Started journey 6/12/19 by hiking to the 4th CT Lake and Kayaking the 3rd, 2nd and 1st CT Lakes. On 6/13/19 my wife dropped me off in Canaan, VT to begin my river trek. Quickly realized the grandeur and beauty of this historic river – hats off to the CT River Conservancy for their dedicated efforts to clean-up, maintain and document this incredibly valuable New England resource.
Needed all my paddling and camping skills to navigate the currents, rapids, wind, rain, and waves – truly exciting! Had mostly good weather however a few storms. River was high but not dangerously high. Paddled early each morning and usually had the river to myself up to noon.
Campsites were rustic and sometimes hard to find. Portages were a challenge but were part of the adventure and gave a good sense of accomplishment when completed. Noticed the wide disparity in economic conditions of the small and rural towns of VT and NH compared to the affluent cities and yacht clubs of lower CT – prefer the quiet beauty of the northern reaches of the river, however enjoyed the entire trip. Was inspired by the book “Two Coots in a Canoe” as at age 76 I’m bit of a senior too.
