Looking across at the State of Vermont
Lake Champlain looks small and totally non-threatening…from Google Earth. It is like a picture of a cute neighborhood kid that has a reputation for mayhem and destruction. Like an affable serial killer. Don’t turn your back on it.
Despite its benign facade on Google Earth, we are well aware that the Lake is a force of nature to be reckoned with. Paddling the Lake Champlain segment of the NFCT is Option Alpha for our fall canoe excursion. We may find the Lake to be like the spooky neighbor that turns out to be one helluva good guy. Or we could find ourselves treated like unwanted guests at a demon costume party.
Its designation as “Option Alpha” would imply that this is not our only option, and such is the case. If the Lake decides to show us its unfriendly side, we’ll leave it be and proceed to Option Bravo: a trip from Long Lake Village to Saranac Lake Village in the Adirondacks. This is a segment of the NFCT we have all been looking forward to, and it is certainly a worthy alternative to dancing with Champ, especially this time of year.
We haven’t done a lot of planning for this one. Usually the e-mails that go flying back and forth while planning a trip could fill volumes worthy of Tolstoy. But, we’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt…other than trying to work out the logistics of a shuttle, we’ve gotten to the point that we all just need to show up.
So whether we are treated to the chance to paddle across the north section of the sixth largest freshwater lake in the US or whether we paddle along many other smaller lakes and rivers by magnificent fall foliage, it should be a good trip. Crisp fall air, warm fires, cold beer, good friends. The NFCT is calling us back one last time for the year.
