The year comes to a close…we’re preparing to go out this afternoon and pre-hike a wooded trail where we are leading a “First Day” hike tomorrow, for the Vermont State Parks. Yes, we will be snowshoeing! A late season mini-storm brought us 6-8 inches of snow, and we are taking full advantage. It is our final outdoor activity of 2015, so we look back at what has happened in the previous 365 days.

I am definitely not a “statistics” person…numbers, mathematics, and calculations have never been my forte. I am happy to leave the practice of those skills to my spouse and children.

However, recently wordpress and facebook provided me with statistical information about how our pages and blogs are “performing”. I do not participate in social media or outdoor activity in order to “bag stats”, but it is interesting to take note of some of the information. So here is a compilation, by the numbers, of our year 2015….each numerical entry reflects our love for the outdoors, and for participating in safe, fun, and responsible dog adventures!

Days paddling with the dogs: 28 tandem canoe, 60 in solo canoe boat, and 24 in kayak.

Bodies of water we paddled: 19 different ponds, lakes, and rivers

Number of boats in our fleet: we now have 4 boats!

Nights camping: 14 (remember, we had to cancel 2 weeks of canoe camping, or our number would be higher)

Days hiking with the dogs: 201 (including snowshoeing) Days hiking without dogs: 1

Days bikejor,skijor,kicksled : 26

Days bicycling ( road and mountain): 162 Yes, I do have recreational interests that do not involve dogs!

Trailspace.com: Increased status to a top 10 reviewer, and was selected as reviewer of the month!

Tubbs Snowshoes : Selected as Ambassador, so now we have SEVEN pairs ofTubbs snowshoes, and had 3 blog posts published

Backcountryk9.com : Brand Ambassador, Published 6 reviews, and received a lot of great gear!

Number of new facebook pages we manage: One– Snowshoeing with your Dog!

Instagram: A brand new endeavor for us….we have 15 postings, an increasing number of followers, and we will be more productive in 2016! ( find us at dogsaboard)

Vermont Paddle Pups Blog: 27% increase in views; visitors from 43 different countries; 21 blog posts  and we now have a domain vermontpaddlepups.com!

@VTPaddlePups on twitter : we have nearly doubled our followers! We participate in 4-5 different twitter chats, targeting at least 2 per week.

Vimeo: In 2015, we posted 8 video compilations on vimeo.

And it continues to be great fun! We love sharing with our friends and family….We hope you enjoy our tales of our adventures, our misadventures, and the amazing ability of our dogs to keep us entertained in the outdoors. Here’s a toast, to 2016…a year of health, happiness, and great outdoor accomplishments!

We approach the end of December, with record-breaking warm temperatures, very dark sky, and grounds saturated by rain….We have yet to get out on our Tubbs Snowshoes, on our skis, or on the kicksled. A little bikejoring, and some hikes in a few inches of snow have hinted at the arrival of winter…but no, we remain in the midst of an unseasonable warm spell.

We know that winter WILL arrive, and we will have at least 3 months of winter fun….but when?  We have had 2 cabin camping trips, neither of which had much snow in evidence..we decided to not schedule such a trip for January, but do have plans to return to the cabin in February. Please let there be snow!

So we offer you a short video compilation of our December…lots of grey and brown, with a sprinkling of white stuff!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

https://vimeo.com/150026725

Well, wind and rain is the weather that welcomes us to December. November is over…a month of unusual weather, which included late season canoeing and kayaking, and early season snowy hikes. The evenings get dark very early, and the mornings are cold and gloomy….we await the arrival of the first actual snowfall with enthusiasm, anxious to get out on our Tubbs snowshoes, and get the winter season activities into full swing.

I have written two blog posts for the Tubbs Snowshoes blog, and have enjoyed reading posts and articles written by other ambassadors. Here are the links to those postings, and I hope you enjoy them. Please check out the Tubbs facebook page and the Tubbs blog..there is always tons of good information, and some wonderful photos.

http://news.tubbssnowshoes.com/2015/11/15/snowshoe-treks-of-course-my-dog-is-with-me/

http://news.tubbssnowshoes.com/2015/11/13/journaling-your-journeys/

While we await snowshoeing and ski season, we keep busy with lots of hiking…sometimes requiring trail traction, other times just careful stepping amidst slippery leaves and rocks. We discover some new trails that will be great for snowshoeing and skijoring, and re-visit some old favorites. So not a lot of written material here, just a few representative photos….

A kettle hole at a local trail….

Out for a sunset/moonrise hike

A very windy morning on the icy Pinnacle

An artificial winter hike,since snow guns made the  snow up on the  mountain

A Thanksgiving hike to a remote canoe camping site…accessed from a woods trail

A bit of winter, but not much snow, on Elmore Mountain

In mid-November, we headed out to a remote cabin, owned by the Green Mountain Club. The Wheeler Pond camps are two rustic, off the grid cabins, located on a pond , surrounded by a multitude of hiking opportunities. My husband and I both participated in winter tent camping in our younger days, and really have no desire to resume that level of challenge! However, we have really come to enjoy our camping expeditions, so decided to give “cabin camping” a try. Though it was a chilly evening, the wood stove in the cabin kept us toasty warm!  It certainly was bit more luxurious than tenting….the dogs had lots of room, and seemed to really have a great time. Our plans had been to get some early season snowshoeing in, but with no snow on the ground, we stuck to hiking….lots of options, including trails right around the pond, and up the nearby mountains.  We will be returning to the camp in a few weeks, and we hope that we will get a chance to snowshoe some of the trails!

It is really nice of the GMC to provide firewood for the camps…there is only a short gear haul from the parking area to the cabins, so we can carry the gear, water,and food, or use our pulk if there is snow on the ground.

The cabin, from across the pond…it will be all iced over the next time we camp here.

We are also awaiting some new gear from http://backcountryk9.com/ …I know what is coming ( surprise!), and am really excited for the chance to give it a try-out! I anticipate that a review will be written about a month after I receive the gear, and it will of course, be posted here.

Happy Trails to all…may they be snow-covered, not icy, and enticing for all your outdoor activities. The holiday season,and all its associated chaos is arriving soon…Remember, peace can be found in the woods and  mountains.

Just a hint….

Well, witchery, sorcery, or just plain strangeness can describe the weather the past few weeks. We have had rain, a bit of snow, high winds, lots of overcast, and actually a bit of warmth and sun. With the days becoming so much shorter, for activity purposes, we have tried to take advantage of whatever Mother Nature has thrown at us.

We hiked the Toll Road, in remnants of foliage, and a drizzly sky….

I had Gryphon walk across the new bridge for the Long Trail crossing over the Winooski River…the footing was definitely a bit different for him, but he actually showed no hesitation….

I explored an area of conserved land, administered by one of the local colleges. It is quite remote, and it was fun to explore the trails, cabins, and Ritterbush Pond ( we had hiked the other side of this area, when we hiked to Devil’s Gulch). We noted some ice coating the small ponds, where the sun had yet to peak through the trees. I know we will return here for some fine snowshoeing.

Both dogs have had the opportunity to explore our local trails…much more peaceful now, since most tourists have departed for points south. We’ve been up the toll road a few more times, since it is a nice hike when the real trails are very wet and slick. The last time we went up, and we reached the Mountain Chapel, the winds were gusting up to 70 mph…at that point we decided we had gone far enough! We’ve also been out to our network of trails where , as members of the “Poo Crew”, we will once again monitor folks’ compliance with Leave No Trace principles.

At the stone chapel on the Toll Road

A hike for Edgar’s 4th Birthday!

We spent Halloween Day hiking a small section of the Appalachian Trail in NH….it was fun to get up to the South Peak of Moose Mountain, where we could overlook some of our previous paddling destinations. We were also scouting this trail for snowshoeing potential…I think it will be a great winter trail!

On a particularly cool, dreary morning, we took the dogs out for some bikejoring. This was Edgar’s first run of the season, and he did a remarkable job!

Leaping over the cable gate, to get into the access road area…for bikejoring!

Amongst all this hiking, we had a very unusual interlude…record high temperatures ( up to 70 degrees) in early November, and water temperatures still in the low 50’s, meant that we were able to take the boats out, for another “last paddle”

It was absolutely amazing, to be paddling in November, in short sleeves, on mirror-glass water…and no one else on the 800 acres of the reservoir. We spent a few hours on the water, stopped to let the dogs run around on the closed state park beach…and were really hesitant to actually take out. It was so nice, I actually took Gryphon back out the next day…and our day was equally as pleasant. I was truly sad when I paddled to the shore for the last (definitely, now) time in 2015.

We headed out last weekend to hike Mt. Elmore, one of my “regular” destinations, but one which must be avoided during crowded times. We hit the trail just before 8am, and though we were prepared for some snow or ice on the trails, we actually had pretty smooth sailing. We encountered only 2 other hikers, until we were just about back at the trailhead. By that time, many folks were taking advantage of the cool, sunny day, to head up and take in the views. Most of the dogs we ran into had pretty good trail manners. However, one young black dog ( off leash, of course), ran right up to Griff, around his legs, under his legs, and between me and Griff as I held onto his harness. The owner, 50-75 yards away, obviously had no control over the dog. I finally had to push the dog away with the grip end of my trekking pole, and firmly tell it “go home!”, and “get off the couch”….someone told me once that if a dog chases you on a bike, that latter command often gets the dogs attention! I kept my cool, and said nothing to the owner. The dog is not the one responsible for his poor trail etiquette, and I think the owner got the message.

Edgar is NOT the black dog that harassed Griff!

So we are anxiously awaiting some real snow! I received some amazing gear from Tubbs Snowshoes , as part of my position as a Tubbs Ambassador. I have also submitted a few blog entries, and when those entries are published on the Tubbs site, I will share the links here. I also have set up a facebook page called “Snowshoeing with Your Dog” found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/154720891546730/ since no such page existed previously. Since so many of the folks from the hiking dog facebook groups also snowshoe, I thought it might be fun to share our winter-specific photos and tales .

Be sure to check out the Tubbs facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TubbsSnowshoes…there is a remarkable group of Ambassadors, from all over North America. Great articles, photos, and stories are being posted by this Ambassador team.

Though we are anxious to get out on the snowshoes, the snow has just not yet arrived in sufficient quantity…however, this weekend, we did get a few inches of snow, and high winds, up in Smugglers Notch. The road will probably open again for traffic, before closing for the season, since we are getting warmer weather in the upcoming week. But it was great fun to spend the day hiking up the icy trails, with blowing winds and snow, and the MicroSpikes providing the required traction. Soon enough, the trails will be solid white, and our paddle pups can once again become powder pups!

So our blog has officially transitioned into winter activities….we have some upcoming “camping” in remote off-the-grid cabins, hopefully providing a chance to give our snowshoes a good back-country test. Once Ryder Book has enough snow to groom some trails, we’ll be out skijoring and kicksledding. We are actually looking forward to winter….we’ll be actively enjoying our great natural area, and sharing some of our exploits. Ta på snø!  (Bring on the snow!)

Paddling season has apparently ended.
We are sad.

But what a year we had! The following video has one photo from each of our days on the water ( except for the final 2 days!)

https://vimeo.com/142543694

Today’s paddling was in whitecaps and wind, on the cusp of unsafe cold/air combined temperatures, and we had ice sheets falling from beneath the canoe decking….but it was sunny, and we enjoyed our final paddling of 2015. Now we will prep the canoes and kayaks for winter storage

We can look back and say that it was a very successful spring, summer, and fall on the water. Despite dealing with a family crisis in the early summer which resulted in two weeks of canoe camping being cancelled, we did have a long and successful season.
• We paddled rivers and lakes that we had not previously explored, and tried some new camping spots.
• We added a solo boat and a kayak to our fleet.
• I went on 5 solo canoe camping trips with Gryphon.
• We, and the dogs, stayed safe and happy through the season.
• We won a bit more gear, and got to test some nice dog equipment as backcountryk9.com ambassadors.
According to our canoeing log, we had 28 trips in the Swift canoe, 58 +/- trips in the solo Wenonah, and 22 in the kayak(s). Quite a bit of time on the water…and we also had time for some some pretty fine hiking as well.

October 24, 2015…at Waterbury Reservoir

And as the paddling season concludes, we initiate our first annual awards for the season…..to recognize those folks who impressed us with their caring, concern, or assistance, and then, well, the other folks.

The folks who earned the “Golden Paddle” award are:
• Campers who left behind clean fire rings, and their unused firewood, too!
• The nice couple at Osmore, who shared some nice paddling destinations, and also helped me find my campsite
• The paddlers who offered to help me get my boat off the roof of the car…though I have a nice system for getting off unassisted, I always appreciate a helping hand
• The Lake Hosts, who spent countless unpaid hours at boat launches, helping prevent the spread of invasive species

And now for the “Pond Scum” award, for those whose ethics and etiquette are a bit lacking:
• Mr. Red Kayak, who , against park rules, let his unleashed dog run through our remote campsite ( while we were eating dinner), as he paddled 100 feet off–shore….and, he was offended and made rude comments when I suggested he follow the rules, and get his dog out of our site!
• The Midnight Troubadours…the high school students, and their adult chaperones at an adjacent state park site, who sang and partied the night away, pulling out a guitar at midnight, despite our pleas for peace!
• The power boaters at Waterbury Reservoir, who blatantly ignored, and violated, the no-wake zone at the quiet end of the water.

We are certainly not angels, but we do try to follow Leave No Trace principles, and attempt to follow regulations, especially where dogs are involved…failure to follow state park rules regarding dogs could lead to the loss of the privilege of camping with our dogs. Respect…the key word. If we respect other campers, hikers, or paddlers, then the outdoor experience will be more rewarding for all of us.
So as the temperature begins to drop, and snow begins to fall (sporadically at this point), we transition to our winter activities. Late October and November is our time to get the dogs in shape for winter activities, with lots of vigorous hiking, and some dryland training, such as bikejoring.

Cooler temperatures = good bikejor weather!

We actually had a small snowfall recently, and I was able to get Gryphon up to the Toll Road, where my MicroSpikes were essential, on some icy portions of the trail. It was kind of fun to get back out on snow…even though within 2 days the snow was gone, and we were back on the water for canoeing fun.

Loving the cool of snow on his paws….

The colorful foliage is all but gone!

rough waters, but a solid and stable boat!

End of the season…..

This winter will have us continuing to expand our snowshoeing activities…more trails, tougher and longer trails, and some winter camping ( in cabins) trips. Best of all, WooHoo! I have been selected as a Tubbs Snowshoe Ambassador for 2015-16 . I am quite honored and humbled to have been selected to join this great group of outdoors folks. As an ambassador, I will share our experiences on the snow on the Tubbs blog and facebook page, as we use our new Tubbs Snowshoes to explore trails around the Northeast. We certainly have come to love snowshoeing, and the access it provides to beautiful parts of our country….it will be fun to share and promote this passion. You can check out more on the Tubbs web site!   http://tubbssnowshoes.com/programs/ambassadors

The upcoming “stick season” will have us excitedly preparing for winter…here’s hoping for lots of snow, cold enough ( but not TOO cold) temperatures, and many sunny bluebird sky days!

Autumn has come in at a snail’s pace….predominantly warm days, little rain, and green leaves staying well beyond their average expiration date. The past week has finally brought on the explosion of colors that draws tourists by the droves to our section of Vermont…and fortunately, we have been able to get out and enjoy this late, but welcome, arrival of autumn.

September ended, with only minimal fall color visible….hiking in the woods, and early paddling on Waterbury Reservoir gave hints of color to come, but here was still quite a bit of green.

The final September weekend had amazing weather…sunny, warm, light winds…and where were we? Well, for most of the weekend, we were dealing with family estate stuff…crawling in and out of a U-Haul truck, banging shins against trailer hitches, straining muscles moving furniture into storage lockers—you get the picture!  Somehow, we managed to dredge up enough energy on Sunday afternoon to get out for an easy paddle on Wolcott Pond, and we really enjoyed the peace and quiet!

Our day was not over, though…as we could not ignore the forecast for clear skies , on the night of the “Super Moon” and Lunar Eclipse. We packed up warm clothes, the fixin’s for warm beverages, and headed off the the local day use state park.

We saw quite a few paddlers on the water, even though it was dark, but they all headed in to shore after the full moon rose…we hung around, at the top of a hill, and saw the impressive lunar eclipse. My point and shoot camera cannot think to compete with professional style cameras, but we did have fun trying to get the heavenly event on camera…though we had more luck with grounded photos.

Waiting for the eclipse ( or waiting to go home to a warm bed!)

As the full moon rose, the foggy mist on the beach was amazing….

After the hectic weekend, I thought that an overnight camping trip to Green River Reservoir would be in order….but Mother Nature had other ideas. The forecast for mid week was lots of ( much needed) rain, so I opted for a day paddle out to Picnic Island on the reservoir.

I see some fall foliage!

Some reds showing up!

After our day canoeing trip, we did get a few days of heavy rain….good time to prepare all our gear,and do the shopping for our annual fall canoeing,camping, and Sled Dog Trade Fair trip !

Before we headed out for that weekend adventure, I did take Griff up Mt. Elmore again…we hike this small peak year-round, and I hoped that we could get some nice foliage views. Well, we were nearly blown off the observation rocks by heavy winds, and the summit was socked in. I had packed my vest, hat, and gloves…so I was able to put on an extra layer top keep warm long enough to take a few photos.

On each of the previous 5 years, our big fall trip has run into rainy weather conditions…this year, we had great weather ( though it was a bit cold on Friday night, and windy on Saturday). We had a great quiet camping experience at one of our favorite state parks, Wilgus State Park, right on the Connecticut River.

Sunrise on the river…..

We attended the Northern New England Sled Dog Trade Fair, where our dogs got to socialize with real sled dogs…and where we got to chat with many great,and friendly , mushers from around the area. We had hoped to pick up a new harness for Edgar, from the helpful folks at Northern Exposure Outfitters, but they were out of his size! He will just have to put up with his grubby old one, until we can place an internet order.

We heard a great presentation from Dr. Jerry Vanek, a sled dog vet,with an impressive resume of experience. He was a witty, funny, and very engaging speaker, who presented fascinating information about orthopedic injuries to dogs. I would certainly attend any presentations offered by this guy!

After the morning at the fair, we decide to skip the river paddle, due to conditions, and headed out to Kezar Lake for a brief, windy and cool, paddling trip. This lake had become one of our favorite go-to spots this past summer, and it was nice to get out on its water one more time this season. We saw the loons hanging around,and an osprey up in the trees…but no eagle this trip.  There was a bit of foliage at the northern marsh…and it was cool enough that I wore my hand-knit Voyageur toque.

Sunday morning dawned with a bit warmer temps ( low 40’s),and clear skies, with calm winds….so off we went to put in at the Cornish NH boat launch, to paddle the 7-8 miles down to the take-out at the state park. The most exciting and dangerous part of the trip? The launch site! The access to the water is moderately steep,and about 25 feet long…and it is covered in slick mud (think Crisco), that makes it nearly impossible to walk on. In June,my husband went flying, and nearly fell into the river. This time, I said I would lead bow end of the boat down…and promptly lost all footing, could not go up or down, and was “stuck” on my knees, grasping onto the boat for security. I managed to crawl over to a drainage ditch, which afforded the only possible footing. It was actually pretty funny, and I carried quite a bit of the shoreline with me on the trip!

My skids marks on the mud…..

After our thrilling launch, we had a lovely paddle down the river…a but of foliage, some shallow waters over gravel bars ( but no striking bottom this trip…though we did thump over one rock), a bit of class .5 whitewater ( basically , moving flat water),and two very well behaved dogs. Gryphon did spy a kitty on the shore….since Edgar places cats in the same category as beavers, I quickly shielded his eyes, and turned his head away. The many ducks and geese were interesting to the dogs, but they also enjoyed the chance to snooze as we rolled down the river.

Let sleeping dogs lie…..

It was a great weekend, full of activity and fun for all of us. We know that canoeing season will be over in a few weeks, as the air and water turn much colder….fall brings more hiking, and lots of orange, since hunting seasons have already begun. I will be camping at Green River on the final night of their camping season, on the upcoming weekend…The forecast is for sunny and temperatures nearing 70! Unreal! That was also the forecast for a few days earlier this week, when I took a spontaneous camping trip there with Griff….However, it became quite windy and cold after we had made camp, and the wind howled all night. Bu the next day was fine, if a bit overcast, and we had a nice little escape. And the colors? Yes, they have popped!  I certainly hope that some of this palette of fall beauty will remain through the weekend.

Thanks for following our adventures this past season…we’ll be doing a canoeing wrap up soon ( hopefully, with another VPP Productions short video!), and then we’ll be off on bikejoring and hiking, getting ready for the snowshoes, skis, and kicksled!

Oh yes, I am really enjoying this veterinarian’s lecture…..

What a great few weeks it has been! Summer temperatures and sunshine have lingered, making for some great paddling trips. Our favorite local spot, Green River Reservoir, has transitioned from a very busy, often crowded, (though still delightful) lake, to a place of increasing solitude and peace.  Recent temperature swings downward have brought us the first real “feel” of autumn, but for us, that means it is time for some of the best canoeing ( and kayaking) of the year….

We invited a few family members to join us for one of our planned September canoe camping trips to GRRSP….we had selected one of our favorite sites, which just happens to have adequate tent space for a group of 5 or 6. Well, we had 6 campers, if you include the 2 Paddle Pups!

Paddling out to site 9

The weather was great…not too cool, but also not hot. We saw plenty of loons, and beavers near the campsite ( which had Edgar all in a tizzy). We had a sunset paddle up into Heron Bay, a section of the water which is closed from “ice out” until August 1, as it is a nesting area.  In the past, to get into the bay with the tandem canoe, we had to disembark, and make a short 100 foot carry around the small snowmobile bridge over the bay entrance. This trip, we had the kayak, my solo boat, and our companions had a tandem. We discovered that the water under the bridge was not so low as to prevent safe passage, but was low enough to give us (barely) enough headroom to duck under the bridge while paddling.

In Heron Bay

Stay down, Griff!

It is always fun to have a new experience, even though we paddle here quite frequently. We also took our very first GoPro “selfie”, and the dogs cooperated brilliantly!

Happy to see each other!

We took the boats out for a dawn foggy paddle…this was great fun, and absolutely quiet, except for the calls of the loons. These foggy paddles surely provide some of the most peaceful times on the water.

It was nice to have some company on one of our trips….and out dogs really love the extra attention!

On a sunny Saturday morning, we headed out to the Waterbury Reservoir, for a late ( for us, as it was 8 am before we were on the water) paddling session. The forecast was for wet weather coming in, so we wanted to get out and enjoy the sun….

We had a great time on the water, saw a few other paddlers, and saw quite a few of the remote campsites in use…the weather has been so warm, that even in mid-September, folks are continuing to use this resource.

The coolest thing we saw was an osprey, who was “treading air” for extended periods of time, before missiling down to the water to snatch a fish. We often see ospreys perched in high trees, but this hunting behavior is a rare treat to see. No photos of this, of course….but we did get some nice summery shots.

Well, the wet weather did come in as forecast…accompanied by quite the drop in degrees. On a cold, rainy, and very windy Sunday, we decided to explore some remote areas conserved by the Nature Conservancy. These areas are located in a part of he state only an hour away from us, but an area we rarely explore. So it was fun to get lost a few times ( thanks, GPS) , but to discover a truly hidden pond, accessible only by hike…and a small hill, with fabulous views. Certainly this was a change of pace for us,and I think we, and the dogs, really enjoyed it.

Gryphon and I have had to do a bit of traveling, for family business…to break up the routine, we try to get out for some hiking during these trips. We stopped by at French’s Ledges in NH…we hiked here last winter, when it required MicroSpikes to negotiate the trails. This time, no such traction needed…the trails were dry, the sun was shining, and the wind was blowing enough to keep the air cool. A great day for a hike, to a small section of rock, with huge views!

On a trip to Western NY state, Griff and I visited Letchworth State Park…My husband and I had hiked here a bit last fall, at the peak of foliage, and were astounded by the beauty of this park. On that trip, we did not have the dogs with us…so here was my chance to share this great spot with Griff.

Letchworth State Park

Hiking the Finger Lakes Trail

So…how do we celebrate the end of summer? Griff and I headed out to Green River, for a solo canoe camping overnight trip. The weather forecast was for clear skies,and temperatures possible down into the 30’s. I packed my woollies, Griff’s new Ruffwear Highlands Sleeping bag and Pad ( that we will be reviewing for backcountryk9.com), fixins’ for nice hot meals…and off we went. This was also going to be the first opportunity to use the Eureka Midori 2 tent that I had won from trailspace.com…and we also carried along the Trail Dog First Aid kit that we won from EXP adventures!

This was a great overnight trip! The foliage is starting to show , the weather was never really that cold, and my new gear worked out great….Of the 34 sites, only 4 were in use, so it actually seemed as though we had a private lake. We did a lot of paddling…paddle out and in to the site, paddled both at sunset and sunrise, and had a great afternoon excursion that gave us a nice view of the young loons…3 months ago they were little balls of brown fluff…now they are nearly as big as adults, though without the distinct coloration. There was one young ‘un, still staying close to mama….making a funny squeaky little loon cry, and not diving for nearly as long as the parent. We saw this pair at quite a few locations on this 600 acre body of water. We also enjoyed watching an osprey who was diving for fish near our site…at night we heard the nearby barred owl, and coyotes as they passed through the woods behind us.

Love the tent…a review will be forthcoming

We had such a  good time, that I plan to return next week, for another overnight…if the weather continues to cooperate! We have to play “moving men” this weekend, so our outdoor activities will be limited…we do hope to get out Sunday evening to see the blood moon/lunar eclipse.  There is still another solid month of canoeing, and definitely some more camping to be had. I plan to share some amazing fall foliage photos on my next blog post. I will also be reviewing the new gear, once I have had a chance to put  it to more testing!

Keep Warm, and Paddle On!

Wow! Labor day has come and gone, and despite the recent spell of very hot ( 90 f. +) and muggy days, we can sense our entry into the fall season…high up on the ridges, the colors are changing to russet and maroon…while lower down, on the water’s edge, snippets of reds and oranges can be seen. Some of the best hiking and paddling days are ahead of us, and we plan to take full advantage of the season. We have multiple canoeing and camping trips planned, and in a few weeks, we will be at the Sled Dog Trade Fair, getting psyched for winter.

The past few weeks have seen us taking part in lots of hiking, and exploring some new ponds and lakes….Lots to report, so for a change of pace, my entry this week is a “Top 10”- style list, which highlights the great events of the past few weeks ( and one not so great report)

                             Our Top 10! ( Since last blog post, anyway) Not in any particular order…..

1. WINNINGS !  Trailspace Swag ! I received the Eureka Midori 2 tent that Trailsace.com awarded me, as the Reviewer of the Month for August…it looks great, and I will be giving it a test run next week on a solo canoe camping trip. I set it up for practice, and to apply the sunproof/waterproof stuff that Trailspace also provided. Gryphon thought the tent looked very inviting, and he hopped right in…followed shortly thereafter by Edgar!

Trailspace also provided us with an assortment of goodies…socks, trail treats, hats, Stabilicers traction devices ( which will be superb for kicksledding, I think). I have suggested to other outdoor folks that it is smart to write reviews for Trailspace…who knows, maybe you could be the next lucky winner!  http://www.trailspace.com/

  2. Twitter win UST Survival Technologies hosts a weekly twitter chat…last week, the topic was “camping with dogs”…so of course, we had to take part! We were lucky enough to be selected as the twitter chat winners, and received some nice survival tools, that will accompany us on our canoe trips. Check them out! https://www.facebook.com/UltimateSurvivalTech

3. Early morning paddling Since sunrise is a bit later these mornings, it seems a bit easier to get out bright and early…it does not have to be before 6 am! Even so, the earlier we get out, the more likely we are to encounter wonderful peaceful paddling, in either morning fog or mist.

4. Lake Solitude Hike Gryphon and I have hiked this area before, but this month, we were able to share this fun, interesting, and rewarding hike with Edgar and my husband. We got out early, so we encountered no other hikers as we climbed…and on the way down, we only passed a few other hikers. The overlook area is quite small, so it was nice to have the rocky outcropping to ourselves….

5. Short local hikes, during the stinkin’ hot days , it is nice to have local trail networks, where we can hike to dogs for an hour or so, in the shady woods. Most of these trails have plentiful water supplies, so the dogs really enjoy hiking them….

6. McDaniels Marsh We have canoed here before in the “big boat”…but this time we used the solo canoe and the kayak…great fun exploring the 600 acre marsh, finding narrow channels to navigate our way through the marsh foliage, and around underwater obstacles. Really a beautiful spot, in Springfield, NH.

7. New Kayak! A trip to Concord NH, led to a test drive for my husband and Edgar, in a Jackson Tripper 12…a kayak designed with room for taking your human, or canine, child paddling with you. The reaction was extremely positive, so we drive home with a new boat on the roof! Next morning…a nice maiden voyage, with the loons and rising mist, on Otter Pond in New London, NH.

8. Paddling with Friends! We were able to get out to Wolcott Pond, with a good friend Anne, and her two daughters. I think they enjoyed the pond, though this was the only time in 2 years that we have paddled here, when we did not see any wildlife ( beyond turtles, that is !)

9. Labor Day in the Northeast Kingdom! We canoed on a pond that we had discovered last year, while hiking a nearby mountain…this time, we really enjoyed the time on Long Pond. There were the usual bird sightings ( heron, loons, kingfishers, etc ), but it was really cool when the loons flew within 20 feet of our canoe, only 15 feet above the water line…Beautiful!

After our canoeing, we hiked up Mt. Hor, an area where we had done some snowshoeing last winter….it was quite hot by mid-day, so we kept the hike short, only a mile or so each way…one of those hikes with little effort for a great reward. At the overlook, hawks were circling and soaring below us…definitely a different perspective.

10. The Best ( and Worst) of State Park camping Two nights on Spectacle Pond, at Brighton Sate Park…the first night, peaceful calm, and a wonderful full moon paddle on the pond. We were camping in “luxury” , using a lean-to on the waterfront site, and both adjacent sites were vacant that first night. Second night, we had a very quiet , mellow group of mountain bikers to one side of us. On the other side, there was a dad, and three high school age boys…we figured they would be mature enough to not disturb us. Then another man joined them, who was some type of big-wig from a nearby ski area ( his car’s plate was JAY PK 1), so we assumed that as a responsible business person from a large resort ( must be Jay Peak!), all would be fine. Well, not so much….they were loud, carrying on very detailed and loud conversations , with a radio playing well into the night ( despite my asking them to keep it down, at 9:30 pm). At midnight, one of the boys brought out his guitar, and it was “hootenanny time”….that led to another “request” from me to knock it off! They finally did settle down….the next morning we made a report to the ranger, so that the campers who followed us to our site would not be subject to that rude and obnoxious behavior.

But other than those rude campers, it was a great trip…we traveled further up towards the Canadian Border, and paddled Norton Lake, and also made a trek over to Little Averill Pond. We got caught in quite the wind on Little Averill, but we managed to get back to the launch site without taking on water, and without getting seasick!

We even went out to the North Branch Trail where we had snowshoed in March….there was still a lot of moose poop on the trail, but no moose sightings..we were hiking the wrong time of day for that.

And as the weather (hopefully) cools this week, we head off for some more canoe camping, at our favorite local spot, Green River Reservoir. It may mark the first camping trip in which we take 2 boats, loading up the solo canoe and the kayak with our gear…this could be fun!

Be sure to “like” our facebook page, Vermont Paddle Pups  https://www.facebook.com/vermontpaddlerK9   if  you enjoy our photos…that site gets updated a few times a week, with lots of photos from our adventures!

Paddle Safe!

https://vimeo.com/137208104

It is what a tent does not have, that has appealed to me lately…no cellphones, no computer, no crowds of people….After a challenging few months, life has begun to resume some type of a normal routine. I had planned on beginning to take some solo camping trips with Gryphon, using my solo Wenonah canoe. Since circumstances had postponed those plans, it was with bittersweet enthusiasm that I loaded up the boat to take Gryphon out for an overnight at Green River Reservoir.

Since we like to be able to head out on short notice, and since my “elderly brain” has forgotten a few items in the past, we now use a canoe camping checklist, which enables us to be sure we have everything we need, even if we grab and go at the last minute. The list is a graphic organizer, which helps in planning what we can actually fit in the boat. It is laminated, used with a white-board marker, so that we can re-use it, for different trips.

Since this was a rather last-minute, spur of the moment trip, I was unable to get any of my first 3 choices of sites; instead I ended up with a site in a part of the reservoir where we do not usually paddle. It is not too far from the launch site, but is out of sight of the launch area, and I discovered, is a much hidden little corner of the reservoir. It is frequented by a family of loons, very few paddlers, and some small harmless snakes (based on the skins Gryphon found). The site is on a small rocky outcropping, leading to a few great places to sit on the rocks high above the water, and watch the silent world go by.

We had a wonderful time! My 36 year old solo tent served adequately ( more on that later!), and I found a nice grassy spot to set it, with a view of the water.

I discovered that I had under-packed for the solo boat…I actually had room for more wood, and an extra dry bag or two. Since this was a solo overnight, I really did not need much gear, but it was nice to discover that I had more canoe capacity than I had thought. Gryphon and I enjoyed our little getaway so much, we actually reserved this same site for another stay, closer to foliage season. I just hope it will not be snowing!

When we were driving home, I told Gryphon ( yes, he listens quite well) that I really need to order a new tent…my trusty old Sierra Designs Starlight has a few holes in the netting, few windows, no interior pockets, the material is a bit “flaky” on the interior, and the fly’s rain repellant quality is questionable.

At home, I was checking up on my email folder, and noted that I had an interesting message from trailspace.com.  More on that to follow….but I am very excited that I will not be ordering a new tent!

UPDATE !  http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2015/08/25/reviewer-of-the-month-sheila.html

WooHoo! A new tent, just what we need for our solo adventures!

My husband I had scheduled an overnight to a small pond in the Vermont state parks system, where there are only a few campsites, reachable only by hiking or paddling. This was to be the first camping trip in which we used the solo boat and kayak…well, music interfered, that is, my husband had a concert to perform, so Griff and I ended up on another “solo” journey.

We had spent some time paddling here a few years ago, when we had camped at one of the nearby campsites in this area. It is not a large body of water, and there are only 3 campsites on the eastern shore, so how hard can it be to find one of them? Well, my mistake? I followed the map…and searched, and landed, and bushwacked, and landed again…no site to be found. A nice couple in kayaks also attempted to help, but they struck out, too. Finally, I found the ranger, and he advised me the site was well below its map placement…in an area of very shallow rocky water, and lots of down trees. The take-out was a bit precarious, and my skid plates have not yet been installed on my little boat. But we managed okay, and found a lovely little site, with a lean-to, a luxury not usually found in paddle-in sites.

There are nearby hiking trails, so I dug out my boots and Griff’s trekking line, and we went exploring around the pond. It’s always fun to combine hiking with a canoeing trip; I only wish Edgar and my husband could have joined us!

These little guys have on their hunter orange…ready for fall!

We went out for a sunset paddle, and then early the next morning, a sunrise paddle…glassy surface of the water, loons, and a great flock of herons at the northern end of the pond. Around the campsite, so many little birds, ones I do not usually see at our home…warblers, vireos, thrushes, and a hummingbird who hovered 10 inches from my head. Really a nice little spot for a 2-3 day paddling trip.

We have continued to get out for day trips recently, trying to locate some new and interesting sites. We found a Nature Conservancy site, in a rural part of Vermont only an hour or so from our home. We had never heard of Flagg Pond, which is actually a marsh, with water that ranges from only a few inches deep to no more than 6 feet deep. It really is in the “middle of nowhere”, but what a beautiful spot! And, as we like it, no one else on the water.

We paddled through marsh grasses, and the shallow water allowed clear visibility below. The wind began to pick up a bit, but never really interfered with our great explorations. There is a resident pair of loons, who were generally quite a quiet pair…quiet, that is, until the very large juvenile bald eagle would swoop overhead. Then the loons let out cries of unease…since we saw no signs of chicks, perhaps the eagle had consumed the loon eggs?

We also made an early evening return to Wolcott Pond…very quiet, peaceful, mirror-like water surface…but we did not see any wildlife until we neared the end of the paddle. A solitary loon swam out in front of us, and headed off for the back part of the pond. Then, a great blue heron swooped by us, heading for a small pond beyond the launch site. We did note that there are beginning to be signs of color changes in the trees…very early, but despite the 90 degree temperatures, a hint that fall is on its way.

Yaaawn…almost Edgar’s bed time!

Our hiking adventures have resumed, seeking out fun and interesting places to hike in our neck of the woods. We took the dogs up to a northern section of the Long Trail, to head into an area called Devil’s Gulch. This area is a rocky ravine and, marked by huge tumbled boulders and thick coats of moss, a green and dark mystical area, with rays of sunlight streaming through.

It is not a notably challenging hike (except for a 100 yards of very steep rocky stairs) , but is a fun 3-4 hours, in cool, shaded woods. The dogs had to do some scrambling, and we had to assist them in a few spots, but they each performed admirably!

Recently, I headed up our local little peak, Stowe Pinnacle one morning, on the trail at 0520 hours…It was a great hike to start the day, and we were rewarded with great summit views, on a sunny, cool, and very windy morning. Gryphon loves this hike, but it is so popular, we hike it only on weekdays, and very early in the morning. It was a wonderful way to get back into the “peak-a-week” routine.

My second early morning venture was not as successful; we headed out to Elmore Mt, which is also a small mountain we climb frequently…I checked the hourly forecast, and it looked good, cloudy until around 7, then sun by 8. Gryphon and I were on the trail by 6, and were moving along well, until it started to sprinkle…then drizzle, then rain. We hunkered down under a rain-fly, and decided to see if this precipitation would pass, since we were only about 20 minutes from the top. Well, it just began to rain harder, the rocks were getting more slick, and the roots more treacherous. Well, this mountain is not going anywhere, and I decide we would hike down…we’ll return during foliage season, and try to get a sunny sunrise from the overlook!

Rain? But the weatherman said no rain…..

Summer is coming to a close…but we still have lots of canoeing and camping ahead! We have quite a few more trips planned, and we’re looking forward to the arrival of the beautiful fall colors. The summer tourist season is ending, and there is a few weeks lull before the fall tourists arrive in hordes…Lots of time for us to enjoy our beautiful area!