Kayaking the Black River

Saturday, September 25: A friend and I met at the Hoyt’s Landing boat launch, Springfield, Vermont on this glorious fall day. As soon as I got in the boat, I peeled off the long sleeves – it was warm in the sun! We chose to go up the Black River; the launch is where it joins the Connecticut River. It is the season when leaves are beginning to turn, and the asters are blooming.

We saw several ducks:

and went up as far as the rapids below the waterfalls, where I grounded out and decided that was far enough! I might have gone a little further, but with the skeg on, I was concerned about getting hung up in the shallows.

Back under the old bridge:

and home again. As we returned, it was clear that Old Fort #4 was having some kind of reenactment – the cannons and guns were sounding like fireworks! We could see the smoke from their fields as we approached the landing. This is not a quiet place to paddle; with the interstate and two state highways, there is constant traffic. The munitions just added to it – and made the dog, left in the car in the shade, extremely nervous!

Kayaking the Black River

Sunday, June 28: The above sign was on the drive down to Springfield, VT, to meet my friend Julie and her rowing scull. One thing about the pace of life under a pandemic is that people have time to notice that the doe and fawns cross here – and warn people!

The day was mostly overcast, with occasional breaks of sun, not too hot, not too windy – although wind threatened, which is why we chose to go up the Black River instead of the Connecticut. Below, some of what we saw:

They did not always have heads up!

If this is flowering rush, it’s invasive – it’s the first time I’ve seen this grass flowering. It gets rocky, and one can paddle no further.

We’ve been off the river for a few hours now – and it’s pouring rain with thunder! I guess we timed that well!

And, just for the fun of it –