I stopped by at the Ledges two weeks ago. We've been having unusually warm and dry spring weather, and I wanted to check out how things stood after last fall's hurricane.
The good news is that the cleanup has been completed. It is (nearly) impossible now to tell that the lake was basically a disaster zone for most of September and October. The only signs of how it was that remain are some conveniently-placed log bridges that were not there before, and a new picnic table right alongside the entrance path.
Lake level was very low, however. Part of that was the drought, but also I was told that the State of Vermont had been looking for a tank that satellite photos had identified as having washed into the reservoir, and wanted to fish it out. I don't know if they found it or not. Water level is almost certainly up now, since we've had a significant amount of rainfall since early April.
Indeed, the State apparently worked tirelessly all winter removing debris so that the summer season would be as beautiful and pleasant as always. Kudos!
In a few short weeks they will be opening the main gate so that people can park in the recreation area. The entrance road is not good - too much traffic during mud season - but perhaps they'll grade it before Memorial Day. Looking forward to seeing you there this summer!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
A beautiful Columbus Day weekend
It was a fabulously warm and sunny weekend at The Ledges. I am happy to add that a tremendous amount of cleanup work has already been done. Thank you to all the volunteers who contributed their time and sweat to the task! I'm also happy to report that the lake is apparently safe for swimming again - at least according to some authorities. It was declared safe on October 7th by the Town of Wilmington. However, the Bennington Sheriff's Department was still advising people not to swim. Go figure!
But I was in the water, and although it was bracingly cold (63F), it was definitely much cleaner than it had been. Water level has been allowed to rise as well.
The cleanup status is as follows: The stone ledge areas have all been cleaned up and are essentially back to normal. The sandy beach area is still undergoing cleanup work - we have a fire every decent day and throw the wooden refuse on those as quickly as we can. It's going to be a bit longer before the whole area is back to normal, and there isn't much time left. What's not done will have to wait until Spring.
But I was in the water, and although it was bracingly cold (63F), it was definitely much cleaner than it had been. Water level has been allowed to rise as well.
The cleanup status is as follows: The stone ledge areas have all been cleaned up and are essentially back to normal. The sandy beach area is still undergoing cleanup work - we have a fire every decent day and throw the wooden refuse on those as quickly as we can. It's going to be a bit longer before the whole area is back to normal, and there isn't much time left. What's not done will have to wait until Spring.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Help needed
I finally got up the courage to visit the Ledges last Sunday. It was a sad day.
TransCanada had repaired the roadway in, but the gate was locked. There was a sign stating that the health department had ruled the lake off-limits for swimming on 9/23/2011, but the lake had apparently been opened for boating earlier that week for the first time since the hurricane.
The lake level had been lowered dramatically since Irene went through, and I wondered why. I didn't have to wonder for long, though. Apparently a great deal of flotsam and jetsam had washed down the Deerfield River into Lake Whitingham, and until the lake level was lowered was floating on the surface, making navigation very hazardous. Tires, washing machines, furniture, the walls of small buildings, and propane tanks were all suspended in the water. But now that the water level is finally down, it is possible to begin the cleanup.
And what a cleanup it's going to need. While the stony ledges themselves didn't suffer too badly, the cove that makes up the sandy part of the Ledges beach area is a natural locus for collecting floating stuff from all over the lake, and it is literally buried in 2-3 feet of logs, trash, sticks, and other refuse. This can, in general, be separated into two categories: that which is reasonable to burn (mainly wood), and that which must be hauled out. We've made arrangements to take out the transportable stuff that needs to be removed by boat, starting next weekend (the 31st), weather permitting. We also started a large fire on Sunday and began the process of burning the wooden refuse. That's going take a lot longer than a weekend or two, although maybe if more people show up it will go faster. There is a deadline: over the winter, the water level will rise again, and refloat what we haven't cleaned up.
Since the gate remains locked, the only parking is along the swimming area roadway, which has a very limited capacity. Since the work is difficult/tiring anyway, and since swimming is unsafe, a dozen people at a time seems the ideal number.
TransCanada had repaired the roadway in, but the gate was locked. There was a sign stating that the health department had ruled the lake off-limits for swimming on 9/23/2011, but the lake had apparently been opened for boating earlier that week for the first time since the hurricane.
The lake level had been lowered dramatically since Irene went through, and I wondered why. I didn't have to wonder for long, though. Apparently a great deal of flotsam and jetsam had washed down the Deerfield River into Lake Whitingham, and until the lake level was lowered was floating on the surface, making navigation very hazardous. Tires, washing machines, furniture, the walls of small buildings, and propane tanks were all suspended in the water. But now that the water level is finally down, it is possible to begin the cleanup.
And what a cleanup it's going to need. While the stony ledges themselves didn't suffer too badly, the cove that makes up the sandy part of the Ledges beach area is a natural locus for collecting floating stuff from all over the lake, and it is literally buried in 2-3 feet of logs, trash, sticks, and other refuse. This can, in general, be separated into two categories: that which is reasonable to burn (mainly wood), and that which must be hauled out. We've made arrangements to take out the transportable stuff that needs to be removed by boat, starting next weekend (the 31st), weather permitting. We also started a large fire on Sunday and began the process of burning the wooden refuse. That's going take a lot longer than a weekend or two, although maybe if more people show up it will go faster. There is a deadline: over the winter, the water level will rise again, and refloat what we haven't cleaned up.
Since the gate remains locked, the only parking is along the swimming area roadway, which has a very limited capacity. Since the work is difficult/tiring anyway, and since swimming is unsafe, a dozen people at a time seems the ideal number.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Not an auspicious end to the summer
I visited southern Vermont over Labor Day weekend. The damage caused by Irene was extensive to roads and infrastructure, and not a few private businesses and dwellings as well. Pretty much everything that was in a river valley had some degree of damage. But it was all due to water - hardly any wind was seen.
As far as The Ledges are concerned, this is how it stands. First, the State of Vermont has closed all bodies of water affected by the flooding until further notice. That means that, even if you should find a way into The Ledges, you will find signs and maybe even people telling you to go away. Second, Rt. 9 from Brattleboro and from Bennington is closed indefinitely. Miles-long stretches of this highway was washed away by the Irene-induced torrents. Rt. 112 from Colrain is open, but only one lane exists at the moment, and there's a part of it that is missing just south of Jacksonville. I also wouldn't be surprised if the road into the recreation area was also completely washed out - and I have no doubt that repairing it will be low priority.
In summary, I'd only attempt this in September if I had other business in the area. I think it's going to be next season before things are back to any kind of semblance of "normal".
As far as The Ledges are concerned, this is how it stands. First, the State of Vermont has closed all bodies of water affected by the flooding until further notice. That means that, even if you should find a way into The Ledges, you will find signs and maybe even people telling you to go away. Second, Rt. 9 from Brattleboro and from Bennington is closed indefinitely. Miles-long stretches of this highway was washed away by the Irene-induced torrents. Rt. 112 from Colrain is open, but only one lane exists at the moment, and there's a part of it that is missing just south of Jacksonville. I also wouldn't be surprised if the road into the recreation area was also completely washed out - and I have no doubt that repairing it will be low priority.
In summary, I'd only attempt this in September if I had other business in the area. I think it's going to be next season before things are back to any kind of semblance of "normal".
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Hurricane Irene and Labor Day
As many may have heard, Hurricane Irene struck southern Vermont especially hard, with more than 11 inches of rainfall in some places. There was immense damage across southern Vermont and adjacent New York and western Massachusetts. The Deerfield River, which flows through Lake Whitingham (where the Ledges is) was one of the rivers which flooded badly, causing a great deal of damage to downtown Wilmington. I am planning to assess the situation myself starting tomorrow.
I've done some calling around in preparation, and this is what I've learned. First, downtown Wilmington remains closed while the authorities decide which buildings need to be torn down and which can be repaired. This means that there is no ability to pass through Wilmington via Rt. 9 from the west. It is not certain when that road will reopen, since there is damage also along the road outside of town (as I understand it).
Second, the eastern half of Wilmington is accessible. That includes the Shaw's grocery store, the drug store, and gas stations. But there are some caveats. Rt. 9 between Brattleboro and Marlboro is closed indefinitely, so any thoughts you might have of reaching Wilmington that way should be abandoned. Rt. 100 south is open, as is most of Rt. 112 (which goes to Colrain MA). However, you cannot pass through Jacksonville VT (where Rt. 112 meets Rt. 100) because Rt. 112 is washed out at that point. There are ways around that problem, but the directions are non-trivial and more than I can post here. Interstate 91 in Deerfield is also closed due to the Deerfield River undermining the bridge that crosses it.
In short, it's going to be a while before people can get to the Ledges again. And even if you could get there this weekend, I would advise people not to swim, because all of the flotsam and jetsam from Wilmington all washed into the lake. The water levels are also likely to be extremely high.
I will update this blog based on what I find this weekend.
I've done some calling around in preparation, and this is what I've learned. First, downtown Wilmington remains closed while the authorities decide which buildings need to be torn down and which can be repaired. This means that there is no ability to pass through Wilmington via Rt. 9 from the west. It is not certain when that road will reopen, since there is damage also along the road outside of town (as I understand it).
Second, the eastern half of Wilmington is accessible. That includes the Shaw's grocery store, the drug store, and gas stations. But there are some caveats. Rt. 9 between Brattleboro and Marlboro is closed indefinitely, so any thoughts you might have of reaching Wilmington that way should be abandoned. Rt. 100 south is open, as is most of Rt. 112 (which goes to Colrain MA). However, you cannot pass through Jacksonville VT (where Rt. 112 meets Rt. 100) because Rt. 112 is washed out at that point. There are ways around that problem, but the directions are non-trivial and more than I can post here. Interstate 91 in Deerfield is also closed due to the Deerfield River undermining the bridge that crosses it.
In short, it's going to be a while before people can get to the Ledges again. And even if you could get there this weekend, I would advise people not to swim, because all of the flotsam and jetsam from Wilmington all washed into the lake. The water levels are also likely to be extremely high.
I will update this blog based on what I find this weekend.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
What a difference a week makes
If you recall, I'd posted last about concerns that the water level had fallen too low for cliff diving. Well, that has changed. On Monday and Tuesday last week, some 4-5 inches of rain fell, and the water level at The Ledges rose more than five feet, by my estimate. Levels are now comparable to mid-July, and are certainly the highest they've ever been that anyone can recall for this time of the year. Needless to say, it's now perfectly safe to once again jump and dive from the cliff.
This is exactly what a lot of people did yesterday (Saturday). We had quite a crowd on that cliff. Of notable mention was the party of 30th-birthday celebrants (two members had birthdays the same day). They decided to hold a birthday-suit birthday party, played cards, and passed out cake. Also, a group of barely-post-college folks arrived from Troy, and seemed to enjoy visiting for the first time. All in all, Saturday was a pretty cool day.
But summer will not last forever. There's only a short time until Labor Day weekend. This is important, because the Sunday of every Labor Day (weather permitting!) there is a barbeque, starting around 3PM. Therefore if you show up that day, bring food, and be prepared to share. Let's cross our fingers and hope for a sunny, warm day.
This is exactly what a lot of people did yesterday (Saturday). We had quite a crowd on that cliff. Of notable mention was the party of 30th-birthday celebrants (two members had birthdays the same day). They decided to hold a birthday-suit birthday party, played cards, and passed out cake. Also, a group of barely-post-college folks arrived from Troy, and seemed to enjoy visiting for the first time. All in all, Saturday was a pretty cool day.
But summer will not last forever. There's only a short time until Labor Day weekend. This is important, because the Sunday of every Labor Day (weather permitting!) there is a barbeque, starting around 3PM. Therefore if you show up that day, bring food, and be prepared to share. Let's cross our fingers and hope for a sunny, warm day.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Jumping off the cliff
Last Friday I executed a beautiful swan dive off the cliff (not to be modest or anything), but as I pulled up underwater I scraped the top of my foot on the rocks. While completely minor as far as cuts go, this is a signal that the water level is getting a bit low this season for diving. Even jumping should now be done with caution since shortly after I scraped myself, a girl did the same thing with a very ordinary jump. The water has now dropped to the point that the rock pile on the island is showing, which means we've probably only got a week or so before it's truly hazardous to jump. Better get there while you can!
This got me to thinking about exactly how people take the initial plunge of naked swimming, in daylight, with people they've just met. For people who've never tried it before, visiting The Ledges may seem like a long way to go for an experience whose benefits are unclear. I can well imagine the internal conversation about whether it's worth the effort, balanced against the fear of trying something society as a whole is not sure what to make of. But I always tell people who are sitting on the fence (or waiting to jump off the cliff!) the same thing: everyone should try this at least once. If you make it all the way there, and spend the afternoon, get up the courage to immerse yourself in the experience, you will almost certainly come back for more. So I encourage you to think about that next time you're in the process of talking yourself out of going for the first time.
This got me to thinking about exactly how people take the initial plunge of naked swimming, in daylight, with people they've just met. For people who've never tried it before, visiting The Ledges may seem like a long way to go for an experience whose benefits are unclear. I can well imagine the internal conversation about whether it's worth the effort, balanced against the fear of trying something society as a whole is not sure what to make of. But I always tell people who are sitting on the fence (or waiting to jump off the cliff!) the same thing: everyone should try this at least once. If you make it all the way there, and spend the afternoon, get up the courage to immerse yourself in the experience, you will almost certainly come back for more. So I encourage you to think about that next time you're in the process of talking yourself out of going for the first time.
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