First Roach Pond

First Roach Pond in Frenchtown Township is anything but a pond and a lovely place to paddle. It's

Put-in on the western end

3270 acres, about six miles long and 1.5 miles wide at it's widest part . The put-in at the western end, in Kokadjo, is easy and there is plenty of parking across the street from the put-in. No parking signs dot the put-in area and the store owner who owns the land keeps a close eye out for violators. Also, there are not any bathroom facilities -- unless there is one inside the store. However, the put-in is only thirty minutes, at the most, from Greenville.

Snack and stretch time on the northern shore

The sandy/stony beach makes an easy place to put in. The shoreline is dotted with camps but there
were plenty of places to get out and stretch without feeling like we were trespassing. We only covered about half of the lake, never making it to North Inlet which I had hoped to check out. There is another put-in on the far east end of the lake which I hope to report on another time.

We saw Loons, but that was about it for wildlife, even though there were places where moose might be spotted. Early mornings and evening are the best bet for wildlife viewing. The lake has quite a few varieties of fish, including land-locked salmon, brook trout, and lake trout, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Cool nights in this part of the state make using a Maine Warmer a welcome event at the end of the

Neck Warmer soothes tired muscles after paddling

day. The heat relaxes stiff shoulder or neck muscles, and at the end of day outside on the water I am ready to snooze.

Kayaking Indian Pond -- Upper-middle section in early summer

Driving to a place to kayak can be an adventure in itself as was the case with finding this put-in. It is on the Northeastern, upper

Indian Pond put-in on the Northeast end

end of Indian Pond which we accessed via a dirt road, called Burnham Rd off Rte 6 & 15 (no road sign visible). The road into the pond is fairly smooth for about five miles, then it jogs to the left, then right. Although this last stretch of road is only a mile, it took us almost 15 minutes to navigate over the bumps and through three or four large, muddy puddles, all the while being careful not to get the kayaks tangled up in low hanging branches. A four-wheel-drive vehicle with a high wheel base will helps.

See map 40 on the Maine Atlas.

Small cove to check for wildlife

There was plenty of parking, some picnic tables, and a wide stone beach that made putting in easy.
Tucked in the trees was a porta-potty that was clean! Although this area is somewhat remote there is a private camp right next to the put-in. We saw only a couple of boats during the four hours we spent on the "pond."

We paddled south, crossing over to the west side, avoiding the northern bulb of the lake where there are a number of campgrounds. Since we started our paddle about 10 AM we missed a lot of wildlife, although we saw a large turtle that I could not identify crossing the dirt road on our drive in. We came across a couple of man-made Loon nesting sites. The second one had a Loon in it, and not knowing what it was,

Man made, unoccupied Loon nest

we got a little too close. As soon as we realized what it was we quickly left the area hoping the mother didn't abandon her nest. If you see one of these, stay clear. The one in this photo happened to be unoccupied when we stopped here for lunch. Not knowing what it was made us curious and we wondered if it was some kind of trap.

Indian Pond -- really a large lake on the Kennebec River -- is a watershed created by the construction of the hydroelectric Harris Station Dam, in 1952-1954. The river starts as an outflow of Moosehead Lake, then opens up into Indian Pond. Several islands provide places for paddlers to step out for a stretch or lunch. As you paddle, be careful of rocks and tree stumps just under the surface of the water. There are also a number of small coves and streams to explore -- and where we had hoped to see a moose.

Maine Warmers Black Bear microwave warmer

Since I like to camp at the Holiday Inn, at the end of a day of paddling I am happy to heat up a Neck Warmer in the microwave and melt away stiff muscles. If you know someone who missed seeing a moose or bear on a trip to Maine, you can give them a unique gift of a Maine Warmer's Black Bear (like the one in the photo) or Magnificent Moose (check Comforting Creatures for more options on the web site) that can be microwaved and used all year long to relax tight muscles or to warm up.

Happy paddling in Maine!

Branns Mill Pond in Garland, Maine

Island on Branns Mill Pond

Branns Mill Pond is gorgeous with few houses and boats and is fairly shallow with depths of mostly 5 - 6 feet. A couple of islands make nice exit places for picnics.

Find it on Map 32 of the Maine Atlas.

We put in about 11 AM which is about the time the animals head for the woods. There were plenty of colorful dragonflies and butterflies. The obnoxious deer flies bugged us only when we paddled in places protected from the wind. We saw fish jumping and heard plenty of bass playing frogs. We had hoped to see a moose or an eagle but our timing was off.

It took us about 1.5 hours to paddle most of the pond and we paddled at a leisurely pace, watching for rocks and shallow areas. The island we stopped at had tall pine trees and fire pits that looked like they got frequent use. We did saw almost no litter.

Branns Mill Pond

There was plenty of parking on Notch Rd after you cross over a short causeway with another small pond on the other side of the road. The put in was easy with a gradual cement ramp.

This was a nice break and a good warm up paddle on our drive from Southern Maine to Greenville, as we took advantage of a great weather week end for kayaking. Slight winds made it inviting, otherwise, being fair weather paddlers, we would have spent our time hiking. The Moosehead area provides ample opportunities for both.

Whether you kayak or hike, both activities can result in a few stiff muscles. Make sure to pack your Maine Warmer -- that is if you camp at a place with a microwave oven. Then sit back and relax at the end of the day as you plan the next day's paddle or hike.

Presumpscot River with MOACERS

Sunday, 80 degrees and bright blue skies – a perfect day for a paddle up the Presumpscot River.

We joined a MOAC (Maine Outdoor Adventure Club) group, put our kayaks in at Shaw Park in Gorham, and paddled upstream until we came to the Pleasant River. There we stopped for a brief cookie break (home-made), resumed our journey for a about a half mile, until the current outmatched our desire to paddle harder.  We did an about-face and rode the current back downstream paddling with little effort.  On the riverbank, two Canadian geese, a mama and papa, watched us closely, ready to protect their three downy goslings, should we pose a threat.

Back on the Presumpscot River, we paddled against the current once more, delighted by the site of Babb’s Covered Bridge that connects the towns of Gorham and Windham. Kids made a big splash as they hurled themselves into the river on the ends of rope swings. Some were dropping from the underside of the bridge, and some, less daring, were swimming from a beach on the side of the river.

Beyond the bridge we took a short break and stretch, borrowing someone’s picnic table, and enjoying the feel of the cool water on our feet. Slipping in and out of the kayak can be tricky, especially when there is a current. I came close to taking a spill, but two quick MOACERS steadied my boat in the nick of time.

The quiet railroad bridge we passed under on our way up the river was now lined with teenagers, eager for a thrill and attention, jumping 30 – 40 feet into the river, before our eyes. They were eager to entertain this unexpected audience of eight boats and 9 paddlers.

We would have liked to join this great group of MOACERS for ice-cream after loading the gear in the car and our kayaks on the racks, but it we had a commitment and had to hustle on our way. We thanked our leader for organizing the trip and for picking such a lovely day and spot to paddle.

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 16^th. 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.