The first thing we did to this house was to improve the access to the river. We upgraded the primitive stairway with 3 levels of new Trex lumber decks, joined by stairways with factory-finished aluminum railings, designed to blend with the surroundings. The view below is from the large upper deck, and shows the mid and lower decks, a wonderful maple tree, and the river reflection of the opposite shore, a 4 mile expanse of conservation land.
We love to kayak and row, and this is one of the few areas on the Connecticut River in this region with a "beach." This allows us to store our kayaks and rowing shells along the shore for easy launching. As you can see, the river is very private in this area, with no other houses in sight, in case anyone feels like an au natural swim in the very clean water. This lowest deck is about 40 feet below the house, affords a spectacular view of the river and opposite hillside, which becomes a full colored hardwood panorama in fall. Plus, our resident bald eagle usually does a fly-by around 6 pm.
We installed aluminum stairs from the lowest level to the river, with an aluminum dock, which can be easily taken up in late fall for the winter and stored in a large storage shed at this level which houses paddles and other boating gear in summer. The water is comfortable for swimming in summer and fall, and previous owners have had a longer dock with powerboats, since the river is deep enough here and there is good fishing in this area. Surprisingly there is little boat traffic. It's truly a hidden paradise.
If you aren't feeling energetic, watching the river is entertainment enough. The rushing water of spring leads to a lazy summer flow with a barely detectable current and the crystal-clear reflection of the trees across the way. White caps on a windy day with a backdrop of spectacular autumn colors remind you that the peaceful snow-covered ice of winter is coming. Next the ice begins to crack, and one morning the water is flowing again, pushing chunks of ice out of its way and starting the cycle all over again. It's all wonderful, but nothing beats summer days in the hammock.
The Connecticut River is a wonderful recreational resource. Where we are, the river is approximately 300' wide and 17' deep, and provides wonderful flat-water kayaking, canoeing and rowing throughout the summer and fall. The water level is controlled by two dams, one in Wilder, VT and the other in Bellows Falls.
There is a public boat launch about 1/2 mile downriver on the New Hampshire side, where one can take a motorboat in and out. The fishing is good, and you can cruise 20 miles from Hartland to Bellows Falls.
By kayak or canoe, you can go as far as you like, from the First Connecticut Lake on the Canadian border to the Long Island Sound. There are many islands in the river that are great for camping or a lunch break.
This is also an excellent area to swim. The bottom drops off quickly and there is no need to wade out very far before diving right in. The boat traffic is very light, so if you feel like swimming across (it's farther than it looks!) you won't be dodging watercraft.
Facing our property on the New Hampshire side of the river is the heavily wooded conservation area of Barber Mountain. It provides us with privacy and frequent wildlife sightings, including bald eagles, osprey, herons, beavers, otters, weasels and even a rare fisher or bobcat.
