Eleven canoeists completed the fifth segment in our goal to canoe the entire Erie Canal from June 20-24th, this time canoeing the 30-mile stretch of Oneida Lake from Lock #23 and taking out at Sylvan Beach. It was by far the most difficult paddling we have done so far as the lake can get windy with waves at different points causing us to pull out a few times and wait for calmer waters, and we definitely had some scary moments, but our experienced paddlers took it in stride.

We camped two of the nights – the first night at Lock #23 a few miles west of Oneida Lake and the second night at Johnson Bay Marina Campground – and then two nights in churches – Cleveland United Methodist Church where they were gracious in providing us with a delicious dinner, and then Vienna United Methodist Church on the last night before we headed home and had our traditional pizza at Ramunto’s in Brattleboro to end the adventure for this year.

We have all kinds of stories to tell so ask any of our paddlers to tell you about it – Jay Crowley, Barbara Daley, Meghan Pushee, Louis Nordlund, Ryan Gillett, Jacob Bachand, Josh Marshall, Emma Matteson, Holden Klumb, Abby Carroll, and Logan Lane.