Can we just tell you how much we LOVE Vermont? We have been so, so fortunate in many ways since we got here.
Day 8
We left Baker's Acres at 6:50 am after a rejuvenating night. We ran 6 miles of whitewater between Kent Falls and Treadwell. We were a bit nervous putting in right below Kent Falls Dam - the water was moving quickly and with all the recent rain, the rapids were larger than we anticipated. We jumped in the boat quickly and had a fun, quick, and safe ride to Treadwell dam. While eating lunch just past Treadwell dam, we had many passersby advise us not to run the Saranac from here until Lake Champlain. We were nervous about the short sections of whitewater between dams and heard that the rapids through Plattsburgh were huge. So, we took to the road for a 4 mile portage. This brought us into Plattsburgh where we resupplied at a natural foods co-op. We put back in at the end of the Saranac River and paddled across Champlain to Cumberland Bay State Park. We hit the hay early in anticipation of a 4 am start tomorrow.
25 miles
Day 9
The first leg of our Lake Champlain crossing. We started from Cumberland Bay State Park at 5:15 and made our way around Cumberland Head. There was a slight breeze and it was incredibly foggy. We were nervous about crossing the ferry route, but it was easy to wait for one to pull out and then quickly cross. We debated whether to make the first crossing towards the Gut because of the fog. As the fog dissipated, we made our move. It was calm and we enjoyed all the beautiful homes on South Hero Island. We were hankering for a cup of coffee, so we made a quick pit stop at Hero's Welcome for a muffin, coffee, and a trip to the NFCT kiosk. After this, we made our way to Carry Bay and the Alburgh Passage, the longer but more protected route to North Hero. We made it to North Hero State Park by 1 pm, only to find that the park has been closed for a few years. We decided to take a gamble and camp there anyhow. The sun was so needed and we spent the afternoon drying our wet gear.
And then...we met Buzz and Laurie. Shortly after arriving at North Hero, Buzz and Laurie came by on a walk with their two dogs, Buffer and Trinnie. They invited us over for beer. We quickly accepted.
Now, hours later, we've been fed a delicious turkey dinner, had some beer, and lots of laughs. Here are some photos from the past few days.
Can't wait to cross the second half of Champlain tomorrow and make our way to the Missisquoi river, our first leg of upstream travel.
 |
| Stopped for muffins today, so yummy! |
 |
| The culvert you can usually paddle through to get to Carry Bay. With all this rain, we had to carry up and over! |
 |
| More days like this please, Mother Nature |
 |
| Planning tomorrow's route |
 |
| Us and our wonderful friends, Buzz and Laurie, THANK YOU SO MUCH! |
Hey Brian and Allie,
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome trip- and what a cool boat!
Mom and Dad
Hi Brian and Allie - congrats on building such a gorgeous canoe and getting out on the water so quickly - I first heard about your plans from Leslie when she and Keith were cutting the strips for the boat - finally able to get on your blog after weeks of computer glitches due to all the thunder storms we've had lately - wonderful to read about your continuing adventures and seeing the great photos - glad you made it safely across Champlain - sounds like things have gone very smoothly so far - will continue to check in and am sending best wishes to you both for clear skies, calm waters, lots of friendly wildlife and new human friends too - have a ball, stay safe and keep posting as much as possible - am sharing your blog with friends and family - we're all very inspired! Lots of love and hugs, Lucy
ReplyDelete