Hanover, NH (USA)

After work, I walked the trails in the Greensboro Ridge Natural Area (1630 to 1730), volunteering with the Hanover Conservancy.  The weather was good and I felt like I should add some outdoor fun to my day before the sun set.  Remembered I'd been wanting a chance to paddle in Occam Pond, a little body of water, on the Dartmouth Campus. It is located next to the Dartmouth Outing Club and is used as a skating rink each winter.  Between 1800 and 1900, I completed four clockwise circuits (2 miles total), enjoying the quiet enclave.  Passed many yards with little golf fairways and fire pits.  Never saw a single kayak on shore - I’m quite certain my kayak trip was an anomaly.  Perhaps the many ducks, geese and herons I startled would agree… However, the deer I saw weren’t spooked.  Along the way, I dodged acorns as they fell into the pond.  A pleasant paddle!.  Afterwards, I made my way through the Dartmouth campus - uncharacteristically, there was a lot of traffic and construction delays (ugh).  Despite these, I was home by 1930.  Great day in my home town!

Enfield, NH (USA)

[after work (1615), I drove to Forward's Garage so I could join the VA Medical Center Adaptive Sports Team at their Tuesday Night Cycling event (arrived at 1630) - John and I rode together but he was using his own bike (hand/pedal) - meanwhile, I had a reclining bike - I let him lead and he was quite frustrated with some mechanical issues he encountered - between 1700 and 1900, we rode to the gazebo at Lake Mascoma in Enfield - we passed lots of scarecrow people in Enfield - after turning around, I fixed one of the problems on John's bike and he felt better - we logged 9 miles - afterwards, I stayed to talk with the coordinators before heading home (arrived at 1945)]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking very early - at 0745, I drove to White River Junction (UVAC) - stuck in traffic (due to construction) and almost missed my lane reservation - spent 45 minutes swimming (52 lengths) - then went to VAMC and got my annual flu shot (required for VA Volunteers) - afterwards (more construction delays), drove home (arrived at 0955) - more teleworking]

Bradford, VT (USA)

Since May, I’ve had my sights on a 10.5 mile section of the Connecticut River - it represented the last part of a continuous, 98-mile section between Woodsville (NH) and Bellows Falls (VT).  During the recent “Paddle the Border” event, my friend Jared offered to join me in getting this section, located between Bradford (VT) and Orford (NH), completed and we made plans to finish it today!  I was up early and then tinkered around the house until about 0815.  Next, I drove (via Hanover, I-91 and VT-25) to Jared's house in Bradford (arrived just before 0900).  To "get ‘er dun", we packed up his tandem kayak and then used two cars to shuttle between Bugbee Landing (located near the mouth of the Waits River) and the Orford Boat Launch. I'd taken the route that followed US-5, VT/NH-25, NH-10) - when we arrived at the launch, Jared pointed out that it might have been quicker to use US-5 on the Vermont side...  After I was in the car with him, we drove back to Bugbee Landing (via Fairlee and US-5).  We were blessed with nice weather (low 70s, partly cloudy, very little wind) and had the glassy water all to ourselves.  Starting at 1000, we paddled down the Waits to the Connecticut and headed south.  There were many kinds of waterfowl all along the route and we also spotted raptors in the trees above us.  Foliage was pronounced in some places and muted in others but it is clear that Fall has arrived!  At our first bridge (Bradford-Piermont, VT/NH-25), the river made an almost 90 degree turn to the east and took us along the southern edge of Robie Farm.  We passed a small herd of goats in that area and later saw a huge dust cloud that I later determined was the result of corn crop harvesting.  There were some nice views of the Palisades (high rocks that dominate the skyline above I-91).  In two places, we had to choose our channel/route - there were some large islands in the river south of the Piermont-Orford (NH) line.  Since there really isn’t any public land in the whole section, we got to see sides of private homes that are usually inaccessible - some were quite pretty.  Passing our second bridge (Fairlee-Orford, VT/NH-25A), we marveled at summer places and fancy boat slips.  Not long after that, we found ourselves arriving at our end point - 11 miles of paddling in three hours.  We had set a great pace, enjoyed some nice conversation about local news and events in the Upper Valley and spent quality time in the outdoors of our beautiful New England “backyard”.  Afterwards (1300), loaded the kayak on my car and crossed the bridge to Fairlee.  Our reward was a delicious meal at Jan’s Fairlee Diner (arrived at 1320).  When we were finished (1400, as they closed), we drove north on US-5 to Bradford and dropped off the kayak at Jared's.  Next, I drove him to retrieve his own car from Bugbee Landing.  We both felt great and high fived after a great day on the water.  Before leaving Bradford, I did some shopping at Hannaford (done at 1435).  I later crossed the river (VT/NH-25) to NH-10 for my drive  home from there (used River Road).  Arrived at my condo at 1530.  Full 98 mile section of the Connecticut River completed!

Middlebury, VT (USA)

Long Trail Day!  The Green Mountain Club hosted their annual membership drive with 10 scheduled hikes across the state of Vermont, almost all taking place within the Long Trail system.  Fortunately, I’d seen a notification for the event on social media.  This morning, I did some chores around the house until about 0845.  After that, I departed Hanover (talking to Eileen briefly on the way) and used I-91, I-89, VT-14, Camp Brook Road, Bethel Mountain Road (with wrong turn), VT-100 and VT-125 to reach Middlebury Gap.  I arrived to an almost full parking lot!  I’ve passed through the area on VT-125 multiple times during the last few years but had yet to hike from the trailhead there.  After getting out of the car, I met some other hikers who had arrived for the same reason - also saw six NOBO LT Thru hikers crossing the road and a man with a prosthetic limb who departed independently.  The rest of my group showed up at 1000 and I was easily able to hook up with the "right" hiking buddies.  With a car shuttle planned (for using the Burnt Hill Trail to access the LT near Kirby Peak), this was a rare opportunity for me to avoid an out & back hike.  I joined four serious hiking ladies (“French Way” Camino completer, LT Thru Hiker, Kilimanjaro climber, local GMC trail guide) and dog, Sally, at 1000, we quickly relocated to the Burnt Hill area (USFS Route 59, Steam Mill Road) and began our hike.  The blue blazed trail was very well maintained and we climbed about 1400 feet in 2.2 miles.  It had been a while since I had hiked some serious terrain so I took my time.  Meanwhile, the ladies made great time in the climb.  To their credit, they waited for me on the ridgeline, even when I had to treat a blister and (later) got to chatting with another hiker.  After realizing they wanted to finish together, I didn’t stray from the group again… From the junction, we could have gone north but no one wanted to take that route because it lacked a view.  Instead, we headed south towards the Silent Cliff overlook.  The foliage was just starting to emerge among the trees and the dry trail (rare in "Vermud") was easy to hike as we proceeded SOBO on the white blazed Long Trail.  After our earlier climb, the descent was quite easy.  We encountered NOBO Thru LT hikers (all very young) and reveled in their energy and excitement.  I got a blister so ended up falling behind the group.  During this window, I met the man with the prosthetic limb (I'd seen him at the trailhead) and learned he was training for Machu Pichu.  By the time I was finished talking to him, I had to race to catch up to everyone else.  Fortunately, I reached them before they turned off the trail to visit a scenic vista.  The view at the Cliff was well worth the 0.4 detour (x2) with blue blazes. After snacking and relaxing there, with views of the Snow Bowl, we headed down to VT-125.  Altogether, we logged 5.5 miles outdoors on a wonderful day in Vermont, finishing at our cars by 1355.  I felt really good after this hike - what a relief to regain my “normal” on the trail again! After getting advice from Beth and Michael for paddling nearby, I shifted into paddling mode.  Before leaving the trailhead, I met a young lady who was hiking the LT and had just met up with her boyfriend (he was day hiking with her).  I next drove west (via VT-125) until I reached Ripton.  From there, I took Goshen Road (dirt) and drove to the access road (dirt) for the Sugar Hill Reservoir.  Later, I discovered that I had been driving a 0.5 mile section of the NCT during this time (need to research this for another hiking day!).  Just before arriving at the dam, I encountered some firemen who were clearing brush - before I realized what they were doing, I thought they were having car trouble and offered to help (they liked that).  Ultimately, I arrived at the boat launch just before 1415 and found that I had the whole park to myself.  I spent the next hour (1420 to 1520) paddling on this wonderful pond!  During my two mile clockwise loop, it was only me and one loon on the Sugar Hill Reservoir.  After getting finished, I drove back to VT-125 and headed into East Middlebury (later found out that I'd completed 1.1 road miles of the NCT during this time).  Next, I used US-7 to reach the Drop-In Brewing Company (arrived just before 1600).  I'd driven there because I had heard that a GMC social event was supposed to take place there.  I saw Ellen again and talked with her for a bit.  Next, I went inside and got a pint of beer (Red Dwarf).  While there, I met a guy at the bar named Jamie who knew a lot of the trails nearby.  Back outside, I joined a larger group from the GMC (most who had hiked on Long Trail Day but I think they were almost all staff/volunteers).  During the festivities, I participated in a raffle and won a Long Trail Guide Book (yay!).  The social event was a great finish to an awesome day in the Vermont woods!  Afterwards (1700), I headed towards home (via US-7, VT-125, VT-100, Bethel Mountain Road, Camp Brook Road, VT-14 and I-89).  Along the way, I stopped to pick up a delivery at Staples in West Lebanon (1845).  I arrived home at about 1915.  LT Today = 2.5 miles / Grand Total LT = 131.1 miles

Grantham, NH (USA)

Spent most of the day teleworking (started very early in the morning).  At 1445, I drove to White River Junction (UVAC) and spent 45 minutes swimming (52 lengths).  Afterwards (1600), I decided that there was just enough daylight left for me to squeeze in a paddle - I decided to drive to the Eastman Community (in Grantham) and check out the conditions at Eastman Pond.  By 1645, I had parked and launched my kayak from the Public Boat and spent the next 90 minutes making my way through a complete circuit (counterclockwise) of the lake (logged three miles).  The weather was glorious!  Unlike the last few lake/pond kayak outings, this body of water was much bigger.  There were some pretty fall colors in the trees on the shoreline and the surface of the water was like glass. Along with a few other boaters (kayaks, canoes, whaleboats, pontoons), I glided around quietly in Tequila Sunrise and enjoyed the pleasant evening air.  Afterwards (1815), I drove home by "West Lake" back roads, Old NH-10 and I-89, arriving at my condo by 1900.  Best paddle of the season!  

Bellows Falls, VT (USA)

After a few previous (unsuccessful) attempts to join a Connecticut River Conservancy Water Chestnut Survey this summer, I finally got a chance to help!  I'd coordinated with the leader of the project and with my work team so, after teleworking from very early in the morning, I headed over to Vermont (0800).  I first stopped at UVAC in White River Junction and spent 45 minutes swimming (52 lengths).  After this refreshing workout, I drove to Bellows Falls (arrived at 0945).  The rest of the group, including the leader (Isabel, from Windham County Natural Resources Council) arrived a bit later - were five of us (two volunteers) and we all brought kayaks.  Our launch point was just north of Bellows Falls (Joy Wah Chinese Restaurant).  Between 1015 and 1145, we checked a shallow cove nearby on the Connecticut River.  This survey actually began in 2019 but it will likely require about 12 years total to screen the area before the Water Chestnuts (invasive species) are completely eradicated.  Despite two other visits to the same spot in 2024, we found more plants - it only takes one to survive and drop its seeds for about 20 new plants to sprout.  It felt great to be using Tequila Sunrise for a volunteer project and I really enjoyed the wonderful (clear skies, low 70s) weather.  Afterwards (1200), I drove back towards Hanover (via I-91, I-89), with a short stop for donations at the LISTEN Thrift Store in Lebanon on the way.  Arrived at at my condo by 1345 and spent the rest of the day teleworking.  Great paddling experience!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworked from early in the morning - at 1445, I drove to White River Junction (UVAC) and spent 45 minutes swimming (52 lengths) - afterwards (1600), went shopping in West Lebanon (Hannaford) - talked to Brenna - next, drove to Sacred Heart and spent one hour working on the Paint Project at the Church Office (1635 to 1735) - at 1745, joined my brother Knights in the Parish Hall and our Monthly Council Meeting started at 1800 - it went long and I was not able to get home until 1930 - more teleworking]

Royalton, VT (USA)

Hoping to continue supporting the Connecticut River Conservancy "Source to the Sea" efforts, I'd signed up for a second River Cleanup event, scheduled for today.  After taking care of chores in my condo early in the morning, I left home (0930), bound for the rallying point for Cleanup Team.  I used I-89 to reach Sharon and, once I got off the Interstate, used VT-14 to reach Royalton (listened to audiobooks on the way).  Upon arrival (1000), I met Christian (the coordinator for White River Partnership) and he gave me my choice of assignments. The options were completely different than what I'd seen yesterday.  While both cleanups took place on the Vermont side of the Connecticut River, today’s project was on the White (vice Black) River and covered almost the entire length of the valley (instead of just one trouble spot).  The weather was wonderful again (clear, cool and breezy) so I accepted an independent cleanup task that required me to drive south along VT-14, which follows the White River to the Connecticut River.  Basically, the organizers asked me to connect the efforts of the Royalton-Sharon work crew with those of the White River Junction work crew.  Apparently, this type of cleanup is called a “Sweep”.  Fortunately, there isn’t usually a lot of traffic on this road (most people use I-89, which towers above the river in most places) and this allowed me to watch carefully for cleanup sites.  At each “fisherman’s parking spot” I spotted during my drive, I made a stop to clear the high bank (usually immediately above the water) of trash.  And believe me, I found plenty!  There were all kinds of items: diapers, cans, bottles, industrial supplies, paper, lighters, bags, deli containers, etc.  Ugh!  The back of my Subaru Outback started to fill up so much that I couldn't see out of the back window of my car... Just before I finished in West Hartford, the “Vermonter” rumbled close by me on its way to DC.  The engineer waved cheerfully, presumably approving of my cleanup efforts.  At the end of my volunteering session (1200), I dropped my trash at the West Hartford Bridge (for Christian to pick up later; I texted him).  Across the street, I noticed two AT Hikers - a mom (Mama Bear) and daughter (Cub) from NY).  Hoping to share some Trail Magic, I offered them a ride to town.  They said they wanted to get to a pharmacy but told me they didn't think they'd need to do that until Hanover (declining my offer).  We then talked for a little while about their section hiking and need for help getting back to their car.  I promised to send resources from the Trail Angels group (and did this after I got home).  Departing from West Hartford, I was initially thinking about paddling but decided against it because I felt pretty dirty after the clean up.  Instead, I took VT-14 to the VA Cutoff Road and then used back roads and I-91 to reach Hanover - I was home by 1230.  What a perfect weekend for being outside and helping to make our Upper Valley more beautiful!

Springfield, VT (USA)

Earlier this summer, I tried to plan a river cleanup day, close to my home, in support of the “Source to the Sea” annual event.  However, most of the spots I checked didn’t have enough trash to justify a formal project.  Fortunately, the great staff of the Connecticut River Conservancy steered me towards a group that has nearly 25 years of cleanup experience in the Black River.  Their event was planned for today only a stone’s throw from where I walked last weekend (each year, they choose a different spot in Springfield).  Even with a good plan, I got a later start than I'd hoped - I was on the road by 0730.  I used I-89, I-91 and VT-11 to get to Springfield (listened to audiobooks on the way).  I reached the Riverside Middle School by 0805 and met the cleanup coordinator (Kelly).  She assigned me to clean the river bank behind the Shaw's grocery store (across the river from the school) and I walked over there immediately.  Between 0815 and 1115, I assisted the Black River Action Team (B.R.A.T). in scouring the river bank.  Along with several other volunteers, I filled some big bags.  The real action, though, was with the team members in boats: they collected nearly 30 tires from the bottom of the Black River! After getting done with the cleanup, I stayed for another 45 minutes for photos (there was a reporter from the newspaper) to listen to the radio announcer (located onsite) talking about our project and for a cookout (ladies from the local Baptist Church made us hot dogs).  It was nice to visit with the locals and to get news about other cleanup efforts.  Before leaving, I got a brand new T-Shirt.  Driving north (using backroads) I reached VT-106 and then made my way towards North Springfield.  I'd seen a big reservoir on the map there and thought it might be a good place to paddle.  When I arrived, I found the water choked with lily pads.  This made me decide against launching my kayak and, instead, I departed the area and headed towards Perkinsville.  There as another body of water up there (Stoughton Pond) that I thought might be good but found that all road access to it was "closed for the season".  Sadly, there was no way to get my kayak in that lake so I gave up and headed east, hoping to access Cooks Pond.  It took more back roads and then, just as I was getting close, I reached a road blocked with a boulder (deliberately left there by some private land owners nearby).  Starting to feel a bit frustrated, I backtracked to Weathersfield Center Road and continued north.  Next, I tried accessing Beaver Pond (had to access it by a dirt road) but found that it was also clogged with lily pads.  Feeling a bit defeated, I gave up and drove northeast to VT-131.  I used this road all the way to US-5 and headed north towards Windsor.  In desperation, I targeted another body of water that I'd seen on Google Maps there.  Fortunately, I found it navigable and open - in fact, people were swimming there!  In the end, it took striking out at four different ponds/lakes (closed for season, choked with lily pads, private property) on the way back from Springfield before I finally found a place I where I could kayak.  It was actually quite a small body of water but I was so glad to stop driving/looking that I made the best of things. Circuited twice in one hour (roughly two miles) in pleasant (70s, breezy) conditions between 1300 and 1400.  Explored the dam (no warnings of the big drop), watched two boys practicing golf swings over the lake (they nearly hit me with their bright yellow balls!) and encountered some wildlife: a big log initially covered with Painted Turtles (all but one scattered) and three Hooded Merganser ducks (competing with each other for how clean they could get).  When I finished, the weather didn't look too good and I was tired - I'd thought about going to the Silo Distillery or Harpoon Brewery on the way home but decided against it.  Instead, I used US-5 to reach I-91 and then took it to I-89 and home (arrived at 1445).  It was great to be able to volunteer this morning and to squeeze in a paddle this afternoon!  

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking very early - at 0700, I drove to White River Junction (UVAC) - spent 45 minutes swimming (50 lengths) - then drove home (arrived at 0830) - more teleworking]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[after work (1500), I drove to White River Junction to volunteer at the LISTEN Community Dining Hall - it was Sacred Heart Parish's turn to prepare and serve the Community Dinner - after arriving at 1515, I assisted with meal prep, got the counter ready for serving - after some other volunteers arrived, I backed up to the "support role" and kept the serving trays filled - we served roughly 125 people (a good night!) - afterwards (1745), drove towards home (via NH-10) - got a call from Eileen so pulled over at the Campion Rink to maintain my cell signal - arrived at my condo by 1830 and did some more telework]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[Labor Day - at 0710, I drove to White River Junction (UVAC) - spent 45 minutes swimming (50 lengths) - next, I drove to Norwich to look in the back yard of Linc E.'s house (Bloody Brook access) - no trash found - explored nearby at Montshire (no trash there either) - then drove across the Connecticut River again and parked at the western end of the Mink Brook River Trail (parked in residential neighborhood) - walked down to the river and than all the way to NH-10 - walked back to my car via the pavement - drove next to North Mink Brook Community Field and walked there for a little while - afterwards, returned home (1100)]

Bellows Falls, VT (USA)

Woke up (early) to find that it was shaping up to be a beautiful day!  I've usually got some outdoor activity plans in the queue and decided to take advantage of the opportunity.  I left my condo at around 0815 and crossed the Connecticut River (using I-89) into Vermont.  I then used I-91 to reach Springfield, where I'd noticed a nice walking path.  After exiting the Interstate at VT-11, I located found a place to park my car near an old trestle bridge on Paddock Road.  Starting at 0900, I took a nice walk on the Toonerville Rail Trail, which follows the Black River and connects Springfield with the Hoyt’s Landing boat launch.  Initially, I focused on the section that walked directly into town.  I enjoyed the pleasant temps (low 70s) and partly cloudy skies. After getting done with the first section, I moved my car (to the southeast on Paddock Road) because part of the trail followed the road for a while (I didn't want to walk that section).  The other end of the trail, which reached Hoyt's Landing, was a winding path under the road and through thick trees.  There was a bit of road walking at the end but, overall, it was a good stretch of exercise. Overall, I had great conditions for a nice 5.5 mile walk (completed in less than two hours).  After getting back to my car the second time, I drove south (VT-11and US-5) to Bellows Falls.  I then crossed the river back into New Hampshire (town of Walpole) and found a boat launch (1115).  It was great to be able to put Tequila Sunrise in the water again for the first time in almost a month!  Starting at 1130, I paddled upriver to the point where I’d last kayaked the CT - Herrick’s Cove (VT).  It was quite windy and, despite my assumption I’d be fighting the current going north, I had a hefty tailwind for nearly the entire four mile section.  It was so windy in places that I saw serious whitecaps!  Even worse, there were a lot of motor boats passing - this set up some BIG waves and made me hug the shore as much as I could.  Near my turnaround point, I found lots of other kayaks and canoes but it was clear they were starting from close to the landing.  The Amtrak “Vermonter” rumbled by (on the NH side) right about this time.  Reluctantly, I turned around and headed south, paddling hard but feebly fighting the stuff breeze almost all the way back.  But I made it!  Before leaving the water, I checked out the dam at Bellows Falls and the portage trail that is required for paddlers to bypass it (and the Falls).  Finished my paddling after 8 miles (4 new on the CT) - a pretty good pace!  After getting done (1400), I drove back over to the Vermont side of the river and got a Maple Creamie shake at Dari Joy in Bellows Falls.  After enjoying that, I returned to I-91 (via US-5) and headed north.  In White River Junction, I crossed the Connecticut River one more time (using I-89).  Made a quick stop in West Lebanon (to drop off some empty ink cartridges at Staples) and then drove home (arrived before 1600).  Great day outside!