Sunning in Seattle

We have been out in Seattle since Monday for the 2007 Educause conference, which ended yesterday. It was a good conference, highlight by keynote speeches by Doris Kearns Goodwin, who spoke about Lincoln's leadership qualities, and Bruce Scheier, a security expert who talked about the top ten issues he saw facing us on the IT security front. The bad news is he thinks it's going to get worse before it gets better and he proposed some fascinating reasons why, all getting back to economics and human psychology.

Afterwards, we spent the afternoon wandering around downtown Seattle, which is quite attractive. We had a bowl of award-winning clam chowder from Pike Place Chowder and then we wandered around the Pike Place Market, enjoying sampling the area honey which was quite tasty. Then, we hooked up with fellow conferees Jenn, Jim, and Brian and walked over to the Olympic sculpture garden which was located up the sound about a mile and a half. It looks like the shoreline of the sound has been rather recently redone into condos/apartments and restaurants. After the sculpture garden, we headed up the hill to the Space Needle and since it was a clear and sunny day, paid the $16 to go up. Two thoughts: the views were stupendous and Mt. Rainer is a very big mountain.

On our way back to our hotels, we stopped into a wine bar and had a glass of wine, enjoying the sunshine streaming into the room. We all agreed that we could be sitting in parts of New York or San Francisco or Oakland. Probably not Atlanta, though.

Today we're going to do some shopping and visit the Seattle Public Library.

Coot v. Bobcat on Magalloway

Two years ago, on a lovely summer afternoon, we made our way over to Pittsburg, NH to climb Mt. Magalloway. We knew little about the climb, other than there were two trails to the top. One was named Coot, the other Bobcat. On that fine summer day, we started up the nearest trail to the car. So, we discovered The Coot. After a brief leisurely stroll past the historic Magalloway cabin and some lovely mountain flank maple grove, the Coot veers sharply vertical. And it doesn't stop. The charms of clawing your way up a trailbed that clearly doubles as a streambed for mountain waterfalls loses its charms quickly. Very quickly.

Today, we chose the Bobcat. Ascending through the same maple grove, the trail quietly kept the same unforgiving ascent as the Coot, albeit in a more scenic manner. Where before, the unrelenting gravel footpath emphasized the painful challenge that lay ahead of every bend, the Bobcat was no less vertical but much more seductive with numerous false summits, and wonderful ridgeline views to accompany its New Hampshire certified "shitkicker" pitch.

The summit, however, was worth it. We had a nice picnic lunch, featuring grinders from Young's, apples from our picking expedition, and cheese from Canada, at the top. Then down, admiring the mountain's immense flank.

Back at Camp, we took advantage of the last 45 minutes of light to cast down at the ponds. Alan started on the lower pond and hooked a rainbow but it evaded landing. Carole got two nice brookies out of the upper pond -- a 10" female and a huge 14" male. They both looked to be native and ready to spawn....maybe native brookies in our own pond next year?

Foraging for Foliage and Apples

Another beautiful clear day with warm temperatures. A gorgeous morning. For the afternoon, Alan was the man with the plan. His proposal: lunch at Balsam's, foliage tour, followed by apple picking just east of Colebrook. I enthusiastically endorsed and we headed out. Balsam's was hopping -- we had to wait for a table -- but enjoyed the view from the terrace as we waited.

After a tasty lunch, we headed back towards Colebrook over Rte 26, which is undergoing major rebuilding -- totally digging out the old road and putting in a new one. The apple orchard beckoned at the entrance to Fish Hatchery Rd and we took the lure, heading up into the hills until the top. A beautiful small orchard called Two Sparrows. We picked half a bushel of Cortland and McIntosh for ourselves and Priscilla and Hans. The apple trees were so beautiful and just loaded with apples. We picked our limit quickly!

On our way back, we journeyed about searching out back roads and finding Weir Tree Farms, where we get our Christmas tree (FedEx'd to our front door :-), along with Coleman State Park and the Diamond ponds. Mt Monadonack was majestic (and very large) in the distance, overseeing all of our meanderings.

Back at camp, the lake was calm and the light lovely. We headed down to the beach for our first canoe ride (the lake has been rough) and there came upon about 300 geese floating in the cove. As we came onto the beach, they started honking, moving offshore, settling for a bit, but then as we got the canoe in the water, they headed out. They left in waves, twenty or so at a time, beating their wings against the water -- flap, flap, flap, flap -- and then taking to the air, clearing the trees at the far end of the lake. We last saw them outlined in the sky above Sable Mountain.

We thought we might see Priscilla out and about on the lake but did not. Our small jaunt turned into a half lake tour, which, since its 1200 acres, wasn't small. Dusk was falling as we got back to the beach. Another great day at Averill.

Last fishing adventure with Bill

Yesterday was our last fishing adventure of the season with Bill. :-( But it was a lot of fun. We started off at the Judges and Jury pools for a couple of hours. I had good luck and caught a beautiful 14" male brook trout -- not the one pictured here but similar in color. Alan had a good stretch as well although when he reeled up, he discovered that his hook had snapped in half. No wonder he missed all those fish!

After a couple of hours, we headed north to try to hit the Meadows again but there was a car in the pullout, so we went up to the dam below second Connecticut which we had never been to before. It doesn't seem like it gets fished much -- certainly not as much as the dam below first Connecticut -- and we both pulled out a good number of fish, brookies and salmon, ranging from 6-12". Lots of fun. Oddly enough, given the time of year, there was a hatch on of these enormous stone flies -- they looked like B-52 bombers buzzing on down the river.

At the end of the day, we were all a little sad to realize the season was over. Seems like it just started.

Brousseau sunset

Back in Vermont

So, we are back in Vermont for the final trip of the year. It's peak foliage here and so pretty, although it's not as vibrant as in some years past. I think two years ago might have been the best. This year it's more yellows and browns with the occasional splotch of red. Jacques and Jenn came up for a quick weekend visit and yesterday we did a full day on the Connecticut with guide Bill. I had the fish of the day -- indeed my largest trout ever -- a 19" landlocked salmon.



On a disturbing note, the Connecticut has been infected with "rock snot" or Didymo. This is not good as it could endanger the fishery. Eradication does not sound possible and containment the only option. We washed everything off with a 2% bleach solution -- boots, waders, wading staff, rods -- anything that touched the water. But you have to imagine that not everyone will do it and a single drop of water can spread the organism. I think it must be spreading fast as Bill says now when you float the Connecticut, you routinely have to clean gobs of the stuff off your fly, which did not happen a year ago.