LandWorks Ex 4 Downeast Lakes Canoe Trip Journal.pdf - Maine.gov

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which we had downloaded a map. While at north end of the cover, a loon nearby called its twonote yodel – lo‐higgghhh, lo‐higghhhh, lo‐higgghhh. I tried to imitate it, and the loon responded, or happened by chance to call again. Heading south down the cove, we didn’t see an obvious entry to the trail, so we brought the canoes ashore where we thought the trail should be. Then, marking the boats as a GPS waypoint, we headed inland. Found the trail, with yellow blazes, and marked our spot with some branches. Then we followed loop around peninsula between cove and Pocumcus. Seven tenths of a mile. At one point from trail, we saw a woman and possible a second person on the shore, but we did not meet them. When we found our entry spot on the trail, we used GPS and compass to get back to our canoes. The trip out of the cove and up Pocumcus Narrows was an all‐out hard charge into wind and waves. I was now in stern of Carl’s canoe. Bob and Phil set the stage for rests ashore every 15‐ 20 minutes. Bob is in good shape, but he is 70. We got to the dam about 4:15 p.m. The GPS said we had covered about 7 miles, including our hike. We had seen one boat all day, a canoe with 2 people using a double‐bladed kayak paddle. At Dobsy dam we saw a small tent pitched by the dam outflow, and a pickup truck parked on the far side of the dam, a small structure flanked by a fish ladder. Beautiful camp ground with a lawn‐like field flanking Dobsy. Lunch at a lovely picnic table set near an elaborate stone fireplace. Lunch was pita, salami, Laughing Cow cream cheese and oranges. Our paddle back to camp was 3 ½ miles in 40 minutes. Diminishing wind and waves. Back at camp, everyone swam. A couple of people washed clothes. Bob fished after his swim. Dinner: Tuna steaks seared over wood fire, Indian dish of highly spiced chick peas and spinach, plus garlic mashed potatoes. Phil was inspired when he shopped for this trip. Tried to call Andy Buckman at Darrow, but no cell service. Sky got hazy as we sat looking at the sky and lake and listening to loons. Carl says it’s an omen of crappy, possibly drizzly weather. Thursday, July 26 Up early on Pocumcus. Had eggs and potatoes for leisurely breakfast. We relaxed and enjoyed yakking for quite a while. Everyone has lots of interesting stories. Carl’s been everywhere for IBM—he spent this summer solstice nude in a sauna with Finnish clients. Bob and Phil equally interesting. After 2 days camping in spot, it took a while to get packed and on the water. We hadn’t reached Darrow by phone, so our plan was just to paddle up there and see who was at
home. As we paddled up, the whole staff came down the porch steps to welcome us. Andy Buckman, Margie and her husband Bill and another guy—Tim. Lots of wood and canvas canoes on racks, 2 motor boats at dock and two Grand Laker squareback canoes on wood rails. Buckman et al very welcoming. Turns out he’d been a camper at Darrow in 1966, when Carl and I were there. We were invited to lunch and then shown to a rack of photos, hinged like pages of a book, with year‐by‐year photos of campers. There in photos of trip groups were the muchyounger me, Carl and Buckman. We held hands and had a moment of silence before lunch. Then—stories of Darrow. B said he, in consultation with other traditional canoe camps and programs, had introduced a lot of traditional techniques that hadn’t been used in our Darrow days. Everything was now portaged using “tumps” or leather head straps. After lunch we went out to admire the wood and canvas canoes – and we all single‐carried an 85‐pound canoe using a tumpline and paddle lashed to the thwarts. Andy demonstrated tying a long tump line on a wannigan, and we tried it out. Seems he’s a real guardian of the tradition, part of a group that considers itselfmetaphoric “keepers of the trail.” Andy showed us a half a dozen books canoeing and canoe‐building, and then gave us a Darrow bibliography for further reading. Even in his office he had loads of authentic canoe‐life gear. One was a metal pole tip for poling a canoe. Another was a “bug shirt” with integrated head net. He even put one on to model it. One the porch was rack of amazing fishing gear, rods reels and a laminated wood landing net. Andy then reeled off a list of places where fish were biting, including info about what time of day and what depth to catch them. I asked if any outfitters sent out adult trips in wood and canvas canoes with tump lines etc. He said one of his favorite authors had, but stopped for lack of business. Then he said if we contacted him early, he would outfit and lead a group on the St. Croix or Allagash. Said it would be great to form a group of Darrow alums. We left Darrow and headed over to W. Grand Lake. First we stopped at McClellan Point with the idea of climbing nearby Whitney Cove Mountain. The camp site was not appetizing, so we made a quick downwind run to Marks Island. Nice big rolling waves coming from behind made it great fun. The camp site was a bit hard to find – farther out on the tip of the Island than my GPS waypoint indicated. (It was one I had estimated from a <strong>Maine</strong> Atlas; it wasn’t one of the Down East <strong>Lakes</strong> Land Trust sites, which are marked on the trust’s map with exact latitude and longitude.) Nice open site on the lee side of the island. After dinner – rice with chicken etc., and before the banana cream pie dessert, we walked to the windward side of the island. Much wilder lake there. Finished dinner 9 p.m. Sat in camp chairs around fire. Carl played harmonica.
Page 1 and 2: Exhibit 4: Downeast Lakes Canoe Tri
Page 3 and 4: for 46 years using boats in which I
Page 5 and 6: Monday July 23 Woke up 7:30ish. Big
Page 7: Near campsite we saw small flock of
Page 11: into GLS and get a drink. I suggest

LandWorks Ex 4 Downeast Lakes Canoe Trip Journal.pdf - Maine.gov

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