Ballou Bucket List: Connecticut River Source To Long Island Sound? Check.
The ever-changing Connecticut River, from source near the border with Canada south to Long Island Sound, in segments.
Jennifer L. Carlson, Executive Director Connecticut River Museum (left) congratulating Bill Ballou for finishing his 410-mile journey paddling the entire Connecticut River from its beginnings near the border with Canada wending south. Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut to Long Island Sound. The longest river in New England. Image courtesy CRM.
Along the way, family and friends, challenges, a close encounter with death due to a tick. Enjoying the “best fish sandwich in his life” somewhere in Higganum. Scenery, wildlife. Weather, including wind, storms, the global pandemic. Bill Ballou is goal-oriented, thrives on deadlines. Loves travel, hockey. Baseball, reporting. Since he retired from the Worcester Telegram in 2018 (don't let that fool you, he is an active correspondent, also covers the WooSox and is busier than ever), he is tackling his bucket list.
Essex, Conn; did 8 miles on the river today with Charlie Thompson; 407 down, 3 to go almost exactly two years after the trip began pic.twitter.com/oJNANshcGS
— Bill Ballou (@BillBallouTG) May 20, 2021
Paddling, paddling. With a goal. The journey began in Essex near the Connecticut River Museum, the dock. Argia is moored there.
On a telephone interview, learned that Ballou is a long-distance runner. (Did some research before the interview.)
American Rivers (AR) map of New England, showing the tidal Connecticut River. AR official site, linked to this image.
His Twitter bio: “Bill Ballou has covered the Boston Red Sox for the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester since 1987.” Got off track, reading his writing. Red Sox. Baseball. His own story.
To the river and images captured by Ballou along the way including “My partner, Randy Koopman, descending the trail that marks the border between the USA and Canada and leads to the fourth Conn. Lake.” And this one, below.
Family on an outing above the Turners Falls. Image courtesy of Bill Ballou.
Captions of those pictures not shown here: Shoving off from the east bank in Walpole, NH, home of Ken Burns. Taking out in Cornish, NH — with the country's longest covered bridge just downriver; Cornish was the home of J.D. Salinger. Looking upstream at the remains of the Enfield dam, which is the upstream limit of tidal influence. An abandoned auto bridge in Northfield, Mass; once slated for demolition, local residents are trying to save it as a recreational facility. The southern tip of Elwell Island at the Coolidge Bridge in Northampton. Sigh.
“The pandemic slowed things down obviously,” he said. “June 1, 2019 was the first day on the river.”
Downtown Springfield (Mass.) suddenly pops into view at the salt-shaker bridge. Image by Bill Ballou from the Connecticut River.
“Did segments. Middletown is where the river turns, notable because I realized this is the home stretch.”
He observed that much of the river is “pretty mundane. Favorite portions included Deep River and paddling downriver to Essex. The scenery was gorgeous. Nice water…. can't hear or see any civilization.”
Another favorite: “Pittsburgh rapids. Challenging, not death-defying to navigate. In Canaan, I think. Vermont. Where the White River and the Connecticut come together in White River Junction.”
Ballou likes lists. He has visited all 351 towns in Massachusetts.
“I like complete trips. Not everyone has a mindset like that.”
“In Vermont my wife (Debby) would go with me, stay at bed and breakfasts. There was a strong headwind one time, no cell service and it was getting dark, couldn't reach her. So went back in the river, paddled just to get a ding so I could call. Hit a current and heard what sounded like gun shots to me. It turned out to be beavers slapping their tails to warn each other. Cell came on, Barnet, Vermont; she picked me up.”
Weather changed his plans on a day near Haddam Meadows. “Wind came up something awful,” he recalled. “Pulled into little creek and called for Uber ride. Had to get out of there. In Higganum stopped for a fish sandwich. In all my 69-1/2 years, that was the best fish sandwich I've ever had. It was a little roadside stand just north of center of Higganum.”
Did he ever doubt he would finish the river? “Yes. I almost died,” he said, matter-of-factly. “There was a section near where Vermont, Massachusetts come together. Near Route 10 bridge in Mass. A tick bite and I was in the hospital three weeks. Had last rites.”
Anaplasmosis was the cause it turned out. He never saw the tick, just a “bump that looked like a pimple. No red ring, didn't realize what had happened. Headache, felt disconnected, odd maybe three, four days afterward. Knew I wasn't 100 percent, but did not know why. Dizzy. Began as encephalitis, it was very complicated. The doctor who was treated me said this is more than encephalitis. A perfect storm of a tick and a lingering virus.”
He recovered. On Monday, June 7, 2021, he did the last three miles; wanted all the people involved to be together for a celebratory meal at the Griswold Inn in Essex.
Finished the trip, all 410 miles, at about 11:30 this morning pic.twitter.com/3JAS2LsBLz
— Bill Ballou (@BillBallouTG) June 7, 2021
Congratulations.
Oh. About his bucket list, what else will he tackle? “Learn how to play the piano exit from Layla.”
Does he play the piano now?
No.
Note: For those interested, Ballou compiled a baseball Jeopardy-type quiz, linked here via Worcester Telegram; it follows his announcement he was retiring (2018).