Tracy Pond - At Last!

Not all goals are epic...

April 1 marks the start of open water fishing in Maine, so Jackson Beach, on Hermon Pond had both empty trailers awaiting the return of fishing boats and empty ice fishing shacks awaiting pick up.

We headed first to Ben Annis Pond. On the way we found a new well-built beaver lodge, and a partially built dam which promised to make the journey to Ben Annis tougher through the summer.

Fresh mud and everything - they must be expecting guests!

Then we raced to the other side of Hermon Pond, hoping to reach the fabled passage to Tracy Pond. Nearly a decade ago, we’d heard a tale of a passage between Hermon and Tracy. DeLorme Maps and Google Earth verified Tracy Pond was there, and as we paddled along Hermon Pond’s northeastern shore we could spot, beyond the red maples, a clearing off in the distance. But we hadn’t found a stream connecting the ponds.

Along the northeast side of Hermon Pond, the tip of my boat is by the entrance

That is, until Sunday, and suddenly there it was, a narrow waterway through the woods; twisting and turning.

Just a short way in it became obvious this path was best traversed in shorter kayaks. Still we made it through, past another beaver lodge and over another beaver dam.

And there we were – on Tracy Pond. A small round pond with a mixed shoreline of forest, grass and marsh. We were surprised to see a few buildings along the shore of the small round pond; camps or residences I wasn’t sure which. But it was clear that they wanted their privacy: no trespassing signs decorated any landings.

Overhead, our blue skies turned to gray, and the wind picked up. The trip back to Hermon Pond was quick. Another kayaking goal was met. Not a huge goal, nor one that we’ve been devoted to - as you might gather from our taking a decade to achieve it – but a goal never the less. Another small section of waterway near Bangor successfully explored by kayak!