11.1 miles from Barnet-Monroe Bridge Access to Woodsville Access

Today was a day for variety. We encountered a little bit of a lot of conditions. We had wind (headwind of course), interspersed with glassy calm. There were wide open lake-like sections of flatwater mixed with some quick-water and squirrelly currents. On some sections the river ran deep. In others we were bumping up on plenty of rocks and needed to use our hands to push ourselves along. It was really hot on land but on the water it was much more comfortable. The area near the Woodsville bridge was inundated with at least a dozen paddlers. But upstream we saw no-one.

It felt great to be on the water again. I had taken a few days off while waiting for Dot to be ready to head out again. It was great to have that time to catch up on writing but I was eager to get back to my goal of paddling the river.

We put in where we had taken out four days earlier. Although it had been calm on land there was a mostly welcome breeze on the river. It was nice to have the relief from the heat which the breeze provided, but of course it was a headwind and so made the paddling harder.

We entered some tight bends in the river and were surprised that we both felt disoriented. It really was difficult to tell which way to go. There was a bit of a cove and the tight curves blocked any view of the continuing river. It was a pretty area and felt so different than much of the rest of the river.

Soon we reached our first portage around the dam in Monroe, NH. I wondered what we would be up against when I came to the portage sign pointing to a set of steep stairs leading away from the river. I was glad to have Dot’s help to carried my boat up those steps.

Dot wasn’t sure how much more she would paddle so we left a car with all our gear in it ten miles down. This made the boats light enough that at the top of the stairs we were able to put both onto my trailer at once. Even with another set of rock steps at the end, this turned out to be one of the easier portages we had encountered.

I knew that with heavier boats It would have been more difficult. This got me thinking about the burdens we all carry. I thought of how easy it is to judge someone when we don’t know the unseen burdens they are living with. Part of why those previous portages had been so difficult was the weight we had been carrying.

After a lazy break we started back down river. Within four miles we had another portage, this time around the Ryegate Dam. Once we figured out where the take out was, and pulled our boats out over the slippery rocks without falling, the rest of the portage was pretty straight forward. Like most of the others, steps were involved, but we were getting pretty used to them. Compared to what we had encountered further north, these portages really were much easier. They were less steep and the path was more manicured. On this last one there was a part where rocks had been moved and gravel put down. I was glad for the perspective the harder portages had given me. I wondered if I would have found these last two easy had I not first had those difficult ones to compare them to.

Just below the dam we entered an area I am calling beaver alley. I saw at least eight of these amazing engineers swimming near their lodges. Many times they swam near me and smacked their tails on the water. If you have never seen this you can go to http://youtu.be/9104-NSaFrs

From a distance I could see tall plumes of water rise into the air as the sounds of their slap reverberated along the river. When they did it near my boat I always jumped. It was such a loud sound and was definitely effective as a protective mechanism meant to scare predators away. I always turned to look at the sound and so lost sight of the lodge where I assume young ones were nestled within.

This got me thinking about the varying defense mechanisms different animals use. All living creatures seem to have have a drive to protect. There was the turtle sunning on a log who pulled into her shell as we approached. The mother deer snorted and her speckled fawn stepped back into the trees where she disappeared from our sight. I thought about the defense mechanisms I have used throughout my lifetime and was glad that I now felt much less need to erect walls to keep people away. Going towards connection has made me a much happier person.

There was one last challenge before we got to the take out. We had to navigate a section known as the narrows. The wide river is forced through a narrow, rocky channel which makes some tight bends. As a result the water moves faster and when it hits the outer curve it bounces back towards the middle forming currents that can be tricky to navigate. I had been warned that boats had capsized here and at least one person had recently died in the narrows.

I was pretty sure that the lower summer water levels would decrease the pull of these currents. Even though this proved to be true it did take some navigating and paying attention to get past the currents. We were rewarded with another beautiful cove-like area with some lovely rock walls rising from the river.

We had not put our boats into the water until close to 1:30 PM. Still we had still managed to paddle over eleven miles and complete two portages in the hot sun. Not bad for two old ladies!

As we drove back upriver to retrieve my car we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset. And knowing we had friends to visit who lived nearby and had offered us a room for the night made for a perfect end to a perfect day.