21.1 miles from Wilgus State Park to the Bellows Falls Dam

I had plans to meet a friend at the takeout at the Bellows Falls Dam. He would take me back to his house for the night but was trying to fit in picking me up between work and an evening appointment. I wanted to be sure to be to the take-out on time so opted for an early start.

The mist was still on the river when I put in. There was a certain beauty about it and as I paddled I watched the mist slowly rise into the air as the morning warmed. I loved the idea of watching the river rising into the sky. At one point there were a number of tall columns of rising mist that swirled and looked like miniature tornadoes.

I thought about how some of these last years I have felt I was living inside of the fog. Yet by trying one thing after another, and with the support of friends who are like beacons in the dark, I feel I am emerging back into the light. I just need to remember that even when the fog descends, the sun is still shining somewhere on the outside. All I have to do is keep going. And maybe I can even enjoy being inside of the fog, as I was doing on this early morning paddle.

I found myself missing some of the twists and turns the river had taken further north. Down here it was much more influenced by the large dams. There were not wide, sandy beaches on the inside of curves where I could easily pull off for a break. Here the river is much straighter and the water is often fairly deep right up to the steep sides along the bank. And unlike up north, these banks were covered in poison ivy. I mused about how nice it was to find a balance between taking a straight course through life, and sometimes detouring with twists and turns to make it more interesting, even if it meant taking more time to reach a goal.

I noticed the interesting trails the water bugs made on the glassy surface of the river. The spirals and swirls really were beautiful and reminded me of light trails in the dark. The highlight of the day was the flowers. I saw at least two dozen different kinds. The banks were lined with the deep pinky-purple blooms of the flowering raspberry. Elderberry was still in bloom as were numerous other flowers in varying shades of yellows, whites and pink. There were fruiting black raspberries which were maddeningly just out of reach. What really crowned the day were the water lilies.

There were thousands of them. It is probably no exaggeration to say there were over ten thousand of these showy white flowers. They lined the banks for miles and were interspersed with the blue-purple blooms of pickerelweed. It was truly a spectacular sight and I sat among those blooms for at least a half hour absorbing their beauty into my soul. I strive to make conscious memories of things like this so I can remember that beauty exists when the world around me seems grim. I was missing having someone to share my days with and I wanted to share this beauty with someone. I was making good time paddling at a rate of over 3.25 mph so I sat tucked in among the flowers, relaxing and chatting with some friends on the phone.

There was an incredible sweetness to the air which balanced the smell of the many motor boats which were speeding by. These boats were becoming larger and faster the further south I went. Up north they all slowed down as they went by. Down here very few boats slowed to lessen the wake. Some even seemed to speed up. Coupled with the rising wind on the wide open stretches of water, these wakes sometimes made for difficult paddling. At least I was no longer feeling afraid when the large wakes washed over my boat.

As I paddled the last few miles of the day I thought about the different stages of any long trip. In the beginning I feel nervous excitement, unsure how I will do and still trying to figure out how to arrange my time and gear. In the early middle stage I feel the strength of my body and relax more into the adventure, gaining confidence that I can accomplish my goal. feeling that everything has a place and i know what I am doing. By the later middle stages I am confident in my abilities but also feeling a bit weary. I am glad for opportunities to slow down and relax with river angels I meet along the way. At this stage I know I can make up lost time if need be and am in no rush to finish. By the late stage of an adventure there is often more weariness and a desire to reach the end but this is coupled with a bittersweet realization that the trip will soon be over and the simple day to day existence will come to an end. Reaching a goal in a trip like this always comes with a mixture of elation, accomplishment and sadness. These stages seems to mimic life for me, and I hope when I reach my final stage I will feel a sense of accomplishment. I am trying to live my life so that there will be no sadness when I reach my final days.

I reached the take out at the Bellows Falls Dam and waited for MxC to arrive. Amazingly we were able to fit all of my gear and Jenny into his Prius. She hung out the back but we did not have far to go to get to his house. In the morning MxC would portage me around the dam.
I ended this spectacular day grateful to and humbled by all of the friends both old and new who were helping me on this journey.