kdaanen-nfct: Map 4, Days 17-18: Lake Champlain and the First Annual NFCT Freshet Fest

Year Four: Repaddling the NFCT in Sections

Part 1: Overview and Lake Champlain

Total mileage paddled this trip: 75 miles

Total sectional trail mileage to date: 287 as of May 2015

NFCT Mileage marker at the end of this section: 308

NFCT missed to date: 23 total (21 from Map 3 and 2 from Map 6)

Overview:

My goal has been to sectionally repaddle the Northern Forest Canoe Trail—sequentially in annual visits since 2012. Even though this year’s trip wasn’t done completely this way, I am now up to Wenlock Crossing on the Nulhegan River, having only missed only two Saranac river sections since 2012: The technically-difficult Tefft Pond Falls area between Union Falls and Clayburg, N.Y., and 12 miles from Kent Falls to Plattsburgh, N.Y. These last 12 miles were missed due to the 2013 flood conditions that existed when I was in this area paddling from Saranac Lake (in snow), and I instead skipped ahead to visit friends in Vermont.

The peculiar order of this year’s trip was due to several factors:

Planning around attending the NFCT’s First Annual Freshet Fest on May 9
Coordinating my visit around other paddler schedules and stays so I could meet up with them while I was out east
Kayak renting and weather

The original plan was to bring both the Wenonah Minnesota II and the Wilderness Pungo so I could swap out boats. The day before we left, I loaded the canoe on the cartop carrier, it’s normal place, and then placed the kayak on the teardrop camper carrier, not it’s normal place. While Thule kayak brackets will grudgingly attach to Yakima bars, it was not the happiest of couplings. Plus I didn’t think we had adequate tie down anchors in either the front or back of the trailer. Finally, it just seemed like a lot to be asking of the Suburu. Knowing I had rental opportunities along the Clyde, I decided it would behoove us to leave the Pungo behind. Ultimately, I'm sure it was at least an even trade between the kayak rental and gas mileage. Maybe we even came out ahead by renting.

In May of 2013, I paddled Map 3 and had intended to tackle Lake Champlain on Map 4, but snow and flood conditions changed those plans. Last year I paddled the full length of the Missisquoi ending up on Lake Champlain. This year, although the spring melt had occurred only a few weeks earlier, temperatures were predicted to be in the 70s and 80s. This trip was earlier than originally planned because the NFCT was holding its first annual Freshet Fest on May 9th in Burlington, Vt. and I participated as a panelist.

I brought the Minnesota II to use with Sam for the Freshest Fest social paddle and on Lake Champlain. I rented a 12’ Old Town kayak from Clyde River Recreation in West Charleston, Vt. to use on the Clyde and Nulhegan, when Sam would be doing the shuttling.

It is important to note that as of 2015, Verizon cell service is not available between Derby Center, Vt. and, at a minimum, the N. H. border. At least my phone did not have coverage from West Charleston to the Silvio Conte Visitor Center. It worked in Derby Center.

Bugs were not at all a problem and the water levels were perfect on the Clyde.

The trip occurred during seven paddling days split up between visits to Burlington and Middlebury, Vt.

Part 1: Lake Champlain
Days 1 and 2: Lake Champlain (25.5 miles)

Part 2: Lake Memphremagog
Day 6: Lake Memphremagog (12 miles)

Part 3: The Clyde
Day 3: Charleston Pond/Great Falls Carry to Salem Lake (5 miles)

Day 4: Island Pond to Great Falls Take-Out (19.5 miles)
Day 7: Lower Clyde, Clyde Pond, Salem Lake (About 5 miles including 1 mile of portaging)

Part 4: The Nulhegan
Day 5: Island Pond to Wenlock/Hwy 105 Bridge (9 miles—Includes 1.8 mile portage)

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Monday night, May 4 through Wednesday, May 6:

Wisconsin to Campbell’s Bay Campground, West Swanton, Vt.

Drove through the U.P. entering Canada via Sault Ste. Marie (ice still in the locks) through Ontario. Camped one night in Algonquin Provincial Park and reentered the U.S. through Cornwall, N.Y. We camped at Campbell’s Bay Campground on Charcoal Bay near the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge on Lake Champlain on the eve of my first day of paddling.

Campbell’s Bay has permanent “seasonal” campsites, but offers a few sites for one-night travelers too. The free showers there were nice and hot. Since it was early in the year, we camped in the lower section overlooking the boat launch where RVs would normally park. Tent sites are available at the top of the hill. RVs are spaced close to each other and I think the campground would be much busier (and nosier) on a busy summer weekend. It was fine for a one-night mid-week stay.

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Map 4, Day 17: Thursday, May 6, 2015

Green Street Boat Launch, Plattsburgh, NY to City Bay, North Hero Island, Vt.

Miles: 14

Portages: 0

Paddling Partners: Peter McFarlane and Viveka Fox
Boat: Wenonah Minnesota II
Wildlife: Geese, water birds, osprey

Weather: High 70s, light winds

Overnight: North Hero House

2013 Through-Paddler and Lake Champlain NFCT Trail Maintainer, Peter Macfarlane and his wife Viv, were available to paddle during my visit. Together we tackled the the majority of the Lake Champlain section (25.5 miles) over two days, ending at the Route 78 Bridge. The Route 78 bridge is where Peter and I ended up my trip last year.

After spending the night at Campbell’s Bay Campground, Sam and I met Peter and Viv at the Route 78 bridge and we transferred Peter’s solo cedar canoe to our trailer roof rack. Drove to the Greene Street Boat Launch at the mouth of the Saranac River where Sam dropped us off around 11 a.m. (and proceeded on to Peru, NY to golf a 14-hole golf course.) Viv and I paddled in my Minnesota II.

Cumberland Bay was the roughest paddle of the day. Headed into a headwind and rolling swells. We cut across the three-mile bay to the Cumberland Point within an hour, turned to head north and were given an awesome tailwind. Met the three ferries with perfect timing. One had just left, the second had just arrived and was unloading and the third was across the passage at Gordon’s Landing. We paddled behind the ferries and took out near the landing for lunch. Had to scramble under low-hanging branches and up the embankment where we lunched near the white tourist building.

From Cumberland Head to the Gut, we had tailheads and sunny skies. The wind died as we entered the gut paddling right into some kind of insect hatch. Flies (black flies?) were in our faces, on our hats, on our backs—you couldn’t look up for any sustained amount of time for worry of having them fly into your eyes, ears and mouth. At least they weren’t biting.

They dispersed by the time we arrived at Knight’s Point at the Hwy 2 Bridge. Stopped to have a look around at this “need-only” Through-Paddler campsite option. The primary picnicking area is close to the highway where there are restrooms and boat rentals. In May, I could see a few picnic tables on the point prior to arriving at the beach that presumably would be a better, less visible, less accessible, camping spot if you needed to stay overnight here.

Arrived at City Bay around 5 p.m. where I met up with Sam. Viv and Peter took my tandem and paddled the one-mile distance (20 or 30 minutes) out to Knights Island State Park to camp while Sam and I stayed at the North HeroHouse Inn, a place that was on my radar since 2011. Viv and Peter were able to watch a brilliant sunset from their westward facing lean-to/campsite that we missed completely due to our lovely room facing the lake—and the east.

At the Green Street Kiosk, Plattsburgh Boat Launch
(and Peter's Otter Creek Canoe)

Mouth of the Saranac River
Photo: Peter Macfarlane

Heading across Cumberland Bay
Photo: Peter Macfarlane

Cumberland Lighthouse
Photo: Peter Macfarlane

South Hero Island
Photo: Peter Macfarlane

South Hero Island shoreline

Bird island near the Gut
Photo: Peter Macfarlane

Entering the Gut
Photo: Peter Macfarlane

Peter and Viveka head to Knight's Island
from North Hero House

Lake Champlain from North Hero Island

Shuttler, golfer and champion rock skipper

Peter and Viv's sunset from Knight Island
(looking at North Hero Island)
Photo: Peter Macfarlane

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Map 4, Day 18: Friday, May 8, 2014

City Bay, North Hero Island, Vt. to Hwy 78 Bridge

Map 4

Miles: 11.5 miles

Portages: 0

Paddling Partners: Peter McFarlane and Viveka Fox
Boat: Wenonah Minnesota II

Weather: 70s and low 80s, light tail wind all the way

Wildlife: Geese, ducks, osprey

Cumulative section trip miles to date: 25.5

Stopped for coffee and pastries at Hero’s Welcome General Store, and Peter replaced pencils and ledgers in the NFCT sign-in box located by the library thus fulfilling his trail maintenance duties. We were on our way around 10 a.m. Sam headed up to the Alban’s golf course with plans to meet us at the Route 78 bridge at 3 p.m.

In 2011, Beckie and I pulled ourselves through the culvert and paddled the inner Allsburg passage along the west shore of North Hero Island. This year we continued north along the east shore of the island. This side seems to have more summer homes and camps perched higher on rocky bluffs. My recollection of the inner passage is that it has more farmlands or fields that edge the lower shoreline. The water was decidedly greener with algae in August.

As we approached the north end of Hero Island by the closed state park, the rocky bluffs gave way to beaches, then tapering to lowlands with silver maples and grass. We stopped for lunch around 12:30ish at the boat launch, saw an area of protected beach for spiny-shelled turtle nests, and tested Peter's excellent solo canoe. Peter also went for a quick swim in the only-lately-melted lake waters. Lake Champlain completely froze over this year and only thawed as of April 19.

Easy paddling all day today, with a light tail wind. Arrived at the Route 78 boat launch just as Sam passed over the bridge at almost exactly the same time. Wiped down the boats, loaded up and went in search of ice cream, heading south. And south and south, until we reached City Bay and did stop at Hero's Welcome to buy ice-cream sandwiches before dinner at the North Hero House. Said goodbye to Peter and Viveka (thanks again for joining me for this section!) and then Sam and I met up with Laurie Chandler, a paddler from Maine whom I met in 2011, at the Grand Isle State Park. Laurie will be through-paddling this year and we all are heading to Burlington tomorrow for the Freshet Fest.

Leaving City Bay
Photo: Peter MacFarlane

Lunch time test paddle in Peter's canoe

Peter and Viveka on Lake Champlain

Near Hog's Island
Photo: Peter MacFarlane

Heading toward the Route 78 Boat Launch
Photo: Peter MacFarlane

Hero's Welcome General Store, City Bay, North Hero Island
A bench for your political persuasion

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Saturday, May 9, 2015

NFCT Freshet Fest

Arrowhead Lake Social Paddle and Gathering at Splash, Burlington, Vt.

After spending a lovely morning in Grand Isle State Park discussing finer points of the trail with Laurie while Sam kept us plied with coffee, we headed to the Arrowhead Lake social paddle rendezvous. It was so cool to meet up with past through-paddlers that I've only know via email or Facebook—plus talking to people planning on paddling the trail in the next year or two. NFCT Executive Director, Karrie Thomas, NFCT Trail Director, Walter Opuszynski and Sandy Tarbuton, NFCT Membership & Communications Director were all in attendance too.

After a few hours meandering along the shoreline, we loaded the boats and headed to the Burlington waterfront where the dinner, the Q&A and poling presentation was held for the first annual Freshet Fest. Met up with another TPer, Dan Brown and his wife Michelle, who own the Swift House Inn in Waterbury where we were staying for the next two nights.