Claremont
Four volunteers canoed and kayaked with Upper Valley Land Trust personnel from Claremont’s Ferry Road boat launch to clear grounds and paths, erect signage and establish a privy on the 20-acre Hubbard Island between Claremont and Weathersfield Bow.
Gifted in 2000 by the family of Robert Zuckert to UVLT — the Hanover-based nonprofit dedicated to conserving and protecting natural places in the region — Hubbard Island for years had been earmarked to join the Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail, a series of primitive campsites from the river’s headwaters in northern New Hampshire all the way to Long Island Sound in Connecticut.
UVLT stewardship director Jason Berard and land steward Doug Brown had scoped out Hubbard in 2015, identifying the best place to mark for vessel unloading (about halfway along the island’s east shore, near a fallen hemlock tree) and the campsite itself (a short distance north of the entry path, on the opposite shore).
Hubbard Island becomes the ninth and southernmost CRPT campsite to be maintained by the Upper Valley Land Trust.
“This island is unique because of its rich soil. There are some rarer-type plant species out here such as spotted wintergreen and hickory,” Berard said. “There aren’t any houses around here, so there won’t be concern for neighbors complaining about noise. It’s a great alternative to other campsites in this vicinity, such as the one maintained by the Student Conservation Association (in Charlestown), or Wilgus State Park (in Weathersfield), because you have to paddle to get here, and that adds to the camping experience.”
Volunteer Tom McCleary, of White River Junction, worked up a sweat chopping at a small-but-stubborn tree trunk, a tripping hazard on the freshly created trail.
It was well worth the perspiration for the 62-year-old McCleary, who paddled solo in his canoe. After all, the outing gave him a reason to enjoy the Connecticut’s pristine waters on a sunny, 75-degree day — and aid the cause.
“When the weather breaks, there’s nothing like being on the water this time of year,” said McCleary, a Green Mountain Club member who often paddles in both the White and Connecticut rivers. “It’s even better when you’re with a group that gets together for a common purpose.”
Norwich resident Gerry Plummer is a member of the association that maintains the Maine Island Trail, which connects more than 200 wild islands off the coast of the Pine Tree State. He’s planning a CRPT trip from Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom to Western Massachusetts.
“It’s a different stewardship model (than the Maine Island Trail) because one’s on the river and the other’s in the ocean, but they’re both fabulous,” Plummer said. “The relationships between the users and the organizations that maintain them is very important, so I try to give back whenever I can.”
Robert Kadlec, of Jaffrey, N.H., has been paddling and camping regularly along the Connecticut for about 25 years and volunteers to maintain the nearby Burnham Meadow CRPT campsite in Windsor. Among his other duties on Tuesday, Kadlec handled the digging of the privy hole.
“You don’t want the hole to be too deep. Waste actually decomposes best when it’s about 2 to 3 feet,” Kadlec said. “People don’t like the smell, but it’s worth it in the long run.”
Berard and Brown installed a mailbox at the campsite to store UVLT literature and a guest book, which helps them determine how many campers use the sites they maintain — about 200 individuals per year, per site at last count.
The pair also affixed signs created recently by a Thetford Academy student group.
The path from the designated boat landing isn’t ideal, emerging at an upward slope, but it was the best option on an island largely composed of steep embankments.
Berard moved a log to help delineate the start of the trail from the access point.
“This will at least provide some cribbing, so people will know where the trail is meant to lead,” Berard said.
“I don’t think folks will have too much trouble with it.”
Another UVLT land steward, Lebanon resident Alison Marchione, helped create trails by removing and trimming brush. She was thrilled to be away from the office and outside.
“This is wonderful, and not only because it’s such a beautiful day,” Marchione said. “Getting out here and making a low-impact campsite for people to use, it’s probably the best kind of workday you can have.”
There is space for 4-5 small tents at the site. Additional amenities to be added include a picnic table, to be built by UVLT staff, and a fire ring.
Hubbard Island and nearby Wolcott Island were given to the land trust by Robert Zuckert in honor of his father, Eugene Zuckert, who desired for the total of 22 acres to be permanently protected.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.