The 2013 Memorial Day Weekend turned out to be nasty--with snow and flood conditions. The sequential sectional repaddling plans drastically changed. The following entries reflect socializing, scouting and a short resumption of paddling once the weather cleared up at the end of the week.
Total miles paddled this trip (including Day 7 reported earlier): 44 miles
Total miles repaddled to date: 129.5 as of May 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Miles: 0 Paddling/100 or so driving
Morning temperature: 34º
The wind and rain never stopped. Water bottles left on the
picnic table had the same or more ice than when they were placed there. Chris
started breakfast, but was easily convinced to find a diner. Talked about the day's paddling options over a hearty Hungry Bear breakfast outside of Plattsburg. I got
stopped by a woman asking us where we were paddling and who told me about a nearby
river (Au Sable) flood warnings. Scouted the river and only Russ was brave
enough to think he still wanted to try. I’m certain the combined water and air
temp was nowhere near 100. Wasn’t interested in a wintry swim. Russ invited us all
over to his place in Vermont instead. Stopped at several Missisquoi trail towns and
took photos of the flooding at Swanton, East Highgate and Enosburg Falls.
Signed in at some of the registration boxes too. Looked for a solo
through-paddler, Peter, in his self-made OtterCreek cedar canoe who was making his way upstream in these same conditions. Uploaded
images of the flooding to facebook and Justine (another 2011 Through-Paddler of Team Moxie) promptly responded. Then
promptly decided to join us in Vermont. 4 hours later, TK and she arrived from
Maine as the snow was falling.
Dinner: Venison tenderloins, roasted potatos and parsnips,
pesto pasta, chutney, artichoke dip, salsa and chips, various beer, Sterling’s
apple and strawberry/rhubarb pies.
Camping: Russ's barn.
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| Driving over Lake Champlain on Route 78 |
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| Swanton Dam |
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| Enosburg Falls Dam |
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| Snow near Richford, Vt. on Memorial Day weekend |
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| Put-in above Richford on the Missisquoi |
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| Justine arrives in Vermont |
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| Sterling's excellent strawberry-rhubarb pie |
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Trail Miles: 0
After an eggs, pancakes and bacon breakfast and several more
hours of conversation, the motley crew of paddlers said our goodbyes and started
heading back to our interrupted paddling schedule and/or respective states of MA, ME and WI. I spent the day scouting portages I hadn’t
actually paddled in 2011 and doing more research for the guidebook as we worked our way
to Island Pond. Sam and I followed Route 105 up to Richford, cutting across a pass to
Newport, which was still blanketed with snow. You could clearly see the ski
runs on Jay Peak in white. Stopped at the Montgomery Café for a late lunch, and
worked our way east, scouting out the Clyde River portages at Derby, West Charleston
and Charleston Pond. Set up camp at Brighton State Park on Spectacle Pond and a
gust of wind broke two poles on our tarp. This started to set the tone for the
night. Made a quick dinner as rain seemed to be moving in, irritatibly ate in
the car and then drove to the Nulhegan River, where we unexpectedly had fun
discovering back roads and moose sighting places while scouting out more portages along the Nulhegan River (but no moose). Found the Vermont River Conservancy
land that can be used as a put-in just beyond the bridge going over the E. Br.
Nulhegan. (Camping is permitted here.) Headed back and tucked into the coldest
night yet. Put the covers over my head. My nose was cold.
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| The Motley Crew after breakfast |
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| Looking toward Charleston Pond from the Great Falls take-out. |
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| View of the E. Br. Nulhegan from the Vermont River Conservatory access past the Route 105 bridge. |
Monday, May 27, 2013
Map 6, Day 8
Trail Miles: 5.5
Weather: Windy, sunny and 60s
Some Scouting and Some Paddling
The Fen: Ten Mile Square Road to Five Mile Square Road
That afternoon, Sam next dropped me off at Ten Mile Square Road while he followed the nearby “golf” signs to a hill top course someone had created out of their own back forty. For $10 (deposited into the box by the first hole), he played nine holes, while I paddled the Fen upstream to Five Mile Square Road rechecking the route in a Through-Paddler direction instead of the downstream route I had taken in 2011. Found some of the same landmarks to be useful.
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| The Nulhegan: Looking downstream at the railroad trestle from the Silvio O. Conte Visitor Center Nature Trail. |
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| The Nulhegan: Looking upstream from the Silvio O. Conte Visitor Center Nature Trail. |
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| Entering the fen beyond Ten Mile Square Road |
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| A landmark: Older, abandoned (?) outbuildings near the base of Doliff Mountain. |
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| View of last pond-like area (note the distant camp on the left) before veering right toward the narrow Clyde channel leading to Island Pond out of the fen. |
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| Five Mile Square Road "Tubes" in high water. |
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Map 3, Day 9
Trail Miles: 7.1
Franklin Falls put-in to Union Falls Pond Dam take-out
I wanted to finish up this segment after taking out in sleet a few days earlier, so Sam dropped me off back at the put-in, I paddled the length of Union Falls Pond (with a side trip to see the water fall by French's Brook in Woodruff Bay, and Sam picked me up at the Union Falls Dam. Blue skies, warm temps. Different day entirely. From the take-out at Union Falls Pond Dam, we scouted out Carry Rapids and the Silver Lake Bridge before Tefft Falls Pond by car. I didn't paddle any of this section of the Lower Saranac in 2011 or this year as a solo paddler. The river was still running high and fast.
Camping at Baker's Acres "base camp."
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| Union Falls Pond put-in after Franklin Falls |
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| View toward Union Falls Pond near Watsons Point |
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| French Brook Cascade into Woodruff Bay on Union Falls Pond |
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| Looking upstream from the Carry Trail take-out in Carry Rapids |
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Map 3, Day 10
Trail Miles: 17
Weather: Sunny, high 60sº at noon
The (lower) Saranac River from Clayburg to Cadyville Dam
Two portages:
1) Separator Rapids (.3 miles)
2) High Falls Dam (1.4 miles)
Wore: Sleeveless tank top, layered with long-sleeve paddling
shirt, nylon pants, pfd
After an early lunch at Big Daddy’s just east of Clayburg,
Sam dropped me off at the bridge at Clayburg and then headed to Plattsburg to
golf a new golf course consisting of only 14 holes. The ride to Separator
Rapids wasn’t very long or nearly as bumpy in May after all the rain as it had
been in July of 2011. Portaged around the raging Class III rapids continuing on
to the High Falls take-out. I had forgotten the scary feeling of paddling PAST
the warning buoys between the power house intake channel and the barrier to the
dam—especially in higher water—but it presented no problems. Likewise, with the
higher water, there was little to no muck to walk through this time around at
the take-out. Noticed an unofficial campsite located river left, just beyond
the dam barrier from the take-out, but didn’t scout. Looked like a feasible and
even pleasant spot, but no idea who owns this property.
The 1.25-mile portage
wasn’t nearly as buggy on this day, but I still used the high-water put-in like
I had done last time. River was flowing so much faster and higher. Last time it
was lower and bumpier—so either situation called for the high-water option to
be used as far as I was concerned. Paddled some quickwater and made good time
to Baker’s Acres, where I popped in for a quick break at our campsite. Returned
to the river and paddled the lazy river to the Cadyville riverside park (not
the NFCT take-out), where Sam met me soon after. Headed back to Baker’s Acres
where we camped for one last night before heading back to Wisconsin via the
Adirondacks the next day.
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| Looking upstream at the first set of Separator Rapids from the beach area |
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| View of second set of Separator Rapids from the Ore Road Bridge |
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| High Falls take-out looking at "unofficial" campsite adjacent to the dam's barrier |
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| Lower Saranac River between Picketts Corner and Cadyville |
>>>>> End of repaddling trip number two. <<<<
