Mercy Woods - October 8, 2026

Heading out on the Mercy Trail

This week’s hike with the "Old Guy's Thursday Hiking Society" was at Mercy Woods.

The Mercy Woods is a Cumberland Land Trust property that has 5.7-miles of trails including the Mercy Loop (2.3-miles), the Ridge Trail (2.1-miles) and the Stone Wall, Fisher, Fern, Fiske, Deer and Grape connecting trails. A short section of the Ridge Trail north of the Fern connecting trail is also part of the Warner Trail.

Cairn where the Mercy Trail
meets the Ridge Trail

We met at 9:00 at the trailhead on Sumner Brown Road and headed south on the Mercy Trail and the Ridge Trail. At the southern end, we cut down to the Diamond Hill Reservoir along a section of the Warner Trail before looping back to the cars on the Ridge Trail and the Mercy Trail. Overall we did a little less than 5-miles.

After the hike we went out for breakfast at the Village Griddle in Plainville.

The crew - Al, Erik, Steve, Bill, Danny, Doug and Mike

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My Pictures

Mercy Woods Trail Map

Connecticut River Camping - Woodsville to North Thetford - October 2-6, 2026

Getting ready to launch at Woodsville

The upper Connecticut River isn’t a real wilderness river. It flows past more cow farms and corn fields than wilderness. The campsites are often tucked into a narrow stretch of woods between the river and the farms, but they are usually well maintained with a picnic table, fire ring and privy, and are well-spaced for multi-night trips.

I wanted to get in one more trip before winter, so I reached out to Jonathan to see if he was interested. His only availability happened to be the same weekend that Aaron and his friend Cory were planning a trip on the Connecticut River, so we decided to join in.

Heading out from Woodsville

The Connecticut River is the longest river in New England flowing south for approximately 400 miles from the Canadian border through four states before emptying into Long Island Sound. Back when I was working it was tough for me to get away to do long camping trips, so we did a lot of three-day weekends on the Connecticut River. We did the sections from Canaan to Bloomfield; Bloomfield to Lunenburg; Woodsville to Orford and Orford to White River Junction and day trips on the reservoirs.

This time we would be doing a four-day/three-night trip. We looked at lots of options, but decided to do the section from Woodsville to North Thetford. The scenery is nice, there are lots of well-spaced campsites and there should be plenty of water.

Running the small rapids

I was up early Saturday morning for the ride up to the put-in. I was running a little early, so I was able to meet Jonathan for a coffee and muffin at the Sunnyside Coffee Company before dropping his truck off at the take-out at the North Thetford Landing. Aaron drove in while we were there, and we all headed off to the put-in at Woodsville.

Cory was waiting at the put-in when we arrived, so we unpacked our gear, loaded our boats and headed out. The river started off shallow, but there were some small rapids to run if you picked the right line. If you picked the wrong line you would be dragging your boat over the rocks. We did a little of both.

Vaughan Meadow Campsite

After that, the river opened up. We paddled past the Howard Island and Horse Meadow campsites. Both were empty, which we thought was a good sign. Unfortunately, when we reached our planned campsite for the evening – Harkdale Farm – it was occupied. We decided to continue downstream to the Vaughan Meadow Campsite.

As we were paddling downstream we heard what sounded like a large boat heading for us. It turned out to be a small plane flying low over the river. It did a fly-by and was gone.

Heading out from Vaughan Meadow

We arrived at Vaughan Meadow and quickly set up camp. The site is located in the woods between the river and a large hay field. There was lots of wood laying around the site, so we cut it up and had enough for our evening and morning fires.

Dinner was Jonathan’s haddock with Maine-guide potatoes. The stars were amazing with a clear view of the Milky Way across the horizon. We sat around the fire until around 10:00, and then called it a night. Total miles for the day – 15.

Cory cooking dinner at Underhill

I crawled out of the tent around 6:30 the next morning. Cory was already up, so we lit the fire and started the coffee. Jonathan cooked eggs-in-a-hole for breakfast, and then we packed up and headed out.

This would be a relatively short paddling day, so we took our time. As we paddled along we heard what sounded like lawn mowers getting closer. It turned out to be a pair of parasails flying overhead. A littler further downstream we had another small plane zip by us at a low altitude following the river.

The Fairlee Palisades
(Photo by Aaron Rouby)

We arrived at our next campsite – Underhill – by midafternoon. We set up camp and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon. Since firewood was scare on land, Aaron and I paddled out to gather some of the abundant driftwood along the river. Dinner was T-bone steaks cooked on the fire by Cory – delicious. We sat around the fire until around 9:30 before calling it a night. Total miles for the day 7.

There was a chance of showers between 7:00 and 8:00 the next morning, so we got up early and took down our tents. We had a nice breakfast of French toast and bacon cooked by Cory. Then we headed out to paddle one of the prettier sections of the river passing Mount Sawyer and the Fairlee Palisades. We took a break for lunch at Orford Landing.

Roaring Brook Campsite

The wind picked up in the afternoon, and the paddling became a bit of a slog. We paddled by the Birch Meadow Campsite and down to Clay Brook. As we were checking out the Edgell Covered Bridge, the skies opened up in a torrential downpour. It stopped by the time we reached our campsite for the night – Roaring Brook.

We were able to get our tents up before the skies opened up again. A couple of bands of rain and some hail came through before the skies finally cleared and we had an amazing rainbow over the river. Dinner was Aaron’s chili – also delicious. It was a chilly night, so I was toasty and warm in my sleeping bag a little after 9:00. Total miles for the day – 10.

Jonathan, Erik, Aaron and Cory
(Photo by Aaron Rouby)

It was downright cold when we woke up the next morning. We didn’t have a frost, but I’ll bet it came close. Cory and I were up around 6:30 and got the fire and the coffee started. Aaron and Jonathan were up shortly after, and Jonathan cooked eggs-in-a-hole for breakfast.

We packed up camp and headed out for the short paddle down to the take-out at North Thetford Landing. It took a little while to get everyone back to their cars, but we were soon on our way after another great trip. Total miles for the day – 2. Total miles for the trip - 34.



Links:
My Pictures

My Video
Connecticut River Paddlers Trail

Charles River/Boston Harbor - October 1, 2026

View of Back Bay

I made my first trip into Boston since my retirement yesterday to paddle the Charles River and Boston Harbor. I have been wanting to do this trip for years, but didn’t know the put-in or how to get through the locks. When Steve posted the trip on the RICKA Flatwater Message Board, I was in.

We put in at Magazine Beach and paddled down the Charles River into the Back Bay. This area was originally a large tidal marsh that was filled from 1857 through the 1880s, transforming it into the grid-patterned Victorian-era brownstone and high-rise neighborhood that we know today.

Into the Gridley Locks

We continued under the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge and Longfellow Bridge up to the Museum of Science, which sits directly on top of the 1910 Charles River Dam. The dam was built to turn the Charles River from a tidal estuary into a fresh-water basin. It included locks to let river traffic pass to and from the harbor. We passed through the channel of a now unused lock next to the Museum of Science.

In 1978, the Army Corps of Engineers replaced the old Charles River Dam with a new dam under what is now the Zakim Bridge. We passed through the new Colonel Richard Gridley Locks on our way to Boston Harbor. Richard Gridley was General George Washington's first army engineer.

Bunker Hill and Old Ironsides

Once in the harbor we headed for the Charlestown Navy Yard - one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States. It was established in 1800 and operated until 1974. Today it is part of the Boston National Historical Park, and is home for the USS Constitution – “Old Ironsides”.

We crossed over to the Boston side of the harbor and continued down to the Tea Party Ship at Fort Point Channel. Conditions were perfect, and it was great to paddle past buildings where I had worked for 45-years. The trip back was uneventful until we hit an afternoon headwind on the Charles River. Total milage for the day – 10.4-miles.

This is what my workdays in Boston look like now!

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My Pictures

Purgatory Chasm - September 24, 2026

Climbing the rocks at Little Purgatory

This week’s hike with the "Old Guy's Thursday Hiking Society" was at Purgatory Chasm State Reservation.

Purgatory Chasm became a state park in 1919 and is known for the .25-mile-long, 70-foot-deep chasm near the entrance. Various theories have been proposed to account for the creation of the chasm, but the most common is that glacial meltwater ripped out the gorge at the end of the last ice age.

Looking down into the chasm

We started on at the trailhead off Mendon Road on the Forest Road Trail. We took the trail along Purgatory Brook down to Little Purgatory. We then looped back to the Forest Road Trail and followed the Old Purgatory Trail to the main entrance. From there, we took the Charlie Loop Trail and the Chasm Loop Trail to explore Purgatory Chasm before returning to the cars. 

Total distance was around 3-miles - just enough to justify lunch at Schultzy's Place in Sutton.

Exploring the bottom of Purgatory Chasm

Links:
My Pictures
Trail Map

4-Day/3-Night Trips on the Connecticut River

I’m planning a 4-day/3-night trip on the Connecticut River with Jonathan, Aaron and Cory. We would really like to do the section from Canaan to Bloomfield but the water is too low, so I came up with three options from other sections that we have paddled before.

Option 1 – Debanville (Bloomfield) to Mount Orne Covered Bridge – 46 miles

With Bill in 2017

Put in - Debanville Landing (VT)
First Night - Maine Central Railroad Trestle Campsite (VT) – 13 miles
Second Night - Samuel Benton Campsite (VT) – 7 miles
Portage - Wyoming Dam
Third Night - South Guildhall Campsite (VT) – 16 miles
Take out - Mount Orne Covered Bridge (VT) – 10 miles

Detail

Debanville Landing

Put-in - Debanville Landing (VT) – mile 348. An unimproved path at the mouth of the Nulhegan River - park by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail kiosk on the other side of Rt. 102.
44° 45' 5.2344" N, 71° 37' 58.6524" W.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zUxwJmEgZW1jkdVdA

First Night - Maine Central Railroad Trestle Campsite (VT) – mile 335. Maintained by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The site is immediately downstream of granite railroad trestle, on the Vermont side. Land on a beach and follow trail north to campsite on former railroad right of way. 
44°40'34.0"N 71°35'33.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/g1fYwa8vYFFHeMkr7

Samuel Benton Campsite

Second Night - Samuel Benton Campsite (VT) – mile 328. The campsite is situated in a grove of trees on a sandy bluff, at the edge of a field, on privately owned farmland. (I stayed here in 2017. Staying here means a 7 mile second day and a 16 mile third day.)
44° 37' 46.362" N, 71° 32' 50.3196" W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/G7Y4DEwN6D7JzsFt7

Alternative Campsite - Scott C. Devlin Memorial Campsite (VT) – mile 318. Situated in a shady stand of pines about two miles below the confluence of the Upper Ammonoosuc, after the river makes a tight 180 degree turn near 102. (Staying here means a 17 mile second day and a 6 mile third day)
44°34'25.8"N 71°32'58.6"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xsu9no96GcznBWYMA

Wyoming Dam

Portage - Wyoming Dam – Mile 323. Take-out is located immediately upstream on the Vermont side. A portage trail takes paddlers up to Rt. 105.
44°33'50.8"N 71°33'33.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/U65kdev8E3tcihKo7

Third Night - South Guildhall Campsite (VT) – mile 312. Beautiful campsite situated in floodplain forest, with great views of the White Mountains. Site is accessed via a set of access steps. Watch for stinging nettles in the forest. Room for 3 tents. (We had 4 tents in 2017)
44°31'20.1"N 71°35'11.8"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LM99Na6e52AxMM849

South Guildhall Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Riverside Camping and RV Resort (NH) – mile 308. Private riverside campground. Caters to RVs, but grassy meadow provided for tent camping. For reservations and info call (603) 631-7433 or visit riversidecampingnh.com
44°29'42.9"N 71°35'38.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BbMFZREuzToZowzo7

Take out - Mount Orne Covered Bridge (VT) – mile 302. Small parking area and hand-carry launch, just south of the Mount Orne Covered Bridge on the Vermont side of the river.
44°27'36.8"N 71°39'13.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1fKf5ew9MwYrYHgh8

Mount Orne Covered Bridge

Now that I look at it, I’m not so big on this one. It’s the furthest away, has the the most miles, and has a long day (16 miles) with a portage. The water may also be low up by Bloomfield. I did this trip with Bill, Tommy and Mena back in 2017.

Option 2 - Woodville to North Thetford – 34 miles

With Conrad in 2018

Put-in - Woodsville Access (NH)
First Night - Harkdale Farm Campsite (VT) – 9 miles
Second Night - Underhill Campsite (NH) – 13 miles
Third Night - Roaring Brook Campsite (VT) – 10 miles
Take out - North Thetford Landing (VT) – 2 miles

Detail

Woodville Access

Put-in - Woodsville Access (NH) – mile 263. Small, sandy beach in town of Woodsville. Downstream of bridge, on Connecticut Street. Unimproved ramp, car-top access only. Parking for several vehicles is available along the road.
44°09'11.5"N 72°02'25.2"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BdaaooWCp1WH5Lb29

Alternative Campsite - Howard Island Campsite (NH) - mile 260. About 2 miles below the Woodsville Bridge. The northern campsite is located at the northeast end of this island with access on a moderately-sloped cobblestone bank. The southern campsite is at the southwestern corner of the island.
44°07'26.0"N 72°02'24.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mVLC5FKRC5Ky7Lw86

Harkdale Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Horse Meadow – (NH) - mile 257. One of the first campsites established on the Upper Connecticut River, and recently re-established with the help of the Thetford Academy. Access is via a set of removable stairs situated just past the southern tip of the adjacent island.
44°06'10.8"N 72°01'57.5"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/K7T5WR6h5WbDW8vb9

First Night - Harkdale Farm Campsite (VT) – mile 254. Access on Vermont side at second large oxbow downstream of Howard Island, across from high eroding sand bank that meets small brook with fallen trees.
44°04'39.0"N 72°02'13.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EJYbVQyYa1VfymtNA

Underhill Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Vaughan Meadow Campsite (VT) – mile 248. Located on the Vermont side one mile below the old Bedell Bridge abutment. Located on a wooded bank after the river turns from SE to S, a few hundred yards north of the Bradford line.
44°01'49.0"N 72°04'39.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cvbxZ1vZZEt2ri267

Second Night - Underhill Campsite (NH) – mile 241. Popular campsite at the mouth of Eastman Brook, before the river veers west, past Bug's Island. Access is via a set of timber steps or at a take-out up Eastman Brook.
43°58'02.6"N 72°05'26.8"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2na9Ho3t67KvDJjy5

Roaring Brook Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Birch Meadow Campsite (VT) – mile 233. Two miles below the arch bridge, on a low wooded point just above the marshland at the outlet of Lake Morey.
43°53'10.9"N 72°09'59.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9icZHUjL8yYc8bQ9

Third Night - Roaring Brook Campsite (VT) - mile 231. Popular grassy campsite on the VT side where Roaring Brook joins the river. It is close to the road and the railroad tracks, so there can be a lot of traffic noise.
43°51'45.0"N 72°11'07.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vnu9zJqK1cundP16A

Sawyer Mountain

Take out - North Thetford Landing (VT) – mile 229. Improved ramp for all boat types. If you intend park overnight, please leave a note in car so no search is initiated or car is towed.
43°50'29.3"N 72°11'00.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DToxYqdYNTn835ro9

I like this one. Its a bit of paddling the first day, but we’d be on our way quick on Tuesday. We did a two day version of this in 2018. We have never used Thetford Landing, but we have been to Woodsville and the campsites.

Option 3 – Bugbee Landing to Wilder Dam – 30 miles

With Bill in 2019

Put in - Bungbee Landing (VT)
First Night - Underhill Campsite (NH) – 3 miles
Second Night - Roaring Brook Campsite (VT) – 10 miles
Third Night - Patchen's Point (VT) – 11 miles
Take-out – Wilder Dam – 6 miles

Detail

Underhill Campsite

Put in - Bungbee Landing (VT) – mile 244. Small dock and unimproved ramp at the mouth of Waits River. Access off Doe Meadow Rd by driving through fairgrounds. If you intend park overnight, please leave a note in car so no search is initiated or car is towed.
43°59'47.9"N 72°07'21.4"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NFC9vAPCW4JjTmqU8

First Night - Underhill Campsite (NH) – mile 241. Popular campsite at the mouth of Eastman Brook, before the river veers west, past Bug's Island. Access is via a set of timber steps or at a take-out up Eastman Brook. No fees. Suggested donatio
43°58'02.6"N 72°05'26.8"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2na9Ho3t67KvDJjy5

Roaring Brook Campsite

Alternative Campsite - Birch Meadow Campsite (VT) – mile 233. Two miles below the arch bridge, on a low wooded point just above the marshland at the outlet of Lake Morey.
43°53'10.9"N 72°09'59.1"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9icZHUjL8yYc8bQ9

Second Night - Roaring Brook Campsite (VT) - mile 231. Popular grassy campsite on the VT side where Roaring Brook joins the river. It is close to the road and the railroad tracks, so there can be a lot of traffic noise.
43°51'45.0"N 72°11'07.0"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vnu9zJqK1cundP16A

Patchen"s Point Campsite

Third Night - Patchen's Point (VT) - mile 220. A pleasant and roomy camping spot nestled in a grove of White Pines north of Hanover. This can be a popular hang-out spot for local kids on summer weekend nights. An unmarked privy is located off a spur trail to the north.
43°44'03.1"N 72°15'57.4"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DccoBau844ZV8JjM6

Alternative Campsite - Gilman Island (NH) – mile 216. Large, popular campsite on the south tip of the island. No camping is allowed on the adjacent island.
43°41'32.8"N 72°18'10.4"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/g1rWCc9ARp1goSVdA

Wilder Dam

Take-out – Wilder Dam – mile 214. Unimproved path provides car-top access to the Wilder Dam impoundment. Parking area on east side of Route 10 serves both paddlers and hikers exploring the nearby Boston Lot Trails. Overnight Parking allowed, but you must put a note on your dashboard indicating you are on a multi-day paddling trip, with dates the car will be parked at the site.
43°40'04.1"N 72°18'06.3"W
https://maps.app.goo.gl/e3FEehPgJTPu183P7

This one is good too, and goes by Dartmouth. We did a two night version of this in 2019. Bungbee Landing is the school where we stopped for the cook-out.  

We are leaning toward doing option 2.

Forked Lake - September 18, 2026

Me and Bill in the Spirit II

For our last RICKA Adirondacks trip, we decided to head off to Forked Lake.

Forked Lake is 1,248-acre lake located about 7-miles southwest of Long Lake. Shaped like a multi-pronged "Y" (hence the name), it is known for its rugged shoreline, pristine water, and remote paddle-in campsites. The New York State DEC operates the primitive Forked Lake Campground, which features 80 primitive campsites.

The beaver dam that did us in

There are two access points for Forked Lake – the Forked Lake Campground to the east, and the Forked Lake Boat Launch to the west. Since the road to the Forked Lake Campground was closed for bridge repairs, we would be launching from the boat launch.

We met at 9:30 for the trip out to the boat launch. It was a bright sunny day with blue sky and puffy clouds. We headed west with the intention of paddling up the Raquette River. Unfortunately, the water was low and a large beaver dam blocked our path. Instead, we decided to stay in the lake. It was still a nice way to end the week.

Links:
My Pictures

A Day Off from Paddling – September 17, 2026

Rain was in the forecast, so Bill and I decided to take a day-off from paddling. We started off with breakfast at the Long Lake Dinner. Then we spent the morning at the Adirondack Museum, which tells the story of the rich history of the Adirondacks. In the afternoon, we visited the trolls at the Wild Center. After pizza for dinner at the Adirondack Hotel, we sat around the fire with the RICKA crew. 

Log chair at the Adirondacks Museum

Links:
My Pictures – Adirondack Museum
My Pictures – Wild Center
Adirondack Museum
The Wild Center