Ode to the Fallen: The Many Items I Lost Along the Way

A Tribute to Ten Friends Lost Along the Journey, in reverse order of how much they were missed.

With Help from http://www.oregontrailtombstone.com/

#1 (Least Missed)

#2

#3

 (To be fair, I had a backup on my little emergency whistle that was not infrequently consulted on the more fingery of the lakes.)

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9 (most expensively, and to the biggest detriment of this blog)

And #10, the dearest item that was the sorest loss of all:

May it guide itself, and its fellow lost items, to the great lake beyond.

Fort Kent Library Vacation!

R-2016-9-28 

So here I am, back in civilization.  I couldn’t have chosen a more relaxing civilization.

It’s day 2 of my glorious Library Vacation!  My first one of these was ages ago, when I stayed over with a librarian friend for a week, went to work with her, and discovered this to be the polar opposite of a bother.  I had forgotten how completely lovely these are. 

Yesterday I wandered around Fort Kent and got the lay of the place, then found myself on the University of Maine’s campus.  It’s rather small: I was halfway across it before I realized it.  But I soon found the library, which seems to be much the same vintage as Frostburg State’s, where I went for a semester.  This library, unlike the small public library in town, has the glorious hours of 0800-2300, and way more visitor computers.  Score.  I have found my haunt for the next couple days, I thought.

So yesterday was devoted to checking in and clearing up the email inbox, going from 1300 unread emails to 60, which entailed about four hours of staring at the screen.  My eyes weren’t used to it, so that was about all I could manage for the day.

I then went for a walk along the St. John and Fish Rivers, which intersect near the Blockhouse, then aimed to finally fulfill my pizza-and-beer fantasy, but hit a snag when they were cash-only.  Gotta love small towns, though, the pizza place accepted an IOU and a promise to come back and pay it off as soon as I got an ATM to agree with me, or my friends came to town to loan me some cash, whatever happened sooner.

So with these adult-issues adventures, I don’t feel like I’m that far off the Trail.  This trail was by no means total wilderness, and there were only a handful of days where I went without seeing another human.  I feel I should be a little more shell-shocked, slightly sad to leave sleeping under my tarp and sitting by the fire and feeling the pulse of the river and leaving the loons and the beavers behind in exchange for a cheap hotel room.  The wilds of the Trail were great, don’t get me wrong, but the part that I appreciated and embraced the most was the freedom, the self-sufficiency, the simple cause-and-effect of your decisions deciding the consequences and, subsequently, your next couple days.  The environment factored in, sure, but if you read the weather or the Trail wrong, you got exactly zero sympathy.  Adapting was the only option.  Scrappiness was the only virtue.

And that principle, thankfully, doesn’t end here at the Trail terminus.

I paddled the miles, which was the surface-level goal.  But more importantly, and fulfilling the larger goal, I feel ready to take on life beyond the Trail.

Day 38 – Allagash Village, ME, to FORT KENT, ME!

T-2016-9-26

Start: Allagash Village

End: FORT KENT!!!

On the Way: Allagash Village, St. John River, St. Francis, Ft. Kent

Miles: 27.  Milepost: 740!

Weather:  Cold and rainy

Map: 13

I’M HERE!!!

Eastern Terminus, yeah!  Photo by some poor, confused teenager hanging out in the park whom I cornered and asked for a picture.

I came, saw, conquered, and showered!  I figured what the hey, a good day count was something to aim for, and blazed through the last 27 miles into Fort Kent.  I’m here now, having arrived at ~1730 on a Tuesday evening, and looked at the Blockhouse campsites, and promptly trooped down Main Street to the Northern Door Inn—the historic start of US Route 1.  It’s not that the Blockhouse sites are bad, since they’re well-maintained by the local Boy Scouts and rife with historical import (Mainers holes up there in a bloodless standoff with French forces across the Canadian border in the 1800s).  But they’re relatively exposed in the most urban locale I’ve yet to visit in Maine.  And I wanted a shower, dammit, and to wake up without my clothes covered in a layer of frost.  If I hang out here for four nights (until my folks arrive on Saturday), it’ll feel rather extravagant, but hey, it’s my one major extravagance of the trip.

And not going to lie, it’s nice here.  The snowmobilers’ lodge is cozy, the beds are nice, and there’s even wifi.  And laundry.  I’m off to do a load now.  And tomorrow I’ll explore the town!

I’m a little ahead of schedule, but the nights were getting pretty cold and miserable, and the morning meant jamming my numb limbs into near-frozen river clothes.  It was fun, but my body was ready, after 37 nights of camping outside, to relax a bit.  Plus my shoulder issues need some attention, now that I’m not working that joint for 10 hours a day…

Also, I was given some beta by a local in Allagash that, thankfully, ended up not to be true.  When I mentioned going down the St. John to Fort Kent, her face got dark and she gravely said “There’s no water in that river…”  I thought that must mean lots more side-of-the-road toting and the final test for my trusty wheels, but instead it was one of the deepest and widest and most pleasant rivers I’ve been on so far.  There were a couple rapids that were low enough to command some navigational attention—I can only imagine how much fun those must be in high water.  I can see how this is a famous canoe trip-slash-muskie fishing destination.  After all this time, I finally feel like I can say I can jam along and enjoy myself and read the river on the go, which is hopefully a lasting skill that will prove useful down the line.

Next adventure!  AKA, pizza and craft beer!

Things Learned: 

+ Small-town, friendly hotels like this one are pretty reasonable and accommodating.  This one’s as nice as any chain establishment I’ve been to, and the first one I’ve ever stayed in alone.

+ After going so long without desserts, I’m pretty sensitive to sugar.  My celebratory Ben and Jerry’s and local beer kept me up until 0200.  But Young Frankenstein was on, so all was well.

Trail Magic:

+ St. Francis served as a great small stopover town before Fort Kent.  It popped up just when I needed a break and a snack.

+ I can’t wait to explore this exquisite little town in the morning!

Day 37 - Allagash River, ME, to Allagash Village, ME

M-2016-9-26

Start: Allagash Falls Campsite

End: Allagash Outfitters Campsite beside St. John River

On the Way: Allagash River, Round Pond, Allagash Village

Miles: Only 13…but I wasn’t pushing it.  27 mi to Ft. Kent!

Weather:  Clear and warm all day!

Map: 13

Yeah, I didn’t make it through Allagash Village today, and seeing the state if the St. John River, the last river to go, it’s looking like a 27 mile day would be a loooong day indeed, full of careful river-reading and lining in increasingly cold water.  So I’ll either manage to squeak through the gravel bars and feel great or make it partway, grumble, climb out of the boat and slosh along.  I can either take the 27 miles tomorrow, or make it partially and roll into Fort Kent in the morning.  No big deal, but either way, lots of shallow river paddling in the near future.  Just got to grin and bear it.

However, spending the night in Allagash does mean that my greasy spoon breakfast fantasy cravings might be fulfilled!  Allagash is home to the famous Two River Lunch, which both books crow about considerably.  The only problem is that it’s cash-only, and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway cleaned me out of cash, and there’s no ATM in this tiny town.  All I’ve got is a Canadian $10, so I’ll have to ask nicely if they’ll accept it.  Might work, considering we’re 10 mi from the border.  [Turns out they took it happily!]

This campsite is the standard US definition of a “campsite” these days: a parking spot for an RV, a fire ring, and a lot of mown grass.  I’m grateful that the nice gramma at the outfitters let me stay here for free, but there’s not a tree to sit under, let along two for a hammock.  No matter: a night on the ground will do my back good.  I set up the tarp lean-to style in front of the fire barrel to catch some heat, gathered up the mown grass to make a cushy hay pallet, put my sleeping pad and hammock on top to keep the hay in place, and rolled out the sleeping bag.  It’s pretty cozy.  The only issue is that I think I have my bag oriented with my head downhill…  Rookie mistake.  Eit.

A fancier version of my high-tech hearth.  Via Pinterest.

Facing the last few dinners means I can pull out the flavor stops.  Tonight I splurged and put both a soup packet AND half a bouillon cube in my noodle soup, along with the remaining beans.  Pretty scrumptious.  Then I folded my last wheat tortilla over a sliced-up wild apple with honey and sizzled it on the fire for a bit.  It tasted like a carnival.

Soon, Fort Kent!  My pizza awaits!  (Also, can you tell that I’m reaching the end when I all can think about are warmth and food?)

Things Learned: 

+ The E-bivvy experiment kept me warmer, but it left my sleeping bag wet and gross and clammy in the AM.  Definitely not a long-term solution.

Trail Magic: 

+ Saw my campsite palls again today!  Helped them haul their gear down to the base of Allagash Falls.  The Falls were pretty extraordinary, and would be a fabulous swimming hole in the summer.  I’m amazed that the kayaker who went over survived.  I told my pals “happy paddling,” and the engineer gave me his card for future networking.

+ Soooo close!

Day 36 – Allagash River, ME

U-2016-9-25

Start: Sweeney Brook Campsite

End: Allagash Falls Campsite

On the Way:  Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Allagash Falls

Miles: 27.5.  Milepost: 700!  Only 40 mi to Ft. Kent!

Weather:  The weirdest day of weather I’ve had so far on the Trail.  Started out cloudy, then clear, then super-windy on the deadwaters (just my luck), then sunshowers that were so light and cold that I thought they might be snow.  The showers continued on to evening, and now the skies are all clear and poised to give us a proper frigid night.  But the clear skies do let us see the stars, which are lovely out here on the wilderness reserve…

Map: 13

The weirdest day of weather I’ve had so far on the Trail.  Started out cloudy, then clear, then super windy on the deadwaters (but in the opposite direction, just my luck…), then sun-showers that were so light and cold that I thought they might be snow.  The showers continued on to evening, and now the skies are all clear and waiting to give us a properly frigid night.  But the stars be lovely out here on the Allagash reserve…

It has officially reached autumn temperatures, as I saw on the ranger’s weather report when I checked out at Michaud Farm this afternoon.  Today’s high was 54 Fahrenheit!  And yesterday’s was around the same!  No wonder I was so freezy-cold in the morning.  I learned some tricks for today and the future, though.  Gloves are a big plus: fleece in camp, and neoprene on the water.  A puff and long sleeve under the waterproof jacket is a must.  Winter hat and buff scarf at all times.  Nalgene of hot water to cuddle at night.  Fire to keep toasty and dry clothes in the evening.  I’m gonna experiment with using my space blanket e-bivvy in the hammock tonight.  Basically, it’s getting uncomfortably cold to camp (well, without an underquilt), and I’m glad we’re reaching the end.

Also to cold to go splashing in the river if I run up on some dadgunned sandbar, especially in the morning before the sun’s risen.  The Allagash has been featuring lots of gravel bars, which make me grumble, firstly at getting out of the boat and into the freezing drink, and secondly to undo the skirt that’s keeping my legs toasty.  More of that coming tomorrow.  At this rate, it’s looking like I’ll be into Allagash Village tomorrow, camp about 6 mi on the other side of town, then cruise on in for the last 21 mi into Fort Kent, maybe stopping for some convenience store fun in St. John or St. Francis—little towns on the way along the St. John River.  

In any case, I’ll be into Fort Kent for Tuesday night, with a ride coming on Friday at the earliest.  I was entertaining notions today of really stretching out my river time, since there’s really not that much to do in Fort Kent.  But I’ll have a library and a hotel room for at least a day or two.  Maybe I’ll spend one night camping at the Blockhouse, where the Boy Scouts maintain some sites next to the river, but again, it’ll be chilly…  I’m quite good at being creative about occupying myself: money is the only real X-factor involved.

Lots of things I’m looking forward to in Ft. Kent: exploring town, doing laundry, buying a big cheesy pizza and beer and watching a mindless movie with some ice cream, showering, finishing my books, checking in at home, stretching out my shoulder, and generally relaxing!

One sign you want to listen to... Via Canoe Tales .

Things Learned: 

+ Layering and de-layering: Simple lessons that should not be forgotten simply because there’s no snow about.

+ My imitation Buff (scrapped together from an old merino pullover) works really well!  I’m pleased with it.

+ Wet neoprene will freeze on frosty mornings.  Point of interest.

+ Along those lines, I’m not usually what we’d call a morning-compatible individual, but mornings at this time of year are soooo unpleasant.  No need to rush things.

Trail Magic: 

+ My sitemates from last night made up for their snores by sharing a sumptuous breakfast of bacon, onions and eggs, and real coffee with me!  Protein to keep me going all day—great stuff.

+ I had the good luck to run into the M. Farms ranger, who was on one of his off days but stopping by the office to grab something.  Poor guy: just a couple days ago, a kayaker was dumb enough to go over the 40-foot Allagash Falls, and get pretty Alla-gashed up as a result.  The ranger said he had been to see him in the hospital, where he gotten all patched up.  What an ordeal to go through as a ranger, though…I told him about the Trail, and he told me congrats in advance.

+ Saw a cow moose!  Watched her through the binos as she fed at the edge of the pond.

Day 35 – Allagash River, ME

S-2016-9-24 

Start: Stealthing at Bisonette Bridge, AWW

End: Sweeney Brook campsite, right after (the last!) Long Lake

On the Way:  Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Allagash River, Umsaskis Lake, Long Lake

Miles: ~15.  68 to go!

Weather:  Sooooo cold.  Cloudy, the clear in the evening, but most persistent wind of the whole damn trip!

Map: 12, 13

Map 13!  Last one!

Map Overview

Today it seems like I just couldn’t get warm.  Like a Hollow Day for eating, where your tummy always wants more no matter how much you feed it, but swapping out hunger for lack of body heat.  I think it stems from having pretty had circulation in my feet, which I’m sure isn’t helped by hammock sleeping.  That and having a wet ass 24/7.

Anyway, on account of that, my shoulder really acting up, and nothing really causing me to hurry into Fort Kent besides the vanity of my final number of days on the river, I took it easy today.  Well, there was a lot of wind, compounding the cold and making my last couple of lakes an utter workout.  I’m sharing campsites tonight with two fellows who are out in a rental canoe.  I dunno how they managed that whitewater in a canoe, or managed to come so far in a day (the Churchill Dam ranger said they had come by around noon).  They did mention that they stopped today at 1400, so they couldn’t have been pushing that hard.

Also this morning, I got up at ~0600 to avoid any outfitters who might have shown up to put-in at the bridge, put on my wet and miserable river clothes, skipped breakfast and headed out into the fog.  I couldn’t even see the river that well.  

It was, in a word, dismal.  Pain doesn’t frequently overcome me, but I had to stop and wallow in self-pity over the state of my poor frozen hands and immobile fingers a few times.  When my usual method of sticking my hands under my pits didn’t help, it was time for a break.  I stopped and waited for the sun to rise a little higher and had a proper hot oatmeal and coffee breakfast at the first campsite downriver.  The sun burnt off the fog on the river so I could actually see, some water steamed off my river clothes, and I felt much better.  

That break, plus a nap it took in the sun later at Long Lake Dam (one of those autumn sun patches where you think you should be warm, but really aren’t…) made it a low-achievement kind of day.  Basically, today’s lessons amount to “daybreak starts are way over-rated.”

The last washed-out dam of the trip at the top of Long Lake. Via Hawk's Journal.

It does mean, though, that I should aim to book it tomorrow.  I have one night’s stay left on the fee I paid to camp in this watershed, although I could probably sneak another.  They’re patrolled by seasonal retired guys in motorized canoes, and the check-out point is miles before the end of the fee zone—what kind of system is that?

The Allagash is lovely, though.  I’m looking forward to a day where I’m not rushing through or blinded or preoccupied by cold, and can focus on the quality scenic stuff that this river is known for.  You know, like avoiding rocks.

Things Learned: 

+ According to one of my sitemates, most east-coast coyotes are actually cross-bred with wolves from Canada.  HUH.  Not sure if I believe that.

+ Sleeping next to a bubbling brook drowns out the buzzsaw snores that any aforementioned sitemates might produce.  Also, earplugs help: was very glad to have brought a pair.

Trail Magic:

+ Lots of kingfishers!  I’ve been fascinated with these birds ever since my parents hung an Audubon poster with a giant painting of one in the center on the basement wall, but I’ve never seen them in person.  They’re very cool.

+ The Last Long Lake of the trip!  There’s been no less than three Long X’s (two lakes and a pond) on this journey.

+ With the changing autumn temperatures come the changing autumn leaves.  My inner white person is quite enthralled by them. 

Day 34 – Chamberlain Lake, ME, to Allagash River, ME

F-2016-9-23

Start: Lock Dam Campsite on Chamberlain Lake

End: Bisonette Bridge on Allagash River

On the Way:  Lock Dam, Eagle Lake, Churchill Lake, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Allagash River

Miles: 21.5.  Milepost: 624.5

Weather:  Rainy and cloudy in AM, cleared up a bit in later afternoon.  Now all clear, but windy as hell from the North!

Map: 12

If handwriting’s messy today, it’s because both pen and I are experiencing some intense cold.  I am so glad I got my warm weather gear when I did, because my river togs are soaked and a night in any part of them would be most heinous.

Most of today was on Lakes, battling the most intense headwinds I’ve had on the whole trip.  I’m lucky to have made the mileage I did, considering that by lunch I had barely scraped 6mi out against the wind.  After lots of cursing and singing to myself (I might have alarmed some fishermen…) I finally got to Churchill Dam and the blessed rapids of the Allagash.  I forgot it was a cash-only segment, so they cleaned me out of all my cash for my four nights of camping.  Bah.  Maybe Two Rivers Lunch, a much-heralded cash-only greasy spoon down the river in Allagash, will accept my Canadian $10 bill souvenir from Quebec, or some family will be my Trail Angels.  Or there might be an ATM in Allagash Village [Spoiler: there wasn’t].  Really wish I had a certain BOOK that could reassure me of such things!

But despite the highway robbery of his fee system (not that the nation’s first waterway wilderness should be begrudged…), the ranger, who was a retired swimming coach, was fantastic.  He let me log on to his laptop and check email (Hannah and Zach contact established!), sent me along with ¼ an apple pie from his kit, helped me tote my loaded boat around the dam, and opened the dam up a little to give me a boost down the bony rapids.  

The extra H2O volume was most welcome, since the river is low as hell, but since I started it at about 1600, I didn’t make good enough time to make it to the first campsite along the river by nightfall.  Hence how now I’m squatting like a troll by the foundation of the former bridge, rather than luxuriating in the legality of one of these nice campsites that I’ve dearly paid to use.  Ah well, I’ll make use of them for the next couple nights.  Perhaps there will be another dam release in the morning.  In the meantime, I’m fruitlessly “drying” my clothes on the stone steps, watching the beavers play, and scheming to skedaddle early in the morning before any outfitters or rangers show up.

Lining rivers is so much easier when you can see where you’re stepping, too.  I landed a few scratches on my boat tonight when the Western sun was right in my eyes.  And since it was cloudy all day, why would I have my shades at the ready?  Although it was ultimately my fault for not being prepared, the lack of control over the situation, combined with the wild race down the river, made me quite grumpy.

I also didn't make it over to see the abandoned locomotives and remnants of the steam tram railway that lurk in the woods at the top of Eagle Lake.  Spending last night at Lock Dam put me in a prime location to portage over to the next lake, rather than portaging past the locomotives, so I took advantage and did that early in the morning.  When battling the winds, the last thing I wanted to do was add additional mileage to go peer at the rusting things, so I blew on past.  And probably a good thing, since I was pretty late getting onto the actual Allagash River, anyway.

Abandoned steam train, via AllagashGuideService.com .

Things Learned: 

+ Mmmm that pie.  It was a delicate thing of beauty, and wouldn’t last very long in my food bag; I HAD to eat it all tonight. Honest.

+ My right pinky doesn’t work so well anymore.  So far I’ve given two lame handshakes.

Trail Magic: 

+ Surprise email access, pie, and white water!

+ Start of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, on the 50 year anniversary of its founding!

Via Maine.gov.

+ Mom mentioned coming to Ft. Kent to pick me up.  On one hand, I don’t want to pit her plans and Hannah’s against each other, but on the other, I would like to give Hannah one more out.  I was in a rush to get back onto the water, so I just forwarded Mom’s offer to Hannah and let them to duke it out.  I felt like an awful friend.