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| Flatwater and Coastal Paddling Committee |
Robert White and Barry Gorfain, leaders. It was a beautiful day, the first real day of summer, quite warm and sunny. The yellow and purple iris were blooming and the laurels were just coming out. We had 17 for the day paddle and 7 for the camping. Everyone had kayaks except one canoe (my wife and myself). We launched from the Gillette Castle ferry at 9AM and traveled down the Connecticut River for 2 miles past Seldon Island. Because of constant boat traffic, there were large waves that roll to shore, making the river part of the trip more difficult. Two boats swamped close to shore. Both boaters could self-rescue, being close enough to shore to stand up. Neither boater was using a spray skirt. There were three qualified leaders on the trip allowing some flexibility to help with boaters of different experience. Rounding the southern end of Sheldon Island, we proceeded up Seldon Creek and had lunch on a beach at the northern end. The group then explored Whalebone Creek up to the beaver dam and returned to the launch site by 1 PM.
After a break, the camping group paddled downstream to Spring Ledge, a camp on the river side of Seldon Island. We set up camp, explored the woods and had dinner (pasta with tomato sauce, green beans, salad and cookies). The evening entertainment was watching a boat stranding on a sandbar opposite us. We had a fire and got to know each other. In the morning, breakfast was oatmeal and pancakes. The trip ended at the campsite. One group paddled south to explore the river and I went back to Whalebone Creek to look for birds.
Notable birds: Mallards, Canadian Geese, King Birds (including a nesting pair), Swans, Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler (heard only), Red-eyed Vireos, Ospreys (chicks on nest), Marsh Wren (excellent close-up singing), Song Sparrows, Great Egret, Blue Heron.
Robert White
We launched on the Saugatuck River in Westbrook at 11 AM. There were 5 of us. The weather was hot and hazy. We paddled on the inside passage down to Shea Island and dropped off our gear. We paddled around Sheffield Island where there is a lighthouse and the ruins of an old estate. Camping is right on the edge of the beach. There were several other groups of campers. During the day, the beach is crowded with daytrippers but they clear out by 5 or 6 PM. The highlight of the evening was a neighboring pit-bull who obsessively chased sticks. There are 2 'solar powered' pit latrines (a fan to blow out the smell). the next morning, we paddled back to Westport on the Sound side of the islands.
Robert White
There were 11 of us, three from AMC and the rest from the Housatonic Valley Paddlers. We did a double loop around the first part of Ash Creek, in part to discuss strategy for crossing over/under Fairfield Avenue. The problem? There is a pipe running across the length of the opening, which made crossing through impossible near high tide. Six of us opted to portage the boats across Fairfield Avenue. Luckily, traffic was light. We then headed north into Bridgeport.
Five of them went under another low bridge at Scofield Avenue. I opted to stay put because the clearance was only about 2 feet. They got another 1/3 mile to I-95 and then turned back as the creek became debris filled.
It was a pleasant paddle. I wish the area was bigger. You can launch from either the kayak launch, which involves maneuvering your kayak under a split rail fence, carrying it 200 feet, then carrying it down a set of 10 stairs. You can also use the boat ramp. We used the kayak launch going out. Some of us used the boat ramp coming back.
Tom Ebersold
Participants: Robert White, leader, Jean Trapani, assistant leader, four other participants.
August 1, 2008
Bob and his wife left Hancock, VT and traveled to La Vérendrye, arriving
at Le Domaine at 6:30 PM. The travel time was longer than expected, about
4 hours north of Montreal. We confirmed our canoe and cabin reservations
and set up camp outside the canoe store. We found out that it had been a
very wet summer, raining most days, which meant heavier mosquitoes than
usual. The two men arrived about 9 PM. Jean and a friend didn’t arrive until
10:30 PM and slept in their car, not knowing where we were camped.
August 2, 2008 (day one)
We loaded the shuttle, leaving 15 minutes late at 8:15 AM to the put-in at Lac Portage. The weather was cloudy and threatening rain, but we only had a few sprinkles.
On the way in, the shuttle encountered 2 starving puppies on the road, clearly having been dumped (we learned after the trip that the shuttle driver had picked them up on the way back
and taken them to a local humane society). We paddled down Lac Portage, through a small connecting stream into Lac Larouche. The trip was 11 km. We camped on an island.
The campsite featured a beautiful cove. All the campsites had specific sites for tents and a plastic sit-on latrine. Most of the campsites had wild blueberries.
All the lunches were salami, cheese, pita bread, dried fruit, power bars, and tea mix. In the afternoon, four of us paddled down a long arm of Lac Larouche and explored a marshy stream into
Lac Erquy, another 10 km. Dinner was steak with a wine sauce with green beans and rice.
August 3, 2008 (day two)
Breakfast each day was oatmeal, bagels, coffee, and granola. We packed up
and left at 9 AM. This was the most taxing day of canoeing. At the end of
Lac Larouche, there was a 185 m. portage into Lac Fada. We portaged well.
The three men took the canoes and everyone pitched in with packs and food
containers. Lac Fada merged into Lac Moran. There was a beaver dam to pull
over. From Lac Moran, there was a 360 m. portage into Lac Quenelle. There
was a slow moving, marshy stream from Lac Quenelle into Lac Mitchell. We
had been told that there was an eagle’s nest on Lac Mitchell. It turned
out to be an active Osprey nest with a chick on the nest. We ate lunch watching
the Ospreys. After lunch, we entered a long, winding stream, shot through
a drain pipe under a road, into Lac Fabliau, then another stream into Lac
Duman, where we camped on a point. The weather was partly cloudy and warm.
The trip was 15 km. Dinner was tomato/hamburger sauce over pasta. D. had
fun starting the fire with his flint and magnesium fire starter. The sunset
was beautiful.
August 4, 2008 (day three)
This was our easiest day. We left camp at 10 AM, paddled down a stream to Lac Nizard, 8 km. Camp was on a point with a beautiful view over the lake.
This campsite featured a nice kitchen space with a sheltered spot for the camp stoves. It was warm and clear. In the afternoon, several of us paddled over to a sandy beach for a swim.
Bob was thrilled to see a Ringed-neck duck and her two chicks. Dinner was chicken curry over rice.
August 5, 2008 (day four)
We left camp at 9:30 AM. From Lac Nizard, there was a 100 m. portage to
Lac Racine. This was the most challenging portage, as the entrance was quite
muddy and there was a steep bank to get up over. At Lac Racine, one of the
women spotted a Spruce Grouse on an empty campsite, which stayed put as
we stopped to look. She had two chicks with her. Bob went ashore and got
some photographs of one of the chicks. Out of Lac Racine, we traveled through
Lac Echallon and another 100 m. portage over a road and a class III drop.
We paddled down Grand Lac to a campsite on an island, 10 km. It featured
a stone table. The weather was the best yet, clear and warm. Dinner was
rice and beans with hamburger. After dinner, it started to rain, with a
thunderstorm at 11 PM. It rained all night.
August 6, 2008 (day five)
Because of the rain, we had a cold breakfast and left at 9:30 AM. The rain
tapered off in the morning. We paddled back up Grand Lac and arrived at
Camp Grand Barrage at 10:30 AM for a noon pick-up. Total paddling 5 km.
On the drive back, we spotted a flying bald eagle. After arriving back at
Le Domaine, we had lunch at the diner and went to our cabin. It turned out
to be a log cabin with three bedrooms and a roomy kitchen/living space.
Three of us drove down to Grand-Remous for groceries. It was great to clean
up with hot water. Dinner was chicken in a red sauce.
August 7, 2008 (day six)
This was a day of leisure. The two men went for a walk. The rest of us paddled
on Lac Jean-Péré. Charlotte had a stroke lesson from Bob gave a stroke lesson,
teaching turning strokes in the bow and stern. We paddled around an island
and faced heavy head winds coming back, 10 km. Dinner was tuna noodle casserole.
The leader awarded the second annual captain’s awards to deserving participants.
M. received the award of a bear bell for the most camping gadgets. D. received
the award of fire tinder for the best fire builder. H. received the award
of biodegradable soap for the great father. C. received the award of a camp
towel for being the captain’s favorite helper. Jean received the award of
a tee-shirt for her overall service to the AMC.
August 8, 2008 (day seven)
After a breakfast of blueberry pancakes, the trip ended.
Bird list: 20 species
Cedar waxwing (abundant), White-throated sparrow (heard frequently), Song sparrow (abundant), Common loon (every lake), Ring-necked duck with chicks (Lac Nizard), Black duck (common),
Ring-billed gull (Lac Jean-Péré), Common tern (Lac Jean-Péré and Lac Nizard), Common Raven (Lac Nizard), Spruce grouse with chicks (Lac Racine), Turkey Vulture, Merlin (Lac Jean-Péré),
Mourning dove, Hairy Woodpecker (Grand Lac), Crow, Black-capped chickadee, Wood thrush (heard only), Belted kingfisher (several lakes), Osprey (Lac Mitchell),
Bald eagle (flying near Lac Portage)
Robert S. White