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A leisurely morning paddle to the Nulhegan-Connecticut River confluence, with a few sections of class I/I+ rapids where we practiced some of the skills that John had shown us. We got dumped on during this stretch (which would only be the first of three rainstorms today).
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What a joy to travel downstream! First time not fighting the current – or at least less – in a while. Once we got past the first road walk of the day, a buggy slog on a rural highway, we enjoyed the paddle down Nulhegan Pond – the low mist and glassy water was a welcome change from upstream travel. Even with the oxbows, beaver dams, and meanders, it felt so freeing to go faster than 1 mph.
FIRST MUCH-NEEDED REST DAY! Bill and Patty allowed us, so generously, to do laundry and take showers in their home this morning. Eva came and hung out while we talked with Bill about the upcoming section of the Fen, then we drove into Newport together for lunch and various errands.
Another day, another upstream slog. Portaged and Paddled from Salem Lake to Scampy’s Country Store where we ate a pile of french fries and had a lovely serendipitous run-in with someone named Chelsea, a fellow CX rider whom I met at the Ghosts of Gloucester race last October.
Another massive day with an unexpectedly far end-point. We started out the day with a speed-walk into Mansonville, as the owner of Canoe & Co. had warned us that no one maintains the river (read: clears blowdowns) above his upper launch site and it can get completely strewn with strainers.
Crossed over into Quebec today! Despite having the option of walking along a nice flat road to the border, we stuck to the river. It was quite a slog, and we did it in a downpour. We arrived at the border soaking wet after tracking and dragging our boats upstream, but we were determined to say that we had paddled across the border.
One of our shortest days, mileage-wise. Mentally, a tough day: we spent the morning and early afternoon paddling upstream in a steady, relentless rain. I just wanted to be done with this section. We did some tracking over the gravel bars when paddling against the current became useless.
After a hearty breakfast of granola, PB, and banana, we loaded up our boats, rolled our way up past the dam, and got on the water. Only a mile or two into paddling, we were immediately confronted by a brutal headwind coupled with fighting the current as we crawled upstream.
Another long, hot day as we made our way out of Lake Champlain and up into the mouth of the Missisquoi – the start of our first substantial upstream paddling. As the water changed from the crystal clear depths of the lake to a thick coffee-colored river delta, the trilling of birds and bullfrogs serenaded us as we began our slow but steady journey inland.
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