Hi to all! I wanted to say hello and hope to learn from the insight here on the board.
I’m 48 now but my first experience with a canoe was a great one. In 1995 I was soon to graduate from my undergrad school in Westerm MA. I had read about the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and had to experience it. My truck was packed! I took my last final and ditched my graduation! Picked up my Old Town Discovery 164 in ME on the way to Millenckett. I was only there 5 days but boy what a great experience.
I still have the Discovery 164. Cane seats need replacement but other than that tough boat! Stored outside but I did clean it a few times in 26 years with NuFinish and it does not get much sun where it resides, on the side of the house. Gunwalls are AL and they took some scars from solo loading and unloading on an Explorer and F150.
Fastforward to now! I am excited to open this world to my kids (9 girl, 13 boy, 15 boy). Starting off a little slow with a 3 day trip (including the 2 dogs!!) to Woods Island VT. I plan on getting a second canoe for us as well. Plenty of questions coming.
Welcome. You will need at least one more canoe to do that trip. Maybe two depending on the size of the dogs and whether there is another adult coming along. I confess that I do have a concern that, in your excitement to share the joys of canoe camping, you may stretching things for a first time out (if it is a first time). I do wonder about being a mile from the nearest shore and maybe a 2 mile open water paddle to & from the launch site on a lake that some call the sixth great lake and one that does have a reputation of getting rough.
Yes, Lake Champlain can be a beast to paddle in a canoe if the wind is blowing up the fetch. I know experienced canoers that camped out on those islands and had to hunker down and wait for the wind and waves to subside before returning to the mainland.
Thank you for the concern Rival. I’ve done the trip to Woods Island a few times solo and was blessed with good weather each time. Good weather makes that area pretty flat water to navigate. A storm or high winds and you have a beast to deal with. I’d be stuck waiting out the storm if that were to occur.
