Putney, VT (USA)

After a busy and stressful week of work, moving and local events, I was in the mood for a long paddle.  I'd previously coordinated with one of my Jesse's Happy Hour friends (Ed B.) to meet up near Brattleboro so I could continue my pursuit of a full kayak of the Connecticut River and, after discussing weather and logistics last night, we agreed to meet at the Dummerston Landing (boat launch south of Putney, VT) at 0930.  After getting things ready at my condo, I departed Hanover (0815) and headed south (via I-89 and I-91).  I arrived in Putney just after 0900 and, after navigating a bumpy gravel road, was parked in the lot about 15 minutes later.  Ed was right behind me and it only took about 15 more minutes to transfer Tequila Sunrise from Nessie to Ed's Jeep pickup - minutes after that, we were on our way north again.  We used I-91 and US-5 to reach Bellows Falls and first tried to launch me from the Historic Park.  This proved harder than I'd anticipated (steep, rocky banking) and we had to ask for some better ideas from local fishermen.  They suggested we cross the Connecticut River and put my kayak in at the North Walpole (NH) Lower Boat Landing.  By 1015, I'd gotten my gear stowed and was ready to paddle!  Ed got some photos of me in action (a rare thing, since I regularly am on my own) and I headed north to the base of the Bellows Falls Dam and the treacherous falls themselves.  After tapping my paddle on a rock, metaphorically connecting today's adventure with my last paddle above the Dam (01 SEP 2024), I turned around and joined the southbound current.  It was amazing how swift the initial boost was - I could see the bottom of the river and it was flying by for the first mile!  I enjoyed the assist and spent time resting and looking at the high terrain that surrounds the river at that point.  It was a bit overcast and the temps were in the mid 70s when I began my journey and the weather conditions mostly stayed the same throughout.  Unfortunately, the current disappeared by the time I reached the Westminster Bridge and I was forced to paddle "normally" (i.e., like I was in a pond or lake).  Miles and miles from my car, I had no choice but to dig deep into my paddling energy reserves that have been built up over five years of kayaking regularly in New England.  Whenever I stopped paddling, my kayak came to an almost complete stop within a minute or so - at times, there was even some wind coming from the south that made continued momentum even more crucial.  Meanwhile, I was surrounded by SO many birds: a bald eagle who followed my course for nearly five miles, soaring osprey/heron/hawk, lots of sandpipers/killdeers on the sandy shore, mergansers (common and hooded) sunning on rocks, kingfishers chasing each other and swallows/finches flitting across the surface of the water.  In addition, I saw countless water-bugs, dragonflies and butterflies.  The sun made a brief appearance as I reached the half way point but then I was startled to see some dark clouds beginning to form overhead - before long, I was trying to outrace the rain...  I wasn't entirely successful and it took even more energy to get out of the rain again - fortunately, I exited the squall and was able to finish the paddle in the drier air.  During the latter half of the trip, I encountered "convoys" of motorboats and jet skies - first, they passed me going north and then reversed to catch and pass me going south.  The swells weren't too bad but they did distract me from the relatively steady pace I was trying to maintain.  I was not finished with my kayaking adventure at 1500, the "worst case" time I'd given Ed, and began to wonder if I might not still be on the water an hour later.  Somehow, I had the endurance and determination to reach Dummerston Landing again by 1525, 5.2 hours and 17 miles after starting my day.  This was the longest paddle (by about four miles) I've ever tried - I was completely exhausted.  Bonus, though: Ed was there, waiting for me and taking photos and videos.  I did feel a bit bad about how he'd had to hang out waiting but he assured me it was no trouble.  He helped me stow Tequila Sunrise on my car and we then made our way (via the bumpy gravel roads) to US-5 and drove north into Putney.  We ate a delicious lunch (sandwiches made to order) at the Putney General Store and stayed to chat about our days.  Ed had spent time visiting his family while I was on the River and we both commented on how good the weather had been up to that point (1600).  After we both departed, though, the skies opened up and the rain got so bad during my drive home (US-5, I-91, I-89) that I couldn't see the road or other traffic at all!  Needless to say, I took my time...  Rolling into Hanover again (1750), I felt quite pleased with how the day had gone - some good paddling, time with a good friend, exercise and progress towards my active goals.  Another great day in the Upper Valley!  Connecticut River Today = 16.0 miles / CT River Total = 124.5 miles (114 continuous from Woodsville to Putney)