PeterB Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 NSPN Downeast Paddle Retreat : September 12-15, 2024 Initiator: Peter Brady This 4 day event will be in its 10th year and is designed for NSPN folks to gather, socialize, and paddle in the Mount Desert Island area of Downeast Maine at a great time of the year. This year’s retreat will be from Thursday afternoon Sept. 12th to Sunday afternoon Sept.15th, with group paddles each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Most people travel & arrive on Thursday afternoon or evening, and depart on Sunday afternoon. But some arrive sooner and leave later, and there will be an option for a Thursday paddle or other activity. Some participants also take days off from paddling for bicycling or hiking on the trails of Acadia National Park. The 2024 retreat is being posted early so that those attending can be encouraged to secure accommodations sooner rather than later. This will be bumped on the message board every few months. Our base of operations will be at Rose Eden Cottages, Rose Eden is a cottage resort with some 12 cabins between the Narrows and the town of Bar Harbor Bar Harbor, near Hadley Point. We can gather at Rose Eden for car caravans to launch sites, and in the evening to socialize and plan next day’s trips. For those who plan to stay elsewhere, there is a wide variety of accommodations in the area, including nearby campgrounds which have been popular.Accommodations are on your own. Make your own arrangements (including reservations, cancellations deposits , etc) for your entire stay during this event. A number of yearly attendees have already reserved at Rose Eden for 2024. You are encouraged to make reservations (at Rose Eden or elsewhere) as far in advance as possible, as Bar Harbor is becoming more popular as a travel destination, and many hotels are booked many months in advance. Even campgrounds are often booked up. Hadley Point Campground is a recommended camping spot: it’s just across the road and a stones throw from Rose Eden. By now we’ve accumulated a menu of trips suited to this area, and there seem to be more each year. The general plan is to have each day’s paddle trips planned the previous day, usually by some sort of meeting: Some favorite destinations are: the Porcupine Islands off of Bar Harbor in Frenchman’s Bay, the Cranberry Islands on the south side of MDI, Bartlett Island and Sound, and the dramatic eastern shore MDI between Bar Harbor and Seal Harbor. In the last couple of years our variety of trips expanded further into the Gott Islands and Soames Sound, and this year we explored the northern end of Frenchmans Bay. So new trip ideas are always welcome, and the event depends on folks stepping forward to initiate or lead tips here and there. There is also a Sullivan Falls Tidal training class with Pinniped Kayak on Thursday, timed to coincide with this event. Most years several NSPN’ers have done this class in addition to the retreat. This is a rain or shine event, unlikely to be canceled (we even kept the event going during Hurricane Anne this year) , since there’s usually some place to paddle around MDI in all but the harshest conditions, and there are many other activities in the area as an alternative. It’s a good event to bring family members who would like to pursue mainland activities while we’re at sea. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP (check " I’m going") in the calendar posting for this event A Group PM with all participants will get going a few months before the event , for information sharing, planning and communication. If you have any questions: contact Peter Brady (PeterB on the message board) by PM on the message board, or reply here. 10th annual Retreat .docx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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