End of Summer Update
Maine and New England

I had such a good trip to Maine late July, I decided that I needed to return this summer to meet new friends, visit different rivers, and enjoy New England adventures. I drove up to Maine on a rainy Saturday and stopped at the NoUmbrella office to catch up with friends and see the past two magazines I had missed. I also offered to write an article about the
OR show I had just returned from for the last issue of the summer. This weekend was also the Camp Kodiak Convergence, a river celebration which Nick from NoUmbrella organizes for his friends each year. I enjoyed a huge river trip on Sunday which included the entire Kennebec gorge run.  It was nice to meet the Billy Lyons whose property I had stayed at earlier this summer, and GW who lent me use of his tent at that time. The party was a festive day with sunny weather and good company on the water.

After enjoying the Kennebec and Forks area of Maine, I drove up to explore the West Branch of the Penobscot River. Mostly dirt logging roads were traveled to the area about 25 miles from Baxter State Park, home to the highest mountain peak in Maine, Mt Katahdin. I enjoyed squirting the first day at an excellent mystery seam below a scenic gorge section. The next day, I met up with a local paddler who joined me running the gorge through the famous cribworks rapid. This is an impressive section of river with incredible views of the peaks in the distance. I completed my journey up in the north country with two hikes: one to Rainbow Lake a scenic mountain lake and the other to Aziscohos peak near the new Hampshire border. 

I spent a few days in New Hampshire with my friend Randy Piper. He’s working on renovating a large farmhouse that sits atop a hill and with an extensive Christmas tree farm. We took a day off with Zeus the dog to go fishing at Aziscohos Lake just across the New Hampshire border. Even though the fish didn’t seem to be biting, I enjoyed my trip on the lake. The loons on the water were very impressive and you could just melt listening to their song.

As Labor Day approaches and the summer is starting to wind down, I have enjoyed my summer, taking time to visit friends and new areas of the country. I’ll be embarking on my around-the-world trip starting Oct. 7th, so check back soon for the latest updates.