NYCkayaker Trip Report Isle Au Haut, Maine 8/16/06-8/20/06

[Jeff Hoyer]

Bruce Rayvid, Mo Fridlich and myself met on Wednesday, August 20 at Old
Quarry Ocean Adventures campground near Stonington Maine, fresh from a
circumnavigation of Manhattan and eager to leave the woes of the dog days of
August in our collective wakes.
 
This was our second meeting in Isle Au Haut together. Last year, we spent
two days standing under a tarp in torrential rains before enjoying some
wondrous paddling in both directions and an exquisite, if abbreviated, stay
at the Duck Harbor Campground on Isle Au Haut when the weather finally
broke. The highlight of that trip was our return which featured a sunset
dinner on Harbor Island and an absolutely haunting night-time paddle under a
full moon back to Old Quarry.
 
We had talked during the off-season of the possibility of returning and even
tried to organize a week at the Old Quarry rental house, but uncertain
schedules precluded the making of a plan. But not to be denied, Bruce
befriended a man who owned property on Isle Au Haut and received an
invitation to visit and camp on his land. This allowed us to plan a
relatively last-minute trip during the peak season when everything else is
booked. 
 
For the uninitiated, Isle Au Haut lies about seven miles off the coast of
Deer Isle which is part of the ³Down East² region of Maine. A large portion
of the Island is part of the Acadia National Park. Although there are a few
vacation homes as well as permanent residences, there are limited facilities
for guests and large portions of the island are still in quite a natural
state. The coastline of Maine is famously rugged with numerous gorgeous
vistas punctuated by quaint maritime scenes. Old Quarry Ocean Adventures is
the nearest operator to the island and offers Kayak rentals as well as ferry
service. There is also a campground on the premises of Old Quarry which
features nicely appointed campsites and the luxury of a central bath
facility replete with a laundry. It is approximately an 8-hour drive from
New York.
 
The day of our arrival featured some confusion with the campsite
reservations and the usual rummaging for gear replete with worries about
what might have been forgotten. I find that regardless the degree of
advanced planning, there are inevitable last-minute doubts about which
critical piece of equipment or supply was forgotten. For this reason we had
planned in advance to have a backup for each critical piece of equipment as
well as extra food. Luckily, we were settled into a campsite overlooking the
ocean well before sundown . Mo and I decided to enjoy a dinner at the
nearest restaurant prior to our trip more out of laziness than anything
else. Bruce was ascetically inclined and demurred.
 
After a wonderful first night¹s sleep listening to something other than
sirens and traffic noise, we scurried around like squirrels in the fall
loading and schlepping to make our self-imposed departure deadline.
(Schlepping is not really a word in the local Maine dialect for those of you
less world-wise!) 
 
I proudly (and foolishly) announced that I had completely organized my gear
at home and could hit the water in less than an hour. While Mo and Bruce
prepared, I blissfully languished away an hour filing a float plan and
fraternizing with the other paddlers at the campsite. It was only when I
wasted 30-minutes wrestling with a water bag which would not open under tap
pressure that I realized my naiveté and was forced to frantically stuff my
hatches under the annoyed and scornful eyes of my associates who were by now
fully ready to go. Thankfully, they eventually excused my tardiness after
some caustic commentary. But we were an hour behind schedule and I was a bit
frustrated with myself.
 
Distance-wise, the nearest point on Isle Au Haut is only about 6 nm. from
Old Quarry. There are numerous islands and channels along the way but many
of them look the same from a kayak, so planning a course and having maps,
compass and/or GPS is highly recommended for this trip. There is one
relatively exposed crossing of about one nautical mile which can be somewhat
choppy if the wind and seas are up.
 
Since we were camping on property about midway down the east coast of the
island, we would be paddling to Head Harbor on the southern end of the
island. We planned to land our boats on the property of a friend of our
host, but were somewhat fuzzy about how to transport our gear the mile to
the camp-site. The total distance from Stonington to Head Harbor is about 13
nm. depending on the actual course taken.
 
The weather was calm and clear at the start of the trip and the forecast was
for relatively benign conditions. We paddled in between one gloriously
beautiful rocky island after another. It was exhilarating to once again
taste a fresh sea breeze and feel the salt water spray peppering my face.
After an hour and a half, we stopped for lunch on Wheat Island, a small
somewhat barren island. As we sat on a rock eating our lunch, a Maine Island
Water Trail boat landed on the island and a young woman took down our
addresses for later contact as part of a usage survey.
 
Upon returning to the boats, I was chagrined to find that my rear hatch
cover (which I had carelessly left next to the boat) was nowhere to be
found. Fortunately it was soon located floating in the water about 75 feet
away and Bruce quickly fetched it for me. Confucius say: ³Only idiot leave
hatch cover lying in sand when tide coming in.² Another demerit for poor
Jeff. It was decided that I would be washing the dishes that evening.
 
Since our final destination was the southern coast, we bypassed the main
harbor and paddled directly down the eastern coast of the Island. As the
afternoon progressed, the wind began to pick up out of the southwest and the
current was against us in many of the channels. Although the southeastern
tip of the island was visible, it often seemed as though we were not making
any progress. We entertained the possibility of landing our boats in some
relatively sheltered cove nearer our campsite, but there was not a suitable
location. 
 
We had our first seal sighting in the late afternoon light as two dog-shaped
heads popped up out of the water and than disappeared in a graceful roll. We
encountered another group of paddlers on a circumnavigation of the Isle Au
Haut in the opposite direction. I managed to speak with them long enough to
be told that conditions beyond the point were no worse than what we were
experiencing. 
 
Eventually, we reached the southern headland and made a wide turn toward the
harbor. One thing that is a bit tricky about this area are the underwater
rock formations which can cause unpredictable breaking waves to startle the
complacent paddler. Fortunately, we were able to identify which locations to
avoid and paddled into the sheltered harbor without incident.
And what a scene! There were a few boats, exposed tidal flats and an array
of interesting houses perched along the shore. It was a classic Coastal
Maine scene and the cameras were brandished in a flurry. After the wind and
chop of the latter part of the trip, the water was glass-placid and sporting
shimmering images of the shore and sky.
 
We landed and tried to figure out which people had promised a storage spot
for the boats. Eventually a very friendly pair of couples told us it was
fine to leave our kayaks on their property even though they knew neither us
or our host! After seeing how much gear we were packing, they took pity on
us and pile us and the gear into their SUV for a quick trip up to our
campsite. 
 
After a bit of exploring, we decided to camp along the shore of a large
pond. Since this was private property there were no real campsites but we
were able find enough flat space in which to pitch out tents and make
dinner. The water in the pond was absolutely clear and a refreshing luxury
after a day¹s paddle.
 
As we were having our dinner, we were startled by a chorus of howling from
across the pond. It sounded like a pack of coyotes but we were skeptical
that such animals lived on this small island. It was at once comical and a
bit disconcerting (or concerting depending on one¹s taste). Hearing these
sounds in the dark reminded me of childhood camping experiences in northern
Wisconsin where there were wolves, bear and the occasional bobcat to startle
the unwary interloper. I remembered how my hair bristled at the first
hearing of a bobcat screech in the night. Even though the brain scoffs at
any thought of a threat, there are certain sounds that provoke deeper
instincts. I couldn¹t resist sleeping with my knife close by.
 
As it turned out, no one was eaten in the night and the next day dawned warm
with a fog that obscured the sun. After breakfast, we set off for some
hiking along the southeastern coast of the island after recovering a few
pieces of equipment forgotten in the kayaks.
 
It was a beautiful day and a great hike. A little rugged and strenuous, but
a pleasant complement to the paddling of the day before. We hiked along
several rugged promontories and eventually climbed to the top of Duck
Mountain. The vista from the top was gorgeous. By the end of the day, all of
the muscle groups and been properly tested and I was really looking forward
to a swim and dinner.
 
It was another beautiful evening of dinner, shared stories and a serenity
broken once again by the howling chorus. I was beginning to imagine that
someone across the pond had a nature recording of howling coyotes they were
playing over a giant sound system. It sounded too real, but  we never did
find out what evil trickster lurked behind this unholy din.
 
I awoke the next morning sensing that the weather had changed. (Old joints
are at least good for something!) A quick listen to the local NOAA weather
channel revealed a relatively dire marine forecast for the evening and
following day. The stern and disjointed synthesized voice uncaringly talked
about the possibility of small craft advisories, 25 kt. winds with southerly
swell and thunderstorms. It sounded like our plan to paddle back the next
day might be ill-advised. We discussed the forecast over breakfast with
mixed feelings. None of us wanted to leave early, but our kayaks were on the
southern coast of the island which would be most exposed in the event of
nasty weather. 
 
Reluctantly, it was decided that the safe and responsible thing to do was to
leave immediately. We made a plan to paddle to the northern part of the
island to observe the island centennial celebration parade and have lunch.
This way if things had begun to deteriorate we would be in a more sheltered
location and could even return to Stonington on the ferry if need be. I fear
that I was a bit over-cautious in pushing Bruce and Mo to consider the
possibilities, but from my experiences I have learned to respect the power
of the ocean and had no desire to see a wonderful trip turn into a ³Deep
Trouble² experience.
 
We hurriedly packed our gear and began to drag it to the boats without
assistance. It was very tiring to haul everything in a mesh bag and by the
time we made it to the boats we were all a bit tired. We quickly loaded the
boats and set off this time heading around the south-western coast of the
island. 
 
The weather was overcast with about 10 kt. continuous winds and a few 20 kt
gusts. Once again there were unexpected breakers to avoid, but otherwise the
conditions were well within our comfort zones. The scenery was gorgeous. Had
we not been on a schedule, it would have been nice to play amongst some of
the rocks and coves.
 
About half way up the coast we encountered a rock filled with seals. They
dove in advance of our arrival, but once again popped out of the water at
unexpected intervals to carefully observe our passing. As we neared the
harbor, we were pushed ahead with ease by a stiff tailwind. At the entrance
to the harbor, an osprey had built a next on top of a pole and squawked a
shrill greeting as we passed by.
 
We arrived at the town boat landing just in time for the start of the
centennial parade. Many of the island residents were dressed in traditional
garb and assembling for a parade. We had lunch and watched the parade. Bruce
and Mo headed off to more closely observe the festivities, while I tried to
retrieve my voicemail. (The cellular connections on this island are spotty
to non-existence.) 
 
As it turned out Mo had a family emergency which required his return and our
early departure was actually fortuitous even though we were unaware at the
time we made the decision.
 
After a break of a few hours, we set out for Old Quarry through the myriad
of islands. The wind had by now increased to a steady 15-20 kt. on our stern
and the trip back was effortless. We made a brief rest stop and were back on
Deer Isle in less than two hours.
 
We secured another campground, set up the tents, showered and were off to
dinner at the Cockatoo which is a very colorful Portuguese seafood
restaurant near the campground. The food is fresh and delicious and the host
vivacious and entertaining. We returned to the campsite and went to sleep as
the rain began. No camping trip is complete without a night in the rain!
 
We awoke the next morning to a steady rain and had a brief breakfast while
Mo and Bruce packed for their early departure. After they left, I lingered a
bit considering whether to go out for a day paddle and stay another night.
Eventually, I decided that it would be better if I also returned to New
York. Later as the sun began to shine while I was driving, I wondered why I
hadn¹t gone for the day trip.
 
It was a brief but very satisfying long weekend getaway with some lessons
learned: 1) don¹t even think your gear is packed until it is actually in the
boat and the hatches are sealed; 2) don¹t leave hatch covers lying around on
the ground (Why don¹t these things come with tethers?); 3) weather forecasts
are highly inaccurate in Maine!
 
I also was pleased to discover that the Valley Aquanaut RM LV which I
recently purchased is a great boat for touring and hauling gear. Despite
it¹s ³LV² (Low Volume) moniker, it has enough capacity for some serious
touring. I packed several nights food, a 2-person tent, clothing, sleeping
bag and other equipment easily into the boat with space to spare. I weigh
about 220 lb and probably had at least another 70 lbs. of gear, and was
surprised to find that the boat actually handled better when loaded.
 
Many thanks to Bruce and Mo for the pleasure of their company!
 
For those of you interested in viewing Mo¹s consistently well-composed
photos, please visit:

http://www.mofridlich.com/gallery/Kayak-Maine-Island-Trail.