Dot and I awoke at our primitive camp spot to a truly stunning natural phenomenon. As the sun was rising and heating up the ground, the water from the previous days’ rain began to evaporate. By standing at a certain angle to the sun I was able to view this evaporation process. All around me water was rising in teeny tiny particles. The air was filled with the magic of dancing water droplets. Sometimes they sparkled with colors in the light. If I had not caught them at just the right angle they would have gone unnoticed as they were way too small to even be felt. Watching evaporation left me pondering the miracles of nature that so often get taken for granted.

Our goal today was to paddle Lake Francis. This lies below the four CT Lakes and is the most populated of all of them. Lake Francis State Park, located in NH, sits on the northern end of this 2,000 acre lake. There was a put in there which allowed us to paddle upstream a bit before turning around to begin the five plus mile journey to the southern end of the lake. We left one car there and would paddle past the take out to the dam before returning north to our take out car.

We were thrilled when we hit the main part of the lake. The water was calm and we were able to really relax into our paddle, at least for about ten minutes! Soon after we left the inlet the wind began to pick up and we knew we were in for another day of paddling into it. By now we were seasoned veterans and knew what we could accomplish. It was the first day I took my phone with me into the canoe and I was relaxed enough to take some photos as we paddled down lake.

We pulled our boats out at the dam where there was a picnic table in a sheltered cove. After a leisurely snack while watching some interesting cloud formations we did some stretching in the sun. Then we relaunched our boats for the short paddle back up the lake to where we had left one car. We actually had a small tail wind for this short stretch!

While eating lunch on the shore of the lake I thought about how I had felt so unsure about this trip before I left home. I have done some long canoe camping trips, but most of them had been at least 30 years ago. Three of these were multi week trips which had been planned out by other people. Most of the canoe camping I had done on my own had been trips of only a few days. Yet, after just three days, I was already thinking, “Yes! I can do this trip!”

I thought about the importance of not letting the fear of the unknown stop me. My bike trip last fall really taught me I did not have to wait until I had something completely planned before setting out. I did need to have enough knowledge to allow me to stay safe, but then I had to launch myself into the unknown, trusting I would learn what I needed to along the way. By trusting my needs would be met even when the wind made it scary, and by taking it one paddle stroke at a time, I had managed to complete the first twenty seven miles of the 410 mile long CT River. I had climbed to fourth lake which is at an elevation of 2670 feet above sea level. I had dropped to 2188 when I paddled Third lake. And here, at Lake Francis, I was at an elevation of 1,379′.

I rejoiced in my new found confidence, not worrying about the challenges still ahead. I had made it this far, and now believe I can make it to the sea. After all, it is all downhill from here!