21.5 miles to Munn’s Ferry Campground plus .3 mile portage around Vernon Dam

I shared a lovely breakfast with Tom before he dropped me back at the river. He sent me off with six hard boiled eggs from his chickens. He also told me to call him when I reached the Vernon Dam and said he would come help me portage around it!

I paddled the ten miles to the dam on sort of autopilot. It was hot and I needed to make three miles per hour to reach Tom at the portage. Again the river was full of motor boats sending big wakes my way. If I was near shore they crashed over my boat. If I did not have the spray skirt on the waves would have gone into my boat. Usually when I paddle I try to cut the large curves out and paddle in a straight line from side to side of the river. This was becoming harder to do as when I was in the middle of the river the large boats would come as close as eight feet from my kayak, causing her to really buck up and down. I tried to face my boat so I could ride the crest and use it to give me some forward momentum, but most of the time I was paddling against the wakes.

Many of the trees along the banks of the river looked as though they were bare or were just putting out spring leaves. I knew this was because of damage done by the spongy moth caterpillars. These invasive insects were brought into the United States in hopes of producing silk. They have since become a huge pest, defoliating entire hillsides. https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/83118.html

I thought about the marvelous rejuvenating power of nature. Trees that had been defoliated by these caterpillars were now putting out a second set of leaves. It spoke to the drive for life that most living things have. Yet I am aware that one can only hold out so long before collapsing. I pray that we humans decrease our CO2 emissions and learn to be more eco-friendly before we completely go over the tipping point.

I could tell I was a bit weary when I started to count my paddling strokes. Paddling on both sides counted as one stroke. I averaged 128 stokes in five minute That came out to 1536 strokes per hour. If I was averaging 3.25 mph that meant it took me about 473 strokes per mile. These were the things I did to occupy my poor sun-baked brain!

I found myself singing “I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside…I Ain’t gonna study war no more…” As I sang I felt so weary of the ongoing two and one half year battle to work out my divorce. I felt so sad that someone I loved so deeply could choose to make this separation so difficult. I was tired of fighting it and resolved to trust that my needs would be taken care of even if he was asking for more than his share.

Soon after passing the decommissioned nuclear power plant I arrived at the take out for the Vernon Dam. I had to navigate a plethora of fallen logs in order to land my boat. I pulled Jenny to shore and loaded her onto the trailer, making sure I was not standing in any muck I would sink into once I lifted her weight. I had learned that lesson at Summner Falls!

Just as I began pulling up the hill Tom arrived. I was so grateful for his help. While this portage was much easier than some I had done, the put in was still steep enough that while Tom directed the front of the boat I held the stern back with all my weight so the boat would not run Tom over. I was not even taking steps down the hill. Gravity pulled my feet down the gravely path as I struggled to remain upright.

It was nice to have Tom to chat with while I ate some of the eggs he had given me that morning. But soon I had to leave my new friend behind. I still had twelve miles to paddle before nightfall.

At one point a gaggle of geese began running downriver ahead of my boat. No matter how far I moved out into the river they kept running ahead of me. This went on for over ten minutes and I wondered how they could keep running for that long. I knew they were running in fear. Even when I stopped paddling they kept running. It made me think about instincts. Running in fear is an instinctual thing to do, but it is not always the best thing to do. I want to be in touch with and listen to my instinctual self, but I also want to balance that with learned knowledge. I have learned over the years to face many fears and I feel more enriched as a result. I realized that even the act of strapping boards onto ones feet and skiing down a mountain is not an instinctual thing to do, but overcoming that fear has brought me great joy. On the other hand I try to maintain some caution. I know too many people who have been injured while skiing. There is a reason fear is there and while I don’t have to let it stop me from doing something, I can let it guide me in being cautious when necessary. The biggest fears I have overcome are those of letting my walls down and letting people close to me. This has enriched my life more than any other thing I have done.

I unceremoniously crossed the NH/VT/Massachusetts state line, sorry to have no one there to celebrate with me but even sorrier not to be able to see the Mud Turtle Monument. Built in 1895, this twelve foot tall monument marks the corner of these three states. Covered by water from the dams, It has not been seen since 1969 when repairs were made at the Turners Falls Dam. (https://www.nhmagazine.com/riding-the-mud-turtle/)

Six miles and many motor boats later I reached my campsite for the night. Munn’s Ferry is maintained by First Light Power Company which charges a fee and requires reservations. They do a good job of maintaining the site and were very accommodating to this old lady paddler. I settled in for the night, grateful that I would soon have a shorter day and time to rest my hands which were taking a bit of a beating from constant twenty plus mile days.