Chewonki Wilderness Trips

Winter at Debsconeag Lake Wilderness Camps

2010-03-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Debsconeag Lake Wilderness Area in Winter.

It’s been a rather snowless winter in Southern Maine where I live and the result has been months of nearly no time outside. So, when Chewonki offered the chance to ski into Fourth Debs for a winter weekend, I jumped at the chance.

A group of us – a mother and daughter from Ashville, NC, a doctor from Woolwich, a chef from Bar Harbor, Chewonki Head Naturalist Lynne Flaccus -- all met just north of Millinocket and hopped on a few snowmobiles (my first time riding one). The ride into the wilderness sporting camps included stunning views of Katahdin and crossing over the West Branch of the Penobscot River in winter. I was excited to get to the lake and put on my skis.

Once on skis, we crossed the frozen lake and entered the woods, immediately there were signs of wildlife. A beaver had been busy around the inlet of the lake – we could see tooth marks on several stumps he left – as well as signs of his belly dragging up and down over the bank of the stream. We saw tracks of coyote, red squirrel, snowshoe hare, white-tailed deer, and others we could not identify for certain. It struck me how devoid my life can be of wildlife until I take the opportunity to step into a wild place. I needed this trip and the chance it provided to challenge myself, meet new friends, and take a break from the trappings of my predictable life back home.

That afternoon we met the rest of our group and skied the circumference of the lake enjoying the grand views of the surrounding wilderness. Later, three of us settled into a yurt, while others took to cabins – already snuggly from the fires that has been build in preparation for our arrival.

The following morning we ate yet another a delicious meal – this time a breakfast of eggs, fruit, sausage, bagels and cream cheese with coffee -- before strapping on snowshoes and heading up the cliffs behind the camp. We hiked through a range of forest types – hemlock, spruce, cedar and pine at first and moving into white birch, beech, maple, hornbeam, oak – yielding at the top to a barren landscape made possible by a fire some years ago. The opening at the top provided views of the grand Katahdin range to the northeast, Jo Mary Mountain to the south and thousands of acres of lake-spotted wilderness all around. The sun shined for the whole day against a bright blue sky.

I was reminded again of the simple pleasures of hiking to a summit and enjoying a snack and conversation there with friends.

The remainder of the weekend was equally fulfilling – and deeply satisfying. Many of us on the trip (myself included) have committed to making this an annual trip – as we all recognized the enjoyment winter has to offer when you get outside and allow yourself to discover places, people and wilderness. There is no trick to being an outdoors person, an athlete, or a wilderness traveler. You just have to show up. by Betta Stothart-Conner

Winter at Debsconeag Lake Wilderness Camps

2010-01-23T05:35:00.000-08:00

We stood in silence and watched a coyote trot across the ice on Third Debsconeag Lake. In the background Mount Katahdin filled the cloudless sky. Light winds and temperatures in the 20's and a deep snowpack all combined for a beautiful winter day. Earlier we had followed the tracks of coyote, snowshoe hare and fisher as we snowshoed over the portage trail between Fourth and Third Debsconeag Lake. The coyote was all business, on the hunt, stopping only briefly to look in our direction as Lynne and Kyle howled their best coyote imitation. Soon it entered the woods and we were left with a memory and a fleeting glimpse of one the local residents of the Debsconeags. I've learned over the years the importance of stopping occasionally to look back from where you have come. Once on Big Wood Pond in Attean Township in northwestern Maine we were rewarded with the sighting of a group of deer crossing the ice followed shortly by a lynx. Another time a coyote followed us. The most memorable experience occurred on the DePass River in Northern Quebec. We were a week into an extended canoe trip. Our group of six canoes had just paddled down through a Class II rapid. The canoes drifted with the current below the rapid. I turned to look back upriver and it was then that I saw the first dozen or so caribou come out of the spruce forest and cross the river. Over the next half hour or so we watched a steady stream of thousands of caribou cross the DePass. The image of the caribou herd crossing the river is as vivid today as when it happened almost 15 years ago. Luck has a lot to do with seeing wildlife but just as important is learning how to look. This past Sunday on a frozen lake I was again reminded of how important it is to take the time to really look. By now I'm sure the coyote has long forgotten seeing us but my memory of him or her will quickly come to mind each time I visit Third Debsconeag. Our next cross country ski weekend at Debsconeag Lake Wilderness Camps is coming up February 19-21 we have a couple spaces left and hope that you will consider joining us.

An update from the Wilderness Trip Office

2010-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

For the past 20 years the first program of the new year at Chewonki has been a Wilderness Medicine Course. We have a wonderful long standing partnership with Wilderness Medical Associates (www.wildmed.com) who provide the instruction for our Wilderness First Aid Courses. Today is the final day of our Wilderness Advanced First Aid Course that filled with 28 students. After a one day break tomorrow we will welcome 30 students for a Wilderness First Responder Bridge Course. The next WAFA and WFR Bridge Courses are scheduled for May 26-29 and May 31 to June 3, 2010.

Maine received between a foot and three feet of snow from the New Years Day Weekend storm and we are all looking forward to inviting folks to join us for cross country ski weekends at our Debsconeag Lake Wilderness Camps. We rendezvous outside Millinocket and gear is shuttled into camp by snowmobile leaving participants a 10 mile ski with a daypack. The ski in over rolling terrain to the Camps offers stunning views of Mount Katahdin. Accommodations are in comfortable wood heated cabins our Yurts. Meals are served family style in the main Lodge. Days are free to explore on skis or snowshoes or curl up by the wood stove with a good book. The Martin Luther King weekend trip is already filled but there is plenty of good skiing in February and March.

We hope that you will join us for a winter getaway or consider one of our summer trips. We can always customize a trip to suit a group of friends or family. This year we have already scheduled custom trips to canoe the St John River in May,the Allagash in September and to hike in the Torngat Mountains of Labrador in August.

2009-08-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

Torngat Mountains National Park Trip

"At the northern extremity of the Labrador coast, a range of high barren mountains with sharp precipices extending inland from the sea was known to the traditional Inuit as the abode of the master spirit in their mythology. Their name for the region, Torngat meaning a place of spirits, derived from the presence of Torngarsoak who was believed to control the life of sea animals and took the form of a huge polar bear." (Hawkes 1916: 124-5)

The Torngat Mountains National Park is Canada’s 42nd national park, and Canada’s newest national park.
This park was established with the consent of Inuit from Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador) and Inuit from Nunavik (northern Quebec) through their respective land claims agreements.

The North Arm of Saglek Bay, Labrador, July 26-August 2, 2009

It is unusually warm as we land on the gravel runway at the Saglek Bay radar station, t-shirt weather, unusual for the Labrador Coast. We are a group of six from Maine. Greg and Don from Chewonki, Steve and Benson from Pownal, Josh from North Yarmouth and David from Cumberland. We rendezvoused on Saturday and drove north spending the night outside Montreal. Sunday we started our day with a quick drive to the bustling Montreal Airport. At 10AM we board a First Air jet for the morning flight to Kuujjuaq, northern Quebec. We take off and watch the trees and roads thin out and disappear below us and after an hour or so we look down on the transition zone between the boreal forest and the open barrens of the Ungava Bay lowlands. Two hours later we touch down in Kuujjuaq. We load our gear into a chartered Air Inuit King Air and we are air born again for the 55-minute flight to Saglek.

The day is cloudless as we fly over the barrens just inland from Ungava Bay. We pass over Helen’s Falls and the George River and soon see snow capped peaks in the distance. The Torngats! We find our selves looking out the windows at jaw dropping scenery. Our pilot performs a fly by of the landing strip to make sure it is clear of caribou. We touch down and staff from Parks Canada meet us and help us shuttle our gear to their boat for the quick trip to their base camp two bays over.

The Parks Canada base camp has a frontier town feel with two rows of tents and several larger portable structures that serve as a mess tent, park office and visitors center. A helicopter lands nearby bringing a group of researchers back after a day in the field. Botanists, archeologists, outdoor recreation planners and Park Staff make up the temporary community. For the past two years, scientists and Park staff have set up this summer camp that is used as a base from which to gather baseline data about the land, flora, fauna and human history of the Park.

At base camp we meet with Parks Canada Staff, Gary Baike and Angus Simpson and meet John Merkuratsuk who will be our bear monitor. As non-residents we are not permitted to carry a firearm in the park and we are happy to have John join us. We receive an orientation to the park as is required of all visitors and we watch a video about safe travel in Polar Bear country. This section of the Labrador Coast has a high density of polar bears and we pay close attention to the video. Around 7 PM we load onto the Robert Bradford a 55-foot converted long liner that will take us 3 hours up the Bay to Saglek’s North Arm. We feed on Arctic Char as we head west up the fiord. We enjoy the calm waters and the changing light as the sun sinks below the steep walled slopes that define the fiord. At 11PM we reach North Arm and set two anchors in case the famed Torngat winds pick up in the night. We decide to spend the night on the boat and roll out sleeping bags on the back deck. During the night I wake up to see stars overhead and Venus reflected in the water.

We wake up Monday morning to a beautiful sunrise and get the first look at our home for the next week. It is a breathtaking, steep walled canyon. We shuttle our gear to shore and begin the process we now well of setting up camp and securing our tents with large rocks incase the weather changes and down slopping winds pick up.

We spend the next week exploring the valley at the head of North Arm. We see a polar bear but no sign of the black bears that we expect to encounter. Some days we hike the valley and others we climb up high to gain a raven’s eye view of the valley. We take quick swims in the turquoise colored waters of a pond, a short walk from our campsite. We follow the tracks of wolf and bear and watch a peregrine falcon, willow ptarmigan and a harlequin duck with chicks go about their daily routine. We marvel at the arctic plants that bloom during the brief sub-arctic summer. Mostly we soak up our surroundings.

We all travel North for different reasons. This trip has provided incredible wildlife sightings in a dramatic landscape that has a long and fascinating history of human habitation. Especially powerful for all of us has been the opportunity to travel the land in the company of our Bear Monitor, John who was born nearby at Nackvak Fiord and knows the land in ways we can never fully understand.

On Friday the Robert Bradford chugs back into the North Arm. We load up and head back to Base Camp. The weather has changed and the clouds lowered. Halfway back to Base Camp we catch sight of a polar bear on shore. We move closer and watch in awe as the 1500 lb bear moves along the rocky shoreline, its fat belly almost dragging on the ground. We pass icebergs and soon we are back in the calm waters of St John’s Harbor, the site of Base Camp. We spend a couple days immersing ourselves in the base camp community, waiting for the weather to lift so that our plane can land. Too soon our adventure ends and we fly south back to the land of trees, roads and people.

We plan to return to The Torngats next year so keep an eye on the website for trip dates.

Greg Shute
Wilderness Programs Director

2009-08-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

Boat Builders thrive!

We are back from a 2 1/2 week journey on the water! After departing from the Chewonki waterfront we paddled our new beautiful wooden boats to Brooklin, ME- about 120 total miles up the coast of Maine. The weather held for most of our trip, which was a total delight! Many mornings we were socked in with fog and got to use our navigation skills to get from point a to point b. Besides putting in some great miles on the water we also explored caves on Harbor Island, hiked over 7 miles on Isle Au Haut which is a part of Acadia National Park and explored an old farming community on Lauds Island.

It was not unusual for us to see bald eagles, harbor seals and porpoises amongst all the fisherman and sail boats while we paddled. Towards the end of our trip there was a lot of talk about where everyone was going to paddle next and we look forward to hearing about new adventures in these amazing boats!

The culmination of a summer

2009-08-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

The trips are now in the final days of their experiences. This is a very special time of the trips when participants take on leadership roles. I had the opportunity to meet up with the Mariners group yesterday in Muscoungus Bay. We spotted the two vessels traveling together from about a mile away, When we got closer I noticed that the leaders were sitting in the middle of the boats with all the participants running the boat around them. It was quite a sight with the two boats sailing around Pemiquid Point with great wind, and the iconic lighthouse in the background. Our Sea kayaking trip is only 10 miles away from Seal Harbor on Mount Desert Island. They have been right on itinerary all trip, and are in high spirits. The whitewater kayaking trips are now paddling the most challenging rapids of their experience and if you had a chance to look at the Umbagog video that is in the earlier post you will see that they are paddling with grace. Maine AT hike has just entered Baxter State Park at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Tomorrow they will attempt to summit Mt Katahdin our highest peak in Maine. West Branch Explorers are heading towards Round Pond just south of Allagash Lake, and are enjoying Ciss Stream, one of the most beautiful stretches of water in the state(in my opinion). North Woods Canoe is paddling the Allagash river to Allagash Village where they will be picked up Sunday Morning. They have portaged Allagash falls and are in the quiet waters flowing north. Northeast Rivers is now back in Maine from the high waters of Canada. They are paddling the Dead and Kennebec rivers this weekend, enjoying two of Maine's classic whitewater runs. Thoreau Wilderness Trip is also hiking in Baxter and are camping at chimney pond with their sites set on the summit of Mt. Katahdin. They are in their final week of their seven week experience.
The groups this summer have been traveling very well. These last days of the trips are the most rewarding. The participants have the opportunity to pull from all of the skills learned along the way and become leaders themselves. We look forward to welcoming the trips back in celebration Sunday night, and we look forward to sending them back out into the world with this experience as a part of them.

Northeast Rivers Back in Maine

2009-08-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

We got a message yesterday from the Northeast Rivers trip and all is well. They had an amazing time up in Canada and took full advantage of the abundant water we have been blessed with this season(for kayakers at least). They are now in the forks region of Maine paddling the Kennebec and Dead rivers today and tomorrow. We look forward to their stories when they return. It sounds like they have had an amazing experience.

Mariners check in

2009-08-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

We finally got our blog form back from the Mariners mail bag. It is slightly outdated but here is what they had to say from their resupply!
"The trippers are really coming together going into the 10th day of the trip. When asked what they wanted to world to know this is what they said....
*"Dude and Bro are cool words to use"
*"We almost lost Elahandro ( our trip animal) but Jake saved him. EPIC."
* "Mac and Cheese V.S Pizza for best meal"
* " Tinker was the best island for the first 24 hours"
* "Sam loved swimming at Green Island"'
* "Crazy Big Winds the day we picked up Leah"
* "We love playing guitar on the boat"
* "Sunset at Harbor Island with Mary in a red wig"
* "10 seals sunning on a rock"

All are well and many are playing games with the Boatbuilder group tonight. We are excited for fresh food in the morning, and for good winds the next day!"

Umbagog Update and Video!

2009-08-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

The loons are out on Sunday Cove and there are two bald eagles nesting in the general vicinity. Ospreys and and Great Blue Herons are a daily sight on the river as well as Red Breasted Merganser that swim the rapids in search of fish.

The weather has been great, with only a few days of light rain in the beginning of the trip. Since then its been nothing but long days of paddling under a bright sun. The water has been unbelievably consistent at a perfect level. The combination of sun and great water has brought folk out to the river on the weekends, all of whom cheer for the kids when they surf smooth ledge. The river remains ours during the week though and we are progressing fantastically. We are hopefully creating life long paddlers out of these kids.

I got a chance to go out and paddle with the group Sunday. I was amazed with the groups paddling ability and how well bonded the group has become. They are taking every opportunity this last week to paddle as much as they can.

Check out a short video from the trip HERE

MCK checks in from their second resupply

2009-08-03T07:02:00.001-07:00

"Week two brought us a few warmer days and some beautiful islands! We ate wild raspberries on Harbor Island and explored the caves and fairy houses. We saw so many seals on our way to Port Clyde, followed by some ice cream when we stopped for lunch. We spent the next two nights on Whitehead Island, sleeping right under a lighthouse built in 1852. Our group knocked out 12 miles and then made the 5 mile crossing to Vinalhaven. Now we get to enjoy another beautiful day on Butter Island, owned by the Cabot family. Soon we are off to Stonington and Mount Desert Island gets closer every day!"

North Woods Canoe

2009-08-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

We just resupplied our North Woods Canoe group the other day and all is well. Unfortunately they arrived at their resupply point a little later than expected and didn't have time to fill out their blog report before heading down stream. The resupply day is a busy one for this group and it was very important for them to get downstream with enough time to get to their campsite. The report back from the driver who brought them all their fresh goodies is that overall they are doing quite well. As with all groups this summer, there has been some challenge brought on by the rainfall and high water levels, but they were dealing with it in stride and looking forward to a long downhill run on the Allagash. With some clearer weather headed our way hopefully they will enjoy some high pressure and blue skies for the remainder of their trip.

Maine Appalchian Trail Update

2009-07-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

We started our trip with some long and challenging days. The rain and wet weather has been making otherwise mellow terrain a bit more difficult, but even so we're doing excellent as a group. Since then we have had a bit of a respite with the weather and we have found our groove and gained some momentum. The spirit of our group has remained high even in the challenging moments and people are adjusting well to our shift away from civilization.

The 100 mile wilderness is treating us right, and we're excited to continue on towards our Baxter and our destination of Mt. Katahdin.

Maine Coast Kayak update

2009-07-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

We're a week into the trip and so much to talk about. Our group is full of charismatic and willing participants, and quick learners. Everyone has already become very proficient at maneuvering their boats and are all starting to paddle more confidently! The weather has kept us damp and sometimes soaked, but we have kept our great attitudes intact. We have paddled in blazing sun, rain, wind and thick fog - we're seeing all the coast has to offer in terms of weather. Well, maybe not all, but that's okay too.

Our meals are getting rave reviews, especialy the pizza and mexican casserole. Our group is also preparing to shift into the second phase of the trip, when participant will all start to make the decision about menus, route selection, navigation, and overall leadership. As leaders we are excited to already be moving in this direction after just one week. This part of our process really lets the participants take ownership for their experience.

So far our wildlife sighting have been a bint limited, except for lots of ospreys, gulls, and some deer tracks. Oh yeah, and we've seen a mosquito or two :) However in the coming days we'll be passing a known seal habitat, and some bald eagle hangouts.

We had a great success with navigation just this morning. The participants navigated through the fog to arrive at our resupply point. They led us safely and quickly each leg of the mornings journey and did so with surgical accuracy from point to point.

With fresh food and supplies we are excited about the next week and a half of our journey up the coast.

Thoreau Wilderness Trip checks in

2009-07-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

"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!

Penobscot Whitewater checks in!

2009-07-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

"when asked what is your favorite thing about whitewater kayaking. Trippers responded.....

Ana: "The ADRENALINE"
Lan: "Doing my roll and going in the rapids"
Malcom: "Surfing the on big waves, and flipping over."
Sam: "Going through the big waves"
Renat: " I like the thrill and the sense of achievement"
Sasha: "The feeling of acomplishment after conquering your fear of the rapids"
Desi: "The helicopter manuver- an epic and difficult move involving spinning one's paddle over his head."
Nico: "punching through holes on the horserace!"

I personally saw the group up there last week and they were paddling very well.
And the group was having a blast!

Explorers check in from re-supply

2009-07-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

"West Branch Explorers has proudly finished 43 miles of hiking through the 100 mile wilderness in the North Maine Woods. The group made great time arriving in camp most days by 3:30pm, which allowed for lots of time to swim, play cards, and enjoy each others company. Wet weather and muddy trails couldn't stop us from summitting Little Boardman and Whitecap mountains. Whitecap pushed us to our limits, and at the top we knew our biggest obstacle was behind us. The group is excited to leave the backpacks and mud behind us for the serenity of the river. Until Next time......" We just got a call from the group that all is well, and the river is very high right now. They are doing great.

Resupplies are starting to happen

2009-07-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

We've just started the round of resupplies that marks the middle of the session. We should be hearing back from all of our trips in the next few days. As a quick update in the meantime we've heard from a couple groups and everyone is doing really well. All the groups are strong and the participants are having great trips despite continued weather challenges. I am happy to say that the weather for the remainder of the week looks to be favorable, so our groups should get a few well deserved rays of sunshine.

Stay tuned for more specific updates from individual trips.

Session 2 off and running

2009-07-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

We started session 2 on Sunday with one of the most beautiful days of the summer. As of today(tuesday) all of our trips have headed out into the field and started their trips. The weather couldn't have been better for their start and we are hoping that they will all have clear skies and fair winds for their trips.
The trips that started with this session are:
North Woods Canoe
West Branch Explorers
Me. Appalachian Trail Hike
Maine Coast Kayak
Umbagog Whitewater
Penobscot Whitewater
Mariners Sailing

Stay tuned as we will be updating the blog as we get reports from the field.

T.W.T check-in after Resupply #2

2009-07-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

The sun has finally come out in Northern Maine in force and TWT is loving it! We had an accidental sleep-in morning our first fully sunny day of the trip becuase the rain(our standard alarm clock, the pitter-patter usually starts when it is really time to get up) never fell! The best part is that amidst all of this sunshine we've been polling, pulling and paddling our way up the Allagash. We thought at our last resupply that our most challenging poling days were behind us; we were wrong. With high water after all the rain from the previous weeks, we've become intimately familiar with the alders & fallen birches & cedars that tangle together to form the banks. We stick close to shore to avoid the strongest current and wage battles against and within these wild banks for hours each day. One particularly challenging day, we pulled into camp exhausted and hurriedly cooked dinner and set up tents and tarps. Fed, we reflected on the absurdity of fighting gravity, laughed at a few of the more memorable moments of the day then were stunned to silence when a moose and her calf ferried into the eddy in front of our campsite and ambled into the woods just downstream. We are almost three weeks into the trip and this was our first moose sighting. Aaron and I were starting to believe that the mega-fauna of the north woods were conspiring against us and banding together to avoid being seen by us. Fortunately our mega-fauna drought is over and we've since seen 13 moose in the last four days. Some have been very cooperative and given us an extended viewing, some we've even had to politely ask them to move on so that we could continue our upsteam progress. As the moose sighting have increased so to have the human sightings. We are regularly crossing paths with groups coming downstream. We've received lots of questions and comments about our mode of travel and our reasoning for going "the wrong way", but mostly we've received high praise and approval for our commitment to a traditional method of river travel. It feels great to be recognized by the "river elders" for doing it the hard way.

So now, nearing the headwaters our days are punctuated by moose, loon, and eagle sightings, and we are not punctured by bugs, which have mostly disappeared. As for the group, we continue to be in high spirits, to laugh well and often at ourselves, and to immerse ourselves in this experience. We were delighted to pass both the Girls Allagash trip, as well as the North Woods Canoe group - both heading downstream as we poled up. As their trips near an end, we come to almost the middle of our experience. Despite, or perhaps because of the very different personalities in this group, we work, travel, and live together in fine fashion. Oohh,, and we play too :) today we had a group swim in front of our campsite - what fun!!. TWT 09 is taking this epic journey one day at a time, looking forward to more wildlife sightings, and lake paddling in the next little bit.

We'll be sure to keep you posted......

Ultra Light Hike Update

2009-07-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a note from the five week Ultra-Light hike.
"The drive in the mini-bus with our driver Patrick passed quickly on our way to the North Adams, MA area to begin our hike. After dividing up our food and really packing our new packs to capacity with 9 days of food, our hike began. It was soon apparent that our group was incredibly well-matched in terms of hiking abilities, and that has allowed us to cover some considerable terrain (about 85-90 miles as of this Saturday) with nothing but the short list of standard hikers’ issues like blisters and the occasional bump and scrape. We’ve seen quite a few other people, both day hikers and Appalachian Trail or Long Trail thru-hikers, but never had to worry about crowded campsites. The terrain has included lots of hardwood forest with open understory, some meadows, ponds, and short segments on logging roads. Our first night gave everyone the opportunity to see one of Vermont’s true wildlife beauties as a small black bear made an appearance at our campsite – everyone was very excited to see it! We’ve also seen a ruffed grouse with babies, another small baby bird (probably a white-throated sparrow) sitting in the middle of the trail, garter snakes, and red efts. Some mountaintops have fire towers and even those with a little fear of heights have been braving at least a couple flights of stairs to get above the treetops and enjoy the 360-degree views. Weather has varied from bursts of sunshine to heavy rain. We’ve only had to perform one lightning drill while on the trail since we’ve been getting early starts to get over summits before the afternoon thunderstorms roll by. We roasted marshmallows over a stove on July 4th and everyone got a pair of red, white, and blue glowstick glasses as part of the celebration. Seth had a birthday on the 6th and received a Rubic’s cube after an inspirational birthday reading, so we’ll see if our combined efforts can solve it before we complete the trail. Spirits are high all around and days are spent engaged in silly conversations, playing “The Celebrity Game”, busting out into random songs, and even enjoying some occasional silence. Mornings start with a guitar wake-up and days often end with some group singing after evening chores are done. The group was empowered to self-organize a system for getting all group chores (campsite setup, water, cooking, cleaning) done and have done a great job. Food bags get lighter as every day passes and we’re gradually getting into some more rugged terrain as our bodies are toughening up. Todd had the A-Team theme song blaring as he pulled up for our resupply and the transition was very smooth. 10 days down and 20 to go…Canada or bust!!!"

Mariners Check In!!!

2009-07-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

Mariners 1 Blog 1

The laughter subsides on the Guillemot as a late sunset fades into the night. Her crew of five participants, two leaders and one plush toy duck named ‘Kumar’ are safely tucked in under tarp and boom, while the rocking of light waves helps them rest for another days sail/row. With a crew of all teenaged females, the laughing, notes and hair braiding (even of Jeremy the male member of co-leader pair on board) is almost endless. The girls hail from as far as Cali, as classy as New York and Boston, and as classic as Old Town. They made a contract at the start of their trip to always do everything together and stay positive, and they do. From the first day off Chewonki neck, the girls took to their daily roles and daily schedule with ease. This is a run down of the daily duties of the crew:

Times flex Events: In no order
6:00 Wake up
Weather Check
6:30 Tents + Gear = packed + ready/loaded (based on weather
Breakfast
Morning Stretch
8:00 Boat Packed
Final Checks
Sails up
TRAVEL TIME
4:00 Arrive
Scout Island
Sails Away
Gear Transfer to Island
Dingy moved above high tide
Break- debrief sail
5:00 Camp setup
Tents up
Cooking area w/ tarp
Groover Place
Skill Seminar
Rest Hour
6:00 Crews
Cook meal
Write in journal & log for day
Clean
7:30 Debrief
Next day over view
Storm Proofing
9:30 Lights Out

And the ladies rotate through these positions each day allowing for a change and growth is leadership and learning on the boat:

Skipper
- Direct responsibility and operation of vessel and crew from sun
up to sun up.
- Meet with instructors and navigator to organize the day.
- Always know location and direction of vessel (delegate –keep
big picture)
Navigator
- Record in log book (Date, location, weather-from meteorologist)
- Meet with skipper and instructors to organize the day
- Use compass and navigation tools
- Know location of vessel at all times
- Keep “Tiller-Person” informed on where to be heading and dangers ahead
Scribe
- Daily entry in group journal
Meteorologist
- Listen to Weather Radio with instructors and report to skipper
- and Navigator
- Know wind, weather, tides for the day
Bosun
- Keep Ship it tip top shape
- Teaching knots/learning knot

The girls where in high spirits when last seen on the 8th of July, through the rain their songs could be heard as the cleaned up breakfast and stored gear below the deck. They had clocked 25 nautical miles the day before, a distance that has become the norm on their sailing days. The list of amazing things these girls have accomplished as a group and as individuals is hard to express in the blog post, but know that these ladies are not land lovers no more. They crave the winds from the South West, and love the rain because it rinses off their gear. They love the natural wallpaper of their ‘groover sites’ and have no problem picking up jellyfish. They row the boats while singing Disney Songs and teach each other their native languages and words ( “Wicked” “Hella” “ensconced”). They know the parts of the boat, and how to read wind and chart. Las chicas del barco se divierten y están a salvo, eso es toda esa semana puede pedi

Fair wind to you all!

Photos from Umbagog

2009-07-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the rapid river. Seems to me that they have plenty of water to have fun on!!!

Update From Thoreau Wilderness Trip PART 1

2009-07-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a post from the group. Right now they are poling, paddling, portaging and frogging their way up the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Here is what they have to say:
" After Putting in at Moody Bridge on the St. John River due to low water, we experienced weather the next few days that brought the water up two to three feet. From night one, our four trippers were remarkably efficient and seamless at working together to set up camp and cook meals. Our week on the St. John was marked by a peculiar weather pattern: Spitting rain off and on all day from wake up trough our paddling day, and the sun would appear (albeit briefly) as soon as tents and tarps were set up at out evening campsite. The St. John was lovey and remote with a plethora of wildflowers, and everything from flatwater to class three rapids. Our days were relatively short and gave us plenty of opportunities to hone our paddling skills, and practice poling skills. Once in Allagash Village we indulged in vanilla ice cream cones (yum) at the local diner and heard stories of the way things used to be from a local woman who came out on her porch as we walked by. We then began our epic poling days, heading upriver on the Allagash. Happy for our practice sessions on the St.John poling proved to be challenging and initially frustrating for some, though we have moved past all that to find our rhythm in these upstream days. On the whole we are appreciating the quiet and subtlety of our new skill."

Umbagog update

2009-07-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Whitewater kayakers on Umbagog lake just had their resupply over the weekend. The group is doing well amidst the heavy doses of rain. Their skills are progressing wonderfully and they are right where they should be.

Here are some highlights from out trip so far:

*We've seen Loons all over the lake.
*We've had Bald Eagle sightings everyday
*There is a Great Blue Heron fishing in the cove regularly
*We've had regular sightings of a family of 4 Otters.

*Most everyone in the group has accomplished their kayak roll, and many have even done it in moving water.
*With all the water we've experienced tons of water on the river, with lots of big waves.
*We just did the Umbagog Olympics(an annual tradition). Events included log rolling, frisbee games, and and iron chef competition for lunch. The kids made such a great meal that we opted to skip dinner that night.
*We've also put all the energy to good use by cutting up downed trees from the winter storms. We figured we've chopped and sawed at least a cord of firewood all by hand.

Overall the trip has been fantastic and we are looking forward to having the river come down a little. Once that happens the group will be moving up the river and will hopefully culminate our experience by running the river from the top.

Update from the Boatbuilders

2009-07-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

It's day 7 of straight building and we are putting these boats together at lightning speed. A week ago our boats were stacked neatly in piles of lumber in the back of Bill's truck. Bill is the designer of our boat and is helping us get started with the process of building. As of today we have eight boats that technically we could paddle, would be mostly waterproof, and would get us to our destination in Brooklyn Maine. Although they would float, we've opted for a more reasonable approach and are going to spend the next 7 day coaxing our boats to a higher level of perfection. We've got lots of sanding, epoxying, sanding, epoxying, varnishing, sanding and painting in our future. The group is doing wonderfully and is truly enjoying the experience of watching their boats take shape.

Although the rain has been steady since we started the group morale is high because everyone really loves building boats.

Zach says " It's the only thing I've ever made!"
Ian says "it like a fancy sports care that you really want"
Tyler says "it's by far the nicest thing I've ever made"
John says "it's Christmas all over again"
James says " I'm either workin' on my boat or helping someone else with theirs. I love working with my hands"

North Woods Canoe is Thriving!

2009-07-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Whew!! North Woods Canoe has busted a move. We started down the West Branch of the Penobscot and worked on our paddle strokes. We saw a lot of moose and stopped in at Chesuncook Village to gorge upon home made root beer and fudge. It was a good thing we bought some extra goodies as a motivation for a long day of frogging up a stream. After we left Chesuncook we spent a day headed up "the Horserace" towards Round Pond and Caucomgomic Lake. ( Yes, you read correctly we pushed our boats against the current and battled slippery rocks all for the view from Caucomgomic Dam. And because its the only way to get to where we needed to). It was a great and rewarding first challenge for the group.

We have just completed a 3 mile portage and everyone did a fantastic job and really pushed personal limitation. It is amazing to think that we move 6, eighty pound boats over such a distance and still managed to keep laughing and singing along the way. We were so proud of the group!!

Tomorrow is July 4th and our resupply. We all look forward to hearing from friends and family!

Best wishes to all of our friends and family.

Penobscot Whitewater Girls Trip

2009-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Despite the rain, the girls' spirits are high. Yesterday(July 1) they paddled their first set of class III rapids and they all did so with smiles on their faces. The sun made an appearance that afternoon so we took advantage of the warmth and went for a group swim at our beach in front of the camp site. We have probably the best campsite on the whole river!! Overall the the trip has been fantastic. We are quickly turning this group of amazing young women into enthusiastic kayakers. We've already heard talk of, " I'm definitely going to do Umbagog next year", or " I'm gonna do Northeast rivers!!". A good sign that these girls are gung-ho about paddling.
The might Penobscot is our backyard and we are eagerly anticipating our trip to the Seboomook River in a couple of days.

A very quick word from North Woods Canoe

2009-06-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

We just heard from North Woods Canoe and all is well. The Northern sections of the state have had a little bit better weather than the coastal regions and the group is thriving. The have just finished frogging (the term for walking a canoe upstream)up Caucomgomic stream and are headed to Round Pond. From Round Pond they will start the largest portage of their trip, once completed they will entered the famed Allagash region, and begin their journey toward Allagash village. We will be resupplying this group on July 4th, so stay tuned for a further update next week.

A word from Maine Coast Kayak

2009-06-30T10:50:00.001-07:00

" Our trip may have the highest concentration of excited, dedicated students I have ever facilitated. Rest assured that all of the them are enjoying themselves and each other tremendously. The weather so far has been an interesting story. Our first day on the water was full of sunshine. We stayed at Castle Island, had lessons in the sun and fell asleep on wooden tent platforms above the ground. Our next day was a paddle to Spectacle island, 6 miles from Castle. We had an exciting time crossing the Sheepscot River as we navigated the currents and the thick fog. It was very rewarding and reassuring for the kids to land on the opposite shore knowing that the navigation techniques we are teaching them really work.
The next day we paddled 11 miles to Fort Island and got to experience the first real waves of the trip. What a blast! It was a great paddle, the longest so far and the group did amazingly well. We even got some sun in the afternoon.
We've changed our itinerary since landing on Fort to accommodate for the challenges the weather has provided. We took advantage of a quick van shuttle around Pemaquid point and have found ourselves a day ahead of schedule and enjoying a night on one of the jewels of Muscongus Bay: Chewonki owned Black Island!
The over-riding sentiment is that a little rain and wet weather can't dampen the spirits of this amazing group! More news to come on our next resupply - We are doing GREAT! " - Paul and Claire

2009-06-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 28

It shouldn't come as any surprise for those of you who live in the North East to hear that we have started off the summer with a bit of a wet start. We have received positive reports from the wilderness trip groups that have checked in and no surprise, the weather has caused some changes to itineraries.

Today I am reminded to be careful what you wish for! A week ago we were watching the water levels closely on the St John River with the leaders of our Thoreau Wilderness Trip. The TWT trip was planning to start their 7-week experience on the St John at Baker Lake. As departure day got closer the river was flowing at about 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and dropping. 2,500 (cfs) is the lowest level recommended for beginning a canoe trip on the St John, so we hoped for a little rain.

With the lower water level we decided to err on the side of caution just in case the hoped for rain didn't materialize. Old time Maine Guides refer to the St John at low water as being a mile wide and an inch deep. Last Wednesday the group put in a bit lower down the river at Moody Bridge. That was several days and a couple heavy rain storms ago. The St John has now risen to a wonderful paddling level and the rain can stop any time! Actually we have had several sunny days interspersed with the rain so if you have been watching the Weather Channel it has not been quite as bad in Northern Maine as they sometimes make the situation appear.

We will begin resupplying our extended trips at the end of this coming week and we will post updates and photos soon after.

Rain Rain Go Away

Greg Shute
Wilderness Programs Director

All 3 week trips are now "in the field"

2009-06-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we said "bon voyage" to our Mariners program as they rowed away from the waterfront. As they made way from the docks it was apparent that they will quickly learn to not only sail the boats when the wind cooperates, but also row them during calmer times. By now they are enjoying a well deserved day of sunshine and some light Northeasterly winds.

The Maine Coast Kayak group shoved off mid-morning today under bright blue skies and gentle breezes. They all successfully completed their rescue techniques practice and basic paddling skills and are now ready for a 3 great weeks of paddling. Here are a few pictures taken by one of our staff member of their launch.

WE ARE OFF AND RUNNING!!!!

2009-06-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

It's official, summer has started!!! We welcomed our participants and campers yesterday, and even though our weather pattern has been a bit wet of late it didn't show on kids faces. All day we saw smiles and lots of excitement. This morning we sent out 7 expeditions to the far reaches of the state. Our Thoreau Trip is headed to the St John River to begin a 7 week expedition that will paddle some of the most historic and scenic stretches of water the state has to offer. Our sailors and sea kayakers will be heading out after some skills training and will be paddling or sailing their way toward Acadia and Penobscot Bay. The whitewater kayakers headed to both the Rapid River, and the Penobscot River. For the first time ever we are ecstatic that we have an all girls whitewater kayaking group up at our Big Eddy campus. We've also got a group headed to the Appalachian Trail, and another that will start their canoe trip on the West Branch of the Penobscot River.

Over all it's been a wonderful start to our summer. Our staff is made up of some great people, with a huge variety of backgrounds and experiences. Please stay tuned to the blog as the summer rolls on, we will be updating you with pictures and stories as often as they come in from the field.

200!!!!!

2008-12-11T06:08:00.001-08:00

What a great early Christmas gift! I just got an email from Ginny, our camp registrar; we just hit the 200 mark for next summer. Between Girls Camp, Boys Camp and Wilderness Trips we've far exceeded our early season enrollment expectations. If your thinking of enrolling for a summer program we encourage you to get your registrations in as soon as possible.

We're still working hard at reaching out to new families and schools in our promotional efforts. Early this winter both Ryan and Genell will be on the road doing informational gatherings and slideshows that will focus on introducing our wilderness programs to teens.

CHECK OUT THE NEW GIRLS CAMP VIDEO It's a wonderful glimpse into this amazing new opportunity girls.

100 for next summer!!!

2008-09-30T10:26:00.001-07:00

Wow!!! I'm so excited. Ginny just yelled from across the office that we are officially at 100 enrollees for next summer. Garth chimed in from his office, "That's got to be a record." We are just ecstatic about the early enrollment for next summer. This number represents a mix across the board for all our summer offerings. If you are thinking about a program, be it camp or wilderness trips please be sure to take advantage of either of our early enrollment discounts.
Pre October 1: Save $200
October 2-Jan 15: Save $100

I already can't wait for next summer!!

ALL GIRLS KAYAKING - YEEEHAAWWW!!

2008-09-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Wow. We are so excited! All the buzz and excitement from this summer is carrying into enrollments for 2009! We've already FILLED one trip and are getting numerous call for our other ones.

One really exciting piece of news is that for the first time we are offering an all girls session of our popular West Branch Whitewater program!! Session one(6/23 - 7/14) will be dedicated to teaching just girls! We had a lot of girls from the Girls Camp ask us to do this,..... so here ya go!! It's bound to be an excellent three weeks of kayaking and we are ecstatic to introduce more young women to the growing sport of kayaking!
Call and sign-up before 10/1 and you'll get the $200 early enrollment discount!!

North Woods Canoe Final Post

2008-08-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

This summer, North Woods Canoe followed an unprecedented itinerary with an unparalleled group of participants. Rain, high water, and the high resilience of the participants made this summer's North Woods Canoe trip unlike any before it.

We began our trip on the West Branch of the Penobscot River. After a couple days on this river, we fought headwinds across Chesuncook Lake and spent a night on the beautiful Gero Island, watching storms roll in from the south. In order to get up to the renowned Allagash Wilderness Waterway, we dragged our boats for a day up Caucomogomoc Stream, pulling the boats through knee-deep water, and spent a day carrying all of our gear and our boats across a three mile portage into Allagash Lake. The hardiness with which the group tackled this portage assured us that we could weather any challenges this trip had in store.

We relaxed on Allagash Lake for a few days, hiking up Allagash Mtn. and visiting the famous ice caves. Thereafter, we got plenty of excitement on Allagash Stream, a narrow, curvy stream of constant Class I/II whitewater. Then we wound our way through Chamberlain, Eagle, and Churchill Lakes to Churchill Dam towards the beginning of Allagash River.

A deluge of rain followed by atypically high water on the River led us to depart from our intended itinerary. The rain we had seen thus far had brough the river levels to 25 times the normal level!!!! With the river unsafe at this level we opted to transfer our group to another river system. We finished on the lower reaches of the West Branch of the Penobscot and had a wonderful final few days.

As leaders we're confident that a trip such as this, with so much rain and so many unusual circumstances would have suffered a great deal more if it were not for our group. Their flexibility, high-spirited'ness, and overall optimism created a recipe for success regardless of the challenges.

It was a REMARKABLE trip by all accounts.

Me. Appalachian Trail Hike II Final Report

2008-08-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

The second half of our trip was where the magic happened. Our group unified and finally got an understanding of how smoothly we can operate out in the woods when we all pitch in together. We pushed some longer mileage days on our way to Katahdin and didn’t let the rain slow us down one bit. We were treated to three nights of sleeping in shelters at the end of the trip, and even got to jump from a cool tree into the river for fun. We met lots of thru-hikers who gave us either great perspectives or great stories to tell, and most importantly – we summitted Mount Katahdin!!! The peak was fogged in but very calm and quiet. As we descended the spur, the clouds broke and the panoramic views were spectacular. It was a great ending to an already great trip, and we were sad to leave the woods and, eventually, each others’ company. Until next time…

Mariners 2008 Final Post

2008-08-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Mariners 2008 wilderness trip was a blast! We began in Rockland with a fantastic tour of The Apprenticeshop where we learned about traditional wooden boatbuilding and gained an appreciation for Chewonki’s two double masted ketch sailboats that we would soon live on for three weeks. We sailed across Penobscot Bay to Vynalhaven, explored Green’s Island, with its sunset-facing driftwood house, granite pier and crystal clear waters. The Mariners began to learn how to handle the boats as we sailed through rocky off-shore bird-covered islands to Isle au Haut. We survived the wild night thunderstorms at Seal Trap, and discovered a mossy woods trail that lead us to an old 1929 Modle-A Ford on an island gravel road. We battled the white-capped seas and howling wind through Isle au Haut thoroughfare and spent a few foggy days at Harbor Island in Merchant’s Row (where we found many delicious blueberries!) We had our ups and downs: we had to cut our anchor loose after she was fetched up somethin’ wicked one morning, but while looking for a new one in Stonington we happened upon a New Orleans rag-time jazz parade, and we shared ice cream on the docks. We spent a night on the boats in a white-sand cove at Marshall Island, and we sailed into the only fjord in Maine at Mt. Desert Island, hiking in Acadia National Park the next morning. Passing giant old schooners and working lobster boats everywhere we went, we absorbed the culture and stunning beauty of the Maine coast.. At Woodenboat in Brooklyn we learned more about boatbuilding during a great shop tour and we sailed trough the middle of a hundred classic wooden sailboats in the Eggemoggin Reach Race. Navigating in the fog with a map and compass, and eating fresh mussels at Calderwood Island in Fox Island Thoroughfare, were also parts of our journey. Some days we sailed 30 miles through pristine sunny waters, other days we read books in our tents and waited for rain storms to pass. We sang many good improv sea chanties while under way and were welcomed home to Chewonki under full sail to a rousing cheer at the last Sunday Service of camp on the Point. In total we sailed 216 miles, and shared many good laughs with all the participating Mariner trippers.

Maine Coast Kayak Final Report

2008-08-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Maine Coast Kayak- A few notes from the leaders
Even through we had some rain to end the trip, overall the weather was more than manageable. We paddled through everything from glassy calm waters to rolling waves and thick fog. The sun shone bright the day we rounded Pemiquid Point, just one of the many beautiful lighthouses we passed along the coast. The beauty of nature didn't stop there as many of us saw our first double rainbow on Whitehead Island. On our biggest day we logged 18 miles past Rockland, Camden and Rockport harbors. While paddling from island to island we gained a unique perspective and appreciation for Maine's coast. We shared the water with working lobster boats, sailing schooners, large yachts, a Navy destroyer and jet skis. Our students all became excellent paddlers and gained a great deal from our adventure up the coast.

Trips Check in

2008-08-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

All of our trips have now checked in and had their last resupplies. Things have been going phenomenally well and all reports are positive from the field. Here are some highlights:

Umbagog: Garth(camp director) was able to do that resupply and make an overnight of it. He was blown away at how much community the group managed to create in such a short amount of time. They were quite obviously enjoying themselves and were all taking on wonderful roles within the group. Lots of leaders and lots of teachers - the students took the opportunity of having Garth's young boys their to give them their first kayaking experience. Garth expressed how great it was to see these teenagers so excited to teach a couple of toddlers to have fun in boats! With all the rain you can rest assured that the river has been up, and wonderful for paddling!

Maine Coast Kayak: I got to resupply them on Monday on one of the few sunny days we've had lately. Amidst the fog and rain they all had smiles that would burn away the thickest fog. Smiles and good humor were the rule, and according to the leaders they had turned into a group of excellent paddlers. They had quickly learned the fine line between work and play, and how to appropriately incorporate both to create a wonderful expedition dynamic. They were ecstatic for their last few days of paddling and to enjoy the beauty of Penobscot bay and Mount Desert Island.

Maine Appalachian Trail Backpack: Dick Thomas took care of the resupply for this group and came back with once again fantastic reports. The group was strong, cohesive, and enjoying the increasing challenges of the latter part of their itinerary. They were looking forward to entering Baxter State Park and climbing Katahdin in their final days. Cross your fingers that they get a few days respite from the New England rains.

North Woods Canoe: Our Packout Manager ran into these canoers last week at their itinerary and came back with great things to say. They'd had a mixed array of weather and were taking the good with the bad all the way through. They particularly enjoyed the high water on Allagash stream, which made for a fast and fun paddle down into Chamberlain Lake. The lengthy portage from Round Pond to Allagash lake was a wonderfully challenging experience for the group that really brought the best out of everyone. It demanded a great deal of teamwork and tenacity, and brought the group together. As of today the group was dealing with extra high water on the river sections of the Allagash. We made a decision to pull them off the river and move them over to the St. John river. They will spend their final days paddling from Moody Bridge to Allagash village on an equally famous stretch of river.

Mariners: The Mariners sailing programs started with a stretch of fantastic weather and winds. They managed to sail all over Penobscot Bay, visiting some of the most classic stretches of coast. There daily stops are often high on the lists of sailors far and wide. As of their resupply they were doing well and looking forward to steadily making their way back to Chewonki.

West Branch Explorers: Another group that is finding their way thru the North woods and excelling amidst the challenges of wet weather. The hiking section was great to them, and a wonderful intro to hiking for the whole group. As of now they are finishing the West Branch, and enjoying a few days on Chesuncook Lake before they head to Big Eddy Campground for a service project and some day trips to the local hot spots.

West Branch Whitewater: I was fortunate enough to talk to one of the leaders of the kayaking group yesterday. She was glowing with reports of the last couple weeks and saying that "it has been SOOO much fun!" The spent the first two weeks learning all the basics on the waters surrounding their campsite and built slowly to more and more challenging whitewater. A big part of their teaching curriculum involves a culminating experience on the Seboomook section off the West Branch. The had a great few days on this stretch of river and each paddler made huge strides with their skills. Today they are taking advantage of the break in the weather and are hiking Katahdin.

My apologies that we don't have photos of the trips, but we'll be sure to share them with you after the trips return to us on Sunday.

Thanks to all of our parents for your support!!

Labrador Trip update

2008-07-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

Each year Greg Shute and Don Hudson lead a custom trip to the northern regions of Labrador. This year their travel has led them to the village of Nain on the east cost of Labrador(56 32 24.54 N / 61 40 43.33 W). They spent 3 days driving to Goose Bay(1200 km of dirt roads!) at which point they caught a plane to Nain. If by chance you get to travel the Labrador Highway - bring extra spare tires. They had three flats before they got to Goose Bay!! In Nain they joined an Inuit Captain on his converted fishing vessel for a multi day voyage up through the fjords and inner passages. They called in this morning to report that all is well. They've had some tough weather and the visibility hasn't been all that great. What they have been able to see has been nothing short of amazing. "Last night we watched a 150 tall iceberg float around the harbor - what a site!"
They reported seeing, Minke whales, Gyra falcons, Jaegers, and Fulmars. At the time of their call-in they were in Hebron at the site of an old Moravian Mission.(58 12.250N / 62 37.569W).
It sounds like they've had an exciting time up there, full of adventure and beautiful landscapes. They return to Chewonki on August 5.

Maine AT Report

2008-07-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Trekkers of the Maine AT Hike looked tremendously strong, happy and invigorated by their adventure, according to the Chewonki leader who provided them their resupply last Sunday at Gulf Hagas along the Appalachian Trail. "We had one night of very heavy rains but thankfully no lightning," reported trip leader Jay Avis. "And we spent the night under clouds in the Lakes-of-the-Clouds." Leaders, Amanda and Jay and all of the hikers on the trip looked healthy, happy, clean and notably strong. They had all taken the opportunity to go swimming and clean up in stream along the trail on Saturday. The hikers quickly and excitedly opened their mail, packed their fresh food, and ate a hearty lunch before heading up Whitecap Mountain and continuing on their way.

Ranch House on the Moose River

2008-07-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Ranch House had a blast on the Moose River! We were lucky to have excellent, sunny weather (except for a couple thunder showers) and very high water level. We were able to run Camel Rips, Spencer Rips, and Attean Falls. A highlight for everyone was our rest day at Holeb Falls where we spent the day working on canoe skills and running a Class II rapid that runs next to the campsite. The group also enjoyed swimming and an extended bout of canoe wars.

After we arrived at Chewonki's beautiful wilderness camp at Wood Cove, we hiked up Burnt Jacket mountain. The five miles up offered a new challenge to the group, and made the views from the summit that much more rewarding. Endless blueberries provided a tasty dessert.

A Letter from George River

2008-07-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

The George River expedition recently received their resupply via air drop. They sent us this letter on the outgoing plane.

We are having a most superb trip.... couldn't ask for more amiable, dedicated trippers or a more gorgeous locale!! We are on Indian House Lake, having already completed the Depas River and looking forward the the whitewater of the George. For now, we're loving the break that a few days' lake paddling is brining from all the river running, scouting, and lining. Here's a brief report of the trip thus far:
*We made the best of our multi-day travel into Quebec's interior, taking the time to settle in to each other and share stories. We met up with our faithful dirver Amanda Morin in Caribou after a burly loop hike in Presque Isle State Park. We rock climbed(indoors) at U. Maine Presqe Isle, ate pizza, and played frisbee in the fields near the Morins house. After a brief bout with motion sickness on a foggy ferry ride to Godbout, Quebec, we walked on the beach, feasted on burritos, and shared our goals for the trip. Wednesday was our errand day in Sept Iles, our final ice cream of July, and dinner out at a fantastic resaraunt where everyone overate italian food! The train ride to schefferville on Thursay was smooth, with gorgeious views of the Moise River Valley and twelve hours to laugh and talk. By this point, paul and I were amazed that everyone was still perfectly happy and engaged in friendly chatter; no road-weary grouches in this group!! Oxana welcomed us at the McGill Research Station for the night(our last in beds).

*Our first four days on the water were mostly lake travel. Day one on Lake Attikamagen was windy, but strong paddlers made for a successful, albeit long, first day. Between lakes we navigated some quickwater, mostly getting out of our boats and frogging over rocks. It was also in these first few days that we encountered the majority of the portages for this trip. We learned that this group is phenomenal at portages, with a work ethicthat rivals any group I've every been a part of. The lakes were lovely; a few of us even took our first dip in these chilly northern waters. We've all been amazed at watching the weather patterns change dramatically from day to day, and even from minute to minute. On one particularly sunny-rainy-sunny-rainy-sunny day, we moved from Dillon lake into Lac Talon and in the span of ten minutes of quickwater saw a black bear on river right, a wolf on river left, and a caribou and river right. Welcome to the wilds of Quebec!!!

* The Depas river was such an incredible experience, our first with major whitewater! We spend long days scouting rapids, running them in our boats, or lining them from the banks. After two rainless days(unheard of up here) we endured a constant cold and spitting rain on July 10, and ended up cutting the day's travel short to camp in a forest that was burned a few years ago. We were all able to warm up with hot drinks and a giant cookie baked over the campfire for dessert. Challenging days like that one make us all the more grateful for the glorious sunny days when the breeze is blowing enough to keep the vicious blackflies away. We had a few campsites on the De Pas that must be mentioned; high bluffs over looking the river with big views of land and even bigger sky. We can't wait to share our photos!

*Now we are at Indian house lake; so far we've had preferrable weather for lake travel, and sandy beaches to camp near/swim from. Yesterday we climbed Sand Pyramid. Sand Pyramid is a huge sand formation that was once a delta in a glacial river when glaciers sat over a mile high in this place. We saw Naskapi gravesites on top and an incredibly varied view in all directions. In two day we'll see our first humans outside our group since the time we left Schefferville. Our resupply will arrive and we will enjoy our first rest day of the trip.

George River Checks in

2008-07-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

I received a call from the George River group the other day and as usual they are great. They were on Pyramid Hill on the George and had just completed 3 days of whitewater paddling. They stated that the river is still high and therefore they are picking their way down extra cautiously. It's been a great experience so far and people are gaining a ton of canoeing experience. So far they've seen: 6 bear, multiple caribou, 3 wolves, and many beaver, muskrat, and,porcupine.

For you Google Earth people, here is the lat/lon of their location:
56 49 37.18 N
64 58 01.47W

Northeast Rivers on The Rapid River

2008-07-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

We got an update from, of all things, a parent of one of our Northeast Rivers participants. Lionel Herring is a long time Chewonki alumni and staffer, his son Beni is on this years NER trip. Lionel also teaches whitewater kayaking in the summer and was instructing a group on the Rapid at the same time our group was there.

"The group is doing fantastically well. They've been going pretty hard. It seems as though the boys won't let up and just want to paddle, paddle, paddle. I think NH and VT will give them a more relaxed pace and a chance to rest tired muscles.

Lionel also mentioned how well they were all paddling and that they easily out paddled all the other groups on the river. He sent a few photos he was able snap as our group paddled the Staircases, and Smooth Ledge.

2nd Session of to a great start!!!

2008-07-24T06:58:00.001-07:00

Our second session started this past Sunday. Unfortunately the weather didn't altogether cooperate, but it didn't seem to phase the students. Everyone I talked to was anxious to get going and get into the field. The reports from all the leaders was that they had "great groups" and everyone just wanted to get into the woods. Hearing stories like that makes me wish we could send groups into the field on the same day they arrive. Alas, it's not realistic.

This session we have 7, 3 week programs: Maine Appalachian Trail Backpack, Maine Coast Kayak, West Branch Explorers, West Branch Whitewater, Umbagog Kayaking, North Woods Canoe, and Mariners Sailing.

A reminder to our blog readers: The blog is a new project here at Chewonki. We are really excited about it and are hoping that it is being enjoyed by many. Our goal is to update the blog weekly. We will attempt to make one entry per group over the course of a session, there just isn't time for more. Five week trips may get a few extra updates, as we tend to hear from them more often.

Thanks and Enjoy
Chris

Northeast Rivers Celebrates 7 years!

2008-07-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Northeast Rivers program started on the 9th with yet again another fantastic group. It's always a little extra special to watch this group show up at camp. They are most often veterans of our whitewater program and are returning in hopes of truly honing their paddling skills. At the end of the program they will have paddled the best whitewater available in the greater northeast: the Kennebec, Dead, Rapid, Hudson, Ottawa, Penobscot, Black, and Gatineau to name a few.

I just received an email from our campsite manager at the Big Eddy on the Penobscot River. This is where they've been for the past week. Here are the entries:

Penobscot,July,Thursday the 10th

Chewonkis Big Eddy Campground

After a 3 hour long ride, we were really excited at the sight of rapid water. We set up near Big Eddy , which we paddled along with Big Eddy Rapids. We wanted to get in our kayaks so bad that the camp was set up in basically 10 minutes. Nate and Kim ,though, restrained our "kayaking pulsies",emphasizing the need to respect certain rules. Once we FINALLY got in the water,we went through all the basics: wet-exit,T-rescues,rolls-. Then we went through a section of rapids, to get back our old reflexes. Indeed, most of us hadn't kayaked for at least a year. After an afternoon of kayaking, we went through our first dinner,in camp, our first fire, our first "washin the dishes"...Though the rapids we went through today were fine, they were much too short and easy. Can't wait for more !

Quote"No exclusive relationships. If you want to have one, you have to have it with the WHOLE group." Ben Hering

Hadrien Hering

Penobscot July Friday 11th

We woke up late today and began with a late breakfast. We had egg ,potato, sausage and cheese goulash.

After breakfast we went up to the Little Eddy and worked on the 5 basic paddle strokes. To practice we worked on surfing at the end of the Heaters.We then kayaked Little Eddy. We had lunch that consisted of hummus wraps and bricks. After lunch we paddled Troublemaker. Ben Hadrien,Charley and Jed got into Troublemaker and surfed it up. We had pizza dinner. We are ready for some more shredding tomorrow.

Jed

July 12th Penobscot

B-Fast had some Bagels and Oranges. Then hit the river. We had a long day of paddling.Started with Big Eddy Rapid , then downstream through Big Amberjack and had lunch. We ran all 3 drops and everyone nailed it. Hadrien got his hand roll for the first time. Then hit Nesowdahunk Falls to finish off the day.Went back to camp and cooked some chowder and went to the Pot-Luck dinner with the 4 other CHewonki groups.

Quote " We don't read, we're kayakers, the only thing we read is rivers" Kim

Charlie

More paddling photos to come shortly

Another Check-in From George River.

2008-07-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

I heard from George River yesterday afternoon and just like their last call, they are doing phenomenally well. They finishing the Depaus River and were on Indian House Lake. They enjoyed high water on the Depaus R. and got to hone their skills both running whitewater, and lining boats down rapids to technical to paddle. They've been graced with abnormally beautiful weather: sunny days, cool breezes, and bright blue skies are the rule! The only thing remotely resembling a complaint was about the ferocity of the bugs. It certainly hadn't dampened their spirits, but they did say that when the breeze abates the bugs waste no time in coming out. They've seen a little wildlife; bears from a distance and porcupines in camp. They are hoping to see more Caribou as they venture north. As I mentioned before we don't have actual photos from them, but here are a few representatives of what they are seeing.

Boat Builders almost done!!

2008-07-12T10:12:00.001-07:00

All I can say is WOW!!!! Having lead this program quite a few years ago I have some first hand knowledge of how labor intensive it is to take a pile of wood and turn it into a useable craft. In years past our boats were just that - useable crafts. They were functional, sturdy, and practical. The quantum leap that we have made by using the Willow design by Bill Thomas is beyond words. We've now entered into the realm of teaching students to create functional art. These sea kayaks are truly works of art that have the heart and soul of the entire group in each individual boat. The method of building is such that each person does not focus on one particular boat, rather the whole group works on every boat, every step of the way. In the end each set of hands will have had a critical role in the creation of the finished products. I've been trying to visit the group on a daily basis in hopes to get a better grip on the progression of this new design. They've been working so dilligently and efficiently that a lapse of even an afternoon leaves me scratching my head and wondering how they got from where they were when I saw them last to the current state. They are currently painting and varnishing the boats and will be installing the rigging in the next 24 hours. Stay tuned for a post on the launch of these magnificent boats.

Me. Appalachian Trail Hike

2008-07-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

We delivered a resupply to the Maine A.T. hikers the other day. I asked the leaders to write-up a little synopsis of the trip so far. Here is what the had to say:
Our trip began with two easier days in hopes of acclimating our bodies to carrying packs and walking on uneven terrain. After the adjustment period we slowly increased our mileage and headed in the direction of Mt. Washington. We've had lots of great hiking days, as well as a few rainy ones toward the beginning. Our toughest days are put into perspective when we come into contact with thru-hikers; their stories give us great motivation to smile and carry on. The group gets along very well and from conversations about peoples lives at home/school we're finding that even those that have trouble finding acceptance at elsewhere are well-liked out here in the woods. We had a small amount of home-sickness at the beginning of the trip, but its amazing what a guitar and some campfire songs will do to bring people back home without the need to BE back home. "We've got what is turning out to be a great group."

We've also been enjoying an array of wild-edibles along the way. We've dined on wild strawberries, chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms, sorrel, plantain, and wintermint to name a few. The food that we are carrying on our backs has also been well received and the kids have healthy appetites. The other day we watched some "wilderness TV" for over an hour. We got to watch a moose graze about 100 feet away from us. "What a treat to get to safely watch such an amazing animal for that length of time." We've found many swimming holes along the way. The chance to wash off the sweat and grime of the trail is always a welcome thing.

Overall this is turning out to be a fantastic trip. The group has come together wonderfully and we've got our sites firmly set on the heights of Mt. Washington!!!

Umbagog Whitewater Kayaking Thriving!!

2008-07-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

I was able to check in with our Umbagog group when I delivered the resupply last week. After a beautiful ride across the lake, I arrived on the island shortly after their breakfast. The group was eagerly awaiting my arrival. They were rather excited for fresh fruits and vegetables and of course, mail. I heard great stories from the group about learning the basic skills of running whitewater, of warm days spent on the river, and of course tales of fending off the infamous mosquitoes. Bug bites and all the group was thriving. A great victory of the group at large was that everybody had learned the eskimo roll and was able to accomplish it in moving water. This is a significant milestone in each paddlers progression and a signal that the group is progressing rapidly with their skills.
The greatest challenge they had faced to date was the high water on the river caused by the daily afternoon rain events. This created a need stay on the lower section of the river and paddle the stretch from what is known as "Gate 4" to the bottom. It is a wonderful stretch of whitewater and perfect at all water levels for learning the basics.
As a side note; there are 8 "gates" on the lower section of the river. Each is not an actual gate, but refers to the location of where the slalom gates placed. During the 1970-80's the river was used as a training ground for competition slalom kayakers. The kayakers would span elevated wires across the river at predetermined locations. Each wire would have a pair of wooden dowels hanging from it. The dowels were standardly striped white/red, or white/green, and spaced about 3 feet apart. The dowels would hang just above the water. Slalom kayakers had to navigate the river in such a way that they passed through each set of gates.

Gordy Hall's Return from the Bigelows

2008-07-08T08:38:00.002-07:00

The seven-week Osprey Cabin, Gordy Hall, has returned from their first wilderness trip in high spirits. Hiking over the Bigelow Mountain Range in the Carrabasset Valley Region, the cabin hiked over twenty miles and attained six peaks. Gordy Hall experienced additional highlights on their last night at Little Bigelow Lean-to where they relaxed in the “tubs” (deep pools of mountain water run-off), celebrated the Fourth of July with a banquet sized amount of spaghetti and fried, garlic pitas, and slept out under the stars. While, Gordy Hall has returned to camp, both the campers and the counselors are excited for more adventures to come. This four-day trip was the initial of three, and after such a great success in the Bigelows they are eager to attempt Mahoosuc Notch later this summer.

We've heard from the George River Trip

2008-07-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

This morning we got a scheduled phone call from our group on the George River in Quebec. It sounds as if the group is doing extremely well! In the few short days they've been together they've gelled as a unit and are having a fantastic start to their trip. The elation in Megan's(one of the trip leaders) voice was almost palpable. They are currently on Lac Talon. The last thing we heard before she said goodbye was, "in the last fifteen minutes we've seen both caribou and wolves!" We won't be getting any photos from them until they are back, but in hopes of giving you an idea of what they are seeing I've included a few photos from years past.
For those of you who are Google Earth enabled you can see their location by searching these coordinates: 55* 05' 19.11 N 65* 39' 24.36W

Boat Builders Expedition gets a facelift

2008-07-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

After 21 successful years our Boatbuilding Expedition has been given a facelift!!! This year we have partnered with Bill Thomas of Bill Thomas Woodworking and Willow Kayaks.
We spoke to Bill last year about the possibility of using his Willow kayak as the platform for our program. He not only agreed to work with us, but offered to teach the first portion of the building process. Bill runs a busy shop building custom furniture as well as teaching courses on boatbuilding throughout the year. His enthusiasm and can-do approach were so overwhelming that we just had to give it a try. The program started on June 29, and on the 30th I walked into the pole barn where they were building the boats and was astounded at the progress. After the first day they had the hulls stitched together, and they "looked like boats!" All passers by were astounded at the difference in hull-shape, the beauty of the design, and the speed of the progress our students were making. It was instantly obvious that the decision to give the program a facelift was well worth it. More updates as the boats progress!!

Summer off to a great start!!!

2008-07-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new Wilderness Programs Blog!!!

The wilderness trip office is taking a huge step toward keeping our parents and friends of trippers abreast of what is going on afield. We will be updating this blog on a regular basis. The summer is busy and our focus will be on our people in the field, but we'll try to update this as often as possible. We'll attempt to give our readers information about how our groups are doing, where they are headed, the challenges and victories they experience, and of course when possible will be providing you with photos from the field.

Summer 2008 is off to a wonderful start! Our first students arrived on campus on June 24 to a beautiful Maine summer day. It was the "opening day" we hope for all year long: warm, with lots of sun and a slight breeze to make things comfortable. The many anxious faces we saw arrive that morning were soon turned to ones of excitement as they learned of the experiences upon which they were about to embark .

The following morning most of our groups loaded into vans and set forth across the state. Whether it was into canoes, kayaks, or with packs on their backs they began their introductions into the wonders of wilderness travel. Each step of the way they'll be learning the finer points of living in a small community, traveling together with a sense of purpose and a sense of place, and leaving no trace at each spot they visit.

Thanks, and keep checking back for updates on individual trips.