Team Logs

Gulf of Maine Expedition Casco Bay to Bar Harbor, Maine Journals
June 8 - July 8, 2002

Dan's notes from Maine
Hermit Island Campground
BAYSCAPER — Reducing the impact of lawn treatment on Casco Bay

Sue's notes from Maine
So How Are We Doing?
Simple Pleasures
The Divorce Machine

Dan's notes from Maine

Hermit Island Campground

In early June we had the opportunity to camp at a unique, kayak accessible, campground on Hermit Island, just south of Bath, Maine. The campground is designed to accept tent and pop-up campers – but does not allow larger RV's – in well-spaced sites with a generous vegetative buffer between them. Water and restroom facility access is provided. Store, office, and recreation buildings are located at the entrance. While there are a large number of sites, the overall impression one gets is that the campground has a low intensity and density of sites.

This impression is fostered by the separation of sites by vegetation, the setback of sites from the beach, the maintenance of the dune structure, a large freshwater marsh, and the amount of open space that is left for trails. In fact, 90 acres of the site are in a forest management plan and another smaller area is used for a commercial dock and lobster pound. Trails run from the developed campground area into the forested area and along the edges of the surrounding bay and ocean. According to Nick Sewall, the owner, it is this mix of land uses that allow him to maintain the campground with its current mix of sites and nature.

The campground will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. Photographs from the past show that the vegetative cover has increased over the years since a forest fire in the late 1930s. Problems facing the campground include protection of the dunes from people walking to the beach areas, loss of groundcover through overuse of sites, and erosion on sites and heavily used walk areas.

We had the opportunity to talk with other campers, many who have come to visit regularly for many years. They were unanimous in their praise and appreciation of the approach taken to the design and management of this beautiful and valuable coastal site.

BAYSCAPER — Reducing the impact of lawn treatment on Casco Bay

While visiting Portland, Maine, a part of the Casco Bay Watershed, we encountered an innovative program to reduce the impact of lawns on the water quality of Casco Bay. At issue is the cumulative effect of the residues of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and "weed and feed" products that are applied to the millions of lawns in the region.

Chemicals applied to lawns are seldom fully utilized by the lawn, so they become incorporated into runoff and storm water and are transported to the bay by streams and rivers of the watershed. As these chemicals enter streams, rivers, and the bay, they nourish algae. This increased nutrient load can cause an algae bloom which can rob the water of oxygen and lead to suffocation of animal life. Some organisms are directly affected by herbicide or pesticide residues.

The BAYSCAPER program encourages homeowners to take individual responsibility to assist in solving lawn runoff problems. To earn BAYSCAPER certification and a plaque, a homeowner must meet six criteria for lawn care practices and pass a written checklist by completing the BAYSCAPER Blue Book program. The six practices include approaches to lawn ecology, watering, mowing, soil treatment, fertilization, and pest control. If using professional lawncare services, the homeowner is encouraged to make sure BAYSCAPER principles are being followed.

To get more information about this program see www.thinkfirstspraylast.org/bayscaper, or call The Friends of Casco Bay at (207) 799-8574.

Sue's notes from Maine

So How Are We Doing?

I am writing this on my Palm Pilot, which is balanced on a vertical hunk of log inside the Spook House...the local name for a shack we have access to. We are stuck once again. The Weatherman has thrown rain and gale force winds at us, but Lady Luck has provided us with a warm (?), dry spot in which to ride it out.

Dan fixed us hot oatmeal and tea for breakfast, and we are all catching up on our writing. Nat and Rich choose to do that in their tent...Dan and I prefer the space offered by this building.

We have been travelling for 43 days - nearly one third of our trip. It feels like it is time to give an update on our progress in various areas.

Systems

The job-sharing system we devised at Hoyt's Lodge is working well. Dan and I take care of the cooking and clean-up, which frees Nat and Rich to do the science and communications tasks. While it seemed logical in the beginning to split these tasks equally, logic had to give way to practicality, which is working much better. And yes, Nat, you can still eat if you don't cook!

After five weeks and three chances to send stuff home and/or retrieve it, we are approaching equilibrium in our personal gear systems. I say "approaching" because we are all very much looking forward to a chance to visit Maine Sport next week. It seems like we gear freaks can never be quite satisfied.

Feet and hands seem to be a constant challenge. The weakness in my system is a method of keeping my feet warm on cold, rainy days when we are not paddling. I haven't found the balance between space in the hatch and the variety of footwear I bring. I am determined to reunite myself with my Wellies! And I still have not found the perfect pair of paddling gloves yet.

So after multitudinous rearranging efforts, we now know where stuff belongs in each boat. And we now know not to "help" each other pack. In fact, we have a rule…only give help if it is asked for, "Cause if I don't pack it, I don't know where it is."

Our Physical Condition

The good news here is that we have had very little need of our first-aid kits. The bodily organ taking the biggest beating is our skin…alternating between being too wet or too dry. A couple of Band-Aids, some Gold Bond powder, and some skin cream have taken care of our medical needs.

We have all paddled ourselves into shape and no longer feel pooped at the end of a day. No tendonitis issues have surfaced…partly due to the weather forcing us to take rest days on a regular basis. The weather is promising to break into summer mode any day now and the days are getting longer. We all feel like the toughest legs are behind us.

Group Dynamics

To get an idea of our situation, imagine that the next two people you meet after reading this article are coming home to live with you for the next five months…no breaks...24/7. The four of us had spent less than four days with each other before starting this trip. All other communication had been by e-mail. As you would expect, there have been a few rough edges. But we are smoothing them out, one by one.

In a conversation with Derek Hutchison at the L. L. Bean "Paddlefest" last week, he told me one of two things would happen: either we would never speak to each other after the trip, or we would become life-long friends. We are definitely opting for the latter.

Daily Schedule

We have definitely gotten in sync with Mother Nature. On a good paddling day, we are up with the sun at 5:00 a.m. This is an amazing statement coming from one whose normal schedule is to rise at 8:00 am, read the paper until 9:00-ish, and actively start a day's work at 10:00. But in order to beat that afternoon wind, we all agree it is worth the early start.

Dan prepares breakfast; I pack lunch. All the gear is down by the boats by 7:00-ish. It takes us another hour to pack, get paddling gear on, check the charts, and actually launch. Paddling by 8:00 is always our goal, but not always accomplished. A low tide creating a long carry and slippery rocks can add time to the process, as can a high tide forcing us to load the boats in knee-deep water.

On a really good day with a nice tail wind, we can cruise easily at 3 knots and reach our destination by early afternoon. We then get some leisure time. On a rougher day, with headwinds and heavy seas, we can be reduced to 1-1.5 knots and not reach our destination till 5:00 p.m.

After landing, we need several hours to establish camp. There seems no way to reduce the 5 hours needed each day to move house.

While Dan and I prepare dinner, Nat and Rich identify the phytoplankton or deal with communication issues. Monday's and Thursday's we try to download stuff from the Palms to the computer and connect with the web. Cell phone coverage has been a frustrating issue. We have often been in dead zones, or get a busy signal…in either case, we don't get through. A leisurely meal at 7:00, a discussion of the next day's plans (including a listen to "Arnold" on the NOAA weather radio) rounds out the day, and we are usually in our tents by 9:00.

In the larger picture, today is day 43. We have had 28 days of paddling and 15 days off the water. Five of these days were due to presentations and 10 were days when the weather was just too bad to paddle. Gale force winds, Nor'easters, and forecasts of 35 mph winds with seas of 5-8 feet keep us on shore.

Which brings me full circle back to this little cabin. I can hear the wind howling outside the windows, and can see the waves exploding on the shore. It is a good day to be sharing a little cabin with some tools.

Simple Pleasures

I'm lying here, naked, on a large slab of warm granite. The softness of my towel gives just enough comfort to keep my skin happy. The rays from the sun are warming my back side. I could just groan with pleasure. This is the first time in two months I have been able to just let go and enjoy. It is truly a sensuous moment.

I am at the north end of Hen Island, close to Swans Island. We have left the Stonington area and are very close to Bar Harbor. Dan, Rich, Natalie, Philip, and Myriam (Nat's siblings) are down at the south end, doing bathing in a tide pool. I opted for complete solitude and quiet. I am luxuriating in both. The only noises I hear are from the seal colony on the ledge a little out to sea.

I don't want this moment to end. For months we have been dealing with bad weather, many layers of cloths, and 12 hour work days. Today we had a short crossing and reached here at 1:00 p.m. The Weatherman has eased up…no wind, no seas, and lots of sunshine. The Gulf of Maine Swimming Pool has developed and we have all afternoon to enjoy it.

My head wanders to other recent, simple pleasures. After our last days of being weather-bound and enduring cold feet, I made it into Rockport to buy "Wellies" (rubber boots) and warm socks. The first event of wearing those new purchases was magical. New socks caress the soles of your feet with a softness that cannot be duplicated by any laundry products known to man. So their first wearing must be appreciated. It will not be repeated. And to be enclosed in a pair of waterproof Wellies that keep your feet dry and warm regardless of the environment…that's heaven.

Yesterday, on Swans Island, we found the local store which sold Snickers ice cream bars and also offered tables at which to eat them. What a joy not to be rushed, to be able to lick slowly and catch every dribble of chocolate before it melted off the stick. Surely a worthwhile project for 10 minutes on a summer's day. Civilization certainly does have its charms. Can you tell the trip is looking up?

The Divorce Machine

As we contemplated our crossing of Penobscot Bay from Warren Island, we were faced with 2-3 foot breaking seas. It was time to put Myriam, Nat's sister, in the bow of the double. These were not the conditions we wanted her to face on her very first day of sea-kayaking. This, however, put me in Myriam's single, a Wilderness System Cape Horn Pro 17, one of Nat's fleet of kayaks.

I started out quite tentatively, not having been in a single for more than five years. The boat and I took the first few waves beautifully, and I discovered…I LOVED IT!! Now I remembered why I fell in love with sea-kayaking…you, the waves, a boat, and a paddle. What freedom. I could take the waves at any angle I chose. I could speed up or slow down as I chose. I could paddle up to someone for conversation (or not) as I chose. I felt like a liberated pony let out of the corral.

Lu Chen, the wonderful singles figure skater, has started skating pairs with her new husband. When interviewed after a performance, she was asked what was the hardest thing about the transition. Her reply was instant and honest, "I have to give up control." I admired her honesty on public TV. And I admired her commitment to her new relationship. As an Olympic level figure skater, she was committing to a new phase of her life. She was giving up some control, but gaining a partner and a new art form.

The comparison is clear for me. Moving into a double kayak is very much like moving into pairs kayaking. It can have great rewards. You gain a more stable craft which will take you places you may not venture to in a solo boat. You gain a second person in the boat which adds a boost of psychological confidence. And you gain a second paddler which allows you many more gorp breaks.

However, as with all arrangements, it comes with a cost. This may surprise you, but it can be very isolating. My world, as the bow paddler, stops at my hips. I can't turn around and see where people are or talk to my husband. Communication while paddling is limited to paddling directions like "rocks on the left". It does not allow for the lengthy philosophical discussions you can have if paddling side by each. If someone approaches the double, they seem to have trouble deciding which end to talk with. It is always a three-headed conversation…never an intimate one-on-one.

In fact, I have noticed that folks seem to shy away from conversing with folks in a double. As with two people on the street, they are already paired up and form their own group. A single paddler is much more approachable.

So being the bow person in the fastest moving boat, I am often out in front and alone with my thoughts. Sometimes this is exactly where I prefer to be…and sometimes it is not. Sometimes I get a lot of writing done in my head. Sometimes I get lonely. And I can't do the steering. Tradeoffs.

But today I am back in a single and the captain of my own vessel. Making headway is up to me. Staying upright is up to me. Having fun is up to me. I think I'll buy a single when we get home…just so I have the options of pairing up or not…at least for paddling. I've already made that decision in life. Today is our second wedding anniversary and we have both decided to stay around with each other for awhile. Guess the divorce machine isn't getting this couple!