Sculpted by Nature

Along the shore of the Penobscot ice forms layer by layer.  Thick sheets pushed over as the ice breaker works the river.

 Thin sheets from low temperatures the night before.

 Ice drifts on the current and is pushed to the shores, catching on ancient log structures.

 And small icicles form where streams flow down the sides.

The moving water carves and smooths the ice below, creating fantastic shapes. Though when you look closely, the layering is still evident.

Eventually entire “Seuss-ian” villages are created.

This is the first year we’ve paddled in Maine during February.  February tends to be cold; plus long hours and six day work week give me little opportunity to get out.  In fact, it wasn't I who suggested this paddle, but Mark who insisted from the moment I awoke we'd go paddling; the wind "Wasn't that bad."  (This was last Saturday)  And he was right, though I love my job, it was wonderful to be out beneath the wide open sky, not rushing between my car and a building.  Wonderful to be concentrating on seeing the world around me and sharing its beauty. 

How Babybel Saved the Day

See this picture of Mark perched on the side of a river, beneath some trees? I took it in Florida about three years ago. What’s he doing there? Obviously, he’s ignoring the ubiquitous alligator warning signs. And he’s unconcerned about whatever poisonous snakes might be lurking there.

     Fun fact: Maine is the only state in the continental US without any indigenous poisonous snakes. “Red touch yellow- kill a fellow” is not something we regularly deal with.

Alligators are another dangerous creature absent from Maine waters. Which is no doubt why the outfitter had filled our heads with tales about how lucky we were to get enclosed kayaks. Sit-on-tops, he warned us, allowed the gators easy access and were expected to be banned from rental use.

     I was a bit skeptical about his story. Alligator attacks on people are rare enough; I’ve seen alligator attacks on kayaks only in SyFy original movies. Even so, that didn’t mean we wanted to be lingering at the water’s edge waving our hands about as if we had access to raw chicken.

     But there Mark is, hunched beneath the trees, focused on a twig and distracted from whatever dangers lurk nearby. And all because of misplaced optimism.

     We’d flown to Florida in late May, hoping to enjoy some early season kayaking. We’d arrived to what could not technically be called a hurricane, since hurricane season starts on Memorial Day. It was a system stalled just off shore, dumping rain and wind on the state. Earlier in the year Florida had been suffering from a drought. As the week wore on, first water bans were lifted, then the news was filled with stories of flooding.

     It was not a great week for paddling. We’d had pretty good luck renting boats in the Homosassa and Crystal River area. But when we ventured elsewhere, we spent a day being turned down. Outfitters were closed, or uninterested in renting. Eventually, we’d called an outfitter for a nearby river. He hesitated, most of his boats had already been committed to scouting and similar groups heading out for the Memorial Day weekend. But, if we were willing to compromise, he had a pair of sturdy Pelicans he could rent us, he’d drop us off nine miles upriver and we could call him when we reached the target landing.

     When we showed up at his house in the morning, it was clear he wasn’t lying about the lack of boats. He had several racks out back, but only two pumpkin-seed boats remaining. The seats looked adequate, with a decent upright angle.

     The paddle situation was not good. Just a few paddles left, all crappy beginner paddles. But, as with the start of all outdoor disasters, we figured we’d power through, and selected the best of the bunch.

     Our second harbinger of doom came when we launched. Mark’s boat was missing a foot pedal. The dealer offered to bring us back while he repaired it, or found us a different boat; he’d placed some by distant swimming holes for the upcoming weekend. But we wanted to press on, finish our paddle before the rain started again and move on to a new area. Mark figured he could brace his feet against the sides.

     The outfitter drove off, and we launched into the water.

At the launch

     Just a few minutes later, Mark realized something which should have been obvious at the start. A missing foot pedal means a missing screw in the side of the boat- which means an open hole- which means the boat fills with water.

     So despite the alligators and snakes, Mark headed to shore to drain his kayak and to carve a peg to fill the hole. That slowed the leak down, and allowed us to concentrate on complaining about the paddles for a few miles.

     If you haven’t used a beginner paddle recently, you may have forgotten how unpleasant a cheap paddle can be. Phone books taped to the end of a stick would provide a similar sensation. More depressingly, one of my blades was loose and would shift. Every so often I’d have to stop and twist the blade back into position.

     Never-the-less we paddled on, making it to the pleasant rest area halfway down. We pulled ashore to snack and drain Mark’s boat again.

     Our meal was nothing great, just some food from a local grocery store; apples, Babybel cheeses, water and chips. Enough for a MacGyver moment; Mark took the cheese wax and filled the hole. No more leak! Just turtles, gators and some heavy paddles.

One of several gators; it's probably much bigger than it looks...

We learned several things that day:

1) an unpleasant adventure makes for funnier stories than an ordinary paddle,

2) if an outfitter is reluctant to rent gear, you probably shouldn’t push them,

3) if you’re flying on a paddling vacation, there’s not room for all your gear, but a first aid and repair kit should be a priority, AND

4) always include Babybel cheese in your lunch; it could save your life.

Favorite Day Paddles in Maine

Favorite day paddles in Maine? So hard to choose, Maine’s coastline and islands number in the thousands . There are 250 miles of coastline as the crow flies; over 3,000 as the paddler meanders into every cove and along each peninsula. Maine’s State Planning Office claims 4,613 islands. Still, on one of many recent long car rides, we amused ourselves by trying to select five favorite Maine paddles.

Mark’s choices:

1. Stonington. An easy choice, dozens of islands to paddle by or land on, easy access and parking at Old Quarry Ocean Adventures. There’s generally pretty tame water, especially in the morning. Whether you opt for a long paddle, or a short one, there are plenty of places to see, and there are even options for paddling in the fog. These factors combine to make this a favorite location.

2. Porcupine Islands and Ironbound, off Bar Harbor: Amazing scenery, incredible wildlife, beautiful water with wonderful swells, awesome cliffs. Not many landing points, but there are two, Rum Key and the Hop. This paddle is edged out of the number one spot because parking is limited. This isn’t a location you can just decide to go to, you need to pick a quiet day and get there early. I don’t know if there’s any easy way to park a trailer full of kayaks there. And, as if it isn’t difficult enough already, a new huge hotel is going in. Not only is the parking difficult, but this is a place that requires good judgment. To start with, there’s a lot of boat traffic in the area, all manner of tour boats and cruise ship tenders. Some of the crossings are through major channels, you need to be prepared to cross quickly and efficiently. It’s not a good place to be in the fog. And out alongside the cliffs, or when tempted by keyholes and caves, you need to be able to assess how those swells are going to affect you, and figure out how close you should be. Not a great place for beginners to be on their own. Fortunately there are many kayak tour companies in the area.

3. Muscle Ridge from Birch Point State Park: (no blog post for this) Mark loves open water. This is a two mile crossing to start, with distinct currents. Each time we’ve been there, the weather has been questionable and the wind stronger than expected. These challenges inspire Mark. Many seals, not overcrowded (this was a September launch), easy access. Lighthouses, landing points, and multiple islands.

4. Naskeag Point: This is a beautiful little launch and one of the few which has better access on a Sunday than during the week. The point is made of salmon colored granite pebbles, and from the moment I arrive there and spy Harbor island posted just off shore, I feel ready to paddle and explore. There are a couple of islands nearby owned by the Bureau of Public Lands and additional islands scattered about the area. There are also busy channels nearby, which require concentrated effort to cross. It is a favored area for sailboats, which have right of way. The Naskeag area has a fair number of seals scattered about.

5. Bartlett Island,off MDI. We’ve had some wonderful paddles around this island. Parking is tough, and you should be careful of currents in the narrows. It is a great place to spot seals and harbor porpoise.

My Choices:

1. Stonington

2. Porcupines and Ironbound, off Bar Harbor

3. Lubec or Cobscook Bay. This place has huge tides so if you enjoy looking at the wildlife revealed by low tides, this is the place to go. I’ve found flounder, sea cucumbers, all sorts of sea stars and shellfish. When we paddled from Lubec to Eastport, we went through several schools of herring. It’s a beautiful area. But not a great place if you’re not accustomed to tides. The many narrows have incredible currents running through them. As a whole I feel better referring people to Cobscook Bay and advising them to stay away from the reversing falls area. But I enjoyed the Lubec to Eastport paddle more. 

4. Portland. Come on, there’s a Fort on an island just a half mile off shore! What a great place to bring beginning paddlers! Just a little further out is Peaks Island; with restaurants and ice cream stands. Yes the harbor is hugely busy, and no doubt on the weekends, or a hot summer day the launch is jammed, but time it right and it’s a great place.

5. Little Cranberry or Baker Island, off North East Harbor on Mount Desert Island. I love this area, ticking off islands as we paddle out, exploring along the shores, looking back at the rounded mountains of Acadia, enjoying active water. The crossings are often over a half mile, and usually quite busy. But there are lots of interesting sights. On Baker there is a lighthouse, fairy houses, a graveyard and the Dance floor. On Little Cranberry there's a museum, restaurant, library, and a couple of stores.

Finally, two honorable mentions:

Castine. Castine has an amazing amount going for it; history, quiet coves, tricky currents, multiple islands, seals, interesting boats, even a shipwreck. Again, parking is a challenge and the currents and tides can create problems. Still, it’s a great area.

Rockport to Camden: Camden Harbor is a fun place to explore, but access is tricky. Rockport has a great little launch site, where for a small fee, you get a peaceful beach, a great changing area and a hose for rinsing off when you’re done. The paddle goes along the shore, not generally our preference, though there are two lighthouses, one at the start and the other at the end. What makes it fascinating are the boats in the harbors. On windjammer days Rockport will be filled with huge yachts, and Camden with an incredible array of vessels. Because the paddle is along the shore, it’s not hard to stay out of the way. Camden harbor is busy, but not impossible.

Once we had our lists, it became apparent what we’d used for criteria:

a) Someplace to legally land. I want to sit on an island and eat my lunch.

b) Day trip with easy access. Though most of our ocean paddles are between 7-14 miles, places get extra credit if there are options for interesting shorter trips.

c) It should feel like ocean, the tide should rise and fall, currents should reverse and the water should hop up and down.

d) It shouldn’t be a soaking experience, few breaking waves, no raging currents.

e) As I paddle out, a seal should pop up and wave his flipper at me, and at some point a porpoise should leap over my bow. Or at least there should a seal who pokes his head up in the distance and a bunch of different birds hanging out on the water.

f) The area should have enough coves/islands/inlets to justify using charts and compasses.

If you feel I’ve missed any great paddles please let me know! (Include links if practical) The only thing better than an old favorite is discovering a new one!

Kayak Kaleidoscope

Visions of kayaks dancing in your head? Replicate the dream with Kayak Kaleidoscope.


A screen shot from the program is shown above, the actual program, written in Scratch, creates a new picture every few seconds. This is the link to Kayak Kaleidoscope, which requires a flash enabled device to run (sorry iPhone and iPad users)


Scratch was developed by the Lifetime Kindergarten Group at MIT and is designed to teach programming skills. Programs are written by snapping together blocks of code; just like Legos.

There are close to one million registered Scratch users. Scratch is a low floor program; meaning it's very easy to put together a project. Projects as simple as a drawing can be shared with children around the world. Scratch is also a high ceiling project; there are some amazing programs there, such as this gallery of interactive art. And they are always looking for more kayak related projects.

Let's Go Curling Now!

     So now it’s winter; it’s cold out, the river keeps freezing over.  Not many opportunities for kayaking.  But, we thought, maybe there’s another sport we could try, one suggested by Baffinpaddler.  Belfast Curling , Maine's only curling club,had scheduled a “Learn to Curl!” event for January 15.

     Mostly what I know about curling is that it is an Olympic sport that involves brooms.  Also, the Simpsons and Skinners got a gold medal in the sport. 

     In preparation for “Learn to Curl!” I checked out Wikipedia  and learned a few more bits of trivia. 

1.  Curling wasn’t invented in Canada, but Scotland.

2.  Very special non-water absorbing granite is used to make the stones.  Only two quarries produce stones for curling, an active quarry in Wales, and a closed quarry on Ailsa Craig, an island off Scotland. 

Late to the New Year’s Day Paddle Party

    New Year’s Day we were able to get out paddling!  I’d like to say this is a time honored tradition, but in reality we’ve just lucked out with two warm still January 1^st’s in a row.

   This year we headed down to Bucksport, neatly avoiding the issue of tide rips just north of the paper mill by launching at low tide.  We paddled along the backside of Verona Island a bit before looping the harbor.

   Below are some of my favorite shots of the day (and some related trivia):

    Foam on the water, steam in the sky.  The paper mill is barely visible in this shot, though it's steam rises over the hotel.  I always enjoy asking folks to name the paper mill in Bucksport.  Initially built in 1928 as the Seaboard Paper Company, it’s had five owners since, listed in this Maine Ahead article.  

   Mooring Gears.  I’m not sure what company provided these gears, but they are huge and I love them.

   Looking across to the old Prospect-Bucksport ferry landing.  Before there was the Waldo Hancock Bridge, a ferry brought five cars at a time across.  There’s a film of the old ferry in action at the Maine Memory Network.  (Page opens to a photo, the film clip is lower)  Unfortunately I can’t quite read all the signs on the clip.  

   A different angle on Fort Knox.  In 1887,  Sergeant Leopold Hegyi  became sole guardian of Fort Knox.  His duties included walking the grounds each day to assess the condition of the fort.  That assignment ended in July of 1900 with his passing, but his dedication to the fort continues to keep the hopes of ghost hunters alive.  

   Heading back under the double bridge span to Verona Island.  The old Waldo-Hancock bridge (in green and rust) has been re-purposed as a peregrine falcon and osprey nesting site.

   It was wonderful to be on the water on New Year’s Day.  The lighting is always very dramatic.  And I remember thinking how much better my back felt as the trip went on.  But, alas, that was apparently an illusion, because when I went to get up on Tuesday, I discovered I couldn’t walk without staggering.   So I've spent the week on various home remedies, and things are much better now, and hopefully will be for the rest of the winter... 

It's that time of year.....

Wind is down, are you listenin’

River's free, no ice glistenin’

It’s a beautiful day, let's get out and play

Paddling in a winter wonderland

Gone away are our worries

Drifting off, with the flurries.

We sing this short song, as we go along

Paddling in a winter wonderland

On the river we watch the snow fall

And bend in folds and twists as we go by

High up in a tree we hear a crow call

And overhead we see an eagle fly

Later on we’ll conspire

And wrap gifts by our fire

But now we’re outside, riding the tide

Paddling in a winter wonderland.

Season's Greetings!!!!

Three Tools for Extending Paddling Season

     We push the paddling season pretty hard  and each fall it gets a little easier.  Sure, there are the big things, like wetsuits, drysuits, gloves and boots.  But sometimes it's the little things which make the difference between enduring a trip and enjoying an outing.  

Buff:  I was initially dismissive of “Survivor.”  Who wants to watch starving people humiliate themselves for food?  More than a decade after it first aired, I am forced to admit that apparently the answer is millions.  Similarly, I’ve always thought that Buff’s were useless colorful decorations foisted on loyal “Survivor” fans.  But after years of attempting to solve my competing desires for warm ears and a wide brim shading my eyes, I finally purchased a Buff at Epic Sports.  And you know what, it’s pretty good.  It folds down to almost nothing, making it easy to shove into a life jacket pocket.  I keep it in the same pocket which holds my camera.  If I get on the water and the wind picks up, out comes my buff to perform hat, ear band or balaclava duties.  Quieter than a neoprene hoodie; it’s snug enough to keep wind from slipping in and it’s warm enough for 35 to 50 degree days.  Plus it’s thin enough to go under my floppy hat.  I like to think that the results are reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn, and even if you disagree, I'm delighted to finally have a quick way to warm my ears.

     The other items were for Mark.  There’s no doubt that Mark, with his traditional paddle has more problems with late season paddling than I.  With no drip rings, every stroke drips water over his hands and lap.  A challenge, but also a constant reminder that we need to dress for water temperature.  This fall we’ve made two purchases to improve his life.

Boot Dryer:  Mark needs waterproof gloves; and somehow, thorough a combination of pinholes, hand sweat, or who knows what, the insides of the gloves get soaked each day.  It used to be that he’d warm damp gloves in the microwave.  Yuck!  But what are his options?  Gloves take days and days to dry.  Waterproofing means they need to be turned inside out to dry them.  Two problems: turning a thick waterproof glove inside-out takes forever, and it wears down the seams, shortening glove life. 

     Heading out with cool damp gloves makes it likely that his hands are cold and numb before he starts.  Once hands are numb it’s hard to get them warm. 

      Enter a boot warmer.  This one from Field and Stream has four nozzles and a timer; it runs for up to three hours and shuts off.  

    Mark has two favorite pairs of gloves, he runs the boot dryer every time we go paddling, so the gloves get six hours of dry time.  As a result his gloves are mostly dry when he starts.  The down side:  the smell of drying gloves; think melting rubber with a hint of old sneaker. 

      So I guess the boot dryer is a good thing, but only if he keeps it in the laundry.

Kiwi Waterproofing Spray:  Maybe everyone else already knows about this, but let us confirm, it’s good stuff.  Mark uses a nylon Seal sprayskirt, which used to be waterproof, but started dripping in October.   Having spent his equipment budget on a boot dryer, we purchased a can of waterproofing spray, and gave the skirt a coat.  And amazingly, it worked pretty well!  Next test; his older, leaky, formerly-waterproof neoprene gloves. Again success!  Yay!