A number of people have written to me asking what equipment I am using on this trip. I have been slow to respond because to be perfectly honest until yesterday I was still not sure! It has changed day by day, mile by mile.

I started out thinking I wanted to be in a lightweight solo canoe. I managed to get my hands on one which I used for the upper CT Lakes and Lake Francis. I liked the idea of being in a canoe because I can move around more during the day. I also have easier access to items such as food and water when in a canoe. I enjoy being able to switch from canoe to kayak paddle and back again. It is a sheer joy to be able to lift the boat and place it onto the roof of my car myself. The lighter weight makes portaging easier. But I am concerned about this boat’s ability to handle hitting rocks in the river, and it is pretty squirrelly in big wind.

After the first 27 miles of mostly lake paddling I had a run of class II water with one possible class III rapid. Class III can easily swamp an open canoe so I opted for an old 1980’s river running Dancer, a kayak made by Perception Kayak. When I first got it this past winter, it had been sitting outside someone’s house for years and was full of nesting mice. It had a hole that had been patched and looked a bit iffy. It smelled terrible! I scrubbed it, scrubbed it and scrubbed it some more. I took it for a spin in my small pond, borrowed a spray skirt to cover the opening and strapped it to the roof of my car hoping the patch would hold in the river. I carried a roll of Gorilla Tape in case I needed to make a repair on the fly.

I liked the boat but actually ended up trading boats for the day with Dottie, who was having trouble getting her slightly smaller kayak to work for her. Dot’s Pirouette is a somewhat newer model from the same company. It is a bit heavier and took me some time to get used to, but once I did I was happy enough. But neither of these white water boats has a way to store gear needed for a multi night trip.

When Dot expressed an interest in joining me for at least the length of Vermont we looked at using her fairly heavy two person canoe. We took it out for a spin on the White River. It responded well and we were preparing to take it out for another practice run loaded with full gear when river “magic” came my way.

I was bicycling ten miles into a medical appointment. By the side of the road was a well used Perception Pacifica kayak. I braved a number of barking dogs and managed to speak with a woman at the house.

“Is that boat for sale?” I asked.

We chatted a bit and after explaining that it had been her mother-in-law’s boat she turned to me and said, “I think you should have it.” Not sure if I was hearing her correctly I double checked her meaning. “No, not for sale,” she said. “Just take it.”

I pulled the combination recreational/touring kayak away from the side of the road and stashed it behind some bushes. I have since retrieved it with my car and after much wavering have decided to try it on the next section of the river. I have never done a trip with a loaded kayak, and the storage compartment in this one is a little small, but I think it might be a good solution. At over 45 pounds it is a bit too heavy for me to easily carry or load on the car by myself, though I can manage it. It has a comfortable seat and will be able to withstand hitting rocks. It is not as maneuverable as the other boats and has even been described as tank-like. But I think it will turn fast enough for most of what I have left to run, especially if I portage the class III sections. I am not looking for perfection. I don’t have endless money to spend and will settle for good enough, even if it means I have to work a bit harder. I’ll see it as a muscle building opportunity!

Yesterday a few things happened which sealed the deal for me. After a fair amount of asking around, a much needed, hard to find spray skirt came my way. I need to do some altering to have it fit well, but it is good enough. I did a test run yesterday and will have to rethink some of my gear to make it all fit, but that feels doable. Dot would then use a Wilderness Systems Pungo kayak.

This trip is already reminding me to go with the flow, trusting that what I need will appear when I need it. I leave in one day for a week long stint and I am far from being packed. (By the time you read this I will be just starting out on the river.) But I am not freaking out about it. This new kayak is reminding me of all the kind trail angels I met on my hike of the Continental Divide Trail and of the worthiness quote I encountered on my bike trip. I hope by holding onto these memories I will continue to put worry aside and trust in the abundance of my worthiness as I venture forth into what for me is unknown territory.