Out Doors
by Elizabeth Bassett

Paddling and Pedaling into Fall

Paddling
Our Lake, Champlain, is surely a giant and spectacularly varied. But Green River Reservoir is a gem. Boasting more than 19 miles of undeveloped shoreline, the reservoir is Vermont’s premier paddling venue. Its hundreds of watery acres sit astride the towns of Hyde Park and Eden. I had heard about it for years and never ventured there- until recently.
It was a spectacular early fall day when we motored to Green River with two kayaks atop the Prius. The two craft took a toll on my miles per gallon; I averaged about 45 mpg, a loss of five from its sleek, factory-designed profile. The drive, through Stowe and skirting Morrisville, takes about an hour and a half from Charlotte. On the way home make sure to stop in Stowe for a maple creemee.
This is a quiet place, only paddle craft and electric motor boats with a maximum speed of 5mph are permitted. Until 1999 the Morrisville Department of Water and Light owned the reservoir and 5,110 acres surrounding it. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) bought the property and transferred it to the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation to be managed as a state park. TNC secured conservation easements to protect the land from development.
Before leaving home check your Gazetteer, Google Maps, or the detailed directions on the state’s website: vtstateparks.com/htm/grriver.cfm.
Once you’ve turned off of Route 15 east of Morrisville, several roads are unmarked and the dirt track narrows to a tunnel in places. Eventually you arrive at a sign for Green River Reservoir with arrows pointing to the beach or the canoe launch. It’s a short carry downhill to the water’s edge.
As we paddled away from the launch we met several laden canoes manned by paddlers sporting several days’ growth of beard. The shoreline and 14 islands collectively host 28 primitive campsites, clearings with a fire circle but no drinking water, privies, outhouses or other facilities. The sites, with tarps strung from trees, fires lofting ribbons of smoke to the treetops and laundry flapping in the breeze, punctuate the otherwise unrelenting green panorama of bog and woodlands.
Many fingers reach out from the main body of the reservoir, accounting for its extensive shoreline. Several named streams empty into it, and the Green River flows out from the dam. Otters, beaver, and waterfowl are denizens of these wilds, and the state manages the property as habitat for bear and moose. We trailed a family of mergansers as they played follow-the-leader, diving like a synchronized swim team, jumping onto a fallen tree trunk, taking a splashing bath, and flying in short intervals. Nearby a loon floated, utterly tranquil, then disappeared into the depths. Looking skyward we hoped to spot an eagle or osprey but had to settle for a blue heron. Kingfishers flitted about. We paddled to the far north where the lake narrows to a meandering stream and hummocks of alder and joe-pye weed tower overhead. A string of beaver dams eventually block the flow and we turned around.
The northern forest is a mix of hard and soft woods, fir, balsam and pine mingling with maples, birch, and hop hornbeam. Tamaracks, their feet planted on tiny islands, dot the reservoir. Red maples were beginning to color. An early October paddle should be a spectacular sight, the hardwoods aflame and tamaracks turning to butterscotch with dark conifers as punctuation. Why can’t September last for two months or even three!
To learn more about camping, exact driving directions, and other features of Green River Reservoir use the state’s website (above).

Pedaling
Back on terra firma, two bike adventures include a ferry ride from Charlotte, moderate itineraries of 25 to 30 miles and destinations worth riding for. Beautiful foliage awaits, too.
Dogwood Bread Company, Wadhams. It’s a beautiful 25-mile round-trip from the ferry in Essex to this treasure of delicious pleasures. Dogwood roasts its own organic coffee; bakes bread, pizza, cookies and scones in a wood-fired, brick-lined oven; makes delicious sandwiches; and has indoor or outdoor tables at a quiet crossroads. Bike along the lake on Lake Shore Road until you reach Whallons Bay Road. Turn right and pedal up the rise until you come to the splendid views from the plateau, west toward the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain and east to the Adirondack High Peaks. Be careful if you stop because the osprey on a platform near the crest of the hill can dive dangerously close. Cross Route 22 and continue on Walker Road. You will join Route 10 for the last mile or so. Dogwood Bakery will be on the right at the junction with Route 22.
Wadhams is a former mill town on the Boquet River. The Wadhams Power Plant, at its falls, is one of the oldest surviving hydropower plants in New York. On the return, as you coast down Whallons Bay Road, note that Camel’s Hump is always directly in front of you. The road was designed with this view in mind. dogwoodbread.com, 518962-2280.
Depot Theatre, Westport. The distance between Essex and Westport is about 13 miles, and it’s another mile to the theater. I suggest Lake Shore Road rather than the much busier Route 22, with cars rushing to and from the ferry. In an historic railroad station that hugs the still-active Amtrak route, the Depot Theatre is a community effort that worked, a 1979 project of the Westport Historical Society. Seats are comfortable – there’s not a bad one in the house, and quality performers hail from Actors’ Equity. Tickets are well priced. Weekend matinees are scheduled with Vermont patrons in mind. Managing Director Chris Casquillho says, “We want Vermonters to be able to enjoy a show, have dinner, and still catch the last ferry home.” In the center of Westport there’s a lovely park that slopes down to the lake, a great spot for picnics. One show remains in the 2009 season, Almost Maine, running through September 20. Details for next year’s season will be available at: depottheatre.org or 518-962-4449.

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