In early June a team of Vermont River Conservancy staff, Board members, consultants and guests paddled the Upper Connecticut River from Lemington to Maidstone, camping overnight at Lyman Falls State Park. The weather was beautiful and the rapids exciting! The Vermont River Conservancy has partnered with many organizations to form the Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail – whose goal is to protect access to the river and create campsites and boat put-in sites to facilitate paddling trips.
Tom Slayton joined our trip – listen to his Vermont Public Radio commentary! Here’s an excerpt:
“If anything, the upper Connecticut is in better shape now than when I first paddled it 30 years ago. The Vermont River Conservancy, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and the Vermont Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, among others, have cooperated to conserve land and watersheds, build campsites and improve access for paddlers to the Connecticut and other rivers.
These organizations and others have truly made a difference – they’ve helped turn the Connecticut River from a neglected open sewer to a delightful recreational resource that serves paddlers, fishermen and women, and anyone who loves free-flowing water. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
We began our next full day on the river early, splashing through a long series of brisk rapids, marveling at the natural beauty around us. Towards the end of the day, we saw not one, but three bald eagles soaring above the river.
We took it as a favorable omen. For the river.”