LAKE CHAMPLAIN paddling
Aug 9 & 10, 2009 - LAKE CHAMPLAIN. Checked in to Ausable Point State Campsite & got the last on-water site at the mouth of the Ausable River. 20 knot winds from SE produced surf at the campsite. From the Dead Creek parking area just outside the entrance booth paddled out onto the lake (N facing & out of full wind) & up the Little Ausable River for over a mile until downed tree. Back & then carried across road to Dead Creek, a great spot for poking around in thru lily-pads & grasses enjoying the plants, wildlife & distant Adirondack mountain views; ospreys & nest; tons of wood ducks; swamp maples turning red. Back at our campsite we were entertained by 2 guys in an aluminum canoe coming out of the river into the lake waves. They got around the 1st point into the waves ok, turning to go downwind looked good & it looked like they were surfing. For some reason they turned sideways to the waves & over they went, luckily in shallow enough water to be able to stand & recover. Ausable River - Upper & Lower Mouths. Put in at the small boat launch in the campground at the upper mouth. Paddled up the river to just past the Rt.9 bridge then back to the lake down the S branch to the Lower Mouth. Enjoyed the wide variety of wildflowers along the shores. Wind had changed from S to W and Lake Champlain was fairly calm. Terns & gulls on the sandbars; views across the lake to the Green Mountains of Vermont. Sand beach shores tempt one to stop. The Prospector is becoming the do-it-all boat. Swim & nap at the park's N facing beach with view of Valcour Island 2+ miles away.
Aug 14, 2006 - LAKE CHAMPLAIN, AUSABLE RIVER & MARSH. From the access road into Ausable Point State Campground. Winds from the S 10-20 knots. Rounded the beach at Ausable Point through whitecapped 2' waves. The calm of the 2 river channels, the Upper & Lower Mouth, & the Marsh contrasted greatly with the lake conditions. The river is clear with a sandy (sable: French for sand) bottom & silver maples dominate the shorelines. We turn around at rapids just past Rt.9 then head to the lake along the S channel. Just before the lake, the S shore has steep sandy banks topped with white pines. Winds were still whipping up surf so we went back upstream & down the N channel; at the lake, we poked into the marsh - explored both forks. Waves had calmed a bit when we returned past the beach & point - still a bit of work. Ospreys. 12.6 miles, 5.5 hours. P&H Capella RM 166.
July 2006 - VALCOUR ISLAND, LAKE CHAMPLAIN kayak camping. From concrete ramp launch in Peru. Valcour, 2 miles long 1 mile wide, is less than a mile off shore - 26 primitive campsites are scattered around the island. Sunday, 10-15 knot winds from NW created some wave...
Sep 12, 2004 - LAKE CHAMPLAIN kayaking. Put-in on Hawkins Rd in Ferrisburg/Vergennes area of Vermont (from Rt.7 follow signs for Kingsland Bay SP). Hawkins Rd crosses a bridge over a feeder of Little Otter Creek & the parking area is on the R after bridge. Launch area is shallow sand/gravel so you won't see too many motorboats being launched here but it is ideal for kayaks. Wind from the S at 10-15 knots at start, calming to 5-10 knots in the afternoon - make sure you get a marine forecast for Lake Champlain before venturing out onto the lake - chose this trip because we would have land to our S most of the time so wind would be less of a factor. LITTLE OTTER CREEK . Ospreys. About 1.4 miles on the wide marshy creek before reaching the lake. Views of Mt. Mansfield & Green Mtns. Paddled in & out of all the bays. McDonough Point. Kingsland Bay beach at S end for lunch. Cliffs. Grosse Point. Stunning views across the lake of Split Rock Mt. & High Peaks in New York. Porter Bay. Silver maples in fall color. Fort Cassin Point. OTTER CREEK . Back to put-in from point to point. 13 miles; 5.6 hrs. Swift Bering Sea , a 15'10" composite touring kayak - excellent speed & tracking; fair maneuverability; very comfortable; not the best choice for photography (I only got off some quick snapshots).
Aug 17&18, 2003 - LAKE CHAMPLAIN kayak camping. Put-in at state boat launch (Peru Docks/Valcour Landing) on Rt.9 3.3 miles N of Rt.442. VALCOUR ISLAND is less than a mile offshore - we just head in the direction of the old lighthouse then go S doing a counterclockwise tour. The island is over 2 miles long & about 1 mile wide. Soon stop at campsite #1 & set up camp - not the best of views (W shore somewhat developed) but from smooth shore rocks can see the High Peaks to the SSW - we set up 6 tents (site can handle more) on flat grassy area. There are over 20 campsites on Valcour & are 1st come 1st serve just like any other backcountry site - all have a picnic table & outhouse. Some trash (mostly beer cans) left behind by previous tenents which we ended up carrying out ourselves. Continued on our circuit tour with lightened kayaks. The S end has some nice cliffs. Garden Island, a small flat-topped rocky island to the S tempts us & we go around it. Back on Valcour's E side we stop for a swim in Smuggler Harbor. Part of the attraction of Valcour is its many coves & beaches - we poke into each one. See a mink on the rocks - cormorants, lots of black ducks & gulls too. Most of the shoreline is rocky (450 million year old limestone) - eastern white cedar is the main tree species. As we go around the N end we experience larger waves to 2' (N wind 5-15 knots). As I surf a wave in, I see Oblivia tip over & bail out - luckily she holds onto the kayak but lets go of paddle (picked up by another in our group of 9) - I paddle to her aggressively & perform an assisted T rescue which has her in her water-free kayak in a minute - we head for shore to give her time to compose herself. Not a very dangerous situation because the wind would have blown paddler & kayak to shore anyway, water was warm (75) & we had plenty of help but it was a good test to see if our practices have paid off. A tailwind gave us some more surfing opportunities back to camp. Many yachts use the protective coves & we see a fair amount of motorboats on the lake - the scenery is excellent but this is not wilderness. Plenty of blowdown makes for abundant wood for the campfire. Took a morning hike to top of cliffs at S end then did a 3 mile loop back to camp - nice views to Vermont from the SE corner. There are 7.5 miles of hiking trails on the island. Practised some rescues before breaking camp. Paddled due S for about 3.5 miles to Ausable Point State Campsite which has long sandy beaches. Just S of the campground we enter the AUSABLE RIVER's Upper Mouth & paddle upstream. Silver maples line the shore & tadpoles can be seen scurrying about in the sandy-bottomed river. After over a mile, at a railroad bridge the main river splits & we continue straight into the Lower Mouth which can be very shallow in spots. Silver maples still line the L shore but white pines rise from the steep sandy R shore. As we approach the lake again we see Mt. Mansfield in the distance to the E. Turning back N we pass a long beach at the edge of Ausable Marsh - channels can be paddled to explore the marsh. We paddle back to the put-in along the W shore. Waves approached 2' near Ausable Point but diminished as we moved N into the shadow of Valcour Is. About 11 miles in 4.7 hrs. for today's trip with 2 breaks. It is important to get a Lake Champlain Marine Weather Report before going out - winds above 15 knots can cause dangerous conditions & winds above 10 knots from the N or S can create challenging conditions - a weather radio will keep you updated (forecasts can change). Dagger Halifax 17.0, a 17'2" plastic touring kayak, performed admirably - very manageable in waves (used rudder for a bit in quartering tailwind & surfing but found I had better control if I didn't use it so relied more on paddle strokes), tracks well (weathercocks a bit), turns ok for a long kayak, plenty of room for camping gear, comfortable. SealLine Black Canyon Compression Sack 15 for sleeping bag & my 2 Thermarest Pillows - purge valve allows for extra compression (gets the air out), nylon material is stronger & slides into tight hatches better than vinyl dry bags. Clothing in SealLine Kodiak Taper dry bag which fits well into ends of kayak - also nylon with purge valve.
Jun 22, 2003 - LAKE CHAMPLAIN / LA CHUTE RIVER / EAST CREEK kayaking. From boat launch next to Ticonderoga ferry. Paddled S on the W shore of Lake Champlain around Fort Ticonderoga - quite a bit of Eurasian milfoil near shore which likes to attach itself to paddle blades. After a little over 2 miles, with Mt. Defiance to the W, duck into the La Chute River - nice marshy shores at first then willows & silver maples - a slight current is felt. Ran over a turtle as I was watching a large gb heron fly by in front of me. Under a rr & 2 road bridges, past water treatment plant & into the Ticonderoga town park to La Chute Falls - pretty nice falls but setting could be better. Returned then crossed Lake Champlain (about 0.75 miles across here with views to the Green Mtns.) to Mt. Independence & around the point to its N (best place for a rest stop, wet clay in other spots wants to cling to shoes) & into East Creek. East Creek winds thru a cattail/sedge marsh & slowly gets narrower. After about 3.5 miles the shores close in & silver maples dominate - most are spindly but some are huge, saw one trunk that was 6' in diameter. Wildflowers dot the banks - many songbirds & some ducks. Went another half mile before things got a bit shallow. Back to Champlain & a moderate N wind kicked up some waves which were quite fun. Watch out for N or S winds on Champlain especially if there is a long fetch (distance of open water that the wind blows across) - waves can be steep. Moderate amount of motor traffic so kept out of the deep-water channel. No bad bugs. For shorter trip, recommend doing East Creek only. 17 miles, 5.8 hrs. Dagger Tybee, a 14'10" composite touring kayak - fast for its length, very manouverable, tracks fair (beginners will resort to using rudder), good primary stability, excellent secondary (can lean it as much as I want, then really firms up way on edge), handled quartering headwaves well without deployment of rudder, well made, cute. Aqua Meter Sailor II deck compass comes in handy.
COOK MOUNTAIN hike, SW of Ticonderoga. Nice thing about this time of year is the long amount of daylight. Climb almost 900' in 45 min. - middle third is where most of the steep hiking occurs. Trail quite dry. Saw showy lady slipper early. Near summit, mostly scrub oak & pine with grass & blueberry bushes below. At end of trail have splendid oak-framed, postcard-like view looking S down Lake George past Anthony's Nose to Black Mt., Tongue Mt. Range, etc. Minor blackflies & mosquitoes. 3.2 miles, 1.6 hrs. In both ADK & Discover Eastern region guidebooks. Winter would offer more widespread views with the leaves off the trees.
Aug 17&18, 2003 - LAKE CHAMPLAIN kayak camping. Put-in at state boat launch (Peru Docks/Valcour Landing) on Rt.9 3.3 miles N of Rt.442. VALCOUR ISLAND is less than a mile offshore - we just head in the direction of the old lighthouse then go S doing a counterclockwise tour. The island is over 2 miles long & about 1 mile wide. Soon stop at campsite #1 & set up camp - not the best of views (W shore somewhat developed) but from smooth shore rocks can see the High Peaks to the SSW - we set up 6 tents (site can handle more) on flat grassy area. There are over 20 campsites on Valcour & are 1st come 1st serve just like any other backcountry site - all have a picnic table & outhouse. Some trash (mostly beer cans) left behind by previous tenents which we ended up carrying out ourselves. Continued on our circuit tour with lightened kayaks. The S end has some nice cliffs. Garden Island, a small flat-topped rocky island to the S tempts us & we go around it. Back on Valcour's E side we stop for a swim in Smuggler Harbor. Part of the attraction of Valcour is its many coves & beaches - we poke into each one. See a mink on the rocks - cormorants, lots of black ducks & gulls too. Most of the shoreline is rocky (450 million year old limestone) - eastern white cedar is the main tree species. As we go around the N end we experience larger waves to 2' (N wind 5-15 knots). As I surf a wave in, I see Oblivia tip over & bail out - luckily she holds onto the kayak but lets go of paddle (picked up by another in our group of 9) - I paddle to her aggressively & perform an assisted T rescue which has her in her water-free kayak in a minute - we head for shore to give her time to compose herself. Not a very dangerous situation because the wind would have blown paddler & kayak to shore anyway, water was warm (75) & we had plenty of help but it was a good test to see if our practices have paid off. A tailwind gave us some more surfing opportunities back to camp. Many yachts use the protective coves & we see a fair amount of motorboats on the lake - the scenery is excellent but this is not wilderness. Plenty of blowdown makes for abundant wood for the campfire. Took a morning hike to top of cliffs at S end then did a 3 mile loop back to camp - nice views to Vermont from the SE corner. There are 7.5 miles of hiking trails on the island. Practised some rescues before breaking camp. Paddled due S for about 3.5 miles to Ausable Point State Campsite which has long sandy beaches. Just S of the campground we enter the AUSABLE RIVER's Upper Mouth & paddle upstream. Silver maples line the shore & tadpoles can be seen scurrying about in the sandy-bottomed river. After over a mile, at a railroad bridge the main river splits & we continue straight into the Lower Mouth which can be very shallow in spots. Silver maples still line the L shore but white pines rise from the steep sandy R shore. As we approach the lake again we see Mt. Mansfield in the distance to the E. Turning back N we pass a long beach at the edge of Ausable Marsh - channels can be paddled to explore the marsh. We paddle back to the put-in along the W shore. Waves approached 2' near Ausable Point but diminished as we moved N into the shadow of Valcour Is. About 11 miles in 4.7 hrs. for today's trip with 2 breaks. It is important to get a Lake Champlain Marine Weather Report before going out - winds above 15 knots can cause dangerous conditions & winds above 10 knots from the N or S can create challenging conditions - a weather radio will keep you updated (forecasts can change). Dagger Halifax 17.0, a 17'2" plastic touring kayak, performed admirably - very manageable in waves (used rudder for a bit in quartering tailwind & surfing but found I had better control if I didn't use it so relied more on paddle strokes), tracks well (weathercocks a bit), turns ok for a long kayak, plenty of room for camping gear, comfortable.
June 24, 2001 - Lake Champlain kayaking. Started from the State boat launch in Westport. Lake Champlain is 120 miles long & is especially susceptible to winds; northerly & southerly winds can create hazardous conditions. Listen to a marine forecast on your weather radio before venturing out (best when winds are no more than 10 knots) - also can find out water temp. (62 ° today). Got lucky today with light northerly wind & since land was to our north, we were out of the wind for the most part. Heading generally at a heading of 90 ° magnetic (a deck compass comes in very handy) we follow the shoreline for 4 miles to Barn Rock Harbor, where state land begins, passing Hunter Bay & Partridge & Rock Harbors (private). Trip parallels the largest area of state land on the lake, the Split Rock Mountain Range. Take a walk on a marked trail to the end of Barn Rock where there are excellent views to the south & east (Vermont) from 150' above the water. Lunch on a small beach in the bay. Bugeetah allows a large butterfly to land on his tongue. We continue NE past a leanto-like structure (the best campsite in the area) & on to the Champlain Palisades where one can paddle below 200' cliffs & admire a thin waterfall making its way down to the lake. A variety of flowers make their home in crevices in the rock. On to Snake Den Harbor (named after timber rattlesnakes found here) & past more steep rocky shoreline into a light headwind to Grog Harbor (almost 10 miles from our start). The lake depth is 379' not far from here. Waves were generally under 1' except motorboat wakes came close to 2'. Jamacque, Enjnir & Bugeetah had the urge to be in Vermont & paddled around Diamond Island while Hombrua & I stayed closer to shore being that I badly needed to relieve myself of some bodily fluids. Finding a spot to land between Barn Rock & Grog Harbor is a challenge but I was able to find a not so steep but rocky area. Stopped for a break at the "leanto" on the return. Water seemed to get calmer the closer we got to Westport. The village is backed by the Adirondack Mountains which seemed to be enshrouded with dark gray clouds for most of the day. The Impex Diamante worked out real fine - the skeg was unnecessary most of today but I did play with it a bit to get a feel for the differences: with skeg up definitely can go faster (less drag), with skeg down boat tracks harder. Cockpit opening is a little small for my 215lb. frame but once I'm in the kayak is very comfortable; nice Immersion Research backband, too. Used the Werner Kauai paddle today in 220cm. length for a more vertical style of paddling & liked it a lot - nice clean blade entry. My 230 cm. Camano (for more of a horizontal style of paddling) stayed on the rear deck but I did switch paddles with Enjnir for a while & tried his super lightweight carbon fiber Camano. The carbon fiber is 5 ozs. lighter but not as strong as Werner's standard construction glass paddles. Kept a camera & other items handy in a Sealline deck bag; my better camera is usually in a small Sealline dry bag between my legs under my sprayskirt. 18-20 miles, less than 7 hrs.
Sep. 16&17, 2000 - Valcour Island, Lake Champlain. Launched from State launch in Peru; westerly winds not much problem. Headed around south end of Valcour, admired 450 million year old limestone rocks & cliffs, passing Pebble Beach, Cystid Point, Smugglers Harbor, Tiger Point (group of kayakers camping here) & Sloop Cove. Campsite 14 (there are 26 sites total on the island) looked good from the water up on top of a small rocky cliff so paddled around the back into Paradise Bay & walked into it from a small sandy beach. I knew Jamacque had spent some summers on the island 50 years ago when his family worked for a priest who owned a house on Valcour but little did I know that this was the spot - only an old fireplace (with no 2 rocks alike) & chimney remain. View SE of Green Mtns. of Vermont & , at night, the lights of Burlington. After setting up camp, we paddled around Spoon Island & past Spoon & Beauty Bays to north end of Valcour. Sunday morning the wind had changed to south & waves were crashing against the rocky shoreline. Listening to the weather radio (Oregon Scientific WR-8000 - reg. $69.95 - $59.95 if you say "Nehasane sent me"), we should expect winds of up to 25 knots (1 knot = 1 1/8 mph) changing to SW at 10 knots late. We hiked (island has over 7 miles of trails) around the north end passing cliff-top lookouts at Spoon & Beauty Bays & descending to beaches. Took a side trip around Bullhead Bay to lighthouse (built in 1873, decommissioned in 1931) on western point. Took cross trail from Indian Point to Smugglers Harbor - didn't like what we saw: 3' to 4' whitecapped waves. Hung out in camp for while & finally winds died down in late afternoon. Had pleasant paddle back around north & west of island & then out. NW Kayaks Synergy worked out nicely but did not get tested in nasty conditions because we were not stupid enough to go out in the nasty stuff (having a weather radio is smart)
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