Around Orson Island in Low Water

        When people think of summer in Maine, days like July 25 are the days they dream of:  low humidity, pleasant temperatures, a nice northwest breeze and a sky that goes forever.

Birch Stream – In Search of Color (Old Town, ME)

Basics: Launch Just before the Bridge on Route 116. (Exit 199 off I-95, south less than a mile on Route 16, left onto Rt 166, Southgate Rd) less than a mile to the launch. ) This launch is just a dirt ramp before the bridge abutment, there are no facilities, and limited parking. It sees regular use, both for those accessing Birch Stream and those accessing the Penobscot River. (This ramp is the same as the stop halfway around Orson Island) 6 miles, two hours. It’s definitely fall, and our records show that sometime in the next two weeks we’ll probably have our last ocean paddle. Not this week though, the weather has been too erratic: thunderstorms, rain or high wind have graced every day . Color is coming in gradually, some maples are at their peak, others just beginning to turn. Since red(swamp) maples are often the first to turn, we thought a paddle on a stream might present some beautiful colors. Plus a twisty stream is unlikely to be affected by all but the most powerful winds.

We’ve never paddled on Birch Stream before, and were a little nervous about how narrow it appears on the Delorme maps. When we paddled around Orson Island last weekend, the Penobscot River was frequently shallow enough that bottom showed. Would a tributary be better, or would we dead end at a beaver dam?

As it turns out, it was deeper than my paddle. The color was varied, some sections unchanged, others at peak, and even some bare branches.And the bright green of the rushes at the water’s edge made a great contrast.
The stream is home to many beavers, I counted six lodges on our way north.
There are side pockets along the stream but none of them went very deep, at least in the section we paddled. Note the many pale birch trunks.
I like this red maple because though it has barely changed, some leaves are completely red and others totally yellow. We didn’t see much wildlife, a heron, some cormorants and ducks, a few kingfishers. And this poor frog, hoping for enough sunlight to escape the many frog loving predators. We turned around shortly after passing under I-95, one bridge of the highway is new, the other much older. We did see a little sunlight on the way back – Yay!

Around Orson Island

We launched from the Old Town Boat Launch, located on Fourth Street by the Elks. Lots of Parking, but no facilities. There is a nice public restroom in downtown Old Town, on North Main Street right by Riverfront Park playground. It’s heated in the fall and cooled in the summer. But it is not always open as early as we like or as late in the season as we like. Stillwater Avenue, running from the highway has a variety of fast food restaurant as well as a Hannaford, all with restrooms.

We went counter clockwise around Orson, a hard mile and a half against the current and the rest downstream. There is a squeeze point to be wary of though, about a mile up, just after the beach on Indian Island. After a heavy rain storm or in the spring the water can rush through there at 3 to 4 knots. One of our friends is so nervous about the squeeze point that she only does the circumnavigation clockwise. Even then it would be best to let the weaker paddlers ride down through the squeeze first, because you might not make it back to help them.

Generally this area is rich in eagle sightings, but not on this hot morning.

Rounding the west side of Orson, we went by Socks Island. All the islands in the Penobscot River are a part of the Penobscot Indian Nation and all request no trespassing.
Right before the Twin Islands there are two picnic tables on the mainland. These are part of the Cutler Family Land which was donated to Old Town for use as a park.

We paddled between the Twins, in the delightful cool shade. Overhead a family of four Kingfishers darted back and forth noisily, making sure we planned no harm.

At the end of the Twins we were greeted with a display of water lilies.

Then it was back to the steep banks of the side, where many animals, mostly beaver live.
The water was crystal clear today. At one point we passed over a huge crop of fresh water clams, a treasure trove for any raccoon.

Where Route 116 crosses over Birch Stream is an unofficial launch point and potential resting area. Several cars were parked there and a boat was launching. We saw five or six fishing boats, leading us to believe Monday is fishing day on the Penobscot.

The supports for the old Veazie Narrow Gauge railroad remain on the river, and in a few cases provide the foundations for houses.

These trunks bear witness to winter struggles.

This tree refuses to give up.

DeWitt Field is home to many float planes.

I often think of the Orson trip as a good location for fall foliage and eagle spotting. Evening trips in the summer are good opportunities to spot beaver. But our trip today reminded me that even without those attractions, Orson Island is a scenic adventure.
Old Town is justifiably proud of its waterfront and has arrangements with several guides to introduce visitors to the area.