Kayak-a-yak

This past weekend I went kayaking on the Connecticut River in Vermont with Pam and Tam. Mark was really insistent that I have this experience, to mirror the trip he has undertaken now for several years. His mode of flotation has evolved over the summers, from canoe to pontoon boat to kayak. This year he sailed his hand-crafted 16 foot beauty (see photo below). As for me, I went out in the Blast.

We based ourselves at Wilgus State Park in Ascutney,

Vermont. This is a beautiful campground with wonderful amenities. On Day One we took the truck laden with the kayaks about 12 miles north to Sumner Falls, where we put in. Due to our amazing paddling skills, we arrived at Wilgus three hours later. Some might argue that the current favored us exceptionally well.

On Day Two we paddled from Wilgus about ten miles south to Hoyt's Landing, where we had parked the truck. This was about 3 and a half hours of paddling, but we took a break every hour just to hang around.

For me there were two highlights of my experience on the water, if I do not count my

extremely tired, weak, little shoulders. One highlight is all the amazing birds to see along the riverbank and skimming along just above the surface of the river. I may become a birder yet. The other was the Path of Life Garden. Someone had taken a field along the Connecticut River and placed all sorts of contemplative areas and sculptures all around, but that web site will describe it much better. It was a hands-on, interactive, experience offered in a take-what-you-want-from-it sort of way. We lunched in a tee-pee.

After doing an astoundingly thorough job of securing the kayaks in to the truck at Hoyt's Landing for the ride back to Wilgus, some of us were loathe to take the boats off the truck for an excursion on Day Three. But anyway, Pam found herself nursing a headache.

Meanwhile, and not to be callous towards Pam, but she encouraged us anyway, Tam and I climbed Mount Ascutney. My poor, weak, little shoulders were happy because my legs are much more highly developed than they are.

Each of the three days was good for the soul.