Customer Reviews

A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain: Exploring the New York, Vermont & Quebec Shores

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A Kayaker's Guide to Lake Champlain is beautifully and clearly organized, filled with nuggets of information that even those of us who do not paddle, but love lakes, history, and wildlife, can embrace. Featuring the treasures and history of Lake Champlain as viewed from the water, the book's personal stories and descriptions bring every one of its useful sections to life and make this guide a delightful experience for the reader. I also love the layout, photos, subtitles, and charming sketches. It is obvious that a huge amount of work went into this wonderful book. A major accomplishment in every way.

Eleanor Garrell Berger, Author, Stepping Out: A Tenderfoot's Guide to the Principles, Practices, and Pleasures of Countryside Walking, Tenderfoot Press, LLC, [...]

Don't be fooled by the title of this book; it is much more than a "kayaker's guide." It is so much, much, much more. Yes, it gives incredibly helpful information to the kayaker, be she/he beginner or expert; but it also gives to the armchair traveler a wonderfully rich and descriptive account of the history, ecology, geology, flora and fauna, historical sites, amazing diversity, and challenges of this beautiful Lake. Fabulous graphics: the maps and charts are detailed and helpful; the photographs bring the story to life. (I just found myself wishing for more color photos.) This book is honest, engaging, and funny. These two women really came to know and love this lake; after reading this book you will, too. And, the book will make you want to see more, learn more, paddle more. It did that for me.

I live in the Midwest and love to take my kayak on the many lakes in our area. I also have a friend who is planning to write about her achievement of kayaking the 1000 lakes in our county, so I was very curious to see Holden and Frank tell of their journey around the shoreline and islands of Lake Champlain, no small feat. This is a very thorough guide. They begin with a review of equipment and safety precautions. Immediately one knows that such a project can have its moments of danger. They do have some threatening paddles. The two detail all the practical necessities of each leg and then fill in with some compelling narrative. Not being from that area of the country, I was quite surprised by my engagement in the whole project. There is a lot to learn here. Lake Champlain's health is dependent on those who live and work on its shores, and it's a mixed bag. Followers of the early history of Vermont and New York with its various battles with the French and British will enjoy the many sidebars. The book features great maps and black and white photography that conveys a sense of scale, small kayaks against the world.

Although my husband and I have sailed on Lake Champlain for over thirty years, this book provides a different perspective from which to view its shoreline and enticing coves. It is more than a guide to kayaking; it is also a book about friendship, discovery, and perservance in reaching a goal. And, it is a timely book as 2009 is the Quadricentennial of Samuel de Champlain's discovery of the lake that bears his name. This book has so much history, geographical and geological information that even Champlain, with his eye for detail, would have been impressed.