Field Log #0094 - Exploring Vermont

EXPLORING THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM

By: Nathanael Asaro • nathanaelasaro.com

Canoeing in Vermont has become a favorite pastime for my girlfriend Hannah and I. Summer and early Autumn are the best times to canoe in the many ponds, lakes, and rivers that Vermont has to offer. Over the past three years I have become fascinated with finding new areas to canoe. The more remote and hard to get to are the places I like to go. Going to a new pond is always exciting because of the unknown. Sometimes just finding them is a challenge. The thrill of exploring gets my creativity flowing and keeps me coming back for more. Vermont has so many places to scout that it would take me my whole life to go to all the places I want to go.

Hannah and I are drawn to places that are rich with wildlife. She is a birder and has turned me onto it aswell. We also enjoy looking for moose and other wildlife, which we have become successful at finding. In addition we also have a great appreciation for plants and trees. Whenever we get the chance we head up to the Northeast Kingdom. We canoe and explore some of our favorite areas and camp for a few days. The forests are more coniferous and moose densities are much higher. Some of the ponds we go to we have never seen another person at. Some of them have old hunting camps on them that are occupied in the Fall during hunting season. It’s the perfect place to be immersed in the nature and escape from the stresses of life.

On a typical canoe camping trip we plan to canoe early in the morning and for the last few hours before sunset. Going at these times provides calmer waters, good light, and increased chances of seeing wildlife. During the day we go swimming or berry picking and prep dinner. It’s taken a few years, but we have developed a good routine for making the most of our trips. Our adventures northeast are the highlight of my summer and I feel lucky to live in a place that has so much to explore. I hope this scout log will inspire people to get out and explore their local area and have a respectful appreciation of nature.