The time since our last blog post has indeed been challenging, and the ability to take a few breaks each day, and get outside for a short canoe trip, or short local hike, have definitely kept us sane.

My Dad passed away last week, after a few weeks in in-home hospice…it was definitely a difficult time for all of us, but at least he is now at peace. We always had dogs growing up, and he was definitely a dog lover…big dogs, outdoors dogs, dogs like our dogs! He really loved Gryphon,and looked forward to his visits. Edgar did not visit as frequently, but he certainly liked the spunk that Edgar displays….

So, blogging has taken a bit of a hiatus. Our trip to the Adirondacks had to be cancelled, as well as our return trip to Aziscoos Lake in Maine. But the mountains and lakes aren’t going anywhere, and we will enjoy them at a future date.

Gryphon did receive his trail patch, in a ceremony at the New London Conservation monthly meeting….he can get a bit spooked by unfamiliar surroundings and people, and he had to go up to the second floor, and sit nicely in a room with over 20 strangers. He behaved wonderfully, and was quite proud to show off his patch! While Edgar was visiting, he hiked a couple new trails, and maybe some day he will get his own patch.

I hope that I will resume regular blogging by the end of August…I hope to make up the solo canoe camping trip with Gryphon that was postponed, and we will resume our “peak-a-week” mountain hikes….we are mid-way through the summer, though the first 6 weeks seem like a blur.

Here is a short video of some of our respite paddles, over the past few weeks….enjoy!

Just a brief blog post this week…We would normally have been celebrating Independence Day recently, but a serious family situation has resulted in Gryphon and my being in NH 4-5 days per week. As a result, our activities have been more of the quick get-away type…but we have kept busy, which helps keep me sane during these trying times.

While in New London,NH, Gryphon and I finished the last of the trails on the trails checklist…Gryphon was very well behaved on a bog trail (he is excellent at staying ON the puncheons), and though many of the trails were very muddy and buggy, we did find a few gems, and have competed the checklist. I submitted both our names with the check-off sheet, so theoretically, in October we will each receive a trail hiker patch.

This area has some nice trails, exploring ponds, marshes, bogs, and woods…the trails were not as saturated as those in Vermont, but certainly had their muddy spots!

MUD!

Reflection of a bird, seen on the pond surface….

On a Quaking Bog….

Gryphon sees a rock, jumps up on rock automatically…he knows it is time for a photo!

We were able to get out for one quick overnight trip, at Green River Reservoir, trying a site which was new to us…tucked at the far end of an inlet, near no other sites; it was certainly a peaceful and quiet location, high above the water. Due to the ongoing crisis, I had to postpone my plans for solo canoe camping with Gryphon….hopefully, we’ll get to that later in the season.

Heading out in the morning, mist on the water….

Our day paddle trips have been very successful, trying a few new locations, and some of our old favorites. We now have succeeded in constructing a two-boat rack, so we can bring both the kayak and the solo canoe on one car. This will greatly increase our flexibility in choosing paddle spots.

And so, in keeping with my goal of making this a ”quick update” blog post, here is a brief summary of our day trips, as well as some solo canoe adventures I have had in NH…..

Belvidere Pond…first time paddling here, and we will definitely return. Loons, baby herons in a nest, large herons,and many other birds and wildlife (though the moose remained hidden this trip)

An evening on Wolcott Pond….. a quiet evening paddle, in the kayak and solo canoe….

Big Hosmer Pond We have paddled here before, and skijored here in the winter…the lake was the calmest we had ever seen it….

McDaniel’s Marsh  A new experience in paddling….a large marsh, shallow water, lots of aquatic foliage, but a spectacular setting, on a spectacular day!

Blush Hill Access to Waterbury Reservoir  We got there early, before any power boats hit the water…made for a lovely, foggy morning paddle!

Solo Paddling on Little Lake Sunapee, NH… Two days in a row, on the water before 6am! Beautiful!

More paddling, camping, and hiking will be happening this summer….right now, focus is on family, and maintaining peace and calm in very trying times…..keep safe everyone!

It is fortuitous that we had more canoeing than hiking planned for June….had we “believed in going hiking”, we would have been sorely disappointed this month. After a lovely, warm, dry month of May, June has arrived with massive amounts of rain. Nearly 7 inches have fallen in the first 3 weeks of the month, leaving trails sodden, muddy, dangerous, and in some cases closed. We have managed to utilize our local trail networks, at lower elevations, for occasional short, muddy, and buggy hikes. However, our sunrise summit hikes will have to wait until things are a bit drier….

Despite the frequent deluges, the paddling has been consistently fine….we have had quite a few day trips, including more practice with the solo canoe, and with the kayak. We now have the materials and hardware for our DIY double boat rooftop rack, but we just have to get around to actually constructing it!

Our “big” trip for June had a bit of a different tone to it…we have traditionally avoided river paddling, because, quite frankly, we do not enjoy paddling uphill, and the logistics of shuttling cars and boats, along with 2 dogs, has seemed a bit intimidating.  However, at our Friends of Waterbury Reservoir season opening event, I was chatting with Willem Lange–he suggested we look into the Connecticut River Paddlers Trail. So we did!

For our first exploration, we initially thought we could utilize a local outfitter, that runs a shuttle bus service along the river. However, after speaking with those folks, we learned that 1)they do not do transports until 0915 , well after the time we like to be paddling, and 2) they do not do mid-week shuttles, which is when we like to take advantage of more solitude while paddling. Hence, we used a bike shuttle system, which was easy because we were based at a VT state park, so my bike could stay at our site until we arrived at the take-out area at the park. As a plus, the return trip up the New Hampshire side of the river is a tourist-worthy trip along rolling farmlands, and scenic views of Ascutney Mountain. ( And, I found a roadside farm pie stand, “Magpies”, that makes the BEST strawberry rhubarb pie!)

Wilgus State Park is one of the smaller parks in Vermont…we reserved a lean-to, since car-camping is a luxury for us, and we decided to enjoy the extra room afforded my such accommodations. Located right on the Connecticut River, this park is a favorite among paddlers and fisherman. We found it very clean, orderly, and with a friendly staff. We did encounter one group that let their Golden Retriever run loose, in direct violation of park rules. In a very polite ( surprisingly!) manner, I did remind her that we had the great privilege to be allowed to take our dogs to the park, and if folks break the rules, we could lose that right…she had no answer.

And so we had a great time camping (despite some rain)…we managed to put in at a very steep and slippery launch site (one of us nearly slipped into the river), and we quietly paddled beneath the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, the longest covered bridge in the US. We briefly paddled over a gravel bar, but never actually bottomed out…our trip was only about 8 miles, and was a great introduction to paddling on this moving flat water, very wide river.  After a successful take-out, and a quick nap, we made a short, but steep hike up a pinnacle allowing us to overlook the river…and early the next morning, we crossed the river to paddle a lake that had been on our radar for a while. We are excited about returning to the river, once fall and its brilliant colors arrive!

https://vimeo.com/131042409

We’ve been giving the Ruffwear Float coat a good workout, with all this canoeing! Plans for this week include taking Griff for a swim while wearing the coat, and documenting this splashy adventure for the review I will write….

http://backcountryk9.com/ did publish a brief article I wrote for their adventure dog blog…it is a basic primer that shares some of the lessons we learned from introducing our dogs to canoeing. We are pleased that our dogs can hopefully encourage others to give K9 canoeing a try.

http://blog.backcountryk9.com/2015/06/a-beginners-guide-to-canoeing-with-your.html

Hmmm…14 more days in June..wonder how much more canoeing we can get in before July? Have a great summer of Safe and Fun paddling…that’s certainly our plan!

     Well, actually just loon wails…and tremelos, yodels, and hoots!

The many loons were extremely vocal, filling the air with their haunting calls, echoing around the 650 acre reservoir. Our vantage point? A peninsula campsite, surrounded nearly by water, with a great view of nearby islands and loon nesting areas. We were unsuccessful in getting good audio of their amazing evening symphony, but here is a taste of their early morning chorus….

https://vimeo.com/129618757

Our second favorite site at GRRSP… pretty nice for a second best!

We had made the reservations for this trip the Green River Reservoir State Park last winter, while we were blanketed with snow, and bitter cold persisted. This is one of our favorite camping spots…it is only 30 minute from our home, has only 30 campsites, and is a designated “quiet water lake”, meaning the peace and serenity are not disrupted by power boats.

This trip was a “family” trip. We were accompanied by my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law. Both are avid outdoors-women, and it is always fun when the can join us on an adventure. I will not disclose my mother-in-law’s age, but I can say, she is a proud member of the 90+ ski club….

Gram was willing to try out one of our Bending Branches bent shaft paddles….

Our weather was wonderful, the best day of the week…sunny and 75 degree temperatures, with light winds. We made camp, and after a dinner by the water’s edge,w e headed out for an evening paddle.

Now, our dogs have seen quite a variety of bird and animal life on our paddles, and they tend to be very interested, watch acutely, but rarely make any sound…we just will not tolerate their harassing of any wildlife. However, this time, we were harassed…by a very angry beaver, who thought we had paddled too close to his lodge. We were in a narrow channel, and certainly were not pursuing him, but when he started motoring near our boats, and splashing his tail, Edgar became quite frenetic. Thankfully, since Edgar is in the stern compartment, I was able to grab a hold of his collar/Quick Draw Leash, and keep him from climbing up onto the gunwales. I sincerely do not believe he would have jumped into the water, but it would have been an unsteady moment if he had been “free” in the boat! We have encountered beaver before, without this reaction…just something about that beaver’s look, I guess (perhaps he looked like a floating kitty-cat to Edgar!)

This guy was actually from a previous trip….but this one stayed cool and calm!

It was a cool, calm, and nearly full-moon night at the site…quiet except for the sounds of frogs, geese, and our loon neighbors…it is amazing how peaceful camping can be!

We managed to get out early the next morning , arriving at the take-out area just as a few sprinkles began to fall. We did manage to get a photo of “Team Vermont Paddle Pup” the only photo in existence of 3 people wearing our VPP shirts (because we own all 3 shirts, and this is the first time we paddled together in them!)

Earlier in the week, we had gone out to Wolcott Pond, so that we could give the new kayak a test run…I paddled my solo boat with Gryphon, while Edgar assumed a very alert forward position in the kayak. At first, the dogs seemed a bit bemused by seeing each other in a separate boat, but they soon each settled down, and seemed to enjoy the individual attention.

This trip was a great bird-watching expedition. A pair of loons, and a solitary loon were present, and as much as we tried to get away from the solitary loon, he kept popping up near our boats. He even photo-bombed a photo I was taking of Edgar in his kayak!

We also paddle by an American Bittern standing in the marshes …not a rare bird, but one which we have never seen before while paddling. Any doubts we may have had about his identification from visual cues was quickly dismissed, as we heard the distinctive sound of his call.

Our Wolcott Pond trip was a great success; we are now working on ways to adapt our roof rack to carry two boats! Being able to carry two boats, on one vehicle, will greatly increase our paddling options.

Between paddling activities, we got out for a few local hikes. There was a long holiday weekend, which tends to result in crowded trails, so we utilized some local “hidden gems” which do not get nearly the use of the well-known trails. Even though we are now fully embedded in paddling season, we still try to get the dogs out for hikes or climbs 3-4 times per week, to give them the additional physical activity.

We have a few more canoe camping trips upcoming, including a river trip, which will involve using a shuttle bus service. I am sure the dogs will do just dandy…they are always excited and eager to go, once they see us start gathering the gear!

Where are we going this week?

And now June arrives…with 3 days of temperatures topping out near 55 (f), rainy and windy weather conditions. But the good new is…we have a WINNER!

The winner of the Kurgo collapsa-bowl, and the Kurgo Mud Dog towel, is Mitch C. We thank Mitch,and all the other folks who checked out our blog, and left a comment!

How about we call it a celebration? A celebration of paddling season’s solid return? Or our acquisition of a new member of the fleet? Or a successful spur of the moment canoe camping trip? Or our first Bald Eagle sighting of the year ( while paddling)?

Whatever the reason, we’ve decided to share some of our winnings with our blog followers. Additional information on how to enter is at the end of this post.

Last weekend, on a lovely, cool, and sunny morning, we decided to head out to one of our favorite local paddling spots, Green River Reservoir. The park had not officially opened, so we had a 1/4 mile carry down to the launch site, proving once again that our canoe cart was one of our best investments.

Heading down to the launch site….

There were quite a few early season paddlers about, and everyone seemed in great spirits, happy to once again be taking advantage of this beautiful resource. We saw loons, from a distance…they were in a clearly marked loon nesting area, so we studiously avoided that part of the lake.

We checked out a few of our previous camping spots, excited to realize that in a few weeks we’ll be back here, tenting on one of the best spots in the park…making reservations in January is definitely worth it!

The dogs were relaxed, and demonstrated how much they really enjoy canoeing. We got a bit of a workout, though, as the winds picked up, and we began to see small whitecaps. We adjusted our course a bit, laughed as we rode the swells, and had a great time with some early season wind practice.

A very relaxed paddle pup….

So happy to be back in the canoe!

Gryphon was able to try out his new Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat, which we are testing this month, for http://backcountryk9.com/ He seems very comfortable in this life jacket, and I am very impressed with its workmanship. We will continue to test it out, including having Griff swim while wearing it…a review will follow in a few weeks.

On the way home, we stopped by our local outfitters, so that my husband could try out a used kayak. Due to his height, a standard single kayak does not have the leg room, or cockpit space suitable for he and Edgar to paddle comfortably. The solution was found, in a Necky Sky 2 tandem kayak, with the front seat moved back as far as possible, and the rear seat base left in for structural reasons only. They gave it a whirl on the pond behind the shop….Edgar had a great time, and seemed to love being the figurehead of the boat! So our fleet now consists of two canoes, and a kayak.

Edgar, looking ahead!

Last fall, we had scoped out a few remote camping sites on the Waterbury Reservoir, which seemed to be good possibilities for a quick overnight trip, on the spur of the moment. These sites do not require reservations, and are often filled up on weekends. However, we happened to have 2 midweek days available, it was still early season…so we decided to head out and camp out!

Our gear is organized in a gear room—we have a checklist we follow, so we were quickly able to gather our gear, load up, and go. We decided to attempt a launch from the Cotton Brook canoe access.

Unfortunately, this launch site suffers a bit from the vagaries of seasonal erosion, low water levels, paddle-choking invasive weeds, shallow mud flats, and unpleasant grime and slime on the water surface. .. but it is only 5 miles from our home, so if conditions are favorable, it is a convenient option. The parking area was unusually empty, and there was only one other paddler in the area, a fellow on an SUP, who we let head out before us.

Paddling conditions were sweet, the sun was shining, and though winds were variable, they did not hinder our progress. We arrived at our destination, a campsite on a piney bluff, 40 feet above a beach area. The dogs loved to get a chance to run along the beach.

At the campsite, we immediately realized that prior occupants did not follow the principles of Leave No Trace. We found garbage in the fire pit, shiny metal screws in the side of a large tree, and scraps of paper, plastic, and clothing left about. We did our part, cleaned it up ( and recorded the data on the Friends of Waterbury Reservoir Project Data Collection card)…we then had a great campsite, overlooking the water.

We were able to explore the rocky shoreline, finding a great swimming area for later in the season, when the water is a bit less cold. As we walked along the beach, a loon suddenly popped up, 25 feet off shore. We had seen a solitary loon as we paddled in, but that had been quite a ways north, so this was probably a different bird. Loons have faced challenges on this lake, since the water levels vary greatly, and their nests (and eggs) are especially vulnerable to water level fluctuations.

The weather stayed delightful, cool but not cold, and minimal invasion by bugs. Gryphon, as usual, could not wait to get into the tent! We had not brought his dog tent this trip, so I gave in, and permitted him to go inside the tent around 8pm. It was a great feeling to once again be sitting by a crackling fire, with the calm waters beyond…we saw no other people, and heard only barred owls, loons, and numerous chirping critters.

The next morning, we made a nice hot breakfast, and headed out on the calm early morning waters. We encountered a pair of loons; from a distance we could see them taking off and landing on the water—quite a sight! As we neared the channel back to the launch, the loons were hanging out on the starboard side of our boat…they seemed oblivious to us, and we kept our distance the best we could.

As we approached the launch, we observed the distinctive flight of a bald eagle, swooping over us, as he headed out to the river ( and his own breakfast). It was great to see an eagle once again!

So we head into the Memorial Day Weekend, wondering what our plans will be. We will seek to avoid the popular tourist areas, and hopefully head into some more isolated parts of Vermont, for paddling and hiking. Oh, and of course, we need to take that new kayak out for a spin!

GIVEAWAY!
We have been fortunate enough to reap the rewards of winning a few blog giveaways, so now it is our turn to share the wealth. This is our first giveaway, so we are limiting it to legal resident of the U.S., at least 18 years of age. Sincerest apologize to our friends in Canada, and we hope that our next giveaway will include you folks as well!
Our giveaway prize is a Kurgo Mud Dog Travel Towel, along with a Kurgo Collaps A Bowl (red).

To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post, telling us your favorite dog paddling location…if you don’t paddle with your dog (yet!), tell us where you might like to take your dog for an adventure. The winner will be selected at random, from comments made between 6pm EDT on May 22, 2015, and 6pm EDT on May 31, 2015.

Good Luck, look forward to hearing from you!

                     What a great way to start the paddling season! Edgar, stylin’ in his new Astral life jacket…..

What a quick transformation! One week ago, I was using microspikes to negotiate ice and snow while hiking up the Notch….today, we had our second canoeing journey of the year. Amazing what a week of 80 degree temperatures can do to bring on green grass, budding trees, and warming water temperatures. The microspikes have gone back to Kahtoola for “repair or replacement”…maybe I am optimistic, since we have been know to have snow in late May!

                              The snow was persistent this spring…especially at higher elevations….

The past few weeks have been busy ones for us…one of us ( not me) had knee arthroscopy, so our family long hikes have been a bit limited. However, each of the dogs has had quite a great few weeks of hiking with me, exploring all the new smells of spring, splashing in the water in the streams, and having the opportunity to try out some new lower elevation hikes .

               We actually began to see open water, and running water ( though still some ice in cold gorges)

We have been very antsy for paddling season to begin…the canoe flag was put out on the deck, a little dryland training took place, the canoes were spruced up and treated to get ready for the season, and we were excited to receive our new Astral gear from Get: Outdoors. We tried out the new MSR Pocket Rocket on a breakfast hike, and are pleased to report it was a great success, and we know it will be great for our canoe camping trips!

Recently, we participated once again in Vermont’s annual “Green Up Day”…Griff and I checked around those remote canoe camping sites on Waterbury Reservoir which can be accessed by land trail, and removed the trash that we found. Edgar did “Poo Crew” duty at Kirchner Woods, and was pleased to report that debris (and dog poo) was nearly nonexistent…maybe we can make a difference!

    Green Up Day 2015

Best best of all…and the most anticipated day of the year…the first time in 2015 that we dip the paddle in the water!

Gryphon and I took the new solo Wenonah out on Friday morning…80 degrees , calm winds, and bluebird skies…I knew this was the day for the maiden voyage. I managed to load the boat onto the car roof (by myself), and secure it to the racks. Once at the parking area, it was unloaded successfully, and placed on the canoe dolly, for the one-third mile carry to the water’s edge. All went well , except for one near land-capsizing when we encountered a small sinkhole, but generally, I was quite pleased.

                                              Gryphon was very anxious to hop right into the boat….

Griff remembered exactly what to do, and he happily went into the boat on command. I managed to push off, and off we went, startling a few mallards in the nearby marshes. The canoe handled beautifully! I experimented with both my Bending Branches bent-shaft paddle, as well as a double-bladed kayak paddle. Both paddles seem to have positive features, and I suspect for a while yet, I will continue to keep both paddles as an option…then I may make a decision as to my preference.

We had a lovely time, paddling around our familiar reservoir…which until recently, was ice and snow-covered. I am convinced that Griff and I ( and of course, Edgar,too) will have some great paddling trips, and camping expeditions, using this little canoe. Of course, now my husband is considering that maybe he should get a kayak, to allow him to solo boat with Edgar.
Saturday was also predicted to be warm, so we decided to take a short trip to Wolcott Pond, a small quiet pond which seemed the perfect place to make our first tandem foray of the season. As we drove towards the launch site, we could see that it had recently rained…and we could see falling rain off in the distance. The wind was heading right down the lake, kicking up some small waves.…nothing terrible ,but this was our first trip of the year, and we wanted it to be a smooth one. We decided to head out, and are we ever glad we did! The rain showers moved away, the sun came out, and the wind dropped to negligible force….

It was a great first paddle of the year. The dogs behaved like the seasoned pros they are, the paddling was smooth and easy, and we had the lake to ourselves. We saw quite a few ducks, some geese, a raven..and off in the distance, some curious splashing in the water. We suspected it may be beavers, but as we paddled around the east side of the lake, we saw a beautiful pair of loons, our first sightings of the year. A third loon was also seen, but we do not know if he is solitary, or we just did not see his mate. It was great to see out paddling companions once again!

I think I see a loon…..

We are now in full “where can we paddle next?” mode…anticipating trying out lots of new paddling locations this year, and having more great canoe camping adventures. We’ll be getting more gear from Backcountryk9.com to test and review…in addition, a basic primer on Paddling with Your Dogs that I wrote for the Backcountry k-9 blog should be released soon.

So we close today’s blog entry with a portion of the prayer of St. Brendan, patron saint of canoeists….for us, in our little canoes on little waters, as well as for others, who may be engaged in greater challenges on the water.

Shall I take my tiny boat across the wide sparkling ocean?

                                    O King of the Glorious Heaven, shall I go of my own choice upon the sea?

                                                            O Christ, will You help me on the wild waves?

We’ve seen open water…we’ve seen the geese and eagles return….we’ve been to the PaddleSports Show and picked up some new gear…we are ready for paddle season to begin!

As the prediction for a rainy, windy, and ( yes!) snowy/freezing mix week ahead discourages us a bit, we know that we will be back on the water in about a month. We follow the “120 degree rule”, taught by the American Canoeing Association, which indicates that until the combination air and water temperatures reach 120 degrees, a dry suit (or wet suit)is recommended. We do not have such suits (although a company named Mythic Gear makes “affordable” dry suits), and even if we were to get such protective attire, no such protection would be available for the dogs…and keeping them safe is a primary concern.

Some recent hikes show that it may be a while before we reach that magic number….

Snowy hikes which took place between April 6 and April 15th….

But we also see signs of improvement, as well….

We even have a successful recovery of the last of 3 booties lost in the deep snow….this one off the trail, on a very overgrown, puckerbrush field!

Yes, that is a grey fleece bootie in the field, just waiting for Griff to find it!

At the PaddleSports show in NH, we checked out lots of nice gear. We saw the type of Astral PFDs that we won in the Get Outdoors photo contest ( though they have yet to arrive). I picked up a paddle leash, for use with my new double-bladed paddle…don’t want to lose a paddle when canoeing alone with Griff! We also examined the Sea to Summit XPot , and decided that really needs to become a member of our camping kitchen collection. It will be a nice addition to a wonderful supply of kitchen gear we won from the nice folks at It’s More Fun Outdoors blog. We now even have a bear canister, which will be helpful on our return trip to Aziscoos this summer, and on our expeditions in the Adirondacks.

We made a trip to the PaddleSports show a weekend mini-vacation, and included an overnight stay near the ocean. We had lobster and clams while overlooking the water, splashed in beautiful waves, and took tourist photos by the lighthouses….the dogs travel quite well, and it is great to have a change of scenery.

Our local Friends of Waterbury Reservoir group had a great turnout at their first large-scale fundraiser. Noted storyteller and adventurer Willem Lange presented a tale of canoeing in the Canadian Arctic…an amazing experience, I am sure, but one which we will enjoy only vicariously!

“The Best Worst Canoe Trip I Ever Was On”

It was exciting to see so many folks excited about paddling and camping on the reservoir, and expressing interest in volunteering to help preserve this great local resource.

We had another win last week, one which was particularly nice, because we are not the recipients of the prize. An outfit called Trail Mutt, which produces portable dog waste disposal containers ( i.e. poop bags and carriers) selected us to make a $100.00 donation to a local dog-related charity. We selected Justice for Dogs…this local rescue group finds homes for “impossible to place” dogs.

Please check out the review we did recently for backcountryk9.com, which is a separate page on our blog. We will be using the Ruffwear Quick Draw Leash on our canoeing trips this year, and it seems to be a great addition to our canoeing dog gear.

https://trailsnailmud.wordpress.com/ruufwear-quick-draw-leash-check-it-out/

So it is almost time to put the canoeing flag out on the deck…but we’ll wait until next week, when the weather is more promising. The snowshoes, skis, and kicksleds have been put away…. I know that someone is especially anxious to get back on the water, and try out his new boat!

Happy Spring…Think warm thoughts, and paddle smart, and paddle safe !

We have had a few days of weather that definitely made us want to whistle….after a long and often brutal winter, we can actually see the possibility of spring’s arrival. We are at the tail end of winter, entering Vermont’s infamous “mud season”, when roads become impassible, maple sap is boiling, and wool hats and goggles are replaced with ball caps and sunglasses.

Bright sun and LOTS of snow in Sterling Valley

No more sugaring in these woods!

Our hikes in the past few weeks have necessitated our treading on mud, sheer ice, slush, deep snow, and a mixture of all those elements. Snowshoes are carried for use when the hard crust snow softens into a deep mashed potato like consistency….Our microspikes are invaluable, and have permitted us to continue hiking on some very “iffy” trail conditions.

Where it is not deep snow, it is grey ice and frozen ground…

We probably have had our last skijoring expedition…warmer temperatures result in its being too hot for the dogs to comfortably and safely engage in such strenuous activity. Also, the trails we use have thawed and frozen, or melted into mushy mud! I believe March 26 will mark the end of pulling season….

Pure grey ice on the trails , but the fields were soft ( but not TOO soft)

Ice formations, highlighted by spring’s bright sunshine, also makes for some encouraging hikes…we even saw a bit of grass, and some open water! We visited some trails we had not yet hiked this winter, and some of our paddling locations, looking for some great days to finish up the winter season.

At one of the popular remote sites on the reservoir….

Hiking to Elephant Rock….

It will be a while before we put ashore here for a nice picnic breakfast!

As much as we have enjoyed our winter activities, the prospect of paddling in 6 weeks has a revitalizing effect…we are making more plans for summer expeditions, taking gear inventory, putting VPP logo stickers on the new boat, waiting for the Swift’s new yoke, and enjoying the Northern Forest Canoe Trail Guidebook which we recently won from the “It’s More Fun Outdoors” facebook page and blog. We enjoy making connections through social media. It is always nice to win prizes, but it is also great fun to exchange information and share experiences with others who have similar interests. Over the past year or so, I have become acquainted with Celine and Gerry, aka #mywildcanada, @CanadianVoyage , or mywildcanada.com. These amazing folks, and their little dog Pom, are paddling across Canada in a canoe this spring and summer. In fact, it was a photo, on facebook, of their Swift canoe, which looks very much likes ours, that first alerted me to their lofty project. Check them out…I cannot imagine paddling 5000 km, with over 90 portages! We hope to meet up with them as they conclude their journey, near Montreal. We are looking forward to the upcoming presentation at the Friends of Waterbury Reservoir spring meeting. Here is a photo of the basket of dog goodies we are donating to the raffle…we love winning stuff, but also enjoy the opportunity to share our good fortune with groups that need our support. We also will be attending the New England Paddlesports Show this month…great fun, and the dogs will get to once again play “beach dogs” on the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. Swift Canoe does not attend this event…but Wenonah does; maybe I can get some Wenonah shwag from them! It has been fun to test out the cool gear we received from backcountryk9.com. Our most recent gear review, for the Ruffwear Bivy Bowl, is posted on this blog, and you can access it here. https://trailsnailmud.wordpress.com/another-great-gear-review-ruffwear-bivy-pet-bowl/  Our next reviewed item is a clever device that meets a niche need while we canoe with the dogs…stay tuned, it should be posted on our blog in a few weeks. Yes, I think the dogs are also ready for paddling season. While sitting in the sun, on a 60 degree (Yippee!) sunny afternoon , Griff came over and rested his head on the NFCT book. “Okay, Mom, enough reading about it. Let’s get going!”

Well, I suspect this past winter has delusions of immortality…because it seems as though it will never die! As I prepare to head out for yet another hike with a wind chill reading below zero ( yes, this is late March in Vermont), I can at least feel that Paddling Season is on the horizon…

I picked up a new member of the VPP family last week. After searching Craigslist and paddling.net on a daily basis for the past 5 months, I finally found a suitable solo canoe for sale. And it was located only 2 hours from here!

Well, she’s on water…except it is still a bit frozen!

We are now the proud owners of a Wenonah Fusion solo boat…one of the last of the Royalex models. It will be great fun to experiment with this boat, and hopefully, Griff and I can have some great adventures. Of course, Edgar will also get his turn, too! I have been looking at paddle options, and in addition to our straight and bent-shaft paddles, I will pick up a kayak style paddle for use with this canoe. It is so encouraging to be ordering paddling gear!

The Swift is off to the canoe shop, for a yoke replacement…a bit of rot was evident when we bought the boat, and now we feel it is time to replace the yoke, to retain the structural integrity of the canoe. Wow, twice in a week I had to tie down a boat on the roof…maybe spring really is here.

But back to winter activities….

One of our local trail networks has been logged over the winter, inhibiting our use of those trails. Well, now the big trucks and skidders are gone, so a whole new section of sledding and skijoring trails has re-opened for us. With all the snow we have, and with the temperatures not getting too warm, we should be able to have fun here for a few weeks.

I took Edgar out for a solo sledding jaunt, and he had a blast! He really has improved on his ability to run straight, and on-trail…I finally made him turn around, when the snow got a bit soft and sloggy for him. He has also had a bit more skijoring…while I was playing in an ice hockey tournament weekend, Edgar and his “dad” went out for a nice long skijor, up and down the hills of Ryder Brook. Griff and I went out there to have a ski, but the trails were solid frozen crust, and windblown with “styrofoam” snow…so we snowshoed, instead!

There is still a whole lot of snow in our area…..

A few days later, we took the “team” back out…firmer snow, and slightly cooler temperatures, made for a nice run for both dogs. Gryphon actually kept up with Edgar , and certainly got his exercise for the day.

Hiking has been very interesting lately…we had a brief thaw/freeze cycle, resulting in some frozen crust, very slick trails, and those dreaded frozen post-holes. Unfortunately, my trusty Microspikes had one chain link rip out of the eyelet. This time of year, and until late April, trail traction is essential for safe hiking in Vermont. They are warrantied by Kahtoola, and I hope to hear from the company soon about a replacement pair. In the meantime, some coated wire has worked to hold the spikes in place.

The cold has also necessitated a return to the booties! The dogs really thought our short span of above 20 degree temperatures signaled the end…but no, lately we have hiked a lot in very cold temperatures, and the booties are essential.

Actually had temps in the 20’s….nice to not need booties!

Cold…booties necessary!

Edgar…practicing his canoe entry!

We headed to NH, on a bitterly cold and windy Sunday, for a family visit…enroute, we stopped at a small trail network where we had never hiked. We found the trailhead, and after a short, crunchy,crusty,post-hole laden trail, we came to a small steep pitch in the heavier woods. The trail was glazed ice, with breakable crust on the sides, where we could guide the dogs. Our trail traction allowed us to negotiate the icy climb, and we were rewarded with a lovely view.

Winds blowing 30-40 mph made for a chilly, but enjoyable stay at the overlook.

Encouraged by our success in the wind at the Ledges trail, Griff and I headed out the next morning to hike up into Smugglers’ Notch…again, extremely gust winds, wind-chill well below zero…but how can you not hike on a beautiful bluebird sky day?

What a sky!

Our recent activities have provided us with the opportunity to try out some of the gear we are reviewing for http://backcountryk9.com/  Check out our first review, of the OllyDog OllyBottle https://trailsnailmud.wordpress.com/insightful-informative-intelligent-gear-reviews/

So, lots of excitement coming up…the Paddlesports show in a few weeks, more gear to use and review, new paddle gear arriving, Game of Thrones in 20 days, WooHoo! As much as we love the snow, and winter fun…we are ready to move on to spring.

As the Irish Blessing indicates, we all love the feel of the warm sun on our faces…our days of sun have begun to appear with greater frequency, and we’ve even had some warmth! Maybe we’ll have a super warm and sunny St. Patrick’s day hike! We started off the month of March with a 3-day trip to Rangeley Maine. Thankfully, the temperatures ranged from 2 below to 25 above…quite an improvement over last winter. Here is a short video journal of that trip…. https://vimeo.com/121455187 Back home, we continue to feel that cold, and very windy can be nice…if there is a shining sun. On such days, we visit one of our favorite paddling locations, and do an data collection hike, for our Poo Crew duties, at our local trail network.

At Waterbury Reservoir….beautiful, and cold. Unfortunately, lots of dog hikers did not follow LNT principles on the trails!

Edgar will definitely miss the snow when it is gone!

But the snow will be here for a while…still 3 feet or more in Kirchner Woods!

As the temperatures rise, the plentiful snow cover begins to soften, and we check out a few potential skijor locations….We head to Cricket Hill Trails, a local network of trails open for XC skiing and snowshoeing. Hurrah, dogs must be on a leash here! ( But of course, the only other dog we see is free range….) The snow is fine, but the trails are hilly and wooded, so we opt to use our Tubbs.

Fun times!

Great views on the upper field….

We finally get out to the NEK trails we had tried to visit earlier in the year, but never did, due to sub-zero temperatures. We knew there were suitable XC trails for skijoring, but since we had never been there before, and since there is a 1/2 mile climb up to the trails, we decided snowshoeing was the better option.

Heading up towards Mt. Hor and Bartlett Mt. That is Mt. Pisgah in the background. There were lots of (crazy!) ice climbers way up on the icy cliffs

We had a great climb up to the summit loop, with some trail breaking…mild temperatures, and though the sun was not shining, it was a very nice workout. We will certainly return, and attempt some skijoring on the various loops.

This week, the thermometer actually climbed above 40(f) for the first time in over 3 months….it felt delightful and encouraged us to get out and play, soaking in the first real sensations of spring…. Griff and I climbed up Elmore Mt, which we climb often in the summer ( always at sunrise, to avoid the crowds!) Microspike clumping was noted, as the temperature was in that narrow range that results in very sticky, glue-like snow…on the return down, the snow had softened up, and I was able to continue to use the spikes for the descent. Though I carried my trusty snowshoes on my pack, I never had to rely on them.

Of course, I never noticed the smudge on the camera lens…it was not bluebird skies, but the sun was shining bright, so it was a great hike!

It was warm, so frequent water breaks were essential. Griff tried out his new OllyBottle for the first time ( so far so good!)…we’ll be reviewing it after we use it a bit more….

And our news of the week…Edgar won the dog paddling photo contest! Thank you so much, https://www.facebook.com/GETOUTDOORSNC. The judges obviously saw the spontaneous joy and humor in his photo…he is not great at posing for photos, but sometimes we get lucky, and catch his goofy personality! He will no longer have to use a hand – me – down doggy PFD, but will have his own sparklin’ new Astral jacket!  We have also just received our first batch of dog gear to use ( Thank you Backcountry K-9 ! ), and review. It will be fun to try new gear with Griff, and Edgar may also get to share as well. First reviews will be forthcoming in next blog post. And now we look forward to colder temperatures, and more snow over the weekend…our deck is clear for the first time in months, but we still have a ton of snow in the woods…lots of time for more snowy adventures!