22 miles From Bellows Falls Dam to Old Ferry Road Boat Access

Before MxC took me to the put-in he showed me the Bellows Falls Petroglyph Site. This is an archeological site of uncertain age. These rock carvings are assumed to be carved into the rock by the native Sokoki Abenaki People perhaps as many as 3000 years ago. They are one of only two petroglyph sites in Vermont and are considered extremely unique and uncommon. I was thrilled to see them and kept reminding myself that I was standing on ground that was stolen from these native people. A power plant now stands on what was once their sacred ground. To learn more you can go to https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bellows-falls-petroglyphs

There were campsites about three and ten miles away from where MxC helped me put in below the Bellows Falls Dam. The next campsite was not until almost 28 miles downriver. I was aiming for about twenty miles as in two and one half days I was scheduled to meet my friend Bix fifty one miles ahead at Barton Cove in Massachusetts. I was hoping that the following day I could paddle an almost twenty mile day along with a portage around Vernon Dam which could add at least an hour of hard labor to my day. That would leave me with just around 8 miles to paddle in order to reach my rendezvous spot with Bix by late Sunday morning.

I was pretty sure I did not want to do a 28 mile day, especially with getting a latish start in the river. But neither did I only want to do ten miles. Even though when I put in I had no idea where I would camp for the night, I felt amazingly calm. I was able to draw on memories of all the other times when things had worked out for me. It was not the first time I was setting out without a clue as to where I would end up that night. And just like so many times before, what actually happened was better than anything I could have envisioned.

Just like previous days, I saw many bald eagles as I wound my way down river. There were still a fair number of flowers though not as many as the day before. At one point I had a spider crawling around the brim of my hat and dropping down in front of my face. I like spiders and did not want to fling it into the river, but I did not want it circling around my face. I managed to get it off my hat and onto the boat where it hung out until I was able to release it onto a tree branch overhanging the river.

I thought about all of the trees leaning out over the river reaching for sun. They will reach and reach even when it puts them at risk of toppling into the river. I realized how like those trees we humans can be, reaching for love and light. In my life there have been times when I felt so desperate to be loved that I would have gone with almost anyone who showed me any scrap of kindness. Often this resulted in my being involved in an unhealthy friendship which ended in painful ways. Luckily I have since learned to restrain my reach and to find love in more healthy relationships.

As I paddled along in the wide open river I missed having Dot to laugh with. I was feeling my aloneness. I resolved I would try and laugh more even if it was by myself. When I stepped out of my boat for a lunch break later that day I found that I had not been alone at all. I had been paddling for hours with the larva of what I think is a dragonfly. It had been in my boat with me all morning. I laughed long and hard over that one.

The motor boat traffic kept increasing and sometimes I was fending off the wakes of three or four boats at one time. Rather than getting annoyed I tried to enjoy riding up and over the waves. I focused on the bobcat and coyote I saw along the shore. I was surprised at the number of bald eagles and was happy to see a brightly colored indigo bunting along shore.

I was within about four miles of where I was hoping to stop for the night when I stopped to chat with one of the few non-motorized boats on the river. Vivian and her husband Tom were out for a spin in their canoe. We chatted a short while and I learned that Tom and I had gone to colleges in the same town around the same time and so shared some common acquaintances. I was thrilled when they offered to pick me up at the boat access ramp and bring me to their home for the evening.

After a heavenly shower I was honored to share Shabbos dinner with this lovely couple, hearing prayers that I had not heard in many years. I had grown up in a very Jewish neighborhood and had fond memories of sharing Shabbos meals with friends. Vivian prepared a delicious meal that included fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes and strawberries along with yogurt made by Tom. With the added great conversation it didn’t get much better than that.

I went to sleep in a comfy bed glad that I had not wasted time worrying about where I would end up that night. As it was I would never had envisioned my day ending so nicely.