Monday, April 16, 2012

April 16, 2012 First Paddle on Lower Range Pond


First day of kayaking in the new year, and on some lakes in Maine the ice isn’t even out yet. We packed a lunch of lentil salad, apples and strawberries, stopped at the accountant’s in Portland to sign our electronic tax return form, then escaped into a glorious get-a-way day.

We drove to the state park on Lower Range (pronounced rang) Pond only to find the entrance gate down blocking automobiles from entering the park – not pedestrians of which there were plenty. It is only April 16th. Carrying kayaks and all the gear was not worth it for the little bit of paddling we planned to do.

We drove to Middle Range pond, talked with a few of the locals, and found a free-bee parking space and put-in just off of Schellinger Rd. Take an immediate left just after crossing the bridge on Rte. 26 heading north.

Most of the lake was lined with camps until we approached a shallow and narrower end of the lake near Upper Range Pond. We saw Loons, a Canadian goose (looked like it might have been protecting a nest), a Merganser, a muskrat, red-winged blackbirds, and a few turtles. It was quite marshy and the bugs were enjoying the nice weather as much as we were.

We found another put-in with a motor boat ramp (state-owned) between Upper Range and Middle with plenty of parking. However, a couple who were just taking out their kayaks said that the parking lot was full at 11 AM when they drove in.

We lunched in the shallows of the marshy area then paddled to the state boat ramp where we were able to disembark and stretch our legs. There are not any public bathroom facilities – a big drawback. But it was early in the season and we didn’t encounter any other boats on Middle Range for the few hours we were in our boats.

I’ll be ready to heat up my Maine Warmer and put it on my shoulders and lower back. Lifting kayaks onto the car-racks – even after doing overhead weight lifting all winter long – makes shoulder muscles tight. It will be nice to relax those tight muscles with a Great Big Back Warmer.

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