Initial plans to paddle around the upper reaches of Otter Creek were scrapped after a scouting paddle revealed hundreds of yards of 6″ water.

We met at Shelburne Bay and had a great but short paddle up the LaPlatte, recently designated (from the Vermont Natural Resources Council effort) as a Class I wetland. The only downer was noise of epic proportions emanating from massive Vermont Railway Inc. road salt storage and distribution facility (for up to 80,000 tons). A bizarre sound worthy of science fiction movies drifts out of the plant located a few feet from the edge of the LaPlatte. Maybe turtles are deaf? We spotted several dozen!

With Abby the iPhone photographer & Lee, and Ted, trip leader.