My Mountain Adventure...

My northern Maine adventure began Friday morning. After spending Thursday with Rico in Boston, I got home and packed my final items and hit the sack. I intended on leaving here by 8 a.m... but my actual departure time, after making a few pit stops, was about 9:45 a.m. (I let myself sleep in a little!)

It was a beautiful day for a drive. The sky was blue and the clouds were gorgeous! Actually they were distracting if you want to know the truth! I kept looking up and eventually got out my camera and randomly shot some pictures of the clouds, not knowing how they would come out. On my travels I have a few spots that I stop at regularly to help break up the trip. On Friday I wanted to get there as fast as I could so I only stopped once, at a rest area along I-95. I stretched my legs and got back on the highway.

In my rear view mirror I saw a green VW wagon and thought to myself, gee...that looks like my friend Kelly's car... and quickly dismissed my thought because I knew Kelly's family had a camp on the coast, but assumed she would have taken a different route to get there... but then the car began gaining on me... and passed me... with three waving hands and smiles! It was Kelly and her kids. We chatted by cell phone after that... Too funny!

The further north I got the more relaxed I felt. ahhh...it felt nice. The sky kept changing, the clouds taking on different shapes. I saw a lobster claw at one point, a woman's face at another, and all kinds of monsters. At some points the clouds looked a little like rain clouds and I wondered if it would be cloudy when I reached the mountain. It is a place where the weather changes a lot throughout the day... often times in the morning I wear a sweatshirt and then eventually change into shorts and a tank top... only to wear a winter jacket in the evenings as we sit by the fire.

As I drive I have certain landmarks that I use to let me know how close I am to my final destination. Along the highway there is a place where there are a lot of birch trees in the median and I know I am close to my hometown... but when I passed it on Friday, I knew I had a ways to go, because I was heading further north...I was on the highway for about 190 miles. When I got off the highway I anxiously looked for my first glimpse of the mountain... and was happy that it was clear enough to see it! After getting off the highway I drive through a couple of small mill towns. It was bitter sweet to go through them. The mill has been shut down and that really takes a toll on the communities up there. Despite their struggle, the towns were decorated with American flags in anticipation of the Fourth of July. Those small towns are still untouched by some things and there is a beauty in that...

After leaving the small towns, I head into territories... yup... territories. In northern Maine there are still pieces of land that are considered territories. I have to drive on a road called the State Road... not sure you could find that on a map, but it's what everyone there calls it. Then I go onto the Golden Road.. a road made by logging companies to transport the wood to the mills. That road is rough, lots of bumps and potholes! This is a truck I encountered... notice there is not a lot of room to pass this guy... and they go fast!

So I got to the campground and Dad was already there. His girlfriend, Betty, was unable to come up until Saturday... which I guess worked out kind of well... it allowed me to selfishly get a couple of solo kayak trips up the river. I got more solo trips after she arrived too, but I was wondering how that would play out. I was looking forward to seeing her, but I also wanted some things to be the same...about being up there, if that makes sense. I arrived at the campground and got hugs from our summer family members... love to see everyone. It wasn't long before the river called... And I answered!

My first paddle up the river was very nice.. I saw FOUR small bull moose... On my way up the river I had seen two of them, not too far from each other, on the same side of the river. The third one was further up, on the opposite side, and the fourth was way above the rest... After watching the fourth for a while I drifted down the river. .. and the two moose that were in the same area were still close to each other. (The picture of the two moose.)

I positioned myself to watch the two moose and was giving them some distance when I heard something behind me... the third moose had crossed the river and had somehow gone under my radar... so I was between THREE BULL MOOSE!

As much time as I have spent kayaking with moose, or around moose, I admit I was nervous. Being in between three bulls was unnerving. It is not rutting season, thankfully... so they bulls are not too territorial and do not fight... they were pretty calm, but I moved to a vantage point where I would not be in between them. I was so happy to have seen so much on my first paddle.

Friday night we sat around the campfire and to my surprise the sunset was not as impressive as they usually are up there... in fact while I was up there the sunsets were not as awesome as they usually are... I didn't even take many pictures..

The next morning I got up and headed up the river around 7 a.m. I had intentions of going earlier, but decided sleep was more important. It was a beautiful morning. The clouds were passing by the mountain and the sun was shining. I like this picture of the mountain because you can see the texture of the mountain.

I paddled along and went into all of the little inlets that go off from the river. I went into Baxter Bay, named because it is a small pond/cove that has a great view of the mountain which is part of Baxter State Park in Maine.

As I was paddling around, looking at everything I also keep an eye on the water, or in the water... and thought I saw a rock, but then the rock moved and I realized I almost paddled over a big snapping turtle. It was good sized... hard to see in this picture, but kind of cool that I could see it.

The rivers in northern Maine have a rich history of logging. For years harvested trees were floated down the river, it was easier to get the logs to the mills. There are still logs in the water and along the shore, like this one, that have the cables from way back when... This spring the water levels on the river were really high and there was a lot of erosion. I noticed more roots exposed than ever and found something else too.

This chain was hanging from the riverbank. And since I had not seen it before, I had to explore it. The links are large, probably three and a half to four inches across the widest part and heavy, very heavy... I pulled on the chain, thinking it would come off and one end came up out of the river, but the other end was deeply embedded into the ground. I am sure that chain was there from many years ago... Dad thought perhaps ht was used to block off Baxter Bay to keep the logs in the main part of the river... which is a good possibility.

As I paddled into another area, The Outback, I saw these pine cones... almost navy blue/black in color. They were pretty unique compared to what I am used to seeing. While in there I was in very shallow water... so shallow that paddling involved pushing on the bottom... and as I was there taking pictures, I heard something in the woods... something big... branches were cracking and then I got snorted at... I could not see the animal, but I am pretty sure it was the big bull moose I encountered later in the day. He snorted at me and stomped his feet then I heard him running through the woods. I quickly left that area, realizing that if that moose had chosen to run towards me instead of away, my escape would have been difficult because the water was so shallow...

Not that something like that stops me... I returned to that same spot throughout the weekend... I also was accompanied by lots of dragonflies. This one landed on my foot and explored all of my toes before settling on that spot for a while. They are such interesting bugs.

As I paddled I kept my eye to the sky... the river has a few eagles that have been living along it for the past few years. Last year I got some pictures of a couple of eagles before they got their adult coloring... which takes up to four years I believe... So these guys could be the ones that I watched last summer. This series of pictures were not taken in order, and it was two different eagles, but I thought that this order made sense.

When I spotted one of the eagles in the tree I parked my kayak on the opposite shore, backing into a place where I knew the current would not push me along.. and kept my camera pointed at it, knowing it would eventually take off... and it did!

I was very happy with this shot, although when I got it printed off, it is not as crisp as I would like... but I still like it a lot. Not sure if you can see it or not, but there is a silver/gray band on the left foot of that eagle. I need to do some research about that. knowing that they have obviously been marked for some reason.

They are such a big bird... and magnificent in their flight. They are so quiet as they soar and they go so high in the sky. Beautiful bird.

There were lots of daisies around... and I love seeing them. There were so many of them along the Golden Road... Mom loved daisies... so I tried to take a picture that showed the detail... this one is pretty good. Earlier in the day one of our camping pals, Betty (not Dad's girlfriend, but another Betty, now known as Betty 1... of Betty 1 and Betty 2!) ... or maybe it was Dawn... hmmm... Somehow she had told me about a butterfly that Betty 1 and Dawn had seen the summer after Mom died.

They told me that the butterfly was unique because it was black and white and neither of them had seen one before. They decided it was my mom in some form... and said that they would see it once in a while throughout the summer, but had not seen once since... ironically later that day, what began flying around my head but this butterfly... that looks black and white when it flies, but now, with the pictures I can see it is brown and orange and white...

Betty 2, Dad's girlfriend arrived around 1:00 on Saturday... it was good to see her. To be honest, I was not sure how I would fee about her being at Abol. I WANTED to be happy about her being there, WANTED it to feel... 'normal'...(my favorite word)... but was a little unsure how it would play out. It was nice to have her there. I think the key in all of this is to really know that the way to feel okay about things is to not compare how things are now to how they were... which those who know me, knows is difficult... but... having Betty 2 at the campground which really has been sacred to me all these years... because of the closeness Mom and I shared there... was different, naturally. She is a good person. She has grown close with Dad and I am happy to see that.

Seeing Dad introduce her to people, people I have known... who have known our family... known my Dad as my Mom's husband and vice versa... as his friend... was cute. People are happy for Dad and have noticed a positive difference in him. Before Betty arrived I had asked Dad if she had ever been up close and personal with moose... and she hadn't...

We all spent the afternoon together, had lunch and chatted...and by evening the river was calling again... and I invited Betty to paddle up the river with me....and she accepted. I know she kayaks at her house, she lives on a lake... but I wasn't sure if she wanted to kayak with me to get time with me, to try to fit into the activities we do up there, or if she felt obligated... wondered if she wanted to stay with Dad at the campground... but as we paddled up the river all of that wondering and thinking disappeared... talking with her was easy, conversation came naturally. I really like that she not only accepts that we tell stories about Mom and have memories of her there that are so strong they cannot be ignored... but that she seems to enjoiy hearing them. She knew my mom... to what extent I am not sure... but she knew her well enough to know of her kind heart, contagious laughter and sense of humor...

Betty got the chance to see two moose, two of the bulls I had seen the night before. I am not overly impressed with this picture, but post it to show the difference between this moose and the next... their coats... this guy has not finished shedding his winter coat... appearing more brown. The other guy has shedded his winter coat and appears black. Betty was a little nervous being so close to a moose, but I think she also really enjoyed it.

I hope that she falls in love with being up there... She and Dad are still in the beginning stages of things... and this is their first summer... I know that early on in relationships people do things, go places that they may not truly enjoiy because the other person does...

I hope this is a place where Betty can find peace and serenity too... and hope that she and Dad spend more time there. Selfishly, I cannot imagine visiting Dad in the summers without going to the Mountain... This is a good picture of Betty with the moose... she was probably 30 feet from it... Moose don't usually have that expression, but I caught him just before he shook his head to get the water off... cute!

Sunday morning I got up again to go kayaking... (solo as nobody else was awake!) As I headed up the river I could see a good size bull in the water, much bigger than I had seen the previous days.. As I got closer he began heading out of the water... a man in a canoe had gotten a little too close I think... By the time I arrived I managed to get a couple of shots, but hoped that I would see him again... and I did...

The ferns waved to ma all weekend as I paddled up the river... As many of you know, my mom loved ferns... .loved their shape and colors... so I think of her often when I see and admire them.

As I paddled I also saw three nests. This one was well protected in this tree. I did not see any babies... hoping that they have already taken flight!

Later on Sunday, I had just finished taking my 5o cent shower (6 minutes for 50 cents!) when some of our camping friends invited me to see a whippoorwill and her nest. They had come seen her and her nest when they were in the woods collecting firewood on Saturday. They saw the nest when they spotted the eggs... whippoorwills are nocturnal birds and their call is loud, and if right outside your camper or tent can keep you awake. They start calling around 9:00, you can almost set your watch by it. Ironically, Saturday night one called really loudly as we all sat around the campfire. Someone shined a flashlight in the direction from which its call had come, and we saw the bird. It was the first time I had seen one. So...back to Sunday...

Believe it or not this is NOT a log or a piece of bark on the forest floor. it is a bird, a whippoorwill... look closely, really closely... it is facing towards the camera, eyes looking more parallel with the ground..It is very difficult to see. When they told me that was her, I took the picture, not thinking I was looking at the right thing... but not long after that, she took off, leaving below her two balls of fluff... her two babies...

They were so light and fluffy that upon her take off the wind from her wings made them roll on the ground.

I admit, these little guys have that face only a mother could love. They remind me a little of moles... the way their eyes look... I wonder if that's because these guys are nocturnal and moles live in the dark... We kept our distance, knowing that the mother would abandon them if we changed their scent in any way. The people who found them had done some research; apparently within 20 days these little puffs will be adults, completely on their own... imagine how much they have to learn in such a short time!

The clouds around the mountain were cool this weekend.. not sure why I was so obsessed with clouds, but they were so interesting this trip...

As I was leaving for an afternoon paddle Dad was fly fishing. I was in my kayak and looked at his pole that was bent right over and decided to go back to shore and got out of my kayak. I am glad I was there for this show!

For years, Dad has been talking about the Big One, the fish that lives in this river... named Walter... well Dad caught Walter!

This salmon, hook mouthed I think is what my Dad called him... was about 23 inches long! In order to keep it, to eat they have to be 17 inches on this river.... Dad let him go... catch and release! I am glad I got some pictures for him... maybe he will hang a picture of him and the fish over the mantle instead of the actual fish!

More clouds... And this wild Iris... it was very pretty against the greens in the grasses.

This is a close up of the cables pictured on the tree trunk above.. I liked the texture and the contrast that the rust makes...

This branch was a bit of a conundrum for me. When I saw this color along the shore, I thought one of the white water rafting companies had lost a paddle and I was going to take it back to the campground, but.. it was a branch. Strange, but pretty...

As I paddled along the river, it began sprinkling... which is not a big deal. I stayed out on the river and it rained a little harder. Since there were no signs of thunder I stayed on the river. I knew I wouldn't melt!

It is so peaceful on the river. I love the sounds... the songs of the birds... the river's current going over rocks... the smell of the trees and plants... and the smell of the rain.. I bet my blood pressure is significantly lower up there... And my arms got a good workout, for sure!

As I came back down the river this beaver was playing in the water in front of me. It was a small beaver, and it did not slap its tail at me.

Later that night, the fog began moving in on the river... and it was lightly sprinkling. From the campground my dad spotted the big bull moose I had seen earlier in the day. He was in the river feeding again... and I had to jump in my kayak... an opportunity to take a picture of a moose in the fog was something I could not pass up. It was very cool... very very cool. I have always had a lot of respect for moose.. they are this mystical creature in many ways... how such a huge animal can step into the woods and disappear is amazing. I sat out there for a long time with him... taking a lot of pictures. At one point he and I heard something in the woods and a small, very small deer stepped out from the woods. The moose was very alert and snorted once at the deer... but the deer was not bothered or intimidated. This is a picture of how close they got to each other. Then the deer went back into the woods. That was the only deer I saw this weekend.

The pictures of the moose in the mist are my very favorite pictures of the weekend. The mist behind the moose looked blue in the dusk and I love it! By the time I took these pictures it was pouring, POURING... I was holding a plastic baggie above my camera so that it would not get wet. I really feel lucky to have had this experience... a spiritual moment for sure.

The next morning, Monday, I went out on the river again. I just can't get enough! I saw this nest and this family of ducks. I also saw one small female moose, but she took off so fast that I only got one picture of her and it isn't a great picture... but I was happy to see her. As I was watching her, I heard a loon calling... and in my head I said, I have that picture of the loon on its nest, I don't really need to worry about getting other loon pictures, but... when I saw it in the water, decided to paddle to see if it would stay above water long enough for some photo opps... and it did..

It stayed above water within feet of my kayak for at least five minutes... and then as I decided I had bothered it enough and stopped paddling to allow the river to pull me away from the loon, the loon changed course and swam within inches of the front of my kayak... so cool!

So on my way back down the river, my final time for this trip... I looked into Baxter Bay... and the mountain was covered by the clouds... As the morning progressed the sun burned off most of the clouds, and I was able to get this shot of the mountain from standing on shore at the campground.

After lunch I left the campground... it was easier to leave this year than it was last year... but still hard... and drove south... I stopped in to see my grandmother and one of my aunts... I am very glad I got to see them. Then as I continued driving south, the clouds once again distracted me...

A beautiful weekend indeed....