PeterB Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) This was our 4th NSPN trip to Saddleback Island, hopefully now an NSPN tradition which provides the opportunity for great paddling and lodging in what has long been one of the best paddling areas anywhere . This trip was anchored at the rustic cabin owned by The Maine Coast Heritage Trust on lovely Saddleback Island at the edge of the Stonington archipelago. We lucked out with mostly fabulous summer weather, lots of sun and comfortable summer heat , with a few bits of fog to make paddling a bit interesting at times. Seas were generally very tame, winds generally mild- in the 5 kt. Range, so the weekend lent itself to relaxed paddling & exploring. Trip mileage each day was in the 15-17 NM range. This year our group was a bit smaller than in past years , since communication with MCHT beforehand had better clarified their intended use of the cabin and grounds, which prefers a limit of eight persons. So after a couple of cancellations and additions, we ended up a group of six and then, seven, with the arrival of George, a brand new NSPN member who had just finished signing up, Paypal-ing etc. in time to join us on Saddleback right around dusk on the first day. So, on Friday six of us converged on Old Quarry Adventures Campground near Stonington, loaded up and set off in two groups for Saddleback around midday: three of us- Pablo, Yong, and myself - launched around 12:30, with Gary, Dave and Paul following about an hour later. We all made the short easy trip to Saddleback , unloaded and settled into the cabin, after which some of us took a late afternoon spin around the island before settling into what is a Saddleback birthright: hanging out on the porch or inside, or on the rocks, and enjoying dinner and conversation. On Saturday, two ideas for paddling trips emerged, so we formed into two groups. Both departing around 9 AM. Gary and Paul set off for a 2+ mile crossing of Jericho Bay to Marshall Island, and spent some time exploring the island’s trails and its abandoned overgrown airstrip before returning to Saddleback . Marshall has the distinction of being the largest uninhabited island in the east coast, and its beauty, remoteness, beaches and network of trails make it a place that every paddler I know wants to return to. Gary and Paul returned from Saddleback with reports of a “ fantabulous” day. The rest of us- Pablo, George, Yong, Dave and I- paddled across and down to explore the east side of Isle au Haut. My other forays to Isle au Haut have been circumnavigations , which leave little time for exploration, so our goal was to more leisurely explore the east side of IAH, especially York Island, a goal which was handsomely realized. We had lunch on Doliver , a tiny MITA island (“ it’s tennis court size and rock, with one tree and a sign”) in the shadow of York Island . After lunch we rounded York Island and, after a stop at the northeast corner of IAH, Yong and Dave elected to return straight to Saddleback, and George, Pablo and I continued on along the north coast of IAH, slithered into the Isle au Haut Thoroughfare to the little village of Isle au Haut ,where he had a stroll and visited the General Store for ice cream bars and ginger ale before returning to Saddleback. On Sunday we all paddled together for the traditional “nickel tour” of the Stonington islands: a few of our number had not had the pleasure of exploring this area before. We wound our way slowly through the islands and at a juncture on the edge of Wreck island we decided to cross Merchants Row to visit Harbor Island , one of the area’s favorite camping islands. We then crossed Merchants Row back to Steves Island, and had lunch there. As we were departing Steve’s, a conversation with some other paddlers revealed that the Fisherman’s Festival in downtown Stonington (only 1.5 nm away) was winding down in a few hours, so we promptly changed our route and filtered into Stonington to enjoy the last of the festivites there, which included a cod fish relay race, (children stumbling about in yellow fishermans overalls lugging a giant slippery cod) and yummy grilled shark steaks. After the festivities, Dave and Paul returned to Saddleback and the rest of us detoured around Crotch Island with its formidable granite quarry equipment and cascading piles of granite blocks: Crotch Island appears to have been the epicenter of Stoningtons famous granite industry of the previous century. Granite, and geology in general, becomes an inevitable theme of any trip to this rocky area, and George , it turned out , was a geologist with formidable knowledge of the area's geology which he could ably translate into laymans terms , so the trip turned partly into a highly appreciated geological tutorial of the area. Monday morning it was pack up , tidy up and close the cabin, and paddle back to Old Quarry, with the added luxury of showers ($5) at the campgrounds before hitting the road for the long drive back home. I suppose it’s the sign of a great trip when you’re already thinking about next year’s , so by that or most any other yardstick, this weekend was a success. Edited July 20, 2018 by PeterB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyork Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Great report Peter. Fishermen's Day festival was a highlight for me. Link to my photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/uxuNPDvj7tMNvhzx7 g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Enjoyed the report and pictures. I noticed no mention of fog. Did you miss the fog on Monday? Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyork Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Yes-crept up on us as we were packing up, and I watched it linger along the coast all the way to Portland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 Gary; Did not relent in Stonington until Wed. morning. We were in Vinalhaven Monday morning and thought it would lift, but it did not. Fog toyed with us. We waited till near noon and then did crossing to Stonington in about 400 M visibility max. to beat weather. Not exactly fun. OTOH, Wed. afternoon till Sat was great with nice 3' swell on the outside to light up cliffs. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyork Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 We await YOUR trip report, with special attention to how you navigated that long, foggy crossing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcotton Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 It sounds like a wonderful trip! Nice trip report and pictures. Next year! I was disappointed I could not make it this year. Janice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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