A summer canoe trip through New York's north woods to wild sand beaches

+ National A summer canoe trip through New York's north woods to wild sand beaches August 13, 20265:27 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered Brian Mann A summer canoe trip through New York's north woods to wild sand beaches Listen &middot; 2:36 2:36 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5929187/nx-s1-9886654" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript NPR's Brian Mann paddled the Ausable River in northern New York on a summer day to swim on wild sand beaches that stretch along Lake Champlain's shore. Sponsor Message Transcript AILSA CHANG, HOST: We may be in the final stretch of summer, but there is still time to get outdoors and, if you're lucky, find a place to swim. NPR's Brian Mann spent a day paddling a wild river in northern New York searching for the perfect sand beach.

+ (SOUNDBITE OF WATER BURBLING) BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: It is a scorching hot August day, and I am drifting with the current down the Ausable River. (SOUNDBITE OF WATER BURBLING) MANN: The Ausable River in far upstate New York winds through forest, then a delta wetland lush with birds. A woodpecker knocks in the trees. (SOUNDBITE OF WOODPECKER KNOCKING) MANN: Then a kingfisher flits past, bobbing and chattering just above the water. (SOUNDBITE OF KINGFISHER CHATTERING) MANN: There's a great blue heron that just lifted off over the marsh. Most of the paddle, I'm by myself, but just shy of where the river opens onto Lake Champlain, a woman in a bright yellow kayak paddles up to me. Bonnie Powers grew up in this area. She's 65 years old. I ask if she paddles a lot by herself, and she grins and nods. BONNIE POWERS: It's just in me to do it. I just love it. MANN: She says this river is a favorite with its silver maple trees and the lipstick-red cardinal flowers blossoming along the bank. POWERS: It's like a fix for me to be out in nature, be peaceful and think and not have clutter in your head. MANN: After chatting a while, we paddle our separate ways, and soon the river changes. (SOUNDBITE OF WATER BURBLING) MANN: It's like a curtain opening, and there's the big lake and the green mountains of Vermont on the far side, just this huge, sweeping view - blue sky and kind of a summer shimmer to everything. (SOUNDBITE OF WATER BURBLING) MANN: I make my way along the shore where the lake shallows. (SOUNDBITE OF WATER SLOSHING) MANN: The sand is the color of amber, feels amazing on my bare feet. (SOUNDBITE OF CANOE DRAGGING ON SAND) MANN: After beaching the canoe, it's finally time to dive in. (SOUNDBITE OF WATER SPLASHING) MANN: (Laughter). The water is the perfect kind of cold. It rinses away the heat and the sweat of the paddle. So I linger, swimming and sunbathing in this sweet, final part of summer. Brian Mann, NPR News on Lake Champlain, New York. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SUE ME") AUDREY HOBERT: (Singing) I knew you'd be at the party, drinking a coke and Bacardi. Not that it matters, but I'm breaking patterns and getting so good at Pilates. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{310:function(e,n,o){o.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([o.e(1),o.e(2),o.e(3),o.e(4),o.e(80)]).then((e=>{o(15),o(769),o(155),o(176),o(93),o(447),o(254),o(128),o(130),o(754),o(175),o(755),o(255),o(78),o(773)}).bind(null,o)).catch(o.oe)},782:function(e,n,o){e.exports=o(310)}},[[782,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();