Splendor on the Water

By Narissa Willever

Photos By Narissa Willever

After four years of foliage exile in California, my husband and I eagerly anticipated our first autumn back in New England. The first weeks of September tantalized with a sudden flush of color in the maples along Mallett’s Bay Avenue. I found myself poring over the state atlas in the evenings, scoping out scenic byways. I scoured the Internet for reports on where the foliage was peaking. Trying to find the perfect weekend get-away to view the fall colors became an obsession.

There was one problem: millions of leaf-peepers were doing the same thing. Tour buses were rumbling into action, the first wave of invaders already hitting Vermont’s highways. Sweltering in traffic one afternoon, eating diesel exhaust from the bus ahead of me, my romance for the road sputtered, then died. I looked out over Lake Champlain to the Adirondacks, brushed by only the palest of early fall colors. My eyes lingered on the play of light on the water, and suddenly the perfect autumn adventure came to me. This foliage seeker was done with the fume and fuss of the highway: she was headed for the water!

Kayakers drift along the shoreline of Greensboro Reservoir at the beginning of the spectacular fall 2004 foliage season.

Day 1: Green River Reservoir State Park

The last week of September, the weather was glorious. We strapped the kayaks atop the car and hit the road. Our drive to Green River Reservoir took longer than we had expected. First, we got stuck in the Stowe’s Oktoberfest parade, then we waited out a “cow jam” in Morristown. We turned off Route 15A, leaving traffic behind. Gold and vermilion leaves crowded the dusty dirt road. We pulled up to the reservoir’s boat launch. Lemon-tinged beeches whispered along a shaded corridor leading to the lake; glass-smooth water beckoned. We slid our kayaks into a small bay where maples, pines, and hemlocks arched over the lake. The vibrant reds, oranges, and golds of reflected trees shimmered on the water’s surface, rippling in our wake so that it appeared as if we paddled through cool and silent flame.

Green River Reservoir is a kayaker’s paradise, offering 19 miles of undeveloped shoreline, 14 islands, and hours of easy paddling. The lake’s wilderness character makes it one of Vermont’s most popular paddling destinations. Regulations on personal watercraft and engines over 5 horsepower adds to the allure. The best time to visit is after Labor Day, when visitation starts dropping. With pleasant daytime temperatures, clear fall skies, and a  lack of mosquitoes, late September through early October is ideal. Autumn is also a wonderful time to see wildlife. Green River Reservoir State Park is home to deer, black bears, ospreys, wood ducks, and otter. While paddling the lake I saw abundant evidence of beaver, including newly chewed trees and a lodge stockpiled with aspen twigs cut for winter food. As we returned in the evening we saw two loons diving for fish. Loons have made a comeback in Vermont but they are still uncommon, with only 41 pairs nesting in the state. Green River Reservoir has been home to nesting loons since 1970. However, they are threatened by increasing boat traffic on the lake. We were careful to give this pair the privacy they needed, keeping away from their fishing spot and admiring them from a distance.

As the sun sloped westward, we meandered back toward the boat launch, stopping in several quiet, leaf-strewn coves. We passed a group of boys taking a break from their canoe outing to leap into the summer-warm water, splashing and whooping in glee. I  glided close to the rocky shore where the fiery boughs of sugar maples bent almost down to the water. For one used to seeing the fall colors from behind a windshield or at a distance from a mountain overlook, the proximity was dazzling. My kayak rode so low in the water that I could pass right under the trailing branches to see every delicate shade of color and the fragile traceries of crimson veins. A cloud passed by, followed by sun. The leaves trembled and were suddenly illuminated like the thinnest and finest stained glass.

Back in the car sometime later, I looked out on the rolling hills and they seemed pale in comparison to the lake. My eyes were still dazzled, filled by the memory of liquid fire.

Day 2: May Pond

We spent a noisy and fretful night among party-minded campers in East Burke. I woke stiff and cranky, feeling as if I had been walloped during the night, far from my serene self of the day before. I was looking forward to getting out on the water again. The gentle motion of paddling a kayak on quiet water is a fantastic way to warm, stretch, and strengthen your upper body. Kayaking is also a meditative activity. Unlike any other water sport besides swimming, kayaking puts you on the same level as your watery environment. The sensation is at first eerie, then exhilarating: suddenly, you are one with the water, immersed in its currents, its ripples, its exquisite shifts of light and color. You are no longer the same being you were on land.

Many women first take up kayaking as a relaxing and fun way to enjoy the outdoors. Part of this has to do with the equipment available. Today you can choose from a variety of recreational and touring kayaks weighing from 30 to 50 pounds. These light craft can be carried and lifted onto a roof rack by a woman on her own. Also, more women are becoming aware of paddling’s health benefits. Paddling with attention to good form builds upper body strength, improves posture, and provides a good cardiovascular workout. Using good form means relying on your torso — not just your arms — to do much of the work. Olympic slalom kayaker Rebecca Giddens says, “If you want a lean and mean upper body, kayaking will give it to you.” In fact, maintaining good paddling form works out your back, quads, and stomach, too.

After packing up on Sunday morning, my husband and I left the partied-out campers in East Burke and continued on our quest for quiet water and brilliant foliage. We drove up the east shore of lovely Lake Willoughby. The leaves had barely started turning, but there was the awesome sight of the sheer, glacier-carved cliffs of Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Hor dropping down to the lake.

We crested a hill and looked down over green farmland to a tiny jewel of a pond tucked beneath forested hills. It was so hot down on May Pond’s shore that it could have been summer were it not for the burnish of crimson on the nearby maples. With the sun warming my sore shoulders, I struck out on a lazy paddle around the perimeter. For such a small body of water (116 acres), May Pond is surprisingly diverse. Rounding a pine-clad point toward the south end, we were astounded to find a veritable sea of water shield. The red and purple lily pads carpeted the entire surface of the small bay, looking like the exposed side of a gigantic pomegranate-hued fish. The leaves uttered a curious, sad sigh as we pushed past them. To the north, May Pond Mountain made a colorful backdrop for thriving marshland.

We paddled close to a large beaver lodge and watched as a belted kingfisher skimmed over the water, uttering its rattling call. There is a single camp on the northwest shore of May Pond. We stopped beneath a blood-red maple near the camp’s dock, wondering aloud what it would be like to have this gorgeous spot to oneself. Then, reluctantly, we returned to the put-in. We stood on the shore, watching the water riffle and the bright leaves toss under a light breeze.

In our two days of admiring fall colors, we had not been stuck behind a single tour bus, nor in any traffic, aside from the parade in Stowe and the cow jam. The few paddlers and picnickers we encountered were full of joy and appreciation for the beautiful weather, spectacular scenery, and peaceful waters. Like us, they were well aware of the magnificent gift they had been given: the chance to see the glories of autumn from a new and wonder-filled perspective.

Planning Your Own Autumn Paddling Adventure

Vermont is blessed with an abundance of fabulous paddling locations. The Northeast Kingdom alone boasts 35,575 acres of public lakes and ponds. The Burlington area has numerous excellent paddling spots including Lake Champlain, the Winooski and Lamoille rivers, and countless small lakes and ponds. For early fall trips, the Northeast Kingdom is your best bet, since the foliage peaks there first. As autumn progresses and the fall color revs up in the low country, river paddles and trips to small, sheltered lakes like Colchester Pond are good choices.

Whatever your destination, plan for safety first. Wear a lifejacket designed for paddling and bring standard safety gear, including a whistle for emergency signaling. Check the weather forecast before heading out: wind, rain, and dropping temperatures can be unpleasant at best and life-threatening at worst. Also, consider the weather for the past few weeks. Cold weather means frigid water, which will stay cold even after air temperatures warm up. If it has been a cold fall, limit your paddling treks to the early season.

If you have never paddled before, it is easy to learn. Most women are natural kayakers: our lower center of gravity makes it easier to balance. (Who knew that a big bum was good for something?) There are plenty of short, light kayak models on the market that are sized for the average woman. To decide if paddling is for you, try a variety of boats at local retailers, or rent a kayak for the day. Most outfitters will give you basic instruction, and many offer classes on paddling technique and safety.

Narissa Willever lives in Colchester. Prior to moving to Vermont she worked as a publications specialist, webmaster, and ranger for the National Park Service. Her passions include natural history, music, mythology, and anything to do with water.