Patrik Orcutt 10.24.25
Welcome again to Half 6 of this multi-part piece I’m writing on my current journey down the West Department Penobscot River. When you have not already, I’d extremely advocate studying Components 1-5 earlier than diving into this one beneath.
This journey was not sponsored by anybody, however I want to thank Outdated City Canoe for getting me a Discovery 158 I used for this journey and Jetboil for hooking me up with Flash 1.0 Quick boil system to prepare dinner quite a lot of my meals and make my espresso.
Canoe Protection on AllOutdoor
Waking up the Subsequent Morning
After sleeping soundly by way of the evening, I woke as much as the sound of rain hitting the highest of my tent. We did know that there was going to be rain on the second day of our journey on the river, however we had been unsure when it might happen. I sluggishly acquired dressed inside my tent and placed on some boots to then go scout the campsite and see if we would have a break within the climate. As I walked by Ridge in his DIY lean-to, he set free a growl that allow me know he was awake after which murmured that it had been raining since 2 am, be mindful the present time was 6 am. I walked right down to the river and brushed my enamel, and the rain appeared to cease for a time. I then took this chance to start bailing my canoe and prepping it for the day’s quick journey.
I had simply completed packing up most of my gear and tent when the rain got here again, however at this level, we had been dedicated to getting again on the water and attending to Graveyard Level. After a fast breakfast and a few sub-par espresso, we loaded all our gear up and set off, and the rain started to actually choose up once more. Fortunately, it stopped after about 10 minutes of paddling. Even with the less-than-ideal climate, it was nonetheless arduous to not respect the place I used to be and what I used to be doing and the pure fantastic thing about this a part of the world.
Whereas the air was cool, the water was calm in comparison with the earlier night, and Ridge and I glided throughout the water with solely the sound of rain masking our paddle strokes. With solely a few miles to paddle to get to Graveyard Level, the river started to open up into Chesunkook Lake, we naturally started to paddle extra slowly. After solely 4o minutes or so on the water, we may see Graveyard Level and the tip of the Canoeing a part of this journey. Whereas on the ultimate stretch of my paddle, I acquired very near a Loon swimming in the wrong way and snapped just a few photos.
The Widespread Loon (Gavia immer), a beloved image of Maine’s wilderness, is a big, sturdy waterbird identified for its placing black-and-white plumage, crimson eyes, and haunting, yodel-like calls that echo throughout the state’s lakes and ponds throughout the summer time breeding season. Maine hosts the biggest inhabitants of Widespread Loons within the japanese U.S., with an estimated 3,146 adults and 420 chicks within the southern half of the state as of the 2024 Maine Audubon Annual Loon Depend, a citizen-science effort carried out each third Saturday in July since 1983. These birds nest on shorelines, making them susceptible to disturbances like boat wakes, lead poisoning from fishing deal with, and habitat loss, however conservation efforts, such because the Maine Loon Restoration Challenge, have bolstered their numbers by way of initiatives like synthetic nesting rafts, lead-free fishing applications, and public training to cut back human influence.
After we made Land at Graveyard Level, we unloaded all our gear into my SUV and loaded my Canoe on high, and started driving again to choose up Ridges’ Truck. Naturally, we acquired sidetracked within the Village of Chesuncook and started testing the native church within the former logging city.
The Chesuncook Village Church is a historic construction that has served a number of roles since its institution within the late nineteenth century. Initially constructed by the Nice Northern Paper Firm, probably within the late 1800s, the constructing functioned as a mixed church and schoolhouse, reflecting the village’s small, self-sufficient group, which grew from a logging settlement within the 1840s and peaked with about 247 residents by 1920 throughout the building of the Ripogenus Dam. By the early twentieth century, because the village’s inhabitants declined as a result of modifications within the logging business, the constructing transitioned right into a seasonal assembly home utilized by all denominations throughout the summer time months, a job it continues to meet at this time. It additionally serves as a group middle and homes a small library.
After our little sightseeing tour of the Village, we headed down the highway to choose up Ridges Truck. Sadly, we needed to drive the Pine Stream Highway 3 extra instances that day to get his truck and his Canoe. This took us shut to three hours because of the appalling situation of the highway. With every little thing stated and executed, we had been again on the Golden Highway, headed into Millinocket to gas up on gasoline after which head our personal methods dwelling that Sunday afternoon. After Months of ready for schedules to line up and planning, we lastly accomplished this quick however very fulfilling Canoe journey. I want to thank Ridge for serving to make this journey occur, and I want to thank anybody who has really learn this far alongside on this 6-part collection I’ve written for AllOutdoor. Journey and I are already planning a visit for subsequent spring that can hopefully be greater than 3 days, and I can’t wait to place our subsequent journey to textual content and share it with you all.
