Blog 7: White Water Paddling on the Lamoille River

Suddenly our lives have erupted with color once more. After months of white snow and grey-brown trees, there is a magic to new growth and the green of new leaves, whose brightness would be garnish if not for the joy which it inspires in the heart. There is a new sweetness to the air as the winds bring the smells of treetops and flowers in bloom. We once again walk barefooted on the earth, the leaves of years before us soft as a whisper that we feel in soles and souls. Spring brings with it freedom.

Semester team with Sky Meadow hosts, Cella and Cassandra, as well as teachers, Oliver and Pasha

The change of seasons also brought about a change in our way of life. No more skis and snowshoes; instead we took to the rushing waters of the Lamoille River by canoe. This is a terrifying, exhilarating journey by whitewater. A primal skill that sharpens every sense, hones awareness to a razor edge and throws each rock, riffle, and hole into sharp relief. Starting in the headwaters, we spent a day learning the basics of paddling, before plunging headfirst into the freezing rapids, and for some of us, that plunge was literal. But even on the days when we flipped a half dozen times, we easily righted overturned canoes and returned to the warmth of Sky Meadow to dry wetsuits, hang clothes by the stove, and wring the river water out of ourselves.

Learning to carry canoes at Sky Meadow

Seeing the world shaking off the shadows of winter all around us, we yearned to be out once more, moving and feeling the fullness of spring surround us. And so we set off, canoes bulging with gear and excited expectation.

Artwork inspired by Pasha's teaching

Our days were long but relaxed, guided by the river we floated down. We seldom moved with haste, relishing instead the change in pace brought to us by Pasha, the man who taught us the ways of the Lamoille and spoke to us many nights of his artwork and of the other rapids he had run in the past. As we paddled past big stretches of open farmland and tracts of dense trees, we saw the world coming back to life; our path was marked by shouts of "GREEN" whenever a particularly vibrant patch of grass was sighted. We were fortunate enough to meet many kind people as we travelled: a man who allowed us use of his fields, another wonderful man who helped us with a few of the larger portages and the innumerable people on the river who waved to us as we passed.

Andrew and Chase bringing a canoe to shore

The portages took more than just a single fragment of our time, as they were a large part of our day, mainly because they could have taken ages. We unloaded all the gear out of our canoes then carried it a few hundred yards to over a mile then returned and did the same with the canoes. One skill that was crucial at such times was carrying a canoe alone, balanced on shoulders with hands gripping the gunnels. We must have been an interesting picture: teenagers with blue barrels and stuff sacks walking slowly next to canoes that had magically sprouted legs. But, difficult as they were, the many portages brought us together; every one of us had to work hard and carry as much as we could so that we all could move on and return to our lives.

We spotted many turtles basking in the new warmth of spring

Switching partners everyday we got to spend many whimsical hours paddling downstream, talking and rediscovering each other without the hinderance of cold and exhaustion that was common on winter trail. Then at last, we first saw Lake Champlain, the seemingly endless water stretching out before us.

Jamie and Sam paddling white water

Ezra and Chase recovering their boat in swift waters

Hazel and Rachel

Mayah and Sam

Noa and Emma

Teachers, Pasha and Oliver

Saul Blocher, 2004 Vermont Semester alumnus, met the semester team on the river for a lesson

Some other fun semester news:
Author, educator, self-directed learning advocate, trail runner and mentor to Izzy, Blake Boles, spoke with Kroka's founding director, Misha Goldman, about the semester program. Listen here to their conversation.

We hope you will all join us on the evening of June 13 (semester graduation day) at the Greenfield, MA contra dance. All who attend in support of Kroka will have a portion of the door fee go to Kroka scholarships!