The days may be shorter by an hour now, and the New England Patriots already have played two exhibition games, but plenty of summer paddling remains. A great place to enjoy the many natural wonders of August is North Pond in Warren.

A winding channel lined with dense thickets of showy buttonbush leads a half-mile down to the pond from the boat launch area on the Western Road. Don’t be deterred by the beaver dam 100 yards from the boat launch. Carefully get out and drag your canoe over it and you are free to go from there.

White specks lined the shoreline in the form of fragrant water lilies just opening in the early morning sun. They were our constant companions on our three-hour exploration of the 338-acre pond. Shiny waves of pickerelweed leaves with their fuzzy blue bottlebrush-like flower heads alternated with delicate white flowers of arrowhead.

As we emerged out into the pond an isolated grove of white pine beckoned us southward along the western shoreline. There are sporadic pockets of camps along the shoreline and a few farms up in the meadows above the pond, but for the most part the shoreline is undeveloped. We spied Canada geese resting in the shade of a lawn above the water. Later in the morning on our return we saw the same group feeding in the shallows. They each took turns pivoting their white rumps to the sky to scour the bottom for goodies. They looked like white lobster pots holding fast to a taut line.

We were fortunate to have no wind and that provided amazing reflections on the mirror calm water. A solitary building cumulus cloud became two. A red barn on the hillside had a twin only yards from our paddles. Undulating forested slopes created green teardrops all along the shoreline.

As we neared the southern end of the pond we spied a small point to the right and a cozy cobble beach. It was the perfect spot for a snack and a swim. We floated on our backs facing toward the sun. Remember that classic 1966 surfer movie, “The Endless Summer?” Shear bliss was attainable and forever seemed possible. We were in an endless summer moment.

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Another magical channel leads a few hundred yards south to Route 1. Beautiful stands of purple loosestrife rose out of the rich green marsh grasses. They certainly are not a favorite of those who detest invasives, but they are a striking flower. Woody nightshade was in full bloom, their tiny purple and yellow flowers peering out at us from tangled thickets. Although a member of the potato family, their fleshy red berries are poisonous.

We were able to paddle within 20 yards of the large culvert under Route 1, where a large split rock and shallow water brought us to a grinding halt and a return out to the pond. Back out into open water we heard an osprey calling to our right and finally spied it heading for a treetop. Off to the left a flash of white caught our attentive eyes and we stopped to marvel at a large bald eagle cruising down the middle of the pond. As many as we all have seen over the years, the next one brings the same joy and excitement as the first. They are truly captivating and perhaps the world “majestic” was created just for them.

As we carried over the beaver dam one last time we looked to our left to spy a solitary blue heron staring out over the channel, a mirror image reflected in the still water. Two brilliant yellow goldfinches tumbled into view, chasing each other right by the stolid heron. What a great end to a perfect Monday morning on the water, and a memorable way to start the week.

The quaint boat launch site is made possible by the kindness of property owners who operate a farmstead right around the corner on the North Pond Road. Consult the Delorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (map #14) for help in getting to the North Pond boat launch site on the Western Road in Warren.

We always try to return home via a meandering route of new discoveries, and found our way down to Cushing and the Hathorn Point Road for a stop at the one-of-a-kind Olson House. Andrew Wyeth captured the essence of Maine here with his 1948 creation of the “Christina’s World” masterpiece. Armed with a freshly picked box of roadside blueberries and engaged in a lively debate on what pie to have at Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro, we headed back out to Route 1.

Michael Perry is the former director of the L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools, and founder of Dreams Unlimited, specializing in inspiring outdoor slide programs for civic groups, businesses, and schools.

michaelj_perry@comcast.net


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