Thoreau Wilderness Trip checks in

"Well after 4 days rain, the clouds broke this afternoon just long enough for the sun and wind to dry out our moist damp clothing and gear. Hooray! Now we are tucked away in our tents as a thunderstorm passes. Tomorrow we celebrate our five week anniversary. As would be expected, we've developed quite a rhythm to our days, hemmed in comfort& solidarity in the face of challenges. This portion of our trip has been marked by travel on & between lakes. It is the travel between lakes where we pull out all our tricks. We paddle, pole, and sometimes portage to get where we need to go. In particular we have had three epic portages during the past two weeks: the tramway took us past an abandoned locomotives leftover from the 20th century logging operations, the three mile carry from Allagash Lake to Round Pond gave us ample opportunity to perfect our portaging strategy, and the 2 mile Mud Pond carry (very muddy). Here are a few highlight of the past two weeks:
We frogged and poled up Allagash Stream over the course of two days, stopping overnight at Little Allagash Falls for fantastic swimming and well deserved rest. This stream is beautiful.
Allagash Lake was our home for a magical three nights where the boys enjoyed a day long solo, we explored ice caves and tested our hiking muscles with a short hike up Allagash Mountain.
Chesuncook Village provided us with a double treat: The chance to stop in at the store for homemade rootbeer and fudge, and the opportunity to meet up with North Woods Canoe session 2. Gero Island was a wonderful place to spend a rest day, and was ideal for reading aloud Thoreau's "The Maine Woods" beginning with his 1853trip to the area.
Ciss Stream where Aaron promised all of the critter in the North Maine Woods live, and it delivered with two moose and so many bald eagles, and loons. Our moose count is up to 28!
Mud Brook, which flows out of mud pond, was perhaps my favorite place so far on this trip. The rushing water wide enough for only one boat, was lined with fragrant flowers and felt like a sleigh ride as it twisted and turned. No maneuvers were needed just a willingness to enjoy the ride.
I think that about covers it. We're excited to be heading downstream for a bit in the next few days on Webster Brook and the East Branch of the Penobscot... we will work with gravity for a bit! We will keep you posted!