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Where in Maine? A few places I've kayak-camped


gyork

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Winter cabin fever and the pause of sap flow prompts me to add another in the series "where in Maine?", with a little eye candy to get us excited to soon be on the water again. I'll add answers later, after people have had a go at it.

 

1. Fall is a great time to visit here, and the water is waaaay less salty!   Careful how you pronounce it if you’re “from away!”  

  Umb4.thumb.jpg.3cd2f95c28275198304493654d31480c.jpg  Umb7.thumb.jpg.a7fe292062a71dbe3e14b61218108990.jpg   UMB3.thumb.jpg.e8db89e890eb032ecf0d931528c2cc0b.jpg

 

2. I camped here on the NE end; other NSPNers have camped on a different site on this island, and had a ________fall on them.

lilsnow.thumb.JPG.3f7c5054462b39712116989dc5e2d75f.JPG    Lilsnow2.thumb.JPG.35fbcccd3ba816eda8a7172775610f23.JPG

 

3. In the midst of a popular cruising anchorage off a big offshore island. 

Hay1.thumb.JPG.ea9be940eb2f0e73dd20aa5f51a769e0.JPG    Hay2.thumb.JPG.f05b704102b804732385808827b52903.JPG

 

4. This amoeboid island is a fav in the arguably #1 sea kayaking destination in Maine, and perhaps the East Coast. 

Steves1.thumb.jpg.5f611cdf8bee031d60041ced6b7f3c6b.jpg   Steves2.thumb.jpg.8b47dbedc64d56b676402ec846c78f68.jpg   Steves3.thumb.jpg.1b55e71f69667c59901985144440b0ba.jpg

 

5. I camped here on the largest uninhabited island on the eastern seaboard many years ago, before tent platforms were erected.

Marsh1.thumb.jpg.7ec939bb70769712d160f6aab2f27e56.jpg   Marsh2.thumb.jpg.cf91f5920a6d0e29de23138c6e488389.jpg

 

6. Everyone knows this one, and anyone who hasn’t joined us, sign up for the trip in May, but don't expect the once-famous pot-luck smorgasbord!

Jwl1.thumb.jpg.1f6a3abd643f890c0cde64f933097a58.jpg   Jwl2.thumb.jpg.7e125adf23a441445da00c5c3a5ead09.jpg  Jwl3.thumb.jpg.a3fbc0da815f481c4610e49abaf38da6.jpg

 

7. Lower on the trail (?Upwest) where the tide may leave you high and dry on this and many of the surrounding islands. 

Trott1.thumb.jpg.ec1de3f6ec82c749cd7543744b471343.jpg   Trott2.thumb.jpg.c8779f40491556d43a0fdb4a7b424019.jpg

 

8. A difficult, rocky landing on this sparsely-treed nubbin, E of Great, and S of Little.

CrowCran1.thumb.JPG.2f0afd26acb9756805b8bdc9320adafe.JPG    Crowcran2.thumb.JPG.76a8c3d3c24a32a4f4c5ae9000fbdf89.JPG

 

9. Camped here with the boys a coupla times. Ninety percent of this ~2.2 mile-long island is NWR.

Bois1.thumb.JPG.4211c94b707e6fe7ec900f13ada2fadc.JPG   Bois2.thumb.jpg.3d6b37d971ac8f9c9d59a24615fda5c2.jpg

 

10. We were looking forward to a warm, comfy room at the tony, offshore hotel, but they took one look at us and decided we’d be better off sleeping outside!  

Cross2.thumb.JPG.e232dd843973d91fcce8c97362c8a849.JPG    Cross1.thumb.JPG.2ca92f4fb08ef511ecb5bc293d6ea861.JPG

 

11. The ebb current rips through the narrow E channel off this island, but the rewards are many, including nice N and S landing zones, and abundant tent sites on the pine needle-laden floor. 

Fort1.thumb.JPG.885b8d8966ec5d3dfad13b1011feaf0d.JPG   Fort2.thumb.jpg.a50623ec559d435e351a54ee3ad903cd.jpg

 

12. This smaller sister has a cozy 1-tent campsite on the S end. Returned here well after dark, after dropping off Cath @ Knickerkane, following our CW circumnav of Georgetown.

LilRam1.thumb.JPG.bd40fe02ae8bf7db40ad901c69b6ae6c.JPG   LilRam2.thumb.JPG.dd07573dfa0597efc9c7a4468d42416e.JPG

 

13. Resevations required, though our party (without) had dibs on any of the empty lean-tos in June, until the one couple arrived by mailboat, and opted for Roger’s and my place!  The original settlers were not a little unsettled.

Dark1.thumb.jpg.be1fb576a1b2c1b2b878c015ee20f389.jpg   Dark2.thumb.jpg.819cc45feacabddff251cd4e806c3711.jpg   Dark3.thumb.jpg.427b5d60d12b5acc93a384a2da81db8b.jpg

 

14. This tiny island is a popular destination, amidst its bovine, porcine, and ovine neighbors.  

CrowMusc1.thumb.JPG.0ed2044d298f53c24a4df8ab273429bf.JPG   CrowMusc2.thumb.JPG.e8fd0d71c1590790ede1f382891c7bca.JPG

 

15.  This is a great island base camp in Western Bay, with an all-tide landing and a few pleasant tent sites.  

Stevens2.thumb.JPG.34bc1fa6c7bc73d0b3a7907096cdcdd4.JPG   Stevens1.thumb.JPG.81f746526a0d991b4fcb5cd503e34da6.JPG

 

16. Delayed by thunderstorms as I awaited Independence Day fireworks in Boothbay Harbor, I ended up launching @ 9pm for the ~4M solo paddle in darkness and fog to my base camp, for nite #1 of 2, GPS as back-up.

BigRam2.thumb.jpg.fe43877aa090f743214a761f067cedcb.jpg   BigRam1.thumb.jpg.3b2bba1e0542aa8f26f9b2abf66fb068.jpg

 

17.  In the middle of NOWHERE, and named after Maine’s most famous crustacean, I met a canoe-load of four, one of whom knew my mother!! Abundant black flies and mossies in SEPTEMBER!  This site at ________ is off ________ river,  traveled and written about in Thoreau’s  The Maine Woods

Lobsta1.thumb.jpg.e03be82669651e8acd7426f69a53efaf.jpg   Lobsta2.thumb.jpg.d866d54b8d1a13bf398dca9228de3463.jpg

 

18. One of NSPN's 2 islands adopted for stewardship.

Bangs2.thumb.JPG.572b8361677593359d36283f1142cc74.JPG   Bangs1.thumb.JPG.51996e0e890268bc1e6203bdbf652fb8.JPG

 

19. On the "trail"; 2.3M and 287.7°M from this waypoint:   44°07.313', -68°22.534'

Baker2.thumb.JPG.2521d0c187f267cca54649e73ef407aa.JPG   Baker1.thumb.JPG.0d0c90bf7218654daf3f0531e9733d53.JPG

 

20. Annual car camping destination, with gorgeous offshore archipelago.

LB1.thumb.JPG.ee791fa43084923c8f8b9301f3cb4e2d.JPG   LB2.thumb.JPG.d9d6d2f4de7db45e3801d6168d9bed73.JPG   LB3.thumb.jpg.eaf15b3d7d3185ea96899239d4b7e673.jpg

 

21. In the middle of Muscongus years ago, solo, and look who hasn't tethered his boat for the night, who would pay dearly for this habitual oversight a few trips later!

Thief2.thumb.jpg.cd129decf46b27fa61513157583d30ca.jpg   Thief1.thumb.jpg.ed11c895e11a70e47c1deab856a020d6.jpg

 

 

Bonus tent sites, NOT in Maine:

22. If the phrase “Mother Bunch” means anything to you, you’ll know this island with a southerly-facing cove, nestled easterly of an island named after a camping tool. 

Duran1.thumb.JPG.319c9ce29595e5a959fd225115db324f.JPG   Duran2.thumb.JPG.6b21209e4c2618a412585966a9e033dc.JPG 

 

 

23. Paddle the Bold Coast and keep on going. This quaint island lies near a marine farm, and a drone above my tent site shoots a bearing of 188.5°M to Head Harbour Light. 

Mowat1.thumb.JPG.4ccca9b8dd86afa18378f2a4d6bfc64e.JPG   Mowat2188_5M.thumb.JPG.bc425b4a8fae70620d19682401f6092b.JPG

 

24. This now “annual” offers fine camping and hiking, shown in the first photo at 270.5°M, from the top of this tower on _______Hill.  

Squam3270_5M.thumb.jpeg.1b4dd8c6852e2bd2b3844088e9602e0c.jpeg  Squam1.thumb.JPG.e08409035f8fc35776fe592f6a2e7029.JPG   squam2.thumb.JPG.96e50aa6236478c8559c612ef6a9c496.JPG

 

 

 

 

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Excellent cornucopia of paddle trip photos Gary.  I think I have most of them.  See below in white 

1. Umbagog

2. ??Hockmock Bay

3. Hay

4.Steves

5.Marshall Island

6.Jewell Island

7. Trott

8. Crow Cranberry

9. Bois Bubert

10. Cross Island

11. Fort Island

12. Little Ram?

13. Duck Harbor

14. ???

15. Dunno

16. Ram Sheepscot

17. Lobster Lake

18. Goslings

19. Big Baker

20. Lobster Buoy Campground

21. Black Island

22???

23 Head Harbor Island

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