Wilgus...Just the Ticket!

Had a hankerin' to get in one more 2021 camping trip.  The ideal campground I envisioned would have riverside tent sites, easy boat access, and miles of navigable water in both directions-a place where my car would only serve as a food storage unit.  All of my expectations were met at Wilgus State Park in Weathersfield, Vermont...

The park was created in the 1930's after Colonel and Mrs. William Wilgus gave the property to the State of Vermont.  Originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps the facility today includes 15 campsites, 6 lean-to shelters, 4 cabins, and a group camping area. I found things clean and well maintained by a friendly and helpful staff.

My campsite...

...and the nearby path to the river...

However, before arriving at Wilgus State Park on Monday I stopped in Cornish, NH...

...and paddled about 3 miles upriver to Hart Island, said to be the halfway point on the 410 mile-long Connecticut River...

Just below Hart Island is the Burnham Meadow Campsite which had seen a good amount of damage from fallen trees.  Very close by is a "Path of Life Sculpture Garden"...

...and some interesting exhibits...

A pair of adult eagles watched over from an ideal vantage point...

Heading back downriver the day's sporadic showers became a little steadier and I anticipated setting up camp in the rain.  Fortunately Wilgus State Park, while only about 6 miles away, was found nice and dry.

On Tuesday morning, following my first night in camp, I paddled upriver to Chase Island arriving just in time to observe Amtrak's southbound Vermonter make its noontime crossing of the river...

...on its way to Washington D.C. from St. Albans, VT.  Just a short distance further upriver is the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge...

...said to be the longest wooden bridge in the country.  While there, a work barge was seen being pushed across the river...

...indicating the historic bridge was possibly getting some TLC.

Returning downriver an eagle was seen just upriver from the campground...

This floating balloon made me feel right at home...

The next day, Wednesday, I paddled downriver (opening photo) to Jarvis Island and Ashley Ferry.  Both of these locations are at the Weathersfield Bow where the river bends sharply from south to east to southwest.  Jarvis Island...

...and an immature eagle at its south end...

I believe the island is named for William Jarvis, a gentleman farmer and former consul to Portugal, appointed by President Jefferson.  He introduced merino sheep (from Spain) to Vermont in 1811, perhaps having brought them across the river to his Weathersfield Bow farm via the Ashley Ferry (the ferry's landing on the New Hampshire side pictured below)...

A weathervane seen upriver of the Weathersfield Bow may have depicted one of these merino sheep...

After a third night at Wilgus I left on Thursday morning and drove about 10 miles south to Hoyt's Landing in Springfield, VT.  Here again another eagle watched over the landing from a small island at the mouth of the Black River...

 

My plan was to paddle the Connecticut over to the Fort at # 4. but finding the Fort wasn't as easy as I expected.  After scouring the river's east side for more than a mile, I couldn't locate the Fort from the water.  The closest I got to it was this concrete stairway...

...leading to the Fort's next door neighbor, Patch Park.  Close but no cigar.

While paddling back to Hoyt's Landing I enjoyed a final glimpse of Mt. Ascutney...

Back at the landing I loaded my boat for the trip home while reflecting on some of the creatures I saw on the river.  In addition to eagles seen every day, there were blue herons, a great egret, kingfishers, mergansers, cormorants, and this freshwater clam forging his own unique path...

 Also came across this fungal growth upon a tree...

...a type I'd never seen before.

Also a little unusual was this stone staff gage seen near Barber Mountain...

Trash encountered along the several sections paddled...

Note the soaker water gun...that still packs a wallop.

Upon leaving Vermont I drove across the river into Charlestown, New Hampshire and stopped at the Fort at # 4...

...where I had a chance to look around.  A large map is encountered in the north entrance which shows much of New England, eastern New York state, and southeastern Canada without political boundaries.  All waterways, topography, major trails, and settlements are shown.  It provides a very different and interesting perspective.

From the Fort's watchtower...

...I was able to view the river through the trees...

...and get this unobstructed view of the Fort looking up from the tree-lined riverbank...

While visiting the Fort I would learn from a staff member that the actual Fort at # 4 was located about a mile to the south and that the fort was not built as a military installation as were Fort Dummer and Fort Massachusetts, but instead was built as a civilian fort around 1743.  Its location near the confluence of the Connecticut and Black rivers and the trail leading to Crown Point on Lake Champlain must have made it an ideal place for trade between English settlers and Native Americans.