Canoe Camping 7/1 - 7/7

[Wet]

I usually avoid doing trip reports because I tend to get frustrated writing them. I find it difficult to convey the emotions and experiences of events and never find my self able to encompass the scope of the experience in pictures and words. Well this is my attempt to tell you about my trip to northern Maine. ( I have another batch of photo's that I havent seen yet, and I need to scan in my map of the area as well. I'll be tweeking this report as it goes along. Thanks for your patience)

Day One, Saturday 7/1
We spent most of the day in the car. As I worked until 6:45 AM, I spent most of the drive through scenic Massachusetts and NH quite asleep. I woke up after we had past Augusta and spent most of the rest of the car ride somewhat awake. We stopped in Millinocket to do some last minute grocery shopping and met up with our outfitter. After that it was on to the “Golden Road” and off the Chamberlin lake. We dumped our car at the ranger stations, piled into the Outfitters pickup and off we went back down the Golden road. We had some GREAT views of Kahtadin, but unfortunately my camera was packed up in my dry bag and I didn’t take any pictures. I can’t remember the name of our first campsite. It wasn’t super appealing as its directly off the main road and not much of a senic site. But as we spend most of the day in the car, it was our launch pad. Here a pic of the site: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=6120f3c0.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch40


And here are the tempting views of the site, providing a preview of what the following day would provide: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=9eec6a4d.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch39
http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=d154d6a2.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch38

 

[Wet]

Day 2

Day 2, Sunday 7/2

Alright so I suppose at some point I need to provide the cast of Characters here they are, Me (wet), my Dad, his next door neighbor affectionately called Uncle Bill (not really related), and my cousin Chet. Also along for the ride was my dog, Indi

So the first day is an odd one. You slowly begin to disconnect from the world of work, and enter a different state of reality. I felt myself detoxing from the stress and relaxing in a way you can only do in the woods. I tool off my watch as time became irrelevant and tossed it in my dry bag. No more need of time. All technology has ceased to function long before we arrived on the river, and the reality of that was just sinking in. Moment of epiphany: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=895f549a.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch35
Ahhh, that’s it. So here we go, Day one on the river.

Well the day started a little rocky. It was raining a little when we woke up so, we ate breakfast and had a game of Cribbage. By the time we finished the rain had relented and we decided lets move on to a better campsite and chance some rain while out.
It was only a few miles down the West branch of the Penobscot to Lobster lake, where we stayed at Ogden North: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...t=Picture009.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch37 That’s my dad in the front of the picture and Uncle Bill sitting at the table. The paddle down was all sorts of fun. The first day on the river was only a few miles, and crossing Lobster lake was great. The wind wasn’t blowing too hard and there was not much in the way of waves (they were just under a foot). The weather was decidedly odd. We had several rolling bands of sun showers that washed throughout the day. It would rain for 10-20 minutes, and then clear up. Every time we though we had dried out, we’d get a little bit of rain again. Luckily it only rained once while we were in the canoe’s and we got our tarp set up over the picnic table before the rest of the showers rolled in. We had a great sunset that evening: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=bc06364d.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch34

 

[Wet]

Day 3

Day 3, 7/3

Well this trip is decidedly more relaxed than the last time I was up here, about 8 years ago with the Boy Scouts. We planned on canoeing a lot less, as we were not concerned with tiring people out and keeping them busy. So we took a rest day today at Ogden North.http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=f77dd030.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch32 It was such a pretty campsite http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=8f4d9e49.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch36 , and turned out to be a great day. We played a bunch of Cribbage, did some swimming, and collected a bunch of firewood. As I haven’t mentioned it yet, my favorite part of canoe camping is the food. Last night we had kielbasa and peppers, and for dessert we had my dads specialty, Peach Cobbler: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=f4e8d962.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch33
In a canoe there are not the same constraints as in backpacking for weight and room. We dined on chicken breast and mixed veggies and for dessert we had Cherrie cheesecake: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=03a6d274.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch31
And my favorite sunset of the trip: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=6b9c663d.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch29
http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=7c327d36.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch28

 

[Wet]

Day 4

Day 4, 7/4
Well we wrapped up our campsite on Lobster Lake and went back to the West branch of the Penobscot. Before Lobster there is a fork in the river, where it turns off towards Lobster. This is kind of a funny area where sometimes the current flows into Lobster lake, and Sometimes out of Lobster lake, depending on water levels. On out way back we spotted a moose calf eating some greens. Unfortunately we were to far away for any of the pictures to come out. In a few more days I’ll get the pictures back from my dad, and may have more to add. So moving on, back on the river: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=afac65e7.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch27 The only wildlife I could get close enough to get pictures of before it disappeared: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=6660a3de.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch26
We saw quite a few Bald Eagles, but again my picture talents are lacking here. So I will stick to telling you about them. WOW! These things are huge when seen close up. We got to see a bunch of these guys close up, and they were moving fast. At first they just seem to large to be capable of flight, but seeing them in the air is amazing. Their large gaingliness dissolves as they take flight and they sour with a grace and power that is quite mesmerizing. I was quite glad I was in a canoe and not a faster mode of transportation as I was transfixed while watching these birds.
So as the current moves so does our tale, and we find ourselves at the next campsite: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=da4142fc.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch25
And some relaxing: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=a5f8d9b0.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch24

So Big Island is my favorite campsite up here. Its in the middle of the river at a point where the current is moving along. On either side of the campsite is river, and there is a smallness to the site that is a foil to the largeness and remoteness of the rest of our surroundings. Here is the view off the point of the Island: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=1aea6648.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch20 http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=78b3d47a.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch17

And here is my trying to provide some sizing reference, standing on the point looking back up at the campsite. Here is the right side: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=7b4e0eec.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch22 the left side: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=22cb51b7.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch21 and looking up at the main part of the campsite: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=7173d80f.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch23
Tonight’s dinner, Beef Stew. YUM: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=1183bf23.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch19

 

[Wet]

Day 5

Day 5
Good Morning: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=fb6afd5b.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch18
So the first day in the canoe with my dog was a little tough. Both of us were a little nervous about the whole canoe thing, and he was a little unsettled all day. He spent the whole first day sitting/pacing around my feet in the canoe. As you can imagine there’s not much room there, and his constantly shifting weight made the canoe bounce about a bit. It took us until the second day to realize he could spread out on the coolers/gear bags on his towel: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=be4d909c.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch16 of course we didn’t get the picture immediately, but here’s one. http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=094fd159.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch15
So today was out longest day. We were in the canoes for about 6 hours or so. Here’s the dog taking a break from laying in the canoe: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=aa8db6a0.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch14 and this is us getting off the river and onto Chesuncook lake: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=71305ea6.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch13 and of course, Chesuncook Village, and the Chesuncook store: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=b2850501.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch12 there are only 6 permanent resident in the village. In the summer the population explodes to around 50. The main form of transportation up here: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=990c87a2.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch11 we grabbed some cookies from “the store” for lunch and of course the homemade root beer. Did I mention we eat well on this trip. So even though we had a nice rest break for lunch in the village we still had quite a ways to go on the lake: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rrent=6d60f995.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch10 you cant make it out on the horizon but just over the tip of the front canoe is where we were headed: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=87486bce.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch9 we had some more nice sunsets here: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=4a134d9c.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch8 http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=e3e7079b.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch7

 

[Wet]

Day 6

Day 6
We decided on another rest day today on account of our long day yesterday and the fact that we only had a short paddle to our pull out point. So here I am resting with Indi: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=1ee82b2a.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch4 as you can see he is making himself comfortable. My cousin and I decided to paddle around a little and discovered a loon nest. We got a little too close (oops) and saw something rather interesting: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=c613eefc.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch3 the loon flew out of the nest, and splashed across the water like it had a broken wing. It splashed all around the water, attracting our attention away from the nest. Wow that was cool to see. Ok yeah, we should not have gotten that close to the nest to disturb it…it kind of snuck up on us. I help the dog in the canoe so he didn’t investigate further, and we tried to depart the area before we cause too much harm. So we went back to the campsite, played some more cribbage and relaxed a bit. http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=d1c9a6d0.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch1 We took some more sunset photo’s: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=59e92537.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch5 and I got a good one of the moon: http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=3302e46e.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch6 and we ate some more : http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i...urrent=c9add16b.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch2

 

[Wet]

Day 7

Day 7

Well, woke up early today to get a move on as today was the day we pulled out and returned to reality. I was a little sad at leaving, but excited to get back as I had a wedding to attend that next day. So I didn’t get many pictures from day 7. I think I was hesitant to take them, as it was the last day and I wanted to soak it up more than capture it. We passed by Mouser Island on the way out and took the opportunity to do some swimming and cliff jumping. I’ll post the pics once I get them. We got back to ranger station around noontime, and headed back to Massachusetts. I got home around 11:00 pm by the time we finished driving and eating, and parting ways.

 

[Wet]

Reflections

It's quite a system shock to be back at work and writting up the trip report. As I mentioned, I dont really have a stong writting style, but I hope you have enjoyed my pictures and breif description of the trip. This trip was a great time for me and has really solidified my commitment to the outdoors. I had a lot of time to reflect and deal with some family issues and some personal troubles I have been dealing with. I often find when I go hiking that I get a partial escape from things around me. I focus on the trail and the scenery, and enjoy the experience. I try to loose myself in it, and get away from the things that trouble me, and sometimes I try to get down deeper and embrace those things that troubel me, or that I need to think about. I often find I am interupted while doing this by myself or other hikers. This trip was really great in that we hardly saw anyone else. We didn't meet up with any other groups in canoes, and we only saw one other group of 2 people in kyaks.

There was a lot of time for relaxation and reflection and the backdrop of the wilderness was a great catalast for though and introspective thinking. I feel that the solitary nature of the very area, the vastness of the surronding wilderness and ablsoute immensness that you can feel while up there is amazing to experience. The size of the lakes up there is beyond scope, as the horizone escaped you and the sameness of every tree on the bank sinks in you almost get a chill. The land is unpolluted by houses, by other people or powerlines, jet's flying overhead are few and far between, and the outside nosies of civilzation are non-existant. Bird calls and wind are the only sounds we heard for a large part of the trip, and as we canoed down the rivers and lakes you could almost forget the outside world existed. The slow plod of a canoe stroke and the steady rythem of dripping water off your padle was mezmerising and hypnotic as the river banks slipped by and time fled away.

If it's true that being and time are directly connected to the way you preceive your surrounds and reality, I enjoyed my break from my normal existance, and feel revitalized in the peace I found. For the next year until I can get back up to norther Maine, I will be seeking to find that peace up on the hills and invite you all to share it with me.

 

[mtnmama]

WOW what an awesome trip report. The northern part of Maine
looks beautiful. Hopefully someday I'll get to canoe that part
of the world. I can't believe the food you eat. Thanks for sharing.