Adventures at Fort Gorges and Peaks Island, Saturday August 17, 2013

[prudenceb]

Fort Gorges and Peaks Island, Saturday August 17, 2013

Seven intrepid paddlers. So many adventures that even before noon I saw the potential for the first ever 10 page trip report for a one day paddle; but fear not! I will make every effort to condense. The short version: every dog in Portland, dangerous battlements, spooky dark places, ancient hieroglyphics, brave compatriots, giant boats, helicopter takeoffs, excellent shopping, amazing fashion choices, root beer floats, ice cream cones, and a color-coordinated place for ladies to lunch. Oh, and we even managed to squeeze in a quite wonderful paddle in perfect conditions on yet another day when the Weather Gods just couldn’t stop smiling. Not only that, but a paddle in which CAM principles were actively addressed and attended to throughout the day.

Our fearless (really!) trip initiator, Cathy, had proposed a trip out to Fort Gorges and on to Peaks for ice cream. But she said when she arrived at the launch spot, “I haven’t thought about anything past that.” OK! Dave and I arrived at pretty much the same time, the first ones at the very convenient (bathrooms! changing rooms! showers!) launch site at East End Beach in Portland. It was before nine, and Every Dog in Portland was cavorting on the beach with his/her human companions. But, rather magically, when the clock struck nine, they all vanished, subject to daunting fines if caught on the beach after that hour. The dogs left; paddlers arrived. It immediately became obvious to me that I had not been informed of the kayak color palate for the day: yellow/gold/mango over white.

After a quick Beef Breaching – as it repeatedly seemed to come out, so why fight it? – during which many of us exposed our advancing age by detailing numerous creaking, failing or replaced body parts that might affect our paddling, we launched pretty much on time at 9:40, headed for Fort Gorges. Conditions couldn’t have been more benign: virtually no wind; virtually flat water. It was a quick crossing – accomplished after a CAM discussion about staying together in this busy Portland portion of Casco Bay. In a line, just as we had discussed, we crossed.

It was a few hours after high tide, and the Fort was still mostly surrounded by water, so after a (CAM) discussion, we decided to paddle all the way around the impressive granite structure before landing.

After landing and gathering some land belongings and courage, we prepared – at no small risk to our safety - to enter the Fort!

Once inside, we were awed by the edifice. We paused again to read a warning sign, and flashlightless and fairly quaking with fear, soldiered on.

Cathy, demonstrating the fearlessness that would characterize her throughout the day, disappeared up a dark stairwell; we heard her whoops of alarm as she proceeded upward and then we all followed, to emerge on the third level. Cathy ran back down, relieved to be back on solid ground. (Oh, and she wanted to take our picture up there peering down at her. But I got her first!)

After nearly scaring ourselves silly peering into various dark and ominous areas, and fortunately held back from harm by Rob

we continued our exploration on the ground level, where we found ancient hieroglyphics and wondered at their deep meaning.

And followed mysterious paths…

After a quick break to use the facilities - which the sign at the entrance said they didn't have, but we found otherwise...

we pushed off to brave tangling with the near constant ferry traffic chugging importantly to and fro in this upper part of the Bay. We went from Fort Gorges over to Little Diamond Island, where we dodged a ferry coming in to dock

and then crossed – in a nice tight side-by-side line – over to Peaks. As we approached our landing spot on the MIKCo beach we looked up a saw a bald eagle not far overhead, being harassed by two seagulls who were squawking loudly as they chased the eagle in circles. He finally flew off toward the interior of the island, and the following gulls peeled off. We landed at MIKCo where a fleet was preparing to launch. A black helicopter with a steeple painted on it sat on a small landing pad on the dock above.

As we were pulling our gear up on the beach, two people – no doubt very important people – boarded the copter. The top and rear props started turning, going faster and faster until they were a loud blur, and the copter roared more loudly, and then with a final increase in sound and fury that surely signified something, lifted off:

We all strolled up the hill and into town. The ladies, Liz, Cathy and me, were immediately drawn into a small shop, where we spent some time trying on clothes and admiring little art works. We met up with Dave, Jeff, Doug (“The Other Doug”) and Rob outside the ice cream shop. Cathy disappeared inside, and emerged wearing a smashing new pair of paddling glasses.

We selected appropriate chairs

and sat in the sun eating lunch and enjoying the passing scene and having a discussion about…what came next. After addressing various options over root beer floats and ice cream cones, we decided on a counterclockwise circumnavigation of Peaks, although we were tempted by the prospect of cuddling up under the high cliffs at the northeast edge of Cushings.

Once back on the water after our long stay on this small island civilization, I discovered that not only Cathy improved her paddling get-up. Liz, princess for the day, was not to be outdone:

Conditions got a bit bumpier as we headed east along the southern edge of Peaks and then swung north.

But it continued to be a perfect day. Liz Cathy and Doug disappeared into the rocks and emerged. Doug and I were mesmerized by a large extended family of ducks – adults and children – that sat on the waviest entrance to a rock garden that we could see, washing back and forth, back and forth, until the perfect wave went through, and atop a wall of spray of water and foam, all the ducks powered on through. They were real 5*’s!

Cathy had by now donned her helmet, always a telling sign, and I think perhaps inspired and bolstered by her close-to-rocks journey at Odiorne with Ed a few weeks ago, could not be stopped from rock play. While Dave, Jeff, Rob and I watched helmetless from outside, and Liz and Doug glided through various openings, Cathy ventured into a tighter area and got hung up in the middle.

We could hear cries of dismay that mostly centered on Cathy’s having no idea what to do next. Dave, who was nearby, glided over, and in a calm and reassuring way, instructed Cathy either to paddle paddle paddle as a wave came through or to back up. She ended up backing up, then paddle paddle paddle powered on through

and rested for a moment, a look of exhausted relief on her totally courageous face!

A round of applause followed, and we continued. Cathy, fearless even after her close brush with a rock and a hard place, continued to poke her boat among the rocks. Finally around Peaks, and facing Great Diamond Island, we assessed all the traffic, chose our spot, and paddled with purpose – side by side! – across the boat channel, dodging once again ferries, boats under sail and powerboats.

The tide was still too low to cut between Great and Little Diamond Islands, so we kept heading south until we rounded the tip of Little Diamond, and crossed back – now without having to say anything about our formation – side by side to Gorges, where, exhausted from the journey and all the day’s excitement, we took a brief break on the now exposed shoreline around the fort.

Liz was brave enough to pluck fearsome creatures from the sea:

From there, we had only to make our longest crossing – this time through a sailboat race with about a million boats stretching for what seemed to be millions of miles from north to south in the channel. After debating (CAM style!) whether we should head all the way south to cross beyond the race’s southernmost turn marker, I said, “To heck with those stupid sailboats. They don’t own the ocean!” We watched for an opening. “There, after those two boats round and then pass us, we can make a run for it,” Liz said. And the two boats rounded and passed us, and we – plus other kayakers and motor boats in the distance – plunged into the now confused seas in the vortex of this mighty circular race. We could see our destination, and avoiding any mishaps with vessels of any type, landed where we started at about 3:30 pm.

Thank you, Cathy, for initiating; and everyone else for coming along. How scary it would have been without all of you! And how much less amusing; I didn’t even mention Dave’s test drive of Liz’s boat, and our collective response to his efforts…

pru

[cfolster]

It really was a great trip - made so by a great group of paddlers. Thanks everyone for joining me and Dave and others for talking me out of the rock and a hard place I got myself into. Those 'cries of dismay' were actually 'oh sh*t' - but everyone has always said you need to get yourself into those situations to learn how to get out of them and I learned a lot.

Prudence thank you for writing such a great trip report that captures the incredible variety of the day!

Some more pics from the paddle:

There's ghosts in that old fort!

[Jeff Charette]

This really was a great day out on the water. Cathy, thank you for organizing this trip, and Pru, thanks for another great trip report.

Here is a link to my pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/104130917981156539102/CiscoBay81713

[Dave M.]

It was a perfect day on , off and under the water. Cathy, thanks again for hosting the trip and Pru for yet another inspiring trip report.

Dave

[dwman53]

The story was almost as good as the movie...wait... it was real and I was there.

Thanks Cathy for organizing and to all who shared the voyage...til next time

Doug (the other doug)

[eburgess]

I have been up in Maine being a practice student since our wonderful trip but didn't want to go without saying what a fun paddle it was! We had everything - adventure, high fashion, beautiful scenery, rocks, a little bump, and lots of laughs. Thank you, Cathy, for a wonderful day on the water!

I am trying to post pictures, and don't know it this will work or not. If it does, enjoy! If it doesn't, know that I have tried!

Liz