddled 15 miles on the Connecticut River today - the weather was great! After tinkering around my condo until 0800, I drove (via a quick stop Shaw's in West Lebanon, I-89 and I-91) towards the south on the Vermont side of the river. I arrived at Hoyt's Landing (Springfield, VT) at about 0845 and my planned "car shuttle" (Herman and Sharon) arrived about five minutes later. After I loaded everything in their truck, we drove north (via Lovers Lane, NH-11/12 and NH-12A) to Ashley's Ferry Landing (Claremont, NH). We arrived at 0920 and (with some walking) I got my kayak in the water from a makeshift landing (the main one was closed for construction). Saying goodbye to my friends, I then paddled upriver to my last "boat out" spot and began my paddle south (0930). The skies were clear and it was pleasantly sunny! There were LOTS of motor boats in this section, which was nearly as calm (with very little current) as a lake - I rode lots of wakes as a result. Saw a bald Eagle, lots of geese, kingfishers, red winged blackbirds and great blue herons. Encountered some deer at the water’s edge and managed to get pretty close to them before they spooked. Passing Hoyt’s Landing, I paddled another three miles south until I reached the Charlestown (NH) Lower Landing Boat Launch. This then required me to backtrack towards my car - it was a lot of hard work during the last few miles. Ended up on the water for almost five hours (finished 1420). Afterwards, it took me a while to get the kayak attached to my roof rack (VERY busy boat launch area). Next, I crossed the Connecticut and drove north on Lovers Lane to NH-11/12. I used that road to reach Claremont and eventually located the Common Man Inn and Restaurant (1500). This visit was for a purpose: I had a gift card (given to me by my sister). Unfortunately, the latter business didn't open for another hour so I killed time by walking all around the area (inside the Inn, past St. Mary's Church, crossing a bridge over the Sugar River). At one point, I sat down on the edge of the river and was almost lulled to sleep by the rushing water. Right at 1600, I sat at the bar and got some drinks and lunch/dinner. Everything tasted good and the vibe was nice. Finished at about 1655, I headed north out of Claremont on NH-120. I used this road (and one cutoff) to reach US-4 and then drove to St. Helena's Parish for 1730 Mass (arrived five minutes late). Afterwards (1815), I drove towards Hanover and arrived at my condo by 1845). Overall, I felt pretty good today as I chipped away at “section kayaking” the Connecticut River and sampling some of the excellent food/beverages of the Upper Valley!
