Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain. Exploring the New York, Vermont & Quebec Shores
by Catherine L. Frank and Margaret D. Holden
by Catherine L. Frank and Margaret D. Holden
Our book is finally on the book shelves. See the review below that appeared in the Burlington Free Press, Aug. 2, 2009:
By Candace Page
Free Press Staff Writer
Authors Cathy Frank and Margy Holden are not thrilled with the constricting title of their new book, "A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain," and they are right.
Related: Grand Isle kayakers chronicle their Lake Champlain voyages
This is not a book for kayakers or canoeists or boaters alone. Anyone who lives in our lake-dominated landscape can enjoy and learn from Frank and Holden, two women who never ask an idle question -- "Hmm, wonder what kind of rocks those are?" or "Why are there concrete piers off the Bridport shore?" -- without tracking down the answer.
Rich with anecdote, history and keen observation, "A Kayaker's Guide" soars above standard guidebooks like a great blue heron rising from the lakeshore. The book's subtitle, "Exploring the New York, Vermont and Quebec Shores," comes a bit closer to capturing the authors' experience. Over the course of six years, the women paddled every inch of the Champlain shoreline. They recorded what they saw and what they later learned about what they saw.
Each of the book's 50 chapters describes one day's paddle; the two authors take turns at narration. Each chapter comes with an excellent navigational chart, a table of information about distances, a list of launch points and a brief route description. So yes, this is a practical guide to the physical geography of Lake Champlain.
But each chapter goes on to describe the authors' paddling trip, complete with scary weather, startling encounters with turtles, eagles and muskrats, and a consistent tone of joy in discovery.
This guidebook doesn't just tell you how and where to go -- it inspires you to get up and acquire some kind of water-based transportation to go out and see for yourself. I read the book for pleasure over several nights, dipping in as for a refreshing evening swim.
Frank's description of a paddle along the steep New York shore put it immediately on my must-do list:
"At the Palisades," Frank writes, "I drop back to see if I can get a picture of the entire rock face as Margy paddles towards it for scale. I have to move so far back that she becomes too small to photograph. She cools herself under a narrow waterfall easily 100 feet high ..."
And this from Holden's description of paddling the mouth of the Missisquoi River: "We are enclosed in a swampy, dreamy serenity of trees, reeds and water ... a watery world with uncertain definition between lake and shore. There is constant movement. Swaying tree branches overhang the reeds that are also in motion, rocked by the water and blown by the wind."
Frank, in particular, has a knack for visual imagery: A school of feeding fish "jump around us like popcorn in hot oil" while the reflection of evergreens in crystal-clear water "gives the illusion that the trees are covered with zebra mussels."
Rather than interrupt the narrative, the authors provide separate breakouts on the history and natural history of the lake. Their subjects range from oldtime smuggling and iron mining on the New York shore, to pithy summations of the lake's environmental problems -- problems made more vivid by their tales of paddling through a noxious algae bloom in Missisquoi Bay and spaghetti-like milfoil south of Crown Point.
I have lived on the Champlain shore most of my life; I've written at length about the lake as part of my job. So I'm embarrassed to admit how much I learned from Holden and Frank: the name (calcite) of the soft white rock sandwiched between the lake's ubiquitous layers of shale; a state park I've never heard of (Round Pond, on the South Hero shore) ; the place (Crab Island) where soldiers killed in the Battle of Plattsburgh were buried.
My guess is that other old Lake Champlain hands also will find as much entertainment and enlightenment in a "Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain."
Editor's note:
Page's coverage of Lake Champlain for the Free Press is cited in the book. Meet the authors Margaret Holden and Catherine Frank will be featured speakers and formally launch their book, "A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain," at the Small Watercraft Festival in Ferrisburgh.
A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain Website
Lake Champlain guidebook offers inspiration
By Candace Page
Free Press Staff Writer
Authors Cathy Frank and Margy Holden are not thrilled with the constricting title of their new book, "A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain," and they are right.
Related: Grand Isle kayakers chronicle their Lake Champlain voyages
This is not a book for kayakers or canoeists or boaters alone. Anyone who lives in our lake-dominated landscape can enjoy and learn from Frank and Holden, two women who never ask an idle question -- "Hmm, wonder what kind of rocks those are?" or "Why are there concrete piers off the Bridport shore?" -- without tracking down the answer.
Rich with anecdote, history and keen observation, "A Kayaker's Guide" soars above standard guidebooks like a great blue heron rising from the lakeshore. The book's subtitle, "Exploring the New York, Vermont and Quebec Shores," comes a bit closer to capturing the authors' experience. Over the course of six years, the women paddled every inch of the Champlain shoreline. They recorded what they saw and what they later learned about what they saw.
Each of the book's 50 chapters describes one day's paddle; the two authors take turns at narration. Each chapter comes with an excellent navigational chart, a table of information about distances, a list of launch points and a brief route description. So yes, this is a practical guide to the physical geography of Lake Champlain.
But each chapter goes on to describe the authors' paddling trip, complete with scary weather, startling encounters with turtles, eagles and muskrats, and a consistent tone of joy in discovery.
This guidebook doesn't just tell you how and where to go -- it inspires you to get up and acquire some kind of water-based transportation to go out and see for yourself. I read the book for pleasure over several nights, dipping in as for a refreshing evening swim.
Frank's description of a paddle along the steep New York shore put it immediately on my must-do list:
"At the Palisades," Frank writes, "I drop back to see if I can get a picture of the entire rock face as Margy paddles towards it for scale. I have to move so far back that she becomes too small to photograph. She cools herself under a narrow waterfall easily 100 feet high ..."
And this from Holden's description of paddling the mouth of the Missisquoi River: "We are enclosed in a swampy, dreamy serenity of trees, reeds and water ... a watery world with uncertain definition between lake and shore. There is constant movement. Swaying tree branches overhang the reeds that are also in motion, rocked by the water and blown by the wind."
Frank, in particular, has a knack for visual imagery: A school of feeding fish "jump around us like popcorn in hot oil" while the reflection of evergreens in crystal-clear water "gives the illusion that the trees are covered with zebra mussels."
Rather than interrupt the narrative, the authors provide separate breakouts on the history and natural history of the lake. Their subjects range from oldtime smuggling and iron mining on the New York shore, to pithy summations of the lake's environmental problems -- problems made more vivid by their tales of paddling through a noxious algae bloom in Missisquoi Bay and spaghetti-like milfoil south of Crown Point.
I have lived on the Champlain shore most of my life; I've written at length about the lake as part of my job. So I'm embarrassed to admit how much I learned from Holden and Frank: the name (calcite) of the soft white rock sandwiched between the lake's ubiquitous layers of shale; a state park I've never heard of (Round Pond, on the South Hero shore) ; the place (Crab Island) where soldiers killed in the Battle of Plattsburgh were buried.
My guess is that other old Lake Champlain hands also will find as much entertainment and enlightenment in a "Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain."
Editor's note:
Page's coverage of Lake Champlain for the Free Press is cited in the book. Meet the authors Margaret Holden and Catherine Frank will be featured speakers and formally launch their book, "A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain," at the Small Watercraft Festival in Ferrisburgh.
A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain Website
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Mission accomplished!
Dear Amara and Eli,
After 4 days of neglecting me totally (not even a treat for not being bad!), your grandparents have finally finished your silly swing set. You'd think they had just built a bridge to Providence Island for the way they were gloating. Really, they paid no attention to me at all. I had to go dig a hole in the sand and sulk most of the weekend. Well, sometimes I took advantage of my lack of supervision and went investigating in our yard! They ( your grandparents) used lots of tools and left them all over the place, and made lots of noise with their drills and then when they were all done - the ultimate insult - would you believe they made ME pose on top of the swing set so they could take a picture for you. Don't tell them I said so but the view from the slide platform is pretty cool - even for a little dog like me. I was afraid of the slide though. You will have to come test that yourselves.
Your friend,
Sophie Frank,
PS I only got 2 walks on the beach ALL weekend thanks to your swing set so you had better appreciate it and play with me when you come visit.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Almost there!
Master grandfather/carpenter - at work. Wait, let me check those directions one more time - 75 parts still left. We will finish tomorrow for sure!
An unexpected guest.
As I came around the corner of the house, back to the front yard, this little guy walked right out from between the houses, where I had just been 5 minutes ago. He gave me a glance and continued walking slowly down the driveway, and across the road. I was thankful I had left Sophie inside!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Ice Boating on Lake Champlain
These guys had a lot more faith in the strength of the ice than I did. They were taking a lunch break when I took this picture but when in action you could hear their boats racing back and forth from at least a mile away.
Frozen Waves
The ice on Lake Champlain looks like the waves froze in mid action. Meanwhile with the broad lake still open and a fairly strong northwest wind, waves were being driven through the Narrows where they were then forced under the ice. As a result you could see and hear the ice moving up and down in response to the below the surface waves.
A Better View
Three large Cottenwood trees are now gone from our front yard changing the view dramatically. Meanwhile the cedars we planted years ago now take center stage.
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