Day 15 – Clyde Pond, VT, to Pensioner Pond, VT

U-2016-9-4

Start: Clyde Pond Campsite 

End: Clyde River Recreation, side-field near Pensioner Pond

On the Way:  Clyde Pond, Clyde River, Salem Lake, Charleston Pond, Pensioner Pond

Miles: ~9 :C (Milepost: 281)

Map: 6

Weather: Clear all day.  Some rain would be nice.

Started off the day being filmed by Joe.  He’s doing some Labor Day paddling, too so when I ran into him again walking back from my deli-based dinner along the road, he dutifully reported that the upcoming section of the Nulhegan he paddled in his blue plastic playboat was waaaay scratchy.  Ah well, can’t be much worse than how I spent my morning on the Clyde.

Another Vermont hydro project

Some reaaaaal scratchy water

And frankly, “worse” is highly relative: I did lots and lots of lining up rapids that the books called Class IIs and IIIs…if they were remotely near full.  As it were, the day was warm, the river was calm, there was that leafy crispness of late summer in the air, and it just felt like playing around on the rocks around Swallow Falls back home in Maryland.  It was rather nice.  It was another leg-intensive day: arms had better watch out, or they’ll be surpassed.  All in all, I only hurt my pride when I fell on my butt, only got a few bangs and scrapes, and learned that my ankles are a lot stronger than I had remembered.

Anyway, after the long spell of hauling, this little chain of quiet lakes was most welcome.  I’m nearly to the end of them before getting into the twisty, labyrinthine Fens, and the head of the Clyde in Island Pond (marking the only river I’ll travel from source to mouth on this Trail).

I’m spending the night at Clyde River Recreation in an odd twist of being surprised by nightfall.  Chris is the owner here at CRR, a tight little rental operation they run out of a barn across the road from their house.  I must remember to send him a “thank you” and write a nice Yelp review.  I could tell that the Labor Day crowd had him overworked and more than a little distracted when I pulled up, because he mentioned something about the campsite on Charleston Pond (which was one mean uphill carry ago).  I think he saw my dejected face and changed his mind, because he relented and now I’m camping under my tarp A-frame in some lovely lush grass and listening to Dave Matthews as his family and employees have a Labor Day cookout.  I didn’t want to impose so I hoofed it 1.5 miles down the road to Scampy’s Country Store for a sandwich and massive whoopee pie and chocolate milk.  (Scampy’s overlooks the river in an old, old building that it shared with the Post Office.)  Chris and Co. were fed and ready to chat around the fire when I got back, though, which was a nice bit of socializing.

Life ain’t bad.

CRR's genius boat-hauling rig: a bale elevator with a new belt, fixed on its side to carry boats up and down the bank.

Evening on the Clyde, a stone throw's away from Pensioner's Pond.

Things Learned:

+ My ankles, despite chronic weakness from an ancient soccer injury, are stronger than I give them credit for: they stood up admirably to a day’s abuse from current and rocks and log-hopping.

Trail Magic:

+ Ran into Joe again!  It’s nice to have recurring acquaintances.

+ Saw these neat flowers at the campsite--any thoughts on what they might be?

+ Tomorrow, the Fens!