Stoked about an upcoming trip?

[yellowcanoe]

I am.. Six days ISO moose. Starting Tues
Cameras charged.. mountain of gear in great room.
http://www.state.me.us/dacf/parks/docs/maps/seboomprc.pdf

Starting at Lobster parking lot.. a couple of days on Lobster mountain hiking and then down river to Chesuncook and up Black Pond to scout the Caucomgomoc portage and then down to Allagash Gateway camps.

The shuttle and six days parking is only $80

Weather is going to be ick from 45-70 degrees tops. Fleece packed...check. Tarp too CCS.. check. Towels for dog ..check.

 

[Mihun09]

6 days til first trip of the year... nothing packed yet... stuff pulled from shelves and laying about waiting to be sorted and packed this weekend. Canoe is apart as I refit the bow seat to something more convenient (Swift hates when I modify their designs). No fishing licence or park permit yet either. Still hoping to not take the chainsaw... longer range forecast isn't very good, 82F by Thursday. Hot is bad.

This is a "maybe we can get into That lake this year" trip, we have tried twice before.

7 weeks to the G'Town Marshall Lake trip, really stoked for that and might have the canoe finished by then.

 

[sweeper]

I looked at a West Penobscot trip for this year, but one of the guys really wanted to do the Allagash.

We're starting tomorrow at Indian Stream, sunday looks tough with T-storms during the day and we need to do another research trip to the Train/Tram site. We missed a few points last Oct. Then need to make it up to Jaws/High Banks to catch the morning release at Churchill Dam.

We've got lots of new equipment to test out and some new older gear try out.

My granddaughter is going with us, fingers crossed, she has already ruined a few vacations but I really want her to see this kind of trip and I think, she ready.

Not much else different about an Allagash trip except we've never stayed at any of the site we've planned for this trip.

The trailer is loaded, I'm wanting on another member of the group to show up with his gear to pack tonight and save time in the AM. We headed on at 0400 and hope to be in the water by 3 PM.

Norman says Telos Rd is in terrible shape, (up to Indian Stream Rd (figures)), so that will slow us down.

We plan to stop at the loggers Museum in Patten on the way home to see the Lombards they have. The member I'm waiting on tonight is a forester and he really enjoys the whole history of the Allagash.

See you in a week.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Hey its your seat. Not Swifts! They have given up the right to micromanage your tush.
Moose possibilities on your trip?
You'll hate me but we are doing a paired solo with no portages.. However Chesuncook must be Native American for b*tch of a Lake. Its always angry. It runs very near Mt Katahdin so the views are fantastic if you can get a moment away from bracing...
I'm always intrigued by Canadian weather.. Its almost always hotter in Ontario and Manitoba than here. However in August we will be back in Newfoundland kayaking and sea canoeing.. I won't put away the fleece. Nor the blackfly repellent. They are there in August as we learned in 2010,

Tis all about the journey. except that our car is at the destination.We have done this trip in two days. I did it solo in four. Sometimes the lake kicks up and its up to the lake when you get back to the car.

Retirement is good!
A dedicated canoe mess room is good too!

 

[Mihun09]

Swift's bow slider seat design doesn't allow for spinning the boat around and paddling from the bow seat backwards and the kneeling thwart gets in the way of packing, so I'm dropping out the bow seat thwart and just doing drops from the gunwales. The difficult part with that is the front drops are 8" long bolts and I can only get 6", so, there may be a slight upward angle on the seat and it will be a half inch higher. I dropped both seats several years ago.

Moose? Maybe. The area we are heading to usually gives us at least one, but the area south has been closed to moose hunting for several years so every Autumn the hunters congregate where we are going so there might not be many to be had. Reason for the closure is far fewer moose than normal, they blame the wolves, not over hunting. Funny we've only ever seen one wolf in 7 seasons up there and never hear them.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Sweeper I hope you have a fantastic time with your granddaughter. The water is pretty warm for swimming and the weather looks better. May you have south winds But not next weekend when we could use two days of Northerlies

 

[Iskweo]

Today is packing day. I did try out my sleeping pad last weekend ...overnight in the back yard. Had the tent up to check it as well. I have been dehydrating also, so its not like I have done nothing. I just havent started throwing it all together yet. I have a tentative menu made out so if I follow that things should work out .

We will probably see mooseses and lots of other creatures where we are headed.

I am a little anxious about this trip but it should be fine. I have done some paddling already and will take it easy. We get to where ever we get to ...no rush. This is holidays.I am thinking about taking some time next summer to go for a month or so. While I still can. I SOOOOOOO wish I could be retired and look after myself better, and get out on trips more often. I mean geeze, we are in the middle of canoeing Mecca and I have to spend all my time at work. It's not right.


Christy

 

[Guest]

Semi stoked for a different kind of trip

I’m headed to the Outer Banks in a week, to catch a boat out to the Gulf Stream and spread a friend’s ashes. The Gulf Stream was a place near and dear to his heart and research interests.

I’m bringing some dirt and sand and pine duff from other places he held special to scatter with his remains.

Semi-stoked. There is a good chance I’ll be sobbing and motion sick at the same time.

 

[Odyssey]

My condolences Mike. A beautifully heartfelt way to say goodbye, full of meaning and memories. And pain. And healing.

My NC brother just left yesterday to return home after having spent a week here. We briefly spoke about spending more time together, somehow, somewhere, and in some way. Our semi-annual get togethers have been interrupted some years. He said "We don't have to have a brothers' bash at your place, or mine, we can do it somewhere in between." There's a lot of country in between. I'll have to plan this. He left behind a book North Carolina Beaches - Glenn Morris. The Outer Banks isn't exactly "in between" his place and mine, but it sure is a good place to continue a journey.
It's also a good place to start a new one.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Final journeys... A friend of mine died in 2012 of cancer. I did not get the ashes to spread but she loved kayaking the Maine Coast. I was able to get the roses from her funeral (her favorite flower) and scatter them off of Stonington Maine.. an area she loved. That was a hard start to what turned out to be a challenging four day trip but I know she was watching and prodding us to pay careful attention to the weather. We got back to Stonington just before a huge gale hit.

 

[Guest]

He left behind a book North Carolina Beaches - Glenn Morris. The Outer Banks isn't exactly "in between" his place and mine, but it sure is a good place to continue a journey.
It's also a good place to start a new one.

If you end up on the Outer Banks and want to paddle something less daunting than the Atlantic I highly recommend one of Ed White’s small guidebooks:

http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Fla...pebp=1434824936483&perid=1YGHDW2VKWESV64NFGWF

or

http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-fla...pebp=1434824998024&perid=1YGHDW2VKWESV64NFGWF

 

[Odyssey]

Thanks Mike. They'll make a good brotherly birthday present for him. Which I'll have to borrow of course. He waved one of my unread books in the air as he was heading for the door "You don't mind if I borrow this do you Brad?". It was a Sigurd Olsen I'd received at Christmas. He'd never heard of S Olsen. Naturally I insisted he treasure it and read it. "Don't you dare return it in the post. I'll find it on your bookshelf next time I'm in Carolina, while I'm scrounging for a book to borrow."

 

[memaquay]

I've been in labour for the last two weeks trying to give birth to the Outers trip that leaves on Monday. When dealing with 18 to 20 people, one never knows if the thing will actually happen. Added to that is the state of the bush roads, and after several Plan "B"s it looks like we have settled on one, going into Marshall Lake and back to Summit, then down to Toronto, and then back. A fairly easy trip, only ten ports and a leisurely seven days.

Got a three day socializing trip in July, and then the ten day Marshall trip. After the Marshall trip, my buddy and I are headed up the Ogoki River for seven days or so to clear and map out a new route. Looks like it's gonna be a good canoe summer!

 

[Bothwell Voyageur]

Lack of leave has screwed with our plans for a northern trip. We came from having 5 weeks plus of holiday when we lived/worked in the UK to nothing in the first year of work hear. It's slavery I tell you!

We're heading out for a five day trip starting July first through the ELA area. Instead of our usual loop trip we are planning on starting in Vermillion Bay and heading back to a car on Stewart Lake. Hoping to take in some new lakes on the way.

We'll look at another week unpaid later in the year or maybe I'll take some time by myself for a solo trip up into Atikaki.

 

[Mihun09]

I've been in labour for the last two weeks trying to give birth to the Outers trip that leaves on Monday. When dealing with 18 to 20 people, one never knows if the thing will actually happen. Added to that is the state of the bush roads, and after several Plan "B"s it looks like we have settled on one, going into Marshall Lake and back to Summit, then down to Toronto, and then back. A fairly easy trip, only ten ports and a leisurely seven days.

Got a three day socializing trip in July, and then the ten day Marshall trip. After the Marshall trip, my buddy and I are headed up the Ogoki River for seven days or so to clear and map out a new route. Looks like it's gonna be a good canoe summer!

Hey, have a great trip next week. I suppose this is a Bud Lite free trip since you have a gaggle of kids with you. Be safe and have fun!

 

[dave0]

My buddy and I have been hacking away at trying to finish a trip we started 15 years ago. Funny how life interfer's with canoe trips! First stint was about 400 miles from the St Lawerence Seaway down to Veise, ME paddling solo boats, MR Explorer and Disco 158, something like 9 rivers and 12 lakes to get that done. A few years later we made it from Veise down to Bath where I blew out my back on the Back River, go figure. In July we are paddling, poling and sailing our canoes from Bath to either Cousin's Island or Portland or maybe both.

Here's our route:

Put-in on Saturday morning in Brunswick on the Androscoggin River a short distance upstream from Merrymeeting Bay. Camp on Bird Island (mile 7.4)
Sunday, High tide at 9:13, ride the tide past Bath to Winnegance East (mile 20.0) and camp
Monday, High tide at 10:10, 3/4 mile carry half overland, half on cart. Then to Doughty Point (mile 28.4) and camp
Tuesday, High tide at 11:05. Paddle 1.2 miles, be at Merriconeag Portage before high tide (don't be late, or repeat Marsh River fun), 3/4 mile carry half overland, half on cart. To the Goslings (mile 37.4) and camp
Wednesday, take out at Madeleine Point (mile 44.2) and have a beer.

We're going to in a lot of open water which frankly scares the crap out of me but once under sail it really is a blast if the weather isn't to bad and experience has shown that you can crank out a lot of miles fast with a sail and a fair wind at your back. And before you ask, yes we could do this in kayak's but we traveled all those miles by canoe and that was our plan all along so we're going with that.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Dougd I feel like the bearer of bad news.. There is NEVER a Northeast wind..that would be at your back in Maine.. NE means crappy weather. I live 45 minutes from there.. have canoed the area extensively but in a sea canoe mostly. We used to help run the AMC camp in Georgetown on the Sasanoa. I don't know a thing about the portages.. Make sure you have a current chart. When the tide changes there is sometimes a big lag before the current follows suit.

http://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trai...field-preserve

Watch for the poison ivy.. We don't have much of it here but there may be some on your route.

Want to plan for winds? http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/cundys_harbor

the Maine Island Trail ( part of which you will be on) was initially a canoe route. Its just about judgement and knowing when to go and when to hang.

The Gosling area is nicely protected. I cant fathom why anyone wants to go to Cousins Island.. I'd pick Little Chebeague in a heartbeat for great camping then on to East Prom launch in Portland.

Depending when in July I could bring your pole and some brews to any point in your route...

 

[dave0]

Kim, We may start at Cousin's Island because my buddy has a camp there and head up the coast. He's also a member of the MIT so we'll be good that way. We've been out there before and use a lot of caution. I prefer rivers and lakes to ocean with open boats but this is the end of a trip that was started too long ago and not finished.

 

[yellowcanoe]

That should give you a far better chance of favorable winds. You no doubt have your own favorite tide table but I want to share this as its always worked well for me.

http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/

It may be just me;every time I look at the stack on Cousins Island I cringe.

But now you may have to redo the logistics.. what was good tide is now bad tide.. Its really an issue only on the Androscoggin/Kennebec... ie the Chops.. ( which is GREAT fun)

A canoe is fine with a good head attached. I've canoed the coast and also Superior. We just have to sometimes retreat to turtle mode early when it gets to be too much work.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Don't worry about the great white shark sightings that are making the news. Wells, Old Orchard Beach and 26 miles off Portland. Where you won't be.