BOC 2024 SUMMER PADDLING SCHEDULE, GUIDELINES FOR HEALTHY AND SAFE PADDLING and DATE FOR ANNUAL CONSIGNMENT CANOE & KAYAK SALE

The Brattleboro Outing Club (BOC) will host 14 paddle trips, from April 27th to October 9th. Details are posted below. Phone during trips: (207) 703-6668

Paddling is good for both body and soul. It allows us to exercise, as well as getting into nature, away from the 4 walls, into a clean, safe and open environment.

During this time of post-COVID, it is especially important to protect ourselves, as well as those around us. Safe & healthy paddling requires us to be more conscious of our surroundings and actions. The following guidelines are offered to help make us all more responsible paddlers:

…Follow all CDC guidelines, as well as State & local requirements regarding masks, physical distancing and group sizes when & where appropriate.

…Be totally self-sufficient; able to load, unload and move your own boat/board. In the event you have to ask for help, or offer help, be conscious of physical distancing.

…ALWAYS WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET (PFD) WHILE PADDLING!

…If you are not able (or don’t know how) to rescue yourself in the event of a tip-over, and the water is deeper than your waist, PADDLE NEAR THE SHORE, where you can swim or walk your boat to safety. Requiring rescue endangers both you, and the person coming to your aid, since physical distancing parameters will be compromised.

…Be self-sufficient, and responsible. Keep track of your own trash/recycle, and LEAVE NO TRACE.

The 2025 Paddling Schedule features 13 trips on local reservoirs, lakes, ponds & rivers, around the Brattleboro area. We will also travel west to Lake Champlain, and South to the Thimble Islands, in Long Island Sound. The Northern most outing is North Hartland Lake, Hartford & Hartland, VT. On the East is Spoonwood Pond, Hancock, NH (a place motorboats can’t access). The Southernmost fresh water is Hubbard Pond, Rindge, NH, on the NH/MA line. Lots of FRESH water to paddle in that big area, AND…a trip to SALT water, in Long Island Sound.

BOC trips are FREE, and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; just show up at the time & place noted, with a boat/board, and all the necessary paddling & safety gear (also WATER, snacks & lunch) needed for a day’s outing. Life jackets (PFDs) are required. Please note the recommended gear list that appears on each of the PADDLING pages.

Descriptions of all ‘quiet water’ trips can be found in the AMC Quiet Water books for VT/NH, & MA/CT/RI, 3rd Eds. The river (moving water) trip is shown on the CT River Paddlers’ Trail Maps, 2nd Ed, and the CT River Boating Guide/Source to Sea, 3rd Ed. Meeting locations provide places to car & boat pool.

The BOC sponsored camping trip this year will be Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights, August 22-24, in BUTTON BAY STATE PARK, along the Eastern shore of Lake Champlain, near Vergennes, VT. Instructions are in the Paddling Schedule for that weekend. Paddlers can camp with BOC, any number of nights, or reserve their own sites, or just join us for day trips. Camping is also available at/near all of our other paddling locations. Paddlers wanting to include camping in their outing are advised to plan early, as reservations are required in most locations. CT River camping is first come, first served, and locations are identified on the CT River Paddlers’ Trail Map, 2nd Ed.

A reminder: VT seniors are entitled to: “FREE ADMISSION to state-sponsored public events, exhibits, concerts, museums and state parks, historical sites and lands.” A free State of Vermont, GREEN MOUNTAIN PASSPORT is available from town clerks. Some of our paddle trips are within VT STATE PARKS; save your money, get a ‘Passport’. Another ‘reminder’: skinny-dipping is really only legal in VT.

2025 Planned Trips

APRIL

April 27th, Sunday – CT River, Hinsdale Setbacks, NH…meet at 9, Walmart’s parking lot (Rte 119), Hinsdale, NH. (songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, beavers, turtles, picnic lunch on an island, etc)(See…BRING)

MAY

May 3rd, Saturday – Sadawga Pond, Wilmington, VT…meet at 8:30, at the Coffee House in Wilmington, VT (Jct of Rtes 9 West & 100 South). Sadawga Pond is the site of the famous ‘floating island’ (loosely tethered by roots to the pond’s bottom). Expect sightings of SPRING, and great blue heron and waterfowl among the rafts of aquatic vegetation. (See…BRING)

May 7th, Wednesday – Hubbard Pond, Rindge, NH. It’s called a “hidden treasure” in the ‘Quiet Water’ guidebook. The pond is surrounded on three sides by the Annett State Forest, and is said to be perfect for spring wildlife viewing. Meet at 8, in the Hannaford parking lot to car & boat pool. Expect to see songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, beavers, painted turtles, etc. (See…BRING)

May 10th, Saturday – ANNUAL BOC CONSIGNMENT SALE & SWAP of small human & wind powered watercraft, and related gear…11:30 – 2. This is the annual fundraiser for the Paddling Program, which is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Complete information is at the end of this document.

JUNE

June 14th, Saturday – Somerset Reservoir, Somerset, VT…meet at 8:30, at the Coffee House, Wilmington, VT, (Jct of Rtes 9 West & 100 South), or at the CAR-TOP parking lot, at the very end of the access road, at 9:30. This is a very large body of water, requiring long distance paddling, and subject to strong wind and big waves; NOT a trip for small boats. Paddlers with small boats can safely paddle the South end near the dam. (songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, beavers, moose, otter, bear & beaches) (See…BRING)

June 18th, Wednesday – Thimble Islands, Long Island Sound, CT…meet in the Market 32 (former Price Chopper) parking lot, on Canal St (near Exit 1, I-91) at 7:30, to car & boat pool, before driving South on I-91, to the Stony Creek, CT, launch site. Parking there is a huge issue on weekends, thus a Wednesday trip, and an effort to take as few cars as possible. We will paddle around beautiful granite islands (which look a lot like the islands of Maine), arriving at Otter Island, NWR, for a picnic lunch (BYO), and a walk around the Wildlife Refuge. There are restroom facilities on the island. This is NOT a trip for small, slow, open kayaks. Weather & sea conditions may require foul weather gear & spray skirts. Canoe paddlers must be proficient in ocean paddling, and are encouraged to have a spray deck and throw bag. Paddlers with ‘shortie’ wetsuits would do well to bring them. We will have on-the-water refresher training in self & assisted kayak & canoe rescues before heading out into the archipelago. Paddlers coming from the South may meet us at the launch site around 10:30. (See…BRING)

June 21st- Saturday- Harriman Reservoir, Wilmington, VT. SUNRISE PADDLE, and POTLUCK BREAKFAST on an island, before the motorboat crowd hits the water.…meet at 5:30AM, Royal Diner, Marlboro Rd (Rte9), West Brattleboro, VT (or at the Coffee House, Wilmington (Jct of Rtes 9West & 100South) at 6AM). (Songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, beavers, beaches & a quiet lake). (See…BRING)

June 25th, Wednesday – Spoonwood Pond, Hancock & Nelson, NH…meet at 8:30, South end of Hannaford parking lot, Putney Rd, Brattleboro (or at the boat ramp into Nubanusit Lake, on Kings Highway, off NH Rte 12, at 10). There is a short ‘carry’ up to Spoonwood, from Nubanusit; this keeps the powerboats out. (songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, etc)(See…BRING)

JULY

July 2nd, Wednesday – Pisgah Reservoir, Winchester, NH. This pristine mountain lake requires a steep, half-mile hike up a washed-out road, but it’s worth it. Bring boat wheels if you have them; and we’ll help each other. Meet in the Walmart parking lot, in Hinsdale, NH, on Rte 119, at 9AM, to car & boat pool (only about a half dozen cars will fit in the reservoir parking area) before driving East on Rte 119, to Reservation Rd. From this intersection, it’s about a half mile up a dirt road to the parking area. Best to have lightweight boats. (songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, beaver, otter, moose, 5 miles of shoreline & deep cold water)(See…BRING)

AUGUST

August 17thth, Sunday – Lowell Lake, Lowell Lake State Park, Londonderry, VT…meet at 9, at West River Provisions, (old Jamaica Country Store), Jamaica, VT, on Rte 30. Lowell Lake State Park includes most of the shoreline, and several islands. State Parks charge a $5 entry fee, unless a SENIOR has the GREEN MOUNTAIN PASSPORT, from their town clerk. (songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, beavers, etc)(See…BRING)

August 20th, Wednesday – North Hartland Lake, Hartford & Hartland, VT…meet in Hannaford parking lot, on Putney Rd, Brattleboro, at 8, to pool boats & cars. If coming from the North, meet at the North Hartland Lake ramp at 10. There may be an Army Corps of Engineers entrance fee, but it was not clear at the time of this printing. This long, narrow lake allows us to paddle up into Quechee Gorge State Park, to the base of the falls. Large sandbars have formed, and the swimming is great. Bald Eagles are often seen on this trip, in addition to songbirds, waterfowl, deer & wild turkeys. (See…BRING)

August 22-24, Friday/Saturday/Sunday – Camping in Button Bay State Park, Vergennes, VT, & paddling Lake Champlain. Over the course of parts of 5 days/3 nights we hope to paddle both North into the Otter Creek delta, and South to Arnold & White Bays. Weather conditions will dictate our paddling. BOC has a lean-to reserved, with additional grass area for tents. There is an 8-person size limit on the site, and it will be first come/first served, based on postmarks, or in-person payments. Cost is $8 per person, per night. Reservation requests that don’t make the cutoff will be returned. Paddlers who miss out on the BOC site are urged to book their own site(s). The daily ‘start time’ for paddling will be 9am, unless conditions dictate otherwise. A sign will be attached to the BOC lean-to indicating which direction we headed that day, in case day paddlers wish to join us.

Campers will be responsible for their own meals, but are encouraged to ‘pool’ resources, food, etc. BOC is NOT providing food, or cooking for everyone!

There is a launch-site trail adjacent to the BOC lean-to. Wheels would be handy, but not necessary. Sign-in time is no earlier than 2pm, Friday, and sign-out time is no later than 11am Monday. Address for reservations: “BOC/Larry, POBox6294, Brattleboro, VT 05302”. Checks made out to: BOC, with “PADDLING” on the memo line. FMI: Lmacyak@gmail.com (See…BRING)

SEPTEMBER

September 13th, Saturday- Somerset Reservoir, Somerset, VT…meet at 8:30, Coffee House, Wilmington, VT (Jct of Rtes 9West & 100South) or in the CAR-TOP launch area, at the very end of the access road, at 9:30. This is a large body of water, requiring long distance paddling & subject to strong wind and big waves; NOT a trip for small boats. Paddlers with small boats can safely paddle the area near the dam. One of the prime paddling spots in all of VT. (Songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, beaver, otter, moose, bear(1), etc)(See…BRING)

September 21st, Sunday – Grout Pond, Stratton, VT…meet at 9, at the Coffee House in Wilmington, VT (Jct of Rtes 9 West & 100 South), or at 10 at the Pond (off Rte 100North and Kelly Stand Rd/West Wardsboro-Arlington Rd). (Fall foliage, waterfowl, raptors, beavers, etc)(See…BRING)

OCTOBER

October 1st, Wednesday – South Pond, Marlboro, VT. Meet at the Royal Diner, West Brattleboro, at 9, or if coming from the West, meet at the ramp. (Fall foliage, waterfowl, beavers, etc) (May be the last swim of the season, and last we see of the Loons, till next year.)(See…BRING)

There’s a list of recommended items to bring along on every paddle trip here on the website. Be sure to look it over; there are new additions.

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The Annual BOC CONSIGNMENT SALE & SWAP of small human & wind-powered watercraft and related gear will be held on Saturday, May 10th, from NOON to 2 pm.

The location is :

BLACK MOUNTAIN SQUARE
972 Putney Rd, Brattleboro, VT

Boats will be accepted on Friday, May 9th, from Noon to 2pm & 5pm -7pm. On Saturday, May 10th, boats will be accepted beginning at 8am, until 11:30am. The SWAP will be 11:30am–12. The SALE starts at NOON.

This is a consignment sale to fund the BOC Summer Paddling Program, which is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Boat owners set the price, and BOC Paddling receives 10% of the eventual selling price. There is also a sales tax. When 2 or more prospective buyers want the same boat, an ‘auction’ will decide the eventual buyer. Donations are accepted, and appreciated. Only ‘serviceable’ craft will be allowed; no ‘project’ boats. With a successful swap, each boat owner donates $10 to BOC.

For more information please contact Larry at Lmacyak@gmail.com or text (207) 703-6668.