Frozen Rivers

We are already into the second week of February.  Soon Karen and I will start calling each other and emailing our lists and ideas for our next journey on the Ohio.  But right now that seems a long way off.  I have remarked in the past at the many changes that have taken place in Karen’s and my life since we first set out in a canoe in 2001.  And the changes just keep on coming. 2014 was full of changes. Our daughter was married on September 27 in a beautiful outdoor wedding at their home in West Windsor, VT.  Karen and Mark were integral helpers in making that a special day.  It was great to have another excuse to see them in the same year. Though you will read in forthcoming posts that Karen and I did not make it to the Ohio River in 2014, you will learn that we still had some canoe adventures. The day after the wedding we got to enjoy a group paddle on the Connecticut River. Ten of us took a leisurely trip on the river for about three hours.

After over ten years of working for Habitat for Humanity in Santa Fe, NM, and then in North Central Massachusetts, I started a new job in Claremont, NH, last week working for an agency that helps build stronger families from before the children are born.  Claremont is very much like Jamestown, NY, where Karen lives and where I worked for 17 years.  I find it interesting how we come back to what is familiar. I have worked at the new job for only 7 days but I like it and think it is just right for me at this point in my life.  But I have to say that one of the most fun things about the new job is that I have to cross the Connecticut River at least twice a day to get to it.  And sometimes by covered bridge.  I never imagined ever having a job in a place that meant I would be crossing rivers via covered bridges.  Pretty darn cool, eh?

It has been a cold and snowy winter in New England. We have not had it as bad in Vermont as the folks in Boston but at our home in Lancaster, MA, 40 miles west of Boston, the piles of snow are immense. We move our household belongings into storage at the end of the month and I cannot even imagine how we will pack a U-Haul with all that snow in the driveway but I guess we will figure it out.

The Connecticut River near Windsor, VT.

Meanwhile, I enjoy driving over the frozen Connecticut River and seeing the changes each day. Mostly it is frozen over completely but there are a few spots where the water is not frozen. Last Friday when it was minus 15 degrees when I drove to work, those spots where there was water created a fog machine of sorts. The evaporating water instantly turned into frozen mist as it rose from the river. It coated nearby trees with a bit of frost. It was beautiful.

So here’s what I don’t know. When will the ice break up? What kind of damage will it cause? I remember one stop on the Allegheny River years ago where the residents enjoyed showing us photos of the damage the ice did to docks and riversides the previous winter. There is lot of ice on the Connecticut. If it cuts loose all at once it will do some serious damage downstream. I hope it won’t and I also hope I get to see it literally breaking up and flowing away. That will be a first for me.

So I am grateful for the daily reminder of river life. In New England, river life is more about the bygone days of the industrial revolution. On the Ohio, it is about the transportation of goods and lots of coal. But there is still the air of the bygone days as we pass abandoned coal powered plants.

And finally, I am grateful for the promise that Karen and I will have many more hours of paddling and talking and catching up on all the changes that are taking place in our lives.

Back in Pittsburgh

We returned to Pittsburgh last night for a comfortable stay in a motel by the airport before Maggie flies out today and Karen returns home with Wonder strapped to the top of her car.  We have many people to thank for their support along the way and we will spend time in the next weeks writing about that so please stay tuned even though we are off the river.

Most especially, we want to thank our families for supporting this wild journey of ours.  Our husbands have supported this journey for ten years usually thinking we are brave and sometimes crazy.  Our children, we think, always think we are crazy.  Karen’s husband Mark has served as our meteorologist and reconnaissance man using Google Earth to seek out places to camp ahead of us.  Maggie’s husband, John, is our anchor at home, sending encouragement and prayers our way.  Chelsea, our IT person, keeps up the blog as we travel and Kyle got up at 5:15 am to transport us to the river, then spent 5 hours to come pick us up.  Kira and Jordan (as well as Chelsea and Kyle) just roll their eyes as they hear our stories and tell their friends about our trips…and we laugh at that and find support as well.

We think of  all who have tuned into our blog and who have prayed for us and hurrayed for.  We thank you for that encouragement and support.  Today we will begin to think of how and when we can get into the Ohio River in Powhatan, Ohio, and continue this journey which has become a metaphor for our lives in so many ways.

May 2011, final day

We made it 110 miles down the Ohio river this month!  We have reached the end of this leg of our journey, and are sad to leave the river for the time being, even while we are glad to dry off!  We had breakfast of tea and chocolate, then paddled the rest of the way to Powhatan,where we were picked up by Karen’s son Kyle.

Heading home with “Wonder”, which is what we have named our new red canoe because we wonder about things all along our journey, and because we think she’s Wonder-ful!

May 2011, day three

Thanks to the generosity of a boat club, we were able to spend last night indoors, and woke up to a bit of sunshine.  The rest of the day, however, was very wet. We had to wait out a thunderstorm under a bridge in West Virginia!

We are spending the night in the basement of a Catholic church in Bellaire, Ohio, after paddling about 35 miles.  Thank you to Father Dan for taking us in on such a rainy night!  Now, time for some dehydrated macaroni and cheese…yum.

The Boathouse

Taking shelter under a bridge!

Anticipating the next leg…

Preparing for a trip is almost as fun as going on the trip, and with this leg being the longest, farthest away, and on the biggest river yet, planning is essential.  From the day we finished the Allegheny River last May we began talking and planning for this next stage of our journey.

   Being map geeks we delight in poring over the US Army Corps of Engineers river navigation charts.  Along with our Quimby’s Cruising Guide and Google Maps, these charts help us anticipate how far we might go, where we’ll find boat ramps, camping spots and other services, and the all important info – on which side of the river is the next lock.  These books hold center stage on the Karen’s dining table, where Mark joins in the fun of research.

As launch h day approaches, we gather gear.  The tried and true tent airs out after a long winter dormancy, while the new pack stove, smaller sleeping bag and neoprene boots (all Christmas presents from Karen’s family) await their chance to prove themselves.  We’re trying to reduce the bulk of our gear, but navigation lights are a new addition, just in case we can’t find a campsite and have to stay on the river after dusk.

 My (Karen’s) biggest concern is whether my body is ready for this longer trip.  Though I’ve resumed walking and stretching this spring, my aches and pains are more numerous and frequent.  Will I be able to handle 8-10 hours in a canoe, followed by nights sleeping on the ground?  You can bet Ibuprofen is on the list for both of us to bring!   When we get on the water I have no doubt the thrill of adventure will make up for a little discomfort. 

Though the prep and planning have been fun, I’m eager to get on with the trip.  Six more days and we’ll be launching in Pittsburgh!