Posted inOutdoors, Times Record

Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society paddlers experience tumultuous seas kayaking Union River Bay

When my friend, Norm Olsen, announced a Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society sea kayak trip from Surry to Ellsworth in Hancock County, I immediately signed on. An experienced trip organizer, Norm always plans interesting outdoor adventures and scrupulously researches the itinerary and potential conditions. Further, this was a sector of the Maine coast I had […]

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Kayakers explore historic Swan Island on the Kennebec River

Swan Island on the Kennebec River in Richmond has a long and rich past. Human activity on the island can be traced back thousands of years. Native Americans known as Abenakis, some likely my ancestors, inhabited the island for centuries before the first Europeans arrived in 1607. Relations between the Native Americans and early European […]

Posted inOutdoors, Times Record

A partial kayak circumnavigation of Deer Island in Passamaquoddy Bay

A group of friends and I were on the third day of a weeklong vacation on Deer Island in New Brunswick. Located in Passamaquoddy Bay just east of Eastport and northwest of another, more well-known Canadian island, Campobello, we were camping on Deer Island Point Campground at the southern end of the island. On the […]

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Dyer Long Pond in Jefferson is a serene hidden gem

A group of paddlers navigate north on Dyer Long Pond in Jefferson. (Ron Chase photos) I “discovered” Dyer Long Pond in Jefferson while studying my Delorme Maine Atlas for prospective lakes and ponds to explore in central Maine. A banana-shaped body of water with several inlets, coves and small peninsulas, the approximately 3-mile-long pond appeared […]

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Kayakers explore Lower Togus Pond in Augusta

For several years, I’ve organized Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society spring whitewater trips on Togus Stream from Chelsea to Randolph where it joins the Kennebec River. Those adventures recently motivated me to investigate the source of the stream, Togus Pond in Augusta. My research indicated Togus Pond is separated into two distinct bodies of water […]

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Excitement abounds on the Dead River Throwback Cruise

The Dead River near West Forks always offers a thrilling whitewater adventure. When relatively inexperienced paddlers take on the turbulent river navigating old-style boats, added excitement is guaranteed. That’s precisely what the Dead River Throwback Cruise recently delivered. A celebration of old-time boats and gear, the Throwback Cruise has become an annual tradition for my […]