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November a fine time for a paddle

— We recently spent a delightful Sunday morning exploring Muscongus Bay by canoe.

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Bald Eagle

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That sounds like an exciting and perhaps foolhardy endeavor, doesn't it? No, it's not ''that'' Muscongus Bay of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse fame; it's the basin-like bay protruding east from the long reach of Damariscotta Lake.

November offers many mild and sunny days perfect for exploring by canoe. The low angle of the sun provides an alpenglow light throughout the day that brings out the rich foliage yellows and browns of oak, beech and maple. The scarlet-hued deciduous shrubs along the shoreline pulsate above the crystal-clear waters of the lake.

The boat launch site on the Vannah Road on the south end of Muscongus Bay is easy to reach. Follow Route 1 north through Damariscotta-Newcastle. Five miles north of the Salt Bay bridge, turn left onto the Vannah Road opposite the red Minnehata Fire Department. Follow the Vannah Road 0.9 miles west to the railroad tracks. There is a small grassy spot on the right from which to launch.

Or for a flatter entry, you can carry your canoe 30 yards down the road and use the short concrete pad leading into the bay.

We reserve November as the month to explore lakes that are more developed. Now the summer cottages are boarded up, and there is little boat traffic. Even the most developed of shorelines resumes its wilderness spirit in the off-season.

Today, we are checking out the fascinating two-pronged fork of Damariscotta Lake: East Neck and West Neck, punctuated by the mysterious Deep Bay.

Paddle north toward two small islets a half-mile away. Patches of brilliant green meadow slope down to the lake on the left. Note the huge glacial erratic boulder at water's edge west of the islets. It is gigantic; much bigger than the glacial boulder clinging to the side of the Bubble near Jordan Pond at Acadia National Park.

A large semi-circular crack reaches into the rock on the north side. Get the angle right, and it looks just like the hulking head and frightening mouth of the shark in the movie ''Jaws.'' Use your imagination here.

Cottages and year-round homes are scattered along the shoreline on both sides. We focused on the variety of ducks lifting off the water and circling around us. Two immature loons only yards away splashed in the water, continually diving and surfacing. Damariscotta is an American Indian word meaning ''abundance of little fishes,'' so perhaps they were feeding.

We followed along the undulating shoreline, passing by thick stands of pine and hemlock leaning over water's edge. We glided through mats of oak leaves and pine needles, and tried to snatch a few falling leaves fluttering down to the lake from the trees above us.

As you pass around the forested head of East Neck and enter the cozy confines of Deep Bay, you will only encounter a couple of cottages on your circuit. The southern reaches are eerily quiet and secluded. We soaked up the power of the mid-morning sun and reveled in the solitude.

We paddled along West Neck shoreline, marveling at the profusion of tiny hemlock cones shining in the sun above us. On the western edge of the neck you will pass by the rustic buildings of Camp Kieve, a classic Maine summer camp for boys.

As we gazed through the trees at the various buildings now boarded up, we were overcome with nostalgia. How could it be that it had been 50 years since we ourselves had attended a summer camp?

As we readied to leave the cove, we looked up into the top of a tall dying white pine and were startled to see a majestic bald eagle, its huge, crooked yellow beak looking very capable. Ducks continued to circle out over the lake.

If the wind is light, venture over to the western shoreline of the lake. You will spy a white church and steeple high up on the Bunker Hill Road (Route 213). There are a couple of delightful forested islands to paddle around below the ridgeline.

It will look like you cannot get around the northerly island, but there is plenty of water leading through the golden marsh grasses and back out into deeper water. We paddled over to one of the biggest beaver lodges we have ever seen, a hulking dome of mud and sticks.

We headed back toward Muscongus Bay, passing through an archipelago of four forested islands, each with a weathered cabin on it. A line of clouds drifted east into the far reaches of Penobscot Bay. Above, sheer penetrating blue. Three hours and seven miles had passed by in a flash.

It was hard to leave. We tarried at the launch site enjoying the foliage colors, the contrast of deep blues of sky and water. We walked down the railroad causeway south of the road and spied 25 Canada Geese feeding in the margins of a the water south of the tracks.

We now had a difficult choice to make: head home to an afternoon of yard chores or head north up Route 1 a few miles for that wedge of banana cream pie waiting for us at Moody's Diner in Waldoboro. Some decisions are easy to make!

For help in getting to the Vannah Road put-in spot, consult Delorme's Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (Map No. 13). For further details on the area, check out the Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association Web site at www.dlwa.org.

Enjoy a fabulous November of paddling, wherever you end up.

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

dreams @suscom-maine.net