After a scrubdown of the Lois McClure and some drying of the awnings, some of the crew went for a walk along the old Champlain Canal.
Russ VanDervoort (author of Canal Canaries and Other Tough Old Birds) guided us and we stopped at various points of interest as he narrated the history, along with excerpts from Theodore Bartley’s journals. You can really visualize the scenes in his journals when you are standing and looking at the spot where it happened.
The towpath is currently being spruced up. The trees and brush that has grown up on the water’s edge are being cut to restore the towpath more to its original look. If you are in Waterford, it’s worth taking a walk along the old towpath and imagining it and the canal in its heyday. Thank you Russ for your time and the information that made the walk a great experience.
Leo Straight
Born in Keene Valley, NY, Leo moved to Marshfield, Vermont in 1994. He has been fascinated with sailing vessels for most of his life and sails regularly on the windjammer fleet from Camden, Maine. He has helped with the winter maintenance, and is a regular volunteer aboard the Lois.